Cozy Mysteries discussion

Updated message 62: Naked Heat for Study.

Updated message 62: Loose Ends for Ballroom, X Y Z for Library

This is a really great challenge. I do not think I have it in me to meet it since i am getting started so late, but I love the idea.

You can always start it Karen and see how far you get. Or change the time limit for yourself personally. The idea is to have fun.

I love this challenge, and hats off to whoever thought of it! I'm way late in seeing it, but I think I'll start it ... probably take me till the end of the year, but it sounds like fun!

Your welcome Joy. (It was my idea. hehe) :)

Finished! This was SO much fun! Thanks Briansgirl!

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet (red): Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins
Colonel Mustard (yellow): The Butter Did It: A Gastronomic Tale... by Phyllis C. Richman
Mrs. White (white): Ghost in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters
Mr. Green (green): Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins
Mrs. Peacock (blue): Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins
Professor Plum (purple): Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood

Weapons:
Dagger/Knife: Unprintable by Julie Kaewert
Candlestick: If Walls Could Talk: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery by Juliet Blackwell
Revolver (any revolver or pistol): Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell
Rope: Norway to Hide by Maddy Hunter
Lead Pipe: Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley/Jenna Bennett
Wrench/Spanner: Sink Trap by Christy Evans

Rooms:
Kitchen: Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
Ballroom:An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman
Conservatory: The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick (audio)
Dining Room: Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely
Billard Room: Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton
Library: Untitled by Julie Kaewert
Study: Unsigned by Julie Kaewert
Hall: Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie
Lounge Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters
Cellar/Stairs: Fundraising the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Congrats Jennifer! Way to go!

CONGRATS, Jennifer!

Congrats Jennifer

wow - this looked like a fun challenge - I wish I saw this when it started. I looked on ebay for the book, Clue, and you're right, why are they so rare and/or expensive? there were two copies available for $25 or less, but the rest were over $75ish.

Amazing job Jennifer!!!!

Jennifer wrote: "Finished! This was SO much fun! Thanks Briansgirl!"

Your welcome and Congratulations!

Thanks guys! :)

DONE!



Bonus: 3/3

Clue Characters:

Miss Scarlet (a red piece): Goodbye Dolly: A Gretchen Birch Mystery by Deb Baker (11/28 - ★★★★)
Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece): A Blush With Death by India Ink (12/03 - ★★)
Mrs. White (a white piece): Pick Your Poison by Leann Sweeney (02/22 - ★★★★)
Mr. Green (a green piece): Dolled Up For Murder by Deb Baker (11/27 - ★★★)
Mrs. Peacock (a blue piece): Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers by Donald Bain (11/05 - ★★★★)
Professor Plum (a purple piece): Chasing Can Be Murder by June Whyte (10/21 - ★★★)

Weapons:

Dagger/Knife: A Cadger's Curse by Diane Gilbert Madsen (11/10 - ★★★★)
Candlestick: Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters (05/28/11 - ★★)
Revolver (any revolver or pistol): The Lies That Bind by Kate Carlisle (11/13 - ★★★★)
Rope: Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger (05/14/11 - ★★★★)
Lead Pipe: If Walls Could Talk: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery by Juliet Blackwell (12/10 - ★★★★)
Wrench/Spanner: Repair to Her Grave by Sarah Graves (01/12/11 - ★★★★)

Rooms:

Kitchen: If You Can't Stand the Heat by Robin Allen (05/09/11 - ★★★)
Ballroom: Loose Ends by Terri Reid (03/24/11 - ★★★★)
Conservatory: Crossing the Lion by Cynthia Baxter (05/23/11 - ★★)
Dining Room: Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy (05/30/2011 - ★★★)
Billiard Room: Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard (01/09/11 - ★★★★)
Library: X Y Z by Anna Katharine Green (03/25/11 - ★★★)
Study: Naked Heat by Richard Castle (03/17/2011 - ★★★★)
Hall: Scratch the Surface by Susan Conant (11/2 - ★★★★)
Lounge: Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman (10/15 - ★★★)
Cellar/Stairs: Undone by Karin Slaughter (11/25 - ★★★★)

BONUS #1: Read a book based on the actual game Clue: The Secret Secret Passage (11/07)

Bravo Marisa!

Way to go Marisa!

Well Done Marisa

Oh Congratulations Marisa! Brava! :)

I found for 50 cents at a thrift shop last week, a really old copy of the board game Clue. It's in a green square box and it's from 1949. The only things it's missing is the game board. I can use a board from a newer version but have fun playing with all the old game pieces. The weapons are huge and ornate compared to the newer ones, and even the cards are rather unique.

I'm about half done with this challenge. I have all the characters done, 2 weapons and 5 rooms done. I have books picked out to fill out every category remaining with the exception of the Lounge. I even have a Clue bonus book waiting to be read.

Congrats on the game, Briansgirl. That's a real nice finding.

Marisa, did you enjoy Repair to Her Grave? It was the first book in her series that I've read. I really enjoyed it. Have you read any of the other books in this series? I read one other one, which I can't remember the name of right now but I didn't enjoy it as much. I really enjoyed the humor in Repair to Her Grave but in the other one that I read there was very little humor. What do you think?

Karendenice wrote: "Marisa, did you enjoy Repair to Her Grave? It was the first book in her series that I've read. I really enjoyed it. Have you read any of the other books in this series? I read one oth..."

Not Marisa - but I used to love this series by Sarah Graves and looked forward to each one but the last several books have taken on a bit of a darker more somber tone so I stopped reading the series. They are no less well written, but when I finished I felt melancholy, which is not why I read cozies. :) But the first two thirds of her books I enjoyed quite a bit.

Marisa wrote: "Congrats on the game, Briansgirl. That's a real nice finding."

I have a really old monopoly set, missing the original game board but have it as a decoration in my living room. So might set out some of the original clue game pieces to go with it.

Karen, I enjoyed it, but it's the only one I've read in the series, so I don't know if the other ones are the same.

I need to get going on this...
Is it just me or does it seem like cozies don't like to put people on the covers?

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet (a red piece)
Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece) Little Red Riding Hood in the Big Bad City anthology - 11/12/10
Mrs. White (a white piece) Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle - 3/6/11
Mr. Green (a green piece) Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown - 6/23/11
Mrs. Peacock (a blue piece) Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson - 10/4/10
Professor Plum (a purple piece)

Weapons:
Dagger/Knife Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie - 12/13/10
Candlestick The Diva Cooks a Goose - 5/5/11
Revolver A Timely Vision by Joyce and Jim Lavene - 10/13/10
Rope A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch
Lead Pipe Spacked and Spooked by Jennie Bentley - 12/22/10
Wrench/Spanner Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves


Rooms (5 of 10):
Kitchen Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams - 12/31/10
Ballroom The Proof is in the Pudding by Melinda Wells - 11/15/10
Conservatory
Dining Room The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis - 11/6/10
Billard Room Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard - 10/20/10
Library Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle - 10/21/10
Study
Hall
Lounge
Cellar/Stairs


BONUS #1: Read a book based on the actual game Clue. Example:

BONUS #2: Play the board game with family and/or friends.

BONUS #3: Watch the movie CLUE

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "I need to get going on this...
Is it just me or does it seem like cozies don't like to put people on the covers?

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet (a red piece)
Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece) Little..."

I noticed that too!

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "I need to get going on this...
Is it just me or does it seem like cozies don't like to put people on the covers?

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet (a red piece)
Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece) Little..."

I, too, had noticed this. Most of the cozies I've read this year have cats, dogs, or food on the covers, but no people. LOL

And, if you see one (usually women), you can expect a mix with chick-lit (although some of you don't like the term, it's a very known term for me here in Spain).

I just played Clue this weekend with my family at the beach! I had won it at work and it's a new version. The rooms and weapons are all different! Maybe an extension to the current challenge? I'd like to read a cozy that takes place at a spa! :)

Does anybody have any suggestions for conservatory and/or billiard room?

For billiard room I have Witch Hunt and for conservatory I have Crossing the Lion. I hope it helps.

I can't wait to read Crossing the Lion. I keep putting it off as something more pressing seems to jump to the top of my TBR list. I've got all the people done, 4 weapons left and 5 rooms. So I'm getting there, but have to read very specific books to get the items left (although just about any western will get me the revolver weapon! lol).

Reading The Poseidon Adventure at the moment, but not sure I can get a room out of it. lol The movie showed the dining hall turned into a ballroom of sorts (both classic and remake) but in the book, the boat flipped just as they were dressed for a regular evening meal in the large dining room (of course, back then, they REALLY dressed for dinner lol). Already filled Dining Room with another book, but just can't quite squeeze this one into Ballroom or Lounge. lol Perhaps I could use it for Cellar/Stairs as they do decend into the bowels of the ship through the cellar areas and do have to navigate several upside down stairwells. If the author can devote two whole chapters to them transversing the upside down staircase obstacles, lol, then I guess that's good enough to qualify, since the book only had to have a scene in the required room. I've had 2. (so far lol) :)

I would say that it would qualify,lol! My goodness, I better stay off of the ships, because my legs would never last having to climb that many stairs! I would need a knee replacement!

Lisa wrote: "I would say that it would qualify,lol! My goodness, I better stay off of the ships, because my legs would never last having to climb that many stairs! I would need a knee replacement!"

Well, remember, in Poseidon, the ship is turned upside down, so now your on the bottom side of all the stairs, which would give you a smooth slide down now (except they are, of course, going up!), and all the handrails are hanging down from above. You're having to go up on what was the ceiling of the stairwells which are smooth and flat, just angled to match the sloop of the stairs. That's why it took a chapter per stairwell that the party had to negotiate.

Cozy Mysteries Clue Board Game Challenge

One of the most famous detective board games is Clue/Cluedo made by Parker Brothers. This challenge will be based around the characters, weapons and rooms from the original game. The challenge will run for a year, until Oct 1, 2011. Books may only be used once for this challenge, so you'll be reading 17 to 22 books to complete the challenge.

16/22 + 1

√ Clue Characters:
Read a book where someone on the cover is wearing the same color clothes as the clue character. (ie a red dress, a green suit, etc. Outfit on cover does not have to be specifically a dress or suit, as long as the person on the cover is prodominately dressed in the color.) Read one book for each person.

√ Miss Scarlet (a red piece) - Spy Glass by Maria Snyder 10/12/10
√ Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece) - Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer 6/17/11
√ Mrs. White (a white piece) - The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry 3/18
√ Mr. Green (a green piece) - Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (Sookie #10) 3/10
√ Mrs. Peacock (a blue piece) - Sea Glass by Maria Snyder 10/11/10
√ Professor Plum (a purple piece) - Storm Glass by Maria Snyder 10/10/10


Weapons:
Read a book where either one of the following weapons is pictured on the cover, or was used to murder someone in the book. Read one book for each weapon.

√ Dagger/Knife - Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder 10/5/10
Candlestick - Silver and Guilt by Cynthia Smith
Revolver - TBD Western
Rope - Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger
Lead Pipe - Lead-Pipe Cinch by Christy Evans
√ Wrench/Spanner - Nancy Drew #11: Monkey-Wrench Blues by Stefan Petrucha 10/12/10



Rooms:
Read a book with one the following rooms pictured on the cover or featured prominately in the plot. The room doesn't have to be the main place the story takes place but if the characters just walk through the room once it isn't enough to count. If an entire scene takes place in the room, then it's enough to qualify. Choose 5 of the 10. (Some will be harder, so you don't have to find them all unless you want to.) Cellar/Stairs was where the solution envelope was.

√ Kitchen - Cinderella: Hired by the Prince by Marion Lennox 10/23/10
√ Ballroom - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin 7/4/11
Conservatory - Crossing the Lion: A Reigning Cats & Dogs Mystery by Cynthia Baxter
√ Dining Room - Getting Rid Of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie 10/13/10
√ Billard Room - Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton 8/21/11
√ Library - - Angels & Demons by Dan Brown 3/17/11
√ Study - Naked Heat by Richard Castle 10/25/10
√ Hall - A Dangerous Inheritance (Eclipse) by Leona Karr 2/20/11
Lounge -
√ Cellar/Stairs - The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico 8/17/11

BONUS #1: Read a book based on the actual game Clue.
The Vanishing Vampire (Clue #15) by A.E. Parker



√ BONUS #2: Play the board game with family and/or friends. Played with the kids.

√ BONUS #3: Watch the movie CLUE starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, and Martin Mull. Watched with my boys.

Need help finding a book with a LOUNGE scene. Will go scoll back and see what the rest of you found. (I know I don't need all rooms, but was trying for it anyway.) I may have to read a few victorian historicals until I find one where the men all retreat to the lounge after dinner for cigars and brandy.

Marisa wrote: "For billiard room I have Witch Hunt and for conservatory I have Crossing the Lion. I hope it helps."

Thanks Marisa!

Briansgirl, for "Lounge" I have "Night of The Living Deed" (I checked all the rooms too ;) )

Marisa wrote: "Briansgirl, for "Lounge" I have "Night of The Living Deed" (I checked all the rooms too ;) )"

I think I might just have that one. Have to check. Thanks.

Well, I couldn't finish all the rooms, but I got close! Great challenge, and congrats to all the finishers!

Clue Board Game Challenge
Duration: October 1,2010 thru October 1, 2011

19/22 Done

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris 11/13 ****
Colonel Mustard: A Blush With Death by India Ink 12/31 ****
Mrs. White: A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt 10/3 ***
Mr. Green: Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy 10/22 ***
Mrs. Peacock: Last Writes by Laura Levine 5/16 *****
Professor Plum: Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen 12/30 ****


Weapons:
Dagger/Knife: One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly 10/3 ****
Candlestick: Legend of the Jade Dragon by Yasmine Galenorn 10/11 ****
Revolver: This Pen For Hire by Laura Levine 10/12 *****
Rope: Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger 4/3 ***
Lead Pipe: Sink Trap by Christy Evans 6/20 ***
Wrench/Spanner: The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves 9/30 ***


Rooms:
Kitchen: State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy 2/23 ****
Ballroom: From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris 1/2 ****
Conservatory
Dining Room: The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis 11/30 ****
Billiard Room: Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard 1/28 ****
Library: The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly 3/27 ****
Study
Hall
Lounge: Sketch Me If You Can by Sharon Pape 11/14 ****
Cellar/Stairs: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris 7/19 ***

Congrats, Valorie!

I forgot to cross mine off but I finished this also! My books are at message #204. Thanks for a wonderful challenge it was great fun! Congrats to the other finshers also!

Marisa wrote: "Congrats, Valorie!"

Thanks Marisa!

Congrats, Lisa! (I always forget to cross mine :( )

I finished this a couple of days ago, but forgot to post it. So here goes. Did get 5 rooms.

"Clue" Board Game Challenge
Duration 10/01/10 To 10/01/11
16/22

Clue Characters:
Miss Scarlet Crewel World by Monica Ferris 4/10/11 ****
Colonel Mustard A Blush With Death by India Ink 12/26/10 ****
Mrs. White A Pedigree To Die Forby Laurien Berenson 4/15/11 ***
Mr. Green A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt 9/8/11 ***
Mrs. Peacock Sleeping With Anemone by Kate Collins 2/25/11 ****
Professor Plum Unlucky by Jana Deleon 10/31/10 ****


Weapons:
Dagger/Knife Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence 10/18/10 ***
Candlestick Legend of the Jade Dragon by Yasmine Galenorn 9/24/11 ****
Revolver The Northbury Papers by Joanne Dobson 12/11/10 ***
Rope Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger 3/22/11 ***
Lead Pipe Sink Trap by Christy Evans 7/18/11 ****
Wrench The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves 5/1/11 ***


Rooms:
Kitchen
Ballroom
Conservatory
Dining Room The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis 11/22/10 ****
Billard Room Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard 5/21/11 ****
Library The Ghost and Mrs. McClureby Alice Kimberly 3/9/11 ****
Study
Hall
Lounge Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey 7/23/11 ****
Stairs North Star Conspiracy by Miriam Grace Monfredo 2/3/11 ***

Congratulations Linda!

Well done Linda! :)

Congrats Linda!

Congrats, Linda!

Thank you You all. It was a fun challenge.