Hello friends, normally I would start thinking about Christmas themed books for December but I’m not really in the mood this year. Instead, I will be joining in Cloak and Dagger Christmas, a mystery readathon hosted by Kate Howe, Too Fond of Books, Carolyn’s Reading Rambles, and The Novel Nomad.
Prompts:
- Study: Associated with your profession, what you studied in college, or a field you’d like to learn more about.
- Library: A book that references other books OR borrow a book from the library.
- Hall: Entry into a new-to-you mystery sub genre, OR author, OR series.
- Billiard Room: (cue balls) next numbered book in a series, OR has a game or sport involved.
- Conservatory: Nature, or Travel, or Warm Climate
- Kitchen: Cozy food based mystery, or small town mystery (Kitchen is the heart of the home)
- Dining Room: Closed circle mystery, or small group of people, hotel, dinner party.
- Lounge: (cocktails) Written or set during the Golden Age (1920s-30s).
- Ballroom: party
I will probably aim for amateur sleuth cause my reading has been kind of slack lately. I should be able to manage 3 books though I’m going to give myself a few options.
For the readathon, they have also planned a group read along of The Birds by Daphne du Maurier and a watch along of Agatha and the Truth of the Murder which sounds so fun!
Also, I will be taking part in a Murder Mystery zoom party with several other booktubers taking part in the readathon on December 6th. I’m not sure yet if the party will be available on YouTube for you all to watch.
What are you reading this month? Scroll to the bottom of the post for the Bookstagram Story Templates. More templates available on my Ko-fi page.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones
Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny.
Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above…or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.
In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.
Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series.
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
A very young man with muddied hair, a pierced ear and a blue tattoo lies cradled in Phryne’s arms. But sadly it’s not another scene of glorious seduction—this time it’s death. Outraged by this brutal slaughter, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. But Phryne doesn’t yet know how deeply into the mire she’ll have to go—bank robbery, tattoo parlours, pubs, spiritualist halls and the Anarchists.
The Ghost of Marlow House by Bobbi Holmes
When Danielle Boatman inherits Marlow House, she dreams of turning it into a seaside bed and breakfast. Since she’s never visited the property, Danielle’s not sure what awaits her in Oregon. She certainly doesn’t expect to find one of the house’s previous owners still in residence. After all, the man has been dead for almost ninety years—shouldn’t he have moved on by now?
Charming Walt Marlow convinces Danielle the only way he can move on is if she solves the mystery of his death. Danielle soon discovers her real problems may come from the living—those who have their sights on Marlow House’s other secrets.
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Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932.
So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg… She’s gate-crashed a wedding… She’s making money by secretly cleaning houses… And she’s been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen.
Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub… and someone is definitely trying to kill her.
Infernal Enchantment by Helen Harper
A gruesome case of grave robbing lands on Detective Constable Emma Bellamy’s desk. But is there more to it than meets the eye?
Being the sole police detective in London’s Supernatural Squad is no easy task. I have to navigate my way through a world teeming with supernatural creatures, from vampires to werewolves and everything else in between. My inexperience might count against me but my own shocking supernatural abilities will stand me in good stead – especially when I’m confronted yet again by the gruesome spectre of death…
A vampire has been mysteriously killed in the centre of the city.
Werewolf graves have been plundered for their bodies.
And I think I might be developing an ill-advised crush on a certain black eyed vampire Lord.
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Where to Find Me
Elaine Howlin 
I can’t wait to hear what you think of Ninth House!!
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I’m definitely in the Christmas/Holiday mood… but I may do this in January. Looks like a lot of fun and I love mysteries. 💗
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I’m currently reading a mystery called The Vanishing Bride by Bella Ellis (Rowan Coleman) inspired by the Bronte sisters. Mysteries are a genre I’ve never tried before, but this one is a lot of fun. The murder mystery zoom party sounds like fun. 😊
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Oooh I like the sound of The Vanishing Bride. I’m going to add that to my list. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I’ve wanted to read Ninth house for so long, hope you enjoy it!!
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Thank you! I’m thinking it’s likely to be a 4 or 5 star read. Fingers crossed anyway!
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