Bev over at My Reader’s Block has been hosting her vintage mystery reading challenges for much longer than I’ve been blogging and it’s been a pleasure to take part all these years.
So how did I do this year? Well I managed to review books from both the Golden (up to 1959) and Silver (1960-89) ages though, in a sign of things to come, I did far fewer than in years past. But here is what I found:
Gold
(16 books, with 3 guest posts)
I read a lot of John Dickson Carr this year and, truthfully, all of them were utterly exceptional. Biggest surprise? How much I enjoyed paperback legend Carter Brown!
DEATH IN THE CLOUDS (1935) by Agatha Christie [guest post]
THE BURNING COURT (1937) by John Dickson Carr
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1937) by Ernest Hemingway
TRIAL AND ERROR (1937) by Anthony Berkeley [guest post]
DEATH IN THE TUNNEL (1936) by Miles Burton [guest post]
NINE-AND DEATH MAKES TEN (1941) by Carter Dickson
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1943) by James M. Cain
MINISTRY OF FEAR (1943) by Graham Greene
SHE DIED A LADY (1943) by Carter Dickson
GREEN FOR DANGER (1944) by Christianna Brand
TILL DEATH DO US PART (1944) by John Dickson Carr
WOMAN ON THE ROOF (1954) by Helen Nielsen
THE WENCH IS WICKED / BLONDE VERDICT / DELILAH WAS DEADLY by Carter Brown
THE GETAWAY (1959) by Jim Thompson
Silver
(9 books)
It was great to-re-read some of the early Morse and Matt Scudder novels this year, but again the great surprises came from Stark House Press with Peter Rabe and Lou Cameron as fascinating discoveries to me.
ANGEL’S FLIGHT (1960) by Lou Cameron
The Manny deWitt trilogy by Peter Rabe
ZERO COOL (1968) by Michael Crichton
THE SILENT WORLD OF NICHOLAS QUINN (1977) by Colin Dexter
EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE (1982) by Lawrence Block
THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE (1983) by Colin Dexter
SHOTGUN SATURDAY NIGHT (1987) by Bill Crider
Thanks as always Bev for hosting and for cajoling us all – it’s been a blast. Sorry not to be around for the 2018 challenge.
Tipping My Fedora 
That’s a pretty good haul, even if other years saw you more prolific. There was certainly no lessening of the quality, and the discussions and chats that always prove so entertaining and informative were easily as good as ever.
Two of the best were by you of course, for which very many thanks. But yes, significantly less than in years past. Ah well … in the next life (as they say in that great movie, Midnight Run)
Just think of the great base you have to build on should you feel like picking up again at any point in the future.
All true – world domination next 😀
Bravo, that’s the spirit!
Shame I can’t do an evil laugh, but working on it …
It’ll come; first find a suitable (preferably underground) hidden lair…
Then a cowl of some sort, followed my minions and a business plan for the bank
… sounds like hard work!
Worth it in the end though, at least that’s what that nice Mr E S Blofeld told me last time I spoke to him.
All those years at Evil school shouldn’t go to waste 😀
Nice list, Sergio. Makes me want to read all of them (that I haven’t already read). I bought a copy of ANGEL’S FLIGHT after reading your post and I look forward to reading it.
I really liked that one, hope you do too 😀
You had some fine reads there, Sergio. Even if you didn’t get through as many as you’d hoped, I think you had a good reading year. And that seems to be a really fun challenge, too.
Thanks Margot – but of a slow year all round admittedly 😀
Well done, Sergio. Haven’t heard of some of these authors. Will certainly search for their books.
Bev’s challenges are great intro to new works
Thanks so much for joining me over the years, Sergio. I’m sorry you won’t be filling in your detective notebook in 2018–you’ll be missed!
I’ve had a somewhat off year in reading as well–here’s hoping we both have a good bookish year ahead.
Thanks as always Bev and I am sorry to be missing it – hope 2018 is a good one for you too 🙂