MysteryKIT planning thread

Is anyone interested in MysteryKIT for 2021? We had fun with it in 2020. I am willing to get it started again if there is an interest.

January--Featuring Water--markon
February--Pastiche Mysteries--LadyoftheLodge
March--Locked Room Mysteries--thornton37814
April--Senior Citizen as Detective--LittleTaiko
May--Mysteries set in Europe--leslie.98
June--Golden Age Mysteries--NinieB
July--Cops 'n Robbers--Lady Style (lady cops or lady robbers)--beebeereads
August--Cozy Mysteries Featuring Animals--LibraryCin
September--Mismatched Detectives--majkia
October--Minorities/Diverse--SilverWolf28
November--Historical Mysteries--fuzzi
December--Detectives in Ancient Greece and Rome--Robertgreaves

yes!

>2 majkia: Okay, think about your choices for month(s) and type of mysteries. Let's hope for additional takers for this little KIT!

I'll probably drop in and out. How about a category of mystery that features water? (A lake, river, ocean, pool is an important part of the setting, drowning is the method of death, swimming a way of escape . . .)

A mystery set in X part of the world? (pick a continent or region)

I would be willing to host a category early in the year (January-April.)

I would be interested in another MysteryKIT. As a suggested category: a mystery published in the year you were born.

I usually do this one, but didn't get to all of them this year. I'm sure I'd continue on, if it kept going next year, though. (Even if I miss a couple here and there.)

Oh yes, I am definitely interested. Let me think about topic ideas. I love historical mysteries - maybe we could limit it to a specific time period?

>7 LittleTaiko: How about historical mysteries with real people detectives? I've seen, though not necessarily read, books with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, Aristotle, Pliny, Oscar Wilde, and Giordano Bruno as the detectives. I'm sure there are many others.

Is this KIT supposed to take the place of the CrimeCAT which was proposed as a CAT this year? It was discussed as a variation of a MysteryCAT.

I personally think that we had too many KITs this year -- that they watered down the CATs -- although of course, nobody is obligated to do any reading in any of the CATs or KITs. I also liked it when the KITs were discussed after the CATs were voted on; some of the KITs were on topics that missed being CATs.

I personally liked the variety of CATs and KITs this year. I wouldn't have participated in the ones I wasn't interested in regardless of whether any others had been there, so for me, at least, there wasn't any watering down.

>9 sallylou61: This KIT is not intended to take the place of any CATS. There are some other KITS that are already in the planning stages in addition to this one.

I also liked the variety we had this year. I guess it is up to each individual to decide how much to participate. As in >10 antqueen:, I skipped the ones in which I had no interest.

I will list the suggestions at the top of this thread and continue to update. As another KIT host suggested, this would not have to be every month if that works out better for participants. After all, it is supposed to be fun rather than an obligation or homework assignment.

>4 markon: Thanks! You are welcome to host early in the year.

>12 LadyoftheLodge: Great! Just chuck me in where you need to fill a slot.

how about a category mismatched detectives. E.G. :Linley/Havers (Elizabeth George's series), Stephen Booth's series Cooper and Fry, etc.

Also, mysteries where the weather or surroundings are major elements.

>14 majkia: Thanks, I added these to the list at the top of this planning/interest thread.

How about cozy mysteries featuring animals. I am a huge fan of cat detectives.

>16 lowelibrary: Read Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn. It was a great read. Chet (the dog) is the narrator.

I'm interested!

>18 fuzzi: Thanks! Do you have suggestions for monthly topics?

>19 LadyoftheLodge: how about pastiche mysteries?

>20 fuzzi: I think I know what you mean--parodies or "in the style of," right? Can you elaborate a bit more? Examples?

>21 LadyoftheLodge: I think of it as someone writing about a famous detective like Sam Spade or Holmes or Poirot in the spirit of the original but with differences. Some of them are quite good.

Laurie R. King has written a series about Sherlock Holmes, and his apprentice Mary Russell. It's very popular, and I've enjoyed reading every one of the books.

>12 LadyoftheLodge: >13 markon: I think February or April will work best in my schedule. Researching my lists now.

>22 fuzzi: Got it! I have read the Laurie King books, and also some others that fit the definition.
>23 markon: Thanks, I will keep you in mind for one of those months as we get on with planning.

locked room mysteries
legal thrillers
caper - think 'The Italian Job'

>25 majkia: Thanks, added to the list.

I am willing to set up MysteryKIT if we have enough volunteers to host. The topics so far are listed at the top of the thread. Please let me know if you want to host a month, and the topic you choose for your month. If you want to host a topic not included so far, suggest it!

>27 LadyoftheLodge: I'll do the pastiche.

>28 fuzzi: Thanks, it is yours!

>28 fuzzi: February ok?

>30 fuzzi: Yes, it is yours.

I'll do mismatched partners/detectives. How about September.

I'll do cozies featuring animals. How about August?

>32 majkia: >33 LibraryCin: Got it, updated the schedule at the top.

This hasn’t been suggested yet, but could I do “senior citizen as a detective” in April? I just read a book that qualifies and would love to explore more.

>35 LittleTaiko: That sounds good. I will add to the list.

I'll take January - mysteries featuring water. I've already got a suggestions for some books, and know which one I want to read.

>37 markon: Thanks, you got it!

Recently I have been reading a lot of mysteries set in France, some written by French authors and others not, so I would be willing to do either 'mysteries set in France' or broader 'mysteries set in Europe' for your suggested "Set in a specific region/continent/country" idea. May would be a good month for me.

I'll take "Locked Room Mysteries." I'm open to hosting any month. (I had a hard time choosing between "Locked Room" and "Weather" so I'm open to the other topic if anyone else really wants "Locked Room.")

>39 leslie.98: >40 thornton37814: Thanks to both of you. I updated the message at the top, so you can see your selection there.

>40 thornton37814: there's a mystery called Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King!

We still have five months left! I will take one, but I will wait to see what is not chosen yet.

I could do Mysteries Originally Published before 1940, or if you think participants would be daunted, I could broaden it a bit as Golden Age Mysteries.

June is fine, but really it doesn't matter which month I take.

I really really hate the whole read a book in the year you were born. when you're an old fart like me, there aren't that many options (1947) that I can find. So >44 NinieB: sounds much better to me.

>44 NinieB: I like that idea, so let's do Golden Age Mysteries--we must be mind-reading, as I was thinking of that today.

>45 majkia: I do not have a problem removing that one about the year you were born. We are very flexible here. (Besides, I do not think of you as an old fart! I am not that much younger than you.)

I'll jump in here. I could do July. Would anyone be interested in Cops 'n Robbers--Lady Style. I just read Girl Waits with Gun so my mind was in this direction. I was thinking of historical mysteries, but it could include non-fiction such as the real story behind Ma Barker or Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde fame? I don't know if there will be enough with such a specific title. I'm actually open to do most any topic. So you can put me in for July and we'll figure out as we go.

>48 beebeereads: I just had another idea. What about an emphasis on diversity? I had suggested that in the CAT planning. I haven't thought this through, but we could all make an effort to read more diversely either by author or character.

>48 beebeereads: Cops 'n Robbers - Lady Style could mean lady cops or lady robbers allowing for more choice.

>48 beebeereads: I like Cops 'n Robbers--Lady Style! That is very different from what we have done in the past. That also gives some diversity, since we are looking at gender. I enjoyed the film Oceans 8 where women made up the entire group perpetrating the heist.

We would need to develop the diversity idea a bit more so we have some direction for our participants. Ideas?

>50 VivienneR: Yes --that is what I had in mind.

>51 LadyoftheLodge: When I think of diversity I think, gender orientation, race, differently abled, religious preference and probably there are more areas we could explore. So for instance Sujata Massey has a series where the main character is a woman in 1920's Bombay from a religious minority. The first in the series is The Widows of Malabar Hill. I know there is at least one series that features a Muslim woman as the detective. I just heard about a detective who is wheelchair bound. So it might take some digging, but there are books out there. Finding woman would be pretty easy, but stretching to less represented minorities could be more challenging and maybe too narrow considering what is available in publishing.

Anybody else want to weigh in?

>52 beebeereads: CrimeReads has a list of mysteries featuring detectives who are d/Deaf: https://crimereads.com/five-crime-and-mystery-novels-featuring-deaf-characters/

Olivia Matthews has a series with Nuns as the "investigators"

What about lady Judges - Margaret Maron's series?

John Grisham also has a series about a kid who is a lawyer, and they are sort of thriller/mysteries. Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer

These are all great ideas. Who wants to give it a go?

>54 cyderry: There are also the Rabbi Small mysteries Friday the Rabbi Slept Late and others by Harry Kemelman.

I could run detectives in Ancient Greece and Rome for December

>57 Robertgreaves: Oh, I've got a couple of those.

Question to the group about my topic for July
Cops and Robbers--Lady Style
How broad do you want to make this topic? Cops generally refers to the public domain. Shall we include private detectives as well? Are we linking cops and robbers or going for either?
For instance, a lady cop who investigates murder counts for lady cop or does she have to investigate robberies. I'm just trying to flesh out how wide we should make this topic.
Thoughts?

>55 LadyoftheLodge: I'll take October and Minorities.

>59 beebeereads: Considering that "cops and robbers" is merely a phrase that indicates those who uphold the law and those who break it and may not necessarily mean a member of a police force or a thief, I would suggest leaving the interpretation fairly loose. However, that is up to you, the host. Looks like it will be a fun challenge for all of us.

>59 beebeereads: >61 VivienneR: I agree. Make it as open and flexible as possible. You can always make suggestions and comments when you are hosting.

>57 Robertgreaves: Okay, that is yours! Thanks.

>60 SilverWolf28: Thanks, you got it!

I took November, and we now have our full slate! Yippee! Check Message >1 LadyoftheLodge: for any corrections, please.

Wonderful! Thank you for organizing.

>64 LadyoftheLodge: You are welcome! Happy to do this again.

Thanks to everyone who agreed to host. We have some quite varied categories and different from what we have done for this one in the past.

>61 VivienneR: >62 LadyoftheLodge: Oh good that is my way of thinking as well. This will be fun.

>64 LadyoftheLodge: Thanks for all you do for this challenge.

Wiki is here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/MysteryKIT_2021

Wiki's on the main page. Lots of neat categories here! I'll be sure to follow along :)

Oh, wow, I totally missed this. Great categories!

>71 MissWatson: I hope you will still participate!

What the h*** is a Pastiche mystery? Could I get a hint or a definition that makes sense?

I tried GOOGLE but I don't understand.
Guess I'm just too old.

>73 cyderry: A mystery written using a well known world and characters but not by the original author.

See: https://www.librarything.com/tag/pastiche

The Bee Keeper's Apprentice is one example, but there are more than Holmes pastiches. Jane Austen, Shakespeare : William Shakespeare's Star Wars and on.

I'm in! This will be my first year with the MysteryKit.

>75 mstrust: Yay! Welcome. We're all (mostly) harmless here.

Thanks for the welcome!
Though I wouldn't be surprised to see some bloody knives lying about around here.

>74 majkia: Thank you. I was wondering the same thing. :-)

And thank you >73 cyderry: for asking.

>73 cyderry: see my post >22 fuzzi: 😉

Pastiche mysteries: I think of it as someone writing about a famous detective like Sam Spade or Holmes or Poirot in the spirit of the original but with differences. Some of them are quite good.

Laurie R. King has written a series about Sherlock Holmes, and his apprentice Mary Russell. It's very popular, and I've enjoyed reading every one of the books.

>73 cyderry: You are not too old. It is just a different term for parody or knock-off,written in the style of. I found it in Wikipedia.

>72 LadyoftheLodge: I plan to, and I still have lots of unread mysteries in my TBR, but there are just so many (or few) hours in the day!

>74 majkia: who knew that I am such a "with it" reader that have been reading Pastiche mysteries for years and didn't even know it! LOL

>75 mstrust: Hi there and welcome to this KIT! Mysteries are favorites for a lot of readers, I think. I just enjoy puzzling out who the perp might be. It will be fun.

Thank you very much! I have so, so many unread mysteries around here and I'm looking forward to this group.

I'm having trouble with mismatched duos. It seems however unlikely or how much they might grate on each other, the fact that the series continues indicates to me that they were meant to be together. Anyone have some suggestions for this one?

>86 mysterymax: I'm the one who came up with the challenge. I'm good with those who grow into each other as a series continues. But I was thinking about maybe social standing differences (Lynley/Havers) or say what their interests or talents or personality differences are. Maybe I should have titled it unlikey partners/duos.

>86 mysterymax: >87 majkia: It doesn't need to be a series, right? For example you could have a book where two characters' interests are normally opposed, but for some reason they end up partnering because they have a shared interest in solving the mystery. I know I've read a number of books like that; just can't think of any specifics right at the moment.

>87 majkia: Thanks for that. It might make it easier!

>86 mysterymax: I thought even Poirot and Captain Hastings were mismatched. Poirot uses the grey cells while Hastings jumps to conclusions.

And what about Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie series. Chet is a dog although he regards himself as Bernie's business partner.

>90 VivienneR: I think it was the term mismatched that threw me. I see Hasting/Poirot, Holmes/Watson as being necessary matches. You need the instinct to balance the logical. If both partners think the same way, things can get missed.

If you are into cat mysteries, then the Cat Who mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun would fit, since they feature cats who help their owner solve mysteries. Also the Magical Cats series by Sofie Kelly, and I am sure there are many others. I also own some mysteries that feature an Amish/Non-Amish combination of sleuths.

I'll be back but I may not participate every month. I had planned not to include this KIT in 2021 , but then I looked at the thread...and here I am.

>93 clue: I'm going to be reading mysteries anyway, so I'll generally participate unless I can't find something I want to read fitting the category or need to read other things because of other commitments.

>93 clue: hehehe...

>93 clue: >94 thornton37814: It is good to see some takers! I read so many mysteries, this KIT is a great fit.

>96 LadyoftheLodge: I have already read more than 80 mysteries in 2020. I suspect I put a few in another category besides "Maine Coon" too.

I love mysteries so this is KITnip for me.

>98 VivienneR: 😁😁😁

>98 VivienneR: Cute, and so true for many of us, I suspect!

Just saw this and figured someone here might be interested:

You've Got (Sherlock's) Mail.
A letter arrives at your door.

An old friend is facing a challenging mystery, and they need your help.

Every week you'll receive one letter with new evidence from your worldwide network of sources & experts.

Can you solve the mystery?

https://www.dearholmes.com/?r=eh19

That looks like a lot of fun. I'm thinking of my mom but can't decide whether she'd be happy or driven mad by it :-D

How fun! I may have to buy a gift for myself. :)

>103 LittleTaiko: Guilty

Posting the January kit a bit early here.

February thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/328880

I'm trying to plan my March reads. What constitutes a "Locked Room" mystery?

I'd say anything that keeps the characters in a confined space with the murderer, like a house, island, office building or train.

>107 LoisB: It's generally one in which it seems impossible that the killer could have entered or left the space.

>109 thornton37814: Hmmm. I'll have to think about that. Thanks!

The March thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329806

I apologize for the one-day delay! I lost track of the days and forgot that yesterday was the 15th.

>111 thornton37814: BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!!!!

:)

>112 fuzzi: Okay - I'll blame it on COVID brain fog! Just the cumulation of all the stress of the past year causing the fog!

The April thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/330577

The May thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331421

June thread is up!

July thread is up!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/332932

August MysteryKIT posted here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/333715

September thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/334402

Do we have an October thread anywhere?

>120 Robertgreaves: I checked today, and someone has left a message on the profile of the person who was supposed to set it up. They are meant to also set up the KITastrophe, as well, so I also reminded them of that.

If we do not hear anything for MysteryKit, I can set it up. Let's wait for a few days.

It should be there by Friday or Saturday.

Here's Octobers thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335518

I've NOT forgotten about the November thread for "Historical Mysteries", hope to have it up later today...

>125 fuzzi: Thanks. When you have time.

>126 majkia: November thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/336038

>127 fuzzi: Yay! Thanks Fuzzi.

2022 MysteryKIT planning thread is up. https://www.librarything.com/topic/336275#n7637729

Go to the 2022 CATs to see it. Let's go!

The December thread is up at https://www.librarything.com/topic/336723