It’s edge of the seat time for my annual reading challenge. After getting well ahead of the ten books a month schedule over the summer, things have slowed down over the past few months. To be fair, November lost me over a week when the flu paid me a visit. Not sure the PS5 has helped too much though. Far too much time assassinating my way through feudal Japan…

Anyway, I’m bang on schedule now – the eight books this month puts me on 110 for the year so far. But we can’t get onto book 111 until we sort out the Puzzly for November.

The books in question were:

The Murder At World’s End by Ross Montgomery – a household preparing itself for the devastating approach of Halley’s Comet in 1910 deals with a locked room murder. A great start for a new series.

Buried In A Shetland Tomb by Marsali Taylor – finally back to this series after over a decade. Not a traditional whodunit but a great set of characters will have me coming back very soon.

The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tail by Antony Johnston – another case for Gwinny and her canine companion de livre as she finds herself snowed in at an old spies home as one of them gets murdered.

Murder At Mistletoe Manor by F L Everett – another Christmas snowed-in murder. Good fun, if a little guessable and, despite the blurb, NOT A LOCKED ROOM!

The Dead Of Winter by S J Parris – three novellas, only one set at Christmas and not remotely Christmassy… Not really mysteries either.

Murder Under The Mistletoe by Richard Coles – a very missable novella in this series, unless you really want to read about an eighties family Christmas in a vicarage with a very late and quickly resolved death at the end.

The Case Of The Baker Street Irregulars by Anthony Boucher – my only Golden Age mystery for the month and it’s not his best work by some distance.

The Meadows Of Murder by Paul Doherty – a sneak peek for a book out in January. Brother Athelstan is back with all of the mayhem and murder that always involves.

Book of the Month – well, it’s tempting to give to Dr Doherty again or friend of the blog Antony Johnston, but a debut mystery always gives you the edge, so Ross Montgomery takes it for the brilliant The Murder At World’s End. Congratulations.

Next month, it’s the fifteenth anniversary – any ideas for posts gratefully received – along with the Reprint Of The Year nominations, my end of the year summary and, hopefully, ten new reviews to hit my target!