One of my favorite reading challenges is the Vintage Mystery Challenge at My Reader’s Block. The 2021 challenge was Vintage Mystery Scattergories, in which participants had to read at least eight books that fit within various categories. I ended up reading nine books, all from the Golden Age era (pre-1960):

1. Mavis Doriel Hay, Death on the Cherwell — Murder Is Academic
2. Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman’s Honeymoon — Amateur Night
3. Elizabeth Daly, Murders in Volume 2 — Murder by the Numbers
4. Ellery Queen, The Chinese Orange Mystery — Colorful Crime
5. Charlotte Armstrong, The Unsuspected — Book to Movie
6. John Rowland, Murder in the Museum — Scene of the Crime
7. Ngaio Marsh, Death in Ecstasy — Leave It to the Professionals
8. Francis Duncan, So Pretty a Problem — Jolly Old England
9. Mavis Doriel Hay, The Santa Klaus Murder — Malicious Men

My favorite of these, by far, was Busman’s Honeymoon, which might even be my favorite of all the Lord Peter Wimsey books. I also really liked The Unsuspected. I didn’t hit any real duds, although I’d probably say Murder in the Museum was my least favorite because I don’t remember much about it now. Anyway, this challenge was a pleasure as always, and I’m looking forward to starting my 2022 challenge soon!