Halloween Bingo 2020

Top row:

Relics and Curiosities Etiquette & Espionage. Very quirky and fun. Sequels on deck for Vampires and Supernatural. The book fits because the entire book revolves around the recovery of a steampunk’ish “prototype” device that has been stolen, which would qualify as a “curiosity.”
Country House Mystery Dead Man’s Folly: classic country house mystery set in stand-in for Dame Agatha’s real life country home, Greenway.
Darkest London The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King – takes place at least partially in London.
International Woman of Mystery The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie. I really love this short story collection – it features Miss Marple at her absolute best and Christie at her most charming.
Fear Street Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick: one of the Point Horror series, this was fun, nostalgic read.

Second row:

A Grimm Tale House of Salt and Sorrows: retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses with a nautical theme. Very enjoyable.
In the Dark, Dark Woods Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (301 pages). This is a Lovecraftian mindfuck and I’m still trying to process how I really feel about it. Used the amplification card.
Spellbound The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: combines The Handmaid’s Tale with witchcraft.
Black Cat Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart: A quick cozy mystery set in a quaint New Jersey town featuring a skittish black cat named Catrina. Recommended by Lora – very cute.
Sleepy Hollow The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving: This is a standard autumnal listen for me and I enjoy it every year.

Third row:

Ghost Stories The Ballad of Black Tom: group read can be used to fill any space. Really interesting novella.
Southern Gothic The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel: I’m not sure how much I actually liked this book. It was set in a small methy town full of awful people in the Missouri Ozarks, though, so it was perfect for this square.
FreeO Jerusalem by Laurie R. King.
Grave or Graveyard The Three Coffins by John Dickson Carr. I really enjoyed this snowy, London mystery featuring Gideon Fell.
Film at 11 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le CarrĂ©: What a bleak story – this one was adapted for film all the way back in 1965, starring Richard Burton. In addition, there is a rumor that it is being adapted again for television starring Aiden Gillen.

Fourth row:

Fear The Drowning Deep Blackwater: The Complete Saga by Michael McDowell (800 pages). I read this one for my “long read” head start and I absolutely loved it. What a brilliant way to start 2020 HB!
Vampires : (used wild card author Agatha Christie): The Mysterious Affair at Styles: Read for the Agatha Christie October group read.
Supernatural The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. One of my favorite Arthurian retellings.
Serial/Spree Killer (transfigured to Murder Most Foul)Ripley Under Ground by Patricia Highsmith.
Dark Academia Death In Holy Orders by P.D. James: set in a theological seminary on the East Anglian coast.

Fifth row:

Creepy Carnivals (called 9/4): Corpse at the Carnival by George Bellairs: One of the Inspector Littlejohn mysteries that’s available through KU. I liked this one a lot.
Gothic Catherine House: the most disappointing book of the game so far. Meh.
Doomsday The House with a Clock in Its Walls: this is a reread – I read it as a kid, and then read it to my son when he was around 9. So nostalgic!
Terror in a Small Town A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: reminiscent of One of Us is Lying and No One Else Can Have You. Not a bad read, but not great either.
Dystopian Hellscape (swapped for Cozy Mystery) Help the Poor Struggler by Martha Grimes: I read a mass market paperback copy that I picked up somewhere. This is the 6th Richard Jury mystery. I’m sure I’ve read it before, but I didn’t remember it at all.