2020 Calendar of Crime Challenge

**Challenge complete. See my wrap-up post HERE.**

Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2020

Guidelines (from announcement page):

• Challenge runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up any time between now and November 1, 2020. 
• All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.
• Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a completed challenge and to be eligible for the end-of-year prize drawing. Each month comes with several categories that may be selected to fulfill the month's reading. 
• To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. For instance, if you are claiming a book for December and you want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas must figure in some way in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will? 
• The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month, then for category #9, you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way — other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot. 
• For the category that says "Book title contains a word that starts with the letter A," the following do not count: "A" and "An."  
• Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges. If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change the category/month at any time prior to the final wrap-up.
• Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.
• A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a calendar of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)].
• All participants who complete the challenge will be eligible for an end-of-year prize drawing. There will also be a "My Calendar's Booked" prize for the challenger who fills their calendar with the most books, so challengers are encouraged to read more than one category for each month. In case of a tie, there will be a prize drawing among the the folks who booked-up their year so fully.

Monthly Categories:

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
● See the challenge Headquarters page HERE.
● See the list of challenge participants HERE.
● See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.

MY  READING  LIST:

JANUARY:
• In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler #1). Amanda Cross (Category #2: Author's birth month)

FEBRUARY:
• A Fragment of Fear. John Bingham (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "F")

MARCH:
• The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11). Rex Stout (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

APRIL:
• And Be a Villain (Nero Wolfe #13). Rex Stout (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "A")

MAY:
• Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (Agatha Raisin #5). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "M")

JUNE:
• The Haunted Lady (Hilda Adams/"Miss Pinkerton" Mystery). Mary Roberts Rinehart (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

JULY:
• Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8). Rex Stout (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

AUGUST:
• A Death Long Overdue (Lighthouse Library Mystery #7). Eva Gates (Category #9: Summer holiday setting - Nags Head NC)

SEPTEMBER:
• The Suicide House. Charlie Donlea (Category #7: Book title has word beginning with "S")

OCTOBER:
• Still Life (Inspector Gamache #1). Louise Penny (Category #3: Primary action takes place in this month)

NOVEMBER:
• Knot of This World (Quilting Mystery #8). Mary Marks (Category #9: Family relationships play major role)

DECEMBER:
• Snow (St. John Strafford #1). John Banville (Category #3: Primary action takes place in this month)