Reading list: Halloween Book Bingo - Country House Mystery

Created by: Murder by Death

These are book suggestions for the Halloween Square "Country House Mystery" which is defined by the game masters as:

"A closed circle mystery, occurring at a gathering like a house party. "

If you'd like to suggest books for this list, please comment below with the title and ISBN (if you have it). Additions will be made ASAP.

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Books: 68

The Crime at Black Dudley

by Margery Allingham

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Murder at the Manor (British Library Crime Classic... - Martin Edwards

Murder at the Manor (British Library Crime Classics)

by Martin Edwards

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They Found Him Dead

by Georgette Heyer

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Footsteps in the Dark

by Georgette Heyer

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Why Shoot a Butler?

by Georgette Heyer

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Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Heart

by Ellis Peters

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Clouds of Witness

by Dorothy L. Sayers

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Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

by Stephanie Barron

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The Twelve Clues of Christmas

by Rhys Bowen

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10.

The Decagon House Murders

by Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong, Soji Shimada

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11.

Fatality by Firelight (A Cat Latimer Mystery)

by Lynn Cahoon

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12.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

by Agatha Christie

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13.

And Then Were None

by Agatha Christie

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14.

Shutter Island

by Dennis Lehane

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15.

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins

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16.

Dead Man's Island

by Carolyn G. Hart

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17.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Myste... - Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery

by Agatha Christie

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18.

A Man Lay Dead

by Ngaio Marsh

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19.

Final Curtain

by Ngaio Marsh

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20.

Tied Up In Tinsel

by Ngaio Marsh

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21.

Death and the Dancing Footman

by Ngaio Marsh

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22.

Hand In Glove

by Ngaio Marsh

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23.

Scales of Justice

by Ngaio Marsh

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24.

Overture To Death

by Ngaio Marsh

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25.

Payment In Blood

by Elizabeth George

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26.

A Suitable Vengeance

by Elizabeth George

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27.

Cover Her Face

by P.D. James

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28.

The Skull Beneath the Skin

by P.D. James

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29.

Envious Casca

by Georgette Heyer

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30.

No Wind of Blame

by Georgette Heyer

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31.

The Old Fox Deceiv'd

by Martha Grimes

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32.

Jerusalem Inn

by Martha Grimes

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33.

The Old Silent

by Martha Grimes

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34.

Police at the Funeral

by Margery Allingham

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35.

Chinese Shawl

by Patricia Wentworth

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36.

Murder At Madingley Grange

by Caroline Graham

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37.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: with "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" (Broadview Editions)

by Francis O'Gorman, Arthur Conan Doyle

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38.

4:50 from Paddington

by Agatha Christie

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39.

After the Funeral

by Agatha Christie

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40.

Three Act Tragedy

by Agatha Christie

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41.

Dead Man's Folly: A Hercule Poirot Mystery

by Agatha Christie

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42.

The Hollow

by Agatha Christie

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43.

Sad Cypress

by Agatha Christie

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44.

Peril at End House

by Didier Quella-Guyot, Thierry Jollet, Agatha Christie

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45.

They do it with Mirrors

by Agatha Christie

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46.

Five Little Pigs

by Miceal O'Griafa, David Charrier, Agatha Christie

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47.

The Secret of Chimneys

by Agatha Christie

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48.

Towards Zero

by Agatha Christie

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49.

Curtain: Poirot's Last Case

by Agatha Christie

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50.

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding: And Other ... - Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding: And Other Stories

by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser

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51.

Too Many Cooks

by Rex Stout

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52.

Generation Loss

by Elizabeth Hand

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53.

Crooked House

by Agatha Christie

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54.

The Circular Staircase

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

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55.

Magic Cottage

by James Herbert

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56.

Decanting a Murder (A Sommelier Mystery)

by Nadine Nettmann

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57.

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas (Being a Jan... - Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas (Being a Jane Austen Mystery)

by Stephanie Barron

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58.

And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

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59.

The Franchise Affair

by Josephine Tey

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60.

To Love and Be Wise

by Josephine Tey

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61.

Brat Farrar

by Josephine Tey

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62.

Miss Pym Disposes

by Josephine Tey

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63.

The Singing Sands

by Josephine Tey

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64.

Nine Coaches Waiting

by Mary Stewart

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65.

The Mystery of the Yellow Room

by Gaston Leroux

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66.

The Revenant of Thraxton Hall

by Vaughn Entwistle

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67.

Hunter's Green

by Phyllis A. Whitney

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68.

Behold, Here's Poison

by Georgette Heyer

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Comments

Comments:

Obi 7 years ago

Hercule Poirot's Christmas ASIN:B0O46H95T0
Classic,but definitely a country house mystery ...

Murder by Death 7 years ago

Added - thanks! :)

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 7 years ago

Ngaio Marsh: "A Man Lay Dead", "Final Curtain", "Tied Up in Tinsel", "Death and the Dancing Footman", "Hand in Glove", "Scales of Justice", "Overture to Death." The last three of these -- at the very least -- would also work for "Terror in a Small Town", and all seven of them are either straightforward locked-room mysteries or feature locked-room type impossible crimes.

Also:
Elizabeth George: "A Suitable Vengeance", "Payment in Blood"
P.D. James: "Cover Her Face", "The Skull Beneath the Skin"
Georgette Heyer: "No Wind of Blame", "Envious Casca"
Martha Grimes: "The Old Fox Deceiv'd", "Jerusalem Inn", "The Old Silent"
Margery Allingham: "Police at the Funeral"
Patricia Wentworth: "The Chinese Shawl"
Caroline Graham: "Murder at Madingley Grange"
Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (would also work for "Terror in a Small Town")
Agatha Christie: "After the Funeral", "Three Act Tragedy", "Dead Man's Folly", "The Hollow", "Sad Cypress", "Peril at End House", "They Do It With Mirrors", "Five Little Pigs", "The Secret of Chimneys", "Towards Zero", "4:50 From Paddington", "Curtain", "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" (aka "The Royal Ruby")

Murder by Death 7 years ago

Added! :)

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 7 years ago

Thank you! :)

SusannaG - Confessions of a Crazy Cat Lady 7 years ago

Rex Stout's Too Many Cooks would also qualify here.

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 7 years ago

Oh yes, true!

Murder by Death 7 years ago

Added!

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

Books from Halloween Bingo 2018 participant reading plan lists posted to date:

Crooked House by Agatha Christie (9780008196349)
The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (9780486297132)
The Magic Cottage by James Herbert (9780330451567)
Decanting a Murder by Nadine Nettmann (9780738748504)
Jane and the 12 Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron (9781616955724)

Murder by Death 6 years ago

Added. :)

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

More books from the participants' reading plan lists -- including unassigned / "free square" / "wild card" books that would fit this category:

And Then there Were None by Agatha Christie (9780312979478)
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (9780099536833)
To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey (9780099556749)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (9780099536840)
Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey (9780099556695)
The Singing Sands by Josphine Tey (9780099556732)
The Mystery of The Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux (9780008167035)
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart (9781444711073)

Murder by Death 6 years ago

9780008167035 is not in the database (although I may have already noted this on another list - I can't remember).

Added.

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

Sigh. And thanks!

Murder by Death 6 years ago

No, Thank you - for finding And Then There Were None. I because of the multiple titles for that one, I can never get it to show up in search. :-/

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

Any book that's on my own shelves is easy to find ...

SusannaG - Confessions of a Crazy Cat Lady 6 years ago

Vaughn Entwhistle - The Revenant of Thraxton Hall (1250035007) Also qualifies for Amateur Sleuth.

Murder by Death 6 years ago

Added. :)

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

More from the participants' "reading plans" posts:

Hunter's Green by Phyllis Whitney (9780385514774)
The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson (9781530453542)
Behold, Here’s Poison by Georgette Heyer (9780099493648)

Murder by Death 6 years ago

added

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

Thank you!

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

Next batch from the participants' "reading plans" posts:

Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (9780712356015)
Ghost of a Chance by Katie MacAllister (9780997773149)

XOX 6 years ago

House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (9781409157243)

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

No. "House of Silk" (I've read it) is set in London, not on a country estate.

XOX 6 years ago

Thanks.

XOX 6 years ago

The Facts of Life and Death by Belinda Bauer (978-0802126849) happened in North Devon. Would that fit?

Themis-Athena's Garden of Books 6 years ago

No, I'm afraid that wouldn't fit, either (though it sounds like a good choice for "Terror in a Small Town").

Country house mysteries are either classic, Golden Age mysteries, or mysteries very much written in that style, that are set in a manor house (or similar "closed" setting) in the countryside, with a very limited cast of characters. In tone, they are -- if not outright within the "cozy" spectre -- frequently characterized by a more "genteel" style of writing, and except for the actual murder(s), there is little to no violence. (For these and other reasons, a thriller is almost always the polar opposite of a country house mystery.) E.g., think of Agatha Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", "And Then There Were None", "After the Funeral", "The Mirror Crack'd", "4:50 From Paddington" (or, in fact all of the books already on this list) -- all of these are typical examples of country house mysteries.

XOX 6 years ago

Thanks.

SusannaG - Confessions of a Crazy Cat Lady 6 years ago

The Affair of the Blood-Stained Egg Cosy, by James Anderson. 0380019191

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Reading list: Halloween Book Bingo - Country House Mystery

Created by: Murder by Death

Books: 68

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