Grimlock: Swamp Thing is a monster.

Reply to post #33 (show post):
Awesome! Thanks.

I came across a book called 'The Decagon House Murders' and was wondering if it would fit the Country House Mystery square. It's a book inspired by Dame Agatha's 'And Then There Were None', which I read for last year's Bingo, for locked room mystery, so I know it would fit that one, if not country house. Thanks in advance!

Reply to post #36 (show post):
Ani: That looks like a country house murder, although I can't say for sure b/c I haven't read it. A country house murder is a closed circle murder, and that one seems to qualify.

Book Cupidity: Demonic influence is fine - something like possession works. I don't read that sort of thing b/c I am a horror wimp, but if it includes that type of plot point, it's fine.

Reply to post #37 (show post):
Not reading murders much, I assume closed circle means limited amount of potential murderers? Like you go to a country house, it happens there, and it's a closed circle because limited amount of suspects.

I've not got this on my bingo, but I'm curious now.

Reply to post #37 (show post):
Yay! Thanks. I'm really excited to read this book for some reason. =P

Reply to post #38 (show post):
Grimlock - yes, a closed circle is one of the classic golden age mystery tropes. The limited number of suspects enhances the tension/suspense because the characters (and the reader) don't know who the murderer is, they just know that it is one of the group. It often involves multiple murders, with characters being picked off one at a time. No one knows who will die next and everyone is at risk. Classic examples of the "closed circle" mystery include And Then There Were None (which involves multiple murders) & Murder on the Orient Express (which does not), both by Christie.

Reply to post #40 (show post):
Ah, thank you for the explanation!

Some questions on a few of the squares:

1. Monsters - would a primeval form a life threatening civilization count? (I'm thinking of book 2 in the Rifters series: Maelstrom by Peter Watts)
- would a half-vampire half-werewolf that in that universe is called a goblin count? Here I'm thinking of book 2 of the Immortal Empire series: The Queen is Dead by Kate Locke.

2. Terrifying women - can I count Aliette de Bodard's Harbinger of the Storm? I'd normally describe it as a fantasy murder mystery in an alternate Aztec society rather than horror, but the first book had demons and animal sacrifies... Otherwise hopefully I'll like Rupert Wong Cannibal Chef and can read another Cassandra Wong.

3. Aliens - does it have to be a mystery/horror book with aliens or can it be any book with aliens? I think the only book that I've been meaning to read that I've found so far is Blindsight by Peter Watts, which I've been meaning to reread.

Question: Would the book The Watchmaker's Daughter count for Magical Realism?

The Google Books page for it lists Magical Realism as one of its genres, but I wanted to be sure before I decided on it.

I may have the wrong end of the stick here. I was assuming that a voluntary game without prizes meant we could interpret the squares pretty much any way we fancy. So I have The Lost City of Z on deck for In the Dark, Dark Woods, because an expedition lost in the Amazon rain forest where everyone and everything is trying to kill you seems to embody the spirit of the thing. Am I being too free with the rules and/or my interpretation? This is my first bingo and I would hate to aggravate the seasoned bookmakers by just making shit up. Contrarywise I don't want to make anyone crazy by expecting an ok for every weird choice I make.

Reply to post #42 (show post):
Tannat

1.Yes the first and second book would count. We can make monsters broad.

2. Looks like Harbinger would count based on what I could find.

3. As long as aliens appear. Heck even The Hitchhikers Guide would count.

Reply to post #43 (show post):
Jennifer

Reviewed the link and that's a yes.

Reply to post #44 (show post):
Kaethe that one would fit. Amazon rain forest can equal woods. Someone else asked about could jungle equal a forest and that was a yes too.

Great! Thanks, OB!