2023 Beachcomber Mystery Reading Challenge

General Information

Your host:

Instructions:

  1. Advance signup is not needed.

  2. Obtain a set of four Beachcomber beach bags. Use one of these:
    • Here is a one page grid in PDF with all four categories ready to fill in.
    • Here is a plain text list which is easy to copy/paste onto a blog tracking page.
    • Here is a Google Sheet which is View-only, but you can open it and do FILE>DOWNLOAD to make your own spreadsheet.

  3. Mark the items on the beach bags as you find them in your books. This is on the honor system - no need to submit any author/title information.

  4. For Crime Scenes, find a letter which occurs anywhere in the word. The crime scene could be a specific room, building, outdoor area, street, city, state, or country. You are not limited to the author's exact words. For example, if you need a "P", and someone uses a "trail", feel free to replace that with a P for "Path".

  5. For Detectives, find a letter which occurs anywhere in the detective's name.
    • Titles do not count. For example, "Inspector Closeau" could count for A, but not for T.
    • You can use anyone who has the detective role in the story, it need not be an 'official' detective.
    • You may find more than one detective per book, but use each one only once, however...
    • You can reuse a detective by reading additional books - for example, if you read two Nero Wolfe books, you can use Nero Wolfe for both F and O.

  6. For Victims, find a letter which occurs anywhere in the victim's name. Victims must be dead. You may find more than one per book, but use each one only once.

  7. For Weapons , find a letter which occurs anywhere in the word. You are not limited to the author's exact words. For example, if you need a "G", and someone uses a "pistol", feel free to replace that with "Gun".

  8. WILD CARDS! You are allowed four WILD CARDS total. These are freebies to replace those last hard-to-find items. Just write in "Wild Card". You can use them on any beach bag, even all four on one beach bag if that is needed.

  9. as you fill each beach bag. Honor system - you need not list nor document your books.

  10. You will get a cabana on the beach upon filling your first beach bag!

Rules:

  1. Challenge is open Jan 1 to Dec 31 2023.
  2. Print books, audio books, radio dramatizations, short stories, or e-books may be used.
  3. Beach bags may be filled in any order.
  4. You can use any book as many times as you like.
  5. You can work the beach bags simultaneously.
  6. Bloggers are welcome to any images for your blog.

FAQ:

Archive:

Messaging:

If you wish to contact another challenger, first try the Goodreads message system:
  1. Click on the Goodreads icon on the challenger's line on the main page. This brings you to their Goodreads profile.
  2. Click the MORE button (with the down arrow)
  3. Click MESSAGE. This - hopefully - brings up a message form. Just fill it out!
  4. If the challenger does not have Goodreads, or is not accepting Goodreads messages, send an email to me (rickmills9@gmail.com) indicating who you wish to message. I will inquire of that challenger if they wish to message with you.

Privacy:


Back to the challenge page • Revised June 1 2023