Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge 2026

Today's highlighted author: Erle Stanley Gardner writer of the Perry Mason mystery series. Click Della Owl to see is targeting this author and read some of The Mystillery's reviews !

Welcome to the Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge for 2026! Your goal is simple: shoot (read) six mysteries by the same target (author). That gives you a notch on your gun, and a perfect 1.000 score; and you can call it done. But wait, there's more! You get bonus points for each additional notch. However ... unlike most reading challenges, reading more books may not necessarily help your score. Scores are not based upon quantity, but rather focus in completing your target(s). No advance signup needed. This is a family friendly challenge - young series readers are encouraged to get some safe target practice here! Just read the General Information page and then take a shot to begin. R I C O C H E T S from the S H O O T I N G   G A L L E R Y: The Ten Pins Game will be wrapping up March 31! Grab your numbers-in-titles and head on over and clean up those pins! The Abra Cadavers baseball team takes the field April 1! All reading since January 1 2026 counts! Challenge page is now posted for batting practice. Mar 6: Colleen (Illinois) carves her second notch with target John Marrs ! Mar 1: Beth M (North Carolina) carves her second notch with target Seanan McGuire ! Her score rises above 2.000, earning Booksniper level!   Review previous challenges: 2019 • 2020 • 2021 • 2022 • 2023 • 2024 • 2025

Who else took a shot at my book? Enter Author or Title:

SHOOTING GALLERY updated FRI MAR 6 2026 @ 11.30 AM EST
Gunslingers 2 3		Shots 2 0 1	Notches 2 9	TCP chart	+ bonus	= score	Targets	FMI
	Erika Morris California	5	2	2.400	0.100	2.500
	Avid Series Reader New Mexico	8	3	2.250	0.200	2.450
	Beth M North Carolina	6	2	2.000	0.100	2.100
	Traci L. Illinois	29	5	1.034	0.400	1.434
	YalondaReads Germany	9	2	1.333	0.100	1.433
	Tina Hilbert Ohio	31	5	0.967	0.400	1.367
	Colleen Illinois	11	2	1.090	0.100	1.190
	Karen A New Mexico	12	2	1.000	0.100	1.100
	Sanacrow Tennessee	6	1	1.000	0	1.000
	JenneB Pennsylvania	6	1	1.000	0	1.000
Gunslinger		Shots	Notches	TCP	+ bonus	= score	Targets	FMI
	Rick Mills Maine	18	2	0.666	0.100	0.766
	SueC Utah	8	1	0.750	0	0.750
	Vallery Louisiana	23	1	0.260	0	0.260
	Shannon The Netherlands	9	0	0	0	0
	Linda B Kentucky	6	0	0	0	0
	batkat West Virginia	4	0	0	0	0
	Dianne Lebold Ontario	3	0	0	0	0
	OutsmartYourShelf The United Kingdom	3	0	0	0	0
	Jjean Texas	3	0	0	0	0
	Bev "Annie Oakley" Hankins Indiana	2	0	0	0	0
Gunslinger		Shots	Notches	TCP	+ bonus	= score	Targets	FMI
	Jace Boyer	2	0	0	0	0
	Lynn Pennsylvania	1	0	0	0	0
	Tari Hann Ohio	0	0	0	0	0
Gunslinger		Shots	Notches	TCP	+ bonus	= score	Targets	FMI

    Ambiguous instructions and arbitrary rules are found on the General Information page.

Key to symbols
Notch	Sets of six books by one author completed
TCP	Target Completion Percentage. This is similar to a baseball batting average. Ratio of notches achieved to the number of shots taken. The formula is (notches/shots)*6. See the chart (PDF). Shots which complete a target will increase your TCP. Shots which do not complete a target will decrease your TCP. A perfect TCP is 1.000 or any multiple.
Shots	Number of books read
Bonus	Each notch (beyond the first one) directly adds a 0.100 bonus
Score	TCP + bonus
	Moved up
	New or updated today
	Update pending
	Goodreads librarian
	Perfect (1.000 or multiple)
	Sharpshooter level (score 1.000+ at some point)
	Booksniper level (score 2.000+ at some point)
	Ammonuensis level (score 3.000+ at some point)
	High column stat
	2nd place column stat
	Shooting Gallery
	Tracker page
	Blog
	Goodreads profile
	Mystillery group on Goodreads
	Instagram

A Mystillery challenge hosted by Rick Mills rickmills9@gmail.com