Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge 2026

Today's highlighted author: Kathleen Moore Knight writer of the Elisha Macomber mystery series. Click Permberthy 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: Feb 22: Avid Series Reader (New Mexico) carves her third notch with target Martin Cruz Smith ! Her score rises above 2.000, earning Booksniper Level ! Feb 21: Welcome back to Sanacrow (Tennessee) returning from the 2025 challenge, and carving that first notch with target Martha Wells ! Sanacrow's score rises above 1.000, earning Sharpshooter Level ! Feb 18: SueC (Utah) carves her first notch with target Sheila Connolly ! Her score rises to 1.000, earning Sharpshooter 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 SUN FEB 22 2026 @ 10.15 AM EST
Gunslingers 2 3		Shots 1 7 8	Notches 2 6	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
	YalondaReads Germany	8	2	1.500	0.100	1.600
	Beth M North Carolina	4	1	1.500	0	1.500
	Tina Hilbert Ohio	29	5	1.034	0.400	1.434
	Traci L. Illinois	22	4	1.090	0.300	1.390
	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
	SueC Utah	7	1	0.857	0	0.857
Gunslinger		Shots	Notches	TCP	+ bonus	= score	Targets	FMI
	Rick Mills Maine	16	2	0.750	0.100	0.850
	Colleen Illinois	9	1	0.666	0	0.666
	Vallery Louisiana	20	1	0.300	0	0.300
	Shannon The Netherlands	7	0	0	0	0
	Linda B Kentucky	4	0	0	0	0
	batkat West Virginia	4	0	0	0	0
	Dianne Lebold Ontario	2	0	0	0	0
	OutsmartYourShelf The United Kingdom	2	0	0	0	0
	Bev "Annie Oakley" Hankins Indiana	2	0	0	0	0
	Jjean Texas	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