I am posting this not as a brag, but people who write usually read a lot. I always wanted to write mystery stories, ever since the Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes in elementary school. I have written a number of mystery short stories, but even I thought they weren’t very good. I am not recommending the following books, although some were really good reads.
In 2015, I accomplished something that I had tried to do in 1996. I read 26 books (actually a lot more) with an author whose last name started with each letter of the alphabet. In 1996, I could not find an “X”. Thanks to Chamblin’s book mine in Jacksonville, FL, I found the “X”, actually two. Thanks to the Jackson Street Bookstore in Omaha, NE, I have found a few more. In 2017, I have accomplished the feat for the third consecutive year, and I have a few more “X” authors to keep the string going, although I’m looking for next year’s “Z”.
Okay, the “X” authors are Chinese writers. Their last name is their given name and their first name is their family name (Common among most Asian cultures). But that doesn’t change the feat when considering “last names”.
Here is a list of one book for each letter this year, 2017. The tables that follow will show books for the two previous years. In some cases, the book is the only representative for that letter of the alphabet. In other cases, the book was memorable for one reason or another.
The Alphabet Challenge of 2017
| AUTHOR | BOOK | COMMENTS | |
| A | Albom, Mitch | For one more day | Heartwarming, nice mother’s day book |
| B | Baantjer, A. C. | DeKok and the Romantic Murder | A Dutch author, funny |
| C | Coehlo, Paulo | The Spy | A Biography of Mata Hari |
| D | Dixon, Franklin W. | The Shore Road Mystery | Hardy Boys are still good reads at 60+ |
| E | Elkins, Aaron | Dead Men’s Hearts | I’ll add some Janet Evanovich later, but this Gideon Oliver story was good. |
| F | Francis, Dick and Felix | Crossfire | I have Ian Fleming, Jasper Fforde, and others in the queue. |
| G | Goldsborough, Robert | Fade to Black | I love Nero Wolfe, even when not written by Rex Stout. |
| H | Higgins, Jack | East of Desolation | Treasure Hunting in Greenland |
| I | Iles, Greg | The Bone Tree | 2nd in Natchez Burning Trilogy |
| J | Jance, J. A. | Left for Dead | A good Ali Reynolds mystery |
| K | Keller, Timothy | The Prodigal God | In depth study of Jesus’ parable |
| L | Ludlum, Robert | The Ambler Warning | A good spy story |
| M | Metaxes, Eric | Bonhoeffer | Biography |
| N | Nesbo, Jo | The Redeemer | A good Harry Hole mystery |
| O | Oliphant, B. J. | Deservedly Dead | Shirley McClintock at it again |
| P | Patterson, James | 12th of Never | Behind on the Women’s Murder Club Series |
| Q | Queen, Ellery | Player on the Other Side | A nice Ellery Queen puzzle |
| R | Rankin, Ian | Resurrection Men | John Rebus, getting into trouble |
| S | Simenon, Georges | Belle | An American novel by the author of Maigret |
| T | Thoene, Bodie | Prague Counterpoint | Zion Covenant, Part 2, intrigue in Nazi held Europe |
| U | Upfield, Arthur | Murder Down Under | Napoleon Bonaparte solves another case |
| V | Van der Wetering, Jan | The Maine Massacre | Another Dutch author, de Gier / Commissaris go the USA, leaving Grijpstra behind |
| W | Woods, Stuart | Worst Fears Realized | A good Stone Barrington |
| X | Xianliang, Zhang | Getting Used to Dying | Fictional Autobiography of a Chinese Dissident |
| Y | Young, Karen | Belle Point | Ugly politics and secrets of a MS Delta family |
| Z | Zerries, A. J. | The Last Van Gogh | Recovering art stolen by Nazis |
Total Books = 68 as of 7/29/017
Total pages thus far = 22,428
The Alphabet Challenge of 2016
| AUTHOR | BOOK | COMMENTS | |
| A | Allingham, Margery | The Fear Sign | Albert Campion mystery |
| B | Biggers, Earl Derr | The Black Camel | Charlie Chan mystery |
| C | Carr, John Dickson | To Wake the Dead | Gideon Fell, locked-room mystery |
| D | Deaver, Jeffery | Solitude Creek | Kathryn Dance |
| E | Evanovich, Janet | Wicked Charms | Lizy and Diesel fun romp |
| F | Fleming, Ian | For Your Eyes Only | James Bond short stories |
| G | Grafton, Sue | X | Kinsey Millhone |
| H | Hillerman, Anne | Rock with Wings | Anne following father Tony |
| I | Iles, Greg | Natchez Burning | 1st in series |
| J | James, P. D. | An Unsuitable Job for a Woman | Non-series mystery |
| K | Kaminsky, Stuart M. | Always Say Goodbye | |
| L | Lewis, C. S. | Surprised by Joy | |
| M | Mortimer, John | Rumpole on Trial | Wonderful Horace Rumpole |
| N | Nance, John J. | Fire Flight | |
| O | Omartian, Stormie | The Power of a Praying Grandparent | |
| P | Pronzini, Bill | Masques | Shenanigans at Mardi Gras |
| Q | Queen, Ellery | Face to Face | Ellery Queen |
| R | Rendell, Ruth | Shake Hands Forever | Inspector Reg Wexford |
| S | Silva, Daniel | The Rembrandt Affair | Gabriel Allon at his best |
| T | Truman, Margaret | Murder at the Opera | Mac Smith and wife |
| U | Uris, Leon | The Haj | |
| V | Viets, Elaine | Shop ‘Til You Drop | A dead-end job mystery |
| W | Wouk, Herman | The Winds of War | |
| X | Xiaolong, Qiu | Enigma of China | Good picture of China today |
| Y | Young, Karen | Never Tell | |
| Z | Zimmerman, Bruce | Blood Under the Bridge |
Books finished = 152
Pages read = 52,460
The Alphabet Challenge of 2015
| AUTHOR | BOOK | COMMENTS | |
| A | Allen, Steve | Murder on the Atlantic | Steve Allen mystery |
| B | Blackstock, Terri | Last Light | Restoration Series, Book 1 |
| C | Charteris, Leslie | The Saint Closes the Case | Simon Templar, at it again |
| D | Dexter, Colin | He Wench is Dead | Insp. Morse |
| E | Evanovich, Janet | Explosive Eighteen | Behind on Stephanie Plum |
| F | Floyd, John M. | Fifty Mysteries | Fun logic puzzles in MS |
| G | Gardner, Erle Stanley | The Case of the Careless Kitten | Perry Mason |
| H | Hammett, Dashiell | Nightmare Town | Short Stories, one w/Sam Spade |
| I | Iles, Greg | Blood Memory | |
| J | Johansen, Iris | Firestorm | |
| K | Koontz, Dean | Forever Odd | Odd Thomas |
| L | Lee, Tosca | Havah, the Story of Eve | |
| M | Mankell, Henning | The Man from Beijing | |
| N | Norman, Geoffrey | Sweetwater Ranch | |
| O | Oliphant, B. J. | The Unexpected Corpse | Shirley McClintock at it again |
| P | Parker, Robert B. | Hundred-Dollar Baby | Spenser |
| Q | Queen, Ellery | The Devil’s Cook | One without Ellery Queen |
| R | Rollins, James | Bloodline | Sigma Force |
| S | Stout, Rex | Her Forbidden Knight | Also Sansom’s Dominion |
| T | Thor, Brad | Black List | Horvath and company |
| U | Upfield, Arthur | The Will of the Tribe | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| V | Van der Wetering, Jan | The Corpse on the Dike | Grijstra and de Gier |
| W | Wentworth, Patricia | The Clock Strikes Twelve | Maud Silver |
| X | Xiaolong, Qiu | Death of a Red Heroine | Chen Cao |
| Y | Yarbro, C. Q. | False Notes | Charlie Spotted Moon |
| Z | Zimmerman, Bruce | Thicker Than Water | Quinn Parker |
Books finished = 132
Pages read = 47,200
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
I love this! I have read a book or two on your list, but you’ve given me more to add to my “want-to-read” list!
By the way, I love reading children’s books, even at 35. A lot of them are better than the novels for “adults!”
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I agree regarding a children’s or young adult book. My favorite diversion is the mystery genre. I love picking up a Hardy Boys or other book designed for younger people, especially if I’ve just read a meaty hard-boiled detective story. C. S. Lewis wrote that fantasy can be enjoyed by the old as well as the young, and maybe more so.
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