Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge

This is a new challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. This sounds very challenging indeed! I'm going to give it my best shot, making at least the minimum. Sign up at the link above.

Brand new for 2017! My Reader's Block is proud to introduce the Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge. Since mysteries are my primary genre, I wanted to develop another mystery challenge that would be more all-encompassing. Unlike the variations of my yearly Vintage Mystery Challenge, this mystery challenge will have no publication date limits. If it's a mystery--it counts and it does not matter when it was published. Your goal? To follow a set of clues furnished by the mystery books you read to create a body of evidence to support a book court case. Each book clue should lead you to your next read. The connection can be anything at all from author names to motive for murder to type of mystery (police procedural, espionage, romantic thriller, etc) to an item on the cover, but you must be able to make your case to the jury on your detective logic. I would prefer that you not read eight books from the same author and use the author/series character/etc. as the clue link, however. 

Evidence Trail Example: if the first book I read is by Agatha Christie, then my next book could be Arrow Pointing Nowhere by Elizabeth Daly who has often been referred to as "Agatha Christie's favorite author." Using "Arrow" from the Daly book's title, then House of the Arrow by A.E.W. Mason (published in 1924) could be next and it might lead me to another book published in 1924...and so on. If you have doubts about whether your clue is convincing OR you need any clarification about the challenge at all, you may approach the bench with questions (phryne1969 AT gmail DOT com).

There are several levels of participation:
Infraction -- six books read in a single chain of evidence
Misdemeanor -- eight books read in a single chain of evidence
Felony -- ten books read in a single chain of evidence 
Capital Offence -- twelve books in a single chain of evidence 

Here are the rules in a nutshell:

~Challenge runs from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up any time between now and November 1, 2017.  Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge. Then sign up via the linky below. And please make the url link to your Challenge post and not your home page. (Links that do not follow this rule will be removed.) If you do not have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are also acceptable OR you may comment below to indicate your sign up.
~All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc) are welcome, but the books should be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.
~A full body of evidence must be read at the chosen level for a completed challenge and to be eligible for an end-of-year prize drawing.
~You are welcome to level up if you find that your evidence trail leads you to suspect a more serious crime. But no reduced sentences will be accepted (no leveling down). 
~A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include explanations of the clue links.
~Reviews are not mandatory, but a monthly link-up will be provided for those so inclined 
~A Headquarters link will appear on my sidebar after the beginning of the year--a place for review links and the year-end wrap-up. 

My books and how they are connected:

1. The Abominable  Man--Maj Sjowell (European) 
2. The hound of the Baskervilles--Arthur Conan Doyle (British)
3. The Cat Who Had 14 Tales--Lilian Jackson Braun  (Animal)
4. How to Paint a Cat--Rebecca M. Hale (Cat)
5. The Big Kitty--Claire Donally (Cat)
6. The trouble With Magic--Madelyn Alt (Witches)

Challenge completed on September 7