My daily drive to work takes me past our local college. I noticed yesterday that the normally empty college parking lot on my route was completely filled with white pickups. So were the parking spaces going up to the main campus. They were pickups with special things on the back for various welding and other work activities. I also noticed a campus food service employee pushing a grill to the alumni house across the street from the parking lot.
School starts next week, and I couldn’t figure out why there were so many non-collegiate vehicles in the parking lot. I challenge the Baboons to come up with a hypothesis and story for this.
What do you think all these white pickups were doing here? Ever read the Red Headed League? Can you make any connections between the story and the book? What are your favorite mysteries?
Trail Baboon 
Obviously someone’s having a White Pick-up Blowout Sale – get ’em while they’re hot!
I have not read The Red Headed League, but will read the plot summary in a bit. Back later about favorite mysteries, which will take a while!
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It’s a meeting of the truck auxiliary of the Secret Order of the White Car Nation, obviously.
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An impromptu white pickup truck convention? Like a flash mob?
Never read the RHL.
Favorite mysteries are anything Sherlock Holmes, “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens (Yes, I think it’s a mystery story), Sandford’s “Prey” series, Michael Connelly’s Bosch novels, and of course, William Kent Krueger’s books.
Chris in Owatonna
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I love the Peter Wimsey mysteries.
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And Albert Campion
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Favorite mysteries are the Dame Frevisse mysteries by “Margaret Frazer” and the Miss Marple books. John Michael Greer has a new series of supernatural mysteries in the spirit (as it were) of Dion Fortune’s Dr. Taverner and Algernon Blackwood’s John Silence–the first one is “The Witch of Criswell,” which I found enjoyable.
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I have a Margaret Frazer on my shelf – will have to get to that now that you mention her.
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My logical guess is that there are various service companies making updates to the school/classrooms before the students come back. Or something nightmarish like an outbreak of some kind of nasty insects in the school and an army of Orkin trucks are going after them in secret.
OT: There’s been nothing from PJ since Sunday and, as you know, that’s pretty unusual for her. I kept thinking of her and where she might be so I reached out to her on fb messenger. She had emergency surgery on Sunday. She didn’t specify what happened. She has been in hospital (didn’t specify where) since. The only person allowed to visit her is her husband. She said she’s very weak, has had nothing to eat or drink since Sunday. She said she’s beginning to feel better but I could tell by the brevity of her messages that she isn’t strong at all. I asked her if it would be okay to share with you and she said, “Please do.” I’m keeping her in my thoughts and sending healing wishes her way.
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My goodness. Thank for contacting her and informing us.
We just never know.
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Wow, thanks for taking the lead on this, Krista. Sending her lots of energy and love.
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I really enjoy the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson – there’s something about her writing that really draws me in. I don’t recall if I’ve ever read any Agatha Christie, but I have a note to myself to get one from the library at some point. I never read any Dorothy Sayers but I liked the TV series that starred Edward Petherbridge.
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I have never read “The Red-Headed League.” My favorite mysteries are long series types. I love the William Kent Krueger Cork O’Connor series and the Louise Penny Armand Gamache.
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Well, they are pickup trucks. Are there really that many ladies in North Dakota waiting to be picked up? When I worked in Dickinson and stayed at the infamous Swanson motel, there were a few. I NEVER DID THAT.
I love the Issac Asimov mysteries.
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Didn’t know Asimov did mysteries, will explore. (some day)
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Rise and Present a Shiny New Hypothesis, Baboons,
Trucks: a local car dealer needed a place to store an overstock of white pickups until they can move them onto the sales lot.
Mysteries: John Sanford is fun, especially the local ones that occur in St. Paul and Mpls. I love the cozy mysteries of Susan Wittig Albert, especially the Darling Dahlias. William Kent Krueger is also terrific. For years I enjoyed Dave Robicheaux in New Orleans and New Iberia, Louisiana by James Lee Burke. I don’t think he is writing anymore, but his daughter, Alifair Burke took up mystery writing, too, co-writing with Mary Higgins Clark. James Lee Burke could take the weather and make it an event that echoed the mystery at hand, especially in the backwaters of Louisiana. He tops my list. PS, Our Late Great Steve loved his work, too.
Krista, thanks for the info about PJ.
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Well, here is another mystery. There is a straw cowboy hat on the table in my office, and I have no idea how it got there.
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I noticed it last week.
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Perhaps someone donated it to your play therapy stash?
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I liked Mary Roberts Rinehart in high school… could be grouped together with Agatha C… I’ve loved Sue Grafton, Louise Penny, Laurie R. King, Anne Perry, et al.
Have just been introduced to Marcie R. Rendon, whose female protagonist is Cash Blackbear, a Native American – I really like her so far in Murder on the Red River.
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If they were white Broncos, I’d say it was a rehearsal for an OJ Flight reenactment. I-94 Dickinson to Bismarck at 20/MPH.
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They seem to mainly be Fords.
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Well, and there’s our mystery author Chris N… I just loaned Castle Danger to a friend…
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I just read in the Winona Post about the return this Saturday of TruckFest! at our Minn. St. College SE’s Transpoprtation Center. “Enjoy climbing on, exploring inside, [honking some horns,] and learning about many types of trucks and large vehicles in a fun, safe environment.” No charge, for the whole family… The founder was originally inspired by a youngster who was obsessed with watching 18-wheelers drive by his house.
Renee – maybe your enclave is a cousin of TruckFest!
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No clue about all the white trucks. It does seem a little odd however. Pretty much my favorite mystery authors have already been listed here. You guys already know how I feel about Agatha, Christie and Sherlock Holmes. And of course I have read the Red Headed Men’s League. Sherlock at his finest.
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Maybe they are going to use the trucks to film a video.
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