Mysteries set in France: Final Call for Articles - Mystery Readers Journal

Final Call for Articles: Mystery Readers Journal: Mysteries set in France (42:2); Summer 2026

For our next issue, we are looking for articles, reviews, and author essays about crime fiction set in France.

DEADLINE: June 1, 2026

If you have a mystery that fits this theme, please consider writing an Author! Author! essay: 500–1500 words, first person, up-close and personal about yourself, your books, and the theme connection. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio.

We’re also looking for reviews and articles, too 

Send submissions to janet @ mysteryreaders . org 

Deadline: June 1, 2026. 

Author Essays are first person, about yourself, your books, and the "French setting" connection. 500-1000 words. Treat this as if you're chatting with friends and other writers in the bar or cafe (or on zoom) about your work and France in your mysteries. Be sure and cite specific titles, as well as how you use France in your books. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio. 

Reviews: 50-250 words. 

Articles: 500-1000 words. 

Deadline: June 1, 2026  

Send to: Janet Rudolph, Editor. janet @ mysteryreaders . org  

Subject Line:  Mysteries set in France

Please let me know if you're planning to send an article, review, or author essay--or if you have any questions! 

Past issues on Mysteries set in France still available.  Check out the Tables of Contents and sample articles or order now.

Mysteries set in France (28:1) 2012

Mysteries Set in France (16:2) 2000

Subscribe to Mystery Readers Journal for 2026.

Themes in 2026: Fairs, Fetes, & Festivals; Mysteries set in France, Cross-Genre Mysteries; Mysteries set in India.

Many back issues available as PDF downloads. Here are just a few. 

Southern California: Mystery Readers Journal

Senior Sleuths: Mystery Readers Journal

Irish Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

Hobbies & Crafts in Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

And so many more... We are now in our 42nd year. 4 themed issues a year! 

Have a look at our index of fabulous issues with articles, reviews, and essays from your favorite authors and reviewers. 

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CRIME MUSEUMS: International Museum Day

Today is International Museum Day, so I thought I'd repost my list of Crime-related Museums. This is not a definitive list by any means. Feel free to add your favorites or comment on Museums you've visited.

National Museum of Crime and Punishment (The Crime Museum): Washington D.C.
This museum includes a crime lab, the filming studios for America's Most Wanted, a simulated shooting range, a high-speed police-chase, and hundreds of interactive exhibits and artifacts pertaining to America's favorite subject.

The Mob Museum, Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement — aka The Mob Museum — is an interactive museum dedicated to the history of organized crime and law enforcement. Focuses on organized crime's impact on Las Vegas history and its unique imprint on America and the world.

The Black Museum, London, England: The Black Museum of Scotland Yard is a collection of criminal memorabilia kept at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. Started in 1874, although unofficially, by 1875, it had become an official museum of the force, with a police inspector and a police constable assigned to duty there.

Medieval Crime and Justice Museum, Rothenberg, Germany. A leading museum of medieval crime. Torture instruments, shame punishments and more, it also houses a vast collection of seals and law books.

Justice and Police Museum: Sydney, Australia. Allows visitors to enter courtrooms, observe actual weapons used in crimes, and learn about the criminal and police history of a city marked by “misadventure” in the 1800s. Artifacts from many notorious criminals, forensic evidence from infamous crimes, and a cell recreated to reflect the era.

American Police Hall of Fame & Museum: Titusville, FL. The American Police Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1960. It is the nation's first national police museum and memorial dedicated to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

National Law Enforcement Museum. Washington, D.C.

Other Police Museums:

New York City Police Museum
Cleveland Police Museum
Phoenix Police Museum
Houston Police Museum
Portland Police Museum
New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center
Security Forces Museum (San Antonio, TX)
Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum & Community Education Center
Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum
International Police Museum of Southern California
Norfolk Police & Fire Rescue Museum
Police Heritage Museum, York, PA
Silver State National Peace Officers Museum, NV
National Police Museum. Delhi, India.
National Police Museum, Finland
New Zealand Police Museum
Justice and Police Museum, Sydney, Australia

SPIES

International Spy Museum, Washington, D.C. The only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on a profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events. The Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display.

Bletchley Park: Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England. Home of the Codebreakers, Enigma Machines, history and more. Surely you've seen Bletchley Circle? Visited the Churchill War Rooms? Check out the website, too, and there's also a virtual tour on the Internet.

Spy Museum. Vakoilumuseo. Tampere, Finland.

James Bond Museum: Momence, IL

The James Bond Exhibit at the Dezer Collection. Miami, FL

Any favorite crime museum I've forgotten? Make a comment? Any Museum Mysteries you'll be reading today? I must post a list of Museum Mysteries. Next year??!

THE NIBBIES: 2026 British Book Awards

The 2026 British Book Awards, the Nibbies, were announced in London. The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by The Bookseller. There are 17 categories, but I'm listing the category of most interest to crime fiction fans. 

Crime and Thriller Book of the Year: 

A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (Raven)

Nominees: 

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (Michael Joseph)

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Borough Press)

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (Viking) 

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Bantam)

The Tenant by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press)

HT: TheRapSheet

CARTOON OF THE DAY: THE VISIT

 

Barry Award Nominations: Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

The 2026 Barry Award Nominations

The Barry Awards are nominated by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine. Congratulations to all. The winners of the 2026 Barry Awards will be announced at the Opening Ceremonies of Bouchercon (Calgary, Canada) on October 22, 2026.

Best Mystery
THE IMPOSSIBLE THING, Belinda Bauer (Atlantic Monthly)
CROOKS, Lou Berney (William Morrow)
KING OF ASHES, S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
THE BLACK WOLF, Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
THE WHITE CROW, Michael Robotham (Scribner)
PRESUMED GUILTY, Scott Turow (Grand Central)

Best First Mystery
LEVERAGE, Amran Gowani (Atria Books)
ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS HATE ME, Sarah Harman (Putnam)
DEAD MONEY, Jakob Kerr (Bantam)
THE VANISHING PLACE, Zoe Rankin (Berkley)
STILLWATER, Tanya Scott (Atlantic Monthly)
JULIE CHAN IS DEAD, Liann Zhang (Atria Books)

Best Paperback Original Mystery
CRIMSON THAW, Bruce Robert Coffin (Severn River)
SPLINTERED JUSTICE, Kim Hays (Seventh Street Books)
MAKING A KILLING, Cara Hunter (William Morrow)
IF TWO ARE DEAD, Rick Mofina (MIRA)
WOLF SIX, Alex Shaw (Boldwood Books)
THE DENTIST, Tim Sullivan (Atlantic Crime)

Best Thriller
WITNESS 8, Steve Cavanagh (Atria Books)
THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER, Joseph Finder (Harper)
MIDNIGHT BLACK, Mark Greaney (Berkley)
CLOWN TOWN, Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
HEAD CASES, John McMahon (Minotaur Books)
THE MAILMAN, Andrew Welsh-Huggins (Mysterious Press)

FINGERPRINT AWARDS SHORTLISTS: Capital Crime Festival

The Capital Crime Festival  (London, UK) announced the shortlists for its annual Fingerprint Awards, which champion the very best in crime writing from the past year across the globe, as voted for by readers. The shortlists were selected by the festival’s board members from a longlist curated by the Tastemakers Committee, a panel of leading independent bloggers and reviewers, who championed their standout titles across each category. 

Readers can now vote for their preferred winners in each category on the Capital Crime website through Saturday, May 30th. The winners will be revealed at the Fingerprint Awards on the evening of Thursday, June 18th as part of the Capital Crime event in London at the Royal Leonardo Hotel. Congrats to this year's finalists!

 
Audiobook of the Year

• Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 

• King of Ashes by  S A Cosby

• We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough 

• Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

• Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver

True Crime Book of the Year

• Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold 

• Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts-Guiffre 

• Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser 

• A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders by Prof. David Wilson 

• A Flower Travelled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland  

Debut Crime Book

• Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson

• Deadline by  Steph McGovern 

• Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall

• The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar

• This is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen

Genre-Busting Book

• Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver 

• Little Red Death by A. K. Benedict Book

• Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville

• Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

• Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy  

Historical Crime Book of the Year

• The Art of A Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson 

• The Rush by Beth Lewis 

• Dangerous by Essie Fox

• Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee

• Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz 

Thriller Book of the Year

• The Chemist by A A Dhand

• Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 

• Human Remains by Jo Callaghan 

• The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

• Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins

Overall Crime Book of the Year

• The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani

• The Final Vow by M W Craven

• Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan

• The Good Father by Liam McIlveney

• We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough