LEFT COAST CRIME LEFTY AWARD NOMINATIONS

Left Coast Crime Announces the 2021 Lefty Award Nominations

January 18, 2021 — Because of the pandemic, the April 2021 Left Coast Crime convention was rescheduled for 2022. While everything else may have changed, the Lefty Awards continue! Left Coast Crime will be presenting four Lefty Awards in 2021: humorous, historical, debut, and best. This year, the awards will be voted on virtually and presented online April 10, 2021.

The award nominees have just been selected by registrants at the last in-person convention in San Diego and the next one scheduled for Albuquerque in April 2022. LCC is delighted to announce the 2021 Lefty nominees for books published in 2020:

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel
  • Ellen Byron, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard (Crooked Lane Books)
  • Jennifer J. Chow, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Berkley Prime Crime)
  • Carl Hiaasen, Squeeze Me (Alfred A. Knopf)
  • Cynthia Kuhn, The Study of Secrets (Henery Press)
  • J. Michael Orenduff, The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing (Aakenbaaken & Kent)
  • Sung J. Woo, Skin Deep (Agora Books)

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel for books set before 1970. The nominees are:
  • Susanna Calkins, The Fate of a Flapper (Minotaur Books)
  • Dianne Freeman, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (Kensington Books)
  • Laurie R. King, Riviera Gold (Bantam Books)
  • Catriona McPherson, The Turning Tide (Quercus)
  • Ann Parker, Mortal Music (Poisoned Pen Press)
  • James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel.
  • Daisy Bateman, Murder Goes to Market (Seventh Street Books)
  • Mary Keliikoa, Derailed (Camel Press)
  • Erica Ruth Neubauer, Murder at the Mena House (Kensington Books)
  • Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)
  • Halley Sutton, The Lady Upstairs (Putnam)
  • David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts (Ecco)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories)
  • Tracy Clark, What You Don’t See (Kensington Books)
  • S.A. Cosby, Blacktop Wasteland (Flatiron Books)
  • Matt Coyle, Blind Vigil (Oceanview Publishing)
  • Rachel Howzell Hall, And Now She’s Gone (Forge)
  • Louise Penny, All the Devils Are Here (Minotaur Books)

The Left Coast Crime Convention is an annual event sponsored by mystery fans, both readers and authors. Usually held in the western half of North America, LCC’s intent is to host an event where readers, authors, critics, librarians, publishers, and other fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests. Lefty Awards have been given since 1996.

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The 2022 Left Coast Crime Convention — Southwest Sleuths — will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 7–10, 2022. The Guests of Honor will be authors Mick Herron and Catriona McPherson. Kristopher Zgorski will be the Fan Guest of Honor, and Kellye Garrett will serve as Toastmaster. Tony Hillerman will be the Ghost of Honor.

Left Coast Crime is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation holding annual mystery conventions in the West since 1991. Each LCC convention raises money to support a local literary organization and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

For more information on Left Coast Crime 2022, visit https://leftcoastcrime.org/2022/

Cartoon of the Day: Hindsight

Dalgliesh: New TV series in 2021

Last Tuesday night our mystery book group discussed a P.D. James novel. P.D. James is one of my favorite authors, and, needless to say, I've read all of her novels -- some more than once. I enjoyed the Roy Marsden portrayal of Adam Dalgliesh in the ITV productions in the 80s and 90s (still available to stream). 

Now, Acorn TV and Channel 5 are teaming up to adapt the Dalgliesh stories by P.D. James yet again! James wrote 14 novels featuring Adam Dalgliesh between 1962 and 2008. The first season of the crime drama series will comprise of two-part adaptations of Shroud for a Nightingale, The Black Tower, and A Taste for Death.  

Bertie Carvel will play Detective Chief Inspector Dalgliesh. The 43-year-old English actor is best known for his roles in Doctor Foster, The Crown, The Pale Horse, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Dalgliesh will begin in 1970s England, following Dalgliesh’s career as he solves unusual murders and reveals buried secrets.

Channel 5’s Deputy Director of Programmes, Sebastian Cardwell commented: “P.D. James was one of Britain’s great crime writers and we’re incredibly excited to be creating new adaptations of her work.”

Executive producer Elaine Pyke added: “It’s a great honour to bring these much loved detective mysteries to life for fans of the books but also for new audiences. We are incredibly excited by the talent they are attracting and the opportunity to work with Acorn TV and Channel 5.”

Dalgliesh will premiere in 2021 on Acorn TV in the US and and on Channel 5 in the UK.