LA Times Book Prize Finalists in Mystery/Thriller

The finalists for the 41st Los Angeles Time Book Prizes were announced today. Winners will be announced in a live-streamed virtual ceremony on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter on April 16, the day before the 26th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books kicks off its second virtual event during the ongoing pandemic. Special category winners also will be celebrated that day. Congratulations to all!

Mystery/Thriller Finalists

A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen 

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby 

And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall 

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier 

These Women by Ivy Pochoda

Cartoon of the Day: Dogs

Reign!

 

Paul D. Marks: R.I.P.

Such sad news. Paul D. Marks, award winning author, dog rescuer, walker, historian, lover of music, photographer, friend, and all around good guy, passed away. I just saw the news on Josh Pachter's Facebook page, so I don't have any details. I knew Paul had cancer, but we all thought he'd beat it and continue his long walks with the dogs, writing great stories and novels, illuminating the history and culture of Los Angeles, writing witty comments, and sharing his life with Amy and the dogs and cats. I will miss chatting with Paul at mystery conventions, through email, and online. He was always so supportive of everything mystery, thriller, and suspense--writers and events. My heart and sympathy go out to Amy and the family. He was way too young.

Paul D. Marks was the author of the Shamus Award-Winning mystery-thriller White Heat. His short story “Ghosts of Bunker Hill” was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Award. And “Fade-Out on Bunker Hill” came in second in the 2020 Ellery Queen Readers Poll. “Windward” was selected for the Best American Mystery Stories of 2018, and won the 2018 Macavity Award for Best Short Story. Paul's latest book, The Blues Don't Care, was published in June 2020.

Paul wrote four novels, co-edited two anthologies and written countless short stories, including many award winners and nominees. His short fiction has been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Akashic’s Noir series (St. Louis), Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Hardboiled, Switchblade, Mystery Weekly and many others. He served on the boards of the Los Angeles chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. 

Though Paul wrote about other places, he considered himself an L.A. writer. He lived in the Los Angeles area with his wife, dogs, and cats.

He will be sorely missed.

Listen to the Music: Paul D. Marks guest Post on Mystery Fanfare (2016)

Q&A with Paul D. Marks: Mystery Playground, August 3, 2020