Monday, January 31, 2022
THE WINERY OF HIS DREAMS: Guest Post by Lise McClendon
Pinch me: the Bennett Sisters Mystery series has been going strong for thirteen years already, starting in 2009 with Blackbird Fly. Sometimes it’s hard to believe. It’s humbling that readers still want to explore the world with the five sisters and their partners— and for me to come up with new and delicious adventures for them. It’s not always easy, which may explain why I’ve written two stories now featuring Pascal d’Onscon. He is middle sister Merle’s partner. As a member of law enforcement in France, he has access to the best things.
By which I mean criminals, of course.
I am writing fiction, I tell myself. Anything goes, as long as you can sell it properly to the reader. I can involve my five lawyers in any and all sorts of legal issues, secrets and lies and sketchy characters. But I do try to keep things on a somewhat realistic level. So far I have dealt with squatters, wine scams, drug deals, art theft, runaway dogs, and of course a bit of bloody murder. Stumbling over dead bodies in every book stretches credulity at times, especially if your characters are civilians. The five sisters are in various stages of midlife and are professional women, attorneys, not detectives.
Are my books cozies? Yes and no. They aren’t the typical cozy and yet they aren’t gritty either. I have been known to call them ‘women’s suspense’ which doesn’t actually exist as a sub-genre. International crime? Sure… but… You decide, reader. And, please, tell me your verdict.
The problem I faced with the latest novel, Château des Corbeaux (Castle of Ravens— #17 in the series), is that I have given my wine fraud detective, Pascal, an office job in Bordeaux. (What was I thinking? That this would create tension for him, what he needs to do versus what he wants to do? So that worked.) He works for the Republic’s agency that keeps wineries honest, assures that the grapes are from the proper AOC, honoring all rules and regulations the French have for their sacred nectar. Plenty of money in French wine, thus plenty of wine crime to go around.
In the 2020 book, the first starring Pascal, he is summoned to the Champagne region to investigate a bottle of still white wine with a Champagne producer’s label, a vigneron travesty. (There is no point in still wine if you have grapes growing in the proper Champagne AOC. Make bubbly and make money is the implied motto.) That book, Dead Flat, also chronicled Pascal’s dilemma about whether to accept a promotion in the agency. By Château he is out of field work and into the office, renting a smelly apartment, and hating every minute of that illustrious French invention called bureaucracy.
His dissatisfaction with office work bubbles up in his mind as the idea emerges of owning a vineyard of his own. The desire grabs Pascal— being back on the soil, feeling the terroir, the grape on his tongue, the sun on his face. Although he has never been a farmer and in the past disparaged them as being prey to the whims of weather, markets, and a hundred other things, the idea blossoms into an obsession when he spies an abandoned vineyard seemingly waiting for his loving attention.
Thus begins his struggle to become a vintner. Not an easy one for Pascal— one day discouragement and resignation that it will never come to pass because he is too poor to buy a Bordeaux vineyard. (They are often priced in the multi-millions and he is, as he often says, a simple public servant.) The next day a glimmer of hope with strapped owners needing a cash infusion. And then, a death in the vineyard to upset all dreams.
The beautiful countryside of France is again a character in the story, providing spectacular imagery, delicious recipes, and rich history. The rolling hillsides planted with undulating rows of vines, dotted with the turrets of châteaux. Wide rivers flowing to the sea. Quaint villages hiding their secrets behind the intoxicating smell of baking bread and the piety of charming churches. I love the long, bloody history of France and have managed to wind the prehistoric age into this book. There are archeological sites all over France but we tend to hear about Viking ships unearthed in England. France too had its ancient tribes and lost settlements. Iron Age and early Roman finds figure in the tale.
Will Pascal get his vineyard? Will Merle buy her cottages? What is ailing Francie? How did the man come to die in the vineyard?
After those questions, the main events of the mystery, are resolved a few loose ends remained. So I wrote a free bonus epilogue that you can link to at the end of the e-book. (Use the QR code in the paperback.)
Some secret treasures to be revealed… Enjoy!
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Lise McClendon has been telling tales ‘with heart and a little kick ass’ for a few decades. Her first two series feature an art dealer in Jackson Hole and a private detective in pre-war Kansas City. Her Bennett Sisters Mystery series now numbers seventeen with the publication in December 2021 of Château des Corbeaux. Lise has served on the national boards of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America. She lives in Montana and California, and online at lisemcclendon.com
Sunday, January 30, 2022
Writing for Harlequin Intrigue as a Male Author: Guest Post by R. Barri Flowers
In mid-2021, after I had completed and sent in my first Harlequin Intrigue crime thriller, Chasing the Violet Killer, that was published in January 2022, I was surprised when my editor told me that I was the only male author in the modern era to write for the Intrigue line. Evidently, there were two other male authors who wrote for Intrigue many years ago. Not sure if they used pseudonyms or not. It made me curious about male authors who have written for Harlequin in general, over the years. I discovered that some of its early writers included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, George Orwell, and W. Somerset Maugham; along with Tom Huff and Harold Lowry, both of whom wrote romances, using pen names.
Back to the present, interestingly enough the Intrigue line is promoted by Harlequin as “books for fans of novels by Sandra Brown, James Patterson and Iris Johansen.” With those stellar suspense and thriller writers noted as representative of what Intrigue looked for, I was thrilled and honored to join the Intrigue family of authors, using my own name. With a background in criminology and having written a number of true crime books and mystery thrillers, as well as romance novels, the Intrigue line was a perfect fit for me as a writer, in blending knowledge, verisimilitude, and creative juices to carve out page turning romantic suspense fiction.
In Chasing the Violet Killer, Secret Service agent Naomi Lincoln witnessed the murder of her uncle, during a video chat. She returns to her quaint hometown of Pebble Creek, Oregon, where she comes face to face with the ex-boyfriend she left behind, Dylan Hester, a police detective, who is investigating the crime. Turns out there is a serial killer is on the prowl. Dubbed, the Violet Killer, he targets attractive women, leaving behind a single violet with each victim as his calling card. Naomi and Dylan must put aside their differences and renewed attraction to one another to solve two interconnected cases, even as an elusive killer sets his sights on Naomi as his next victim.
It kept me going in working my way through the storyline and making adjustments along the way when the plot shifted direction every now and then from my initial gameplan, as part of the process in keeping the characters interesting and the suspense building till the very end, when all the pieces of the thriller puzzle are put into place.
Happily, since writing Chasing the Violet Killer, I have written two other novels for Intrigue, The Big Island Killer and Captured on Kauai, that will be published in September and October of 2022, respectively. They are part of a four-book miniseries, Hawaii CI, with the other two, Honolulu Cold Homicide and Danger on Maui, slated for release in 2023.
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R. Barri Flowers is the award-winning author of over a hundred books, including crime thrillers, true crime, criminology, romance fiction, and teen novels. He has appeared on Biography and Investigation Discovery, and can be found in Wikipedia.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES: Malice Domestic
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DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE BARRY AWARD NOMINATIONS
2022 Barry Award Nominations
Deadly Pleasures Magazine announced the Nominations for the Barry Awards yesterday. The winners of these awards will be announced at the Opening Ceremonies at the Minneapolis Bouchercon on September 8, 2022.
Best Mystery/Crime Novel
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
LAST REDEMPTION, Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
CLARK AND DIVISION, Naomi Hirahara (Soho Crime)
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King (Scribner)
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker (Henry Holt)
Best First Mystery/Crime Novel
WHO IS MAUDE DIXON?, Alexandra Andrews (Little, Brown)
GIRL A, Abigail Dean (Viking)
DOWN RANGE, Taylor Moore (William Morrow)
FALLING, T. J. Newman (Simon & Schuster)
SLEEPING BEAR, Connor Sullivan (Emily Bestler/Atria)
STEEL FEAR, Brandon Webb & John David Mann (Bantam)
Best Paperback Original
THE HUNTED, Gabriel Bergmoser (HarperCollins)
ARSENIC AND ADOBO, Mia P. Manansala (Berkley)
BLACK CORAL, Andrew Mayne (Thomas & Mercer)
THE GOOD TURN, Dervla McTiernan (Blackstone)
SEARCH FOR HER, Rick Mofina (MIRA)
BOUND, Vanda Symon (Orenda Books)
Best Thriller
THE DEVIL’S HAND, Jack Carr (Emily Bestler/Atria)
THE NAMELESS ONES, John Connolly (Emily Bestler/Atria)
DEAD BY DAWN, Paul Doiron (Minotaur)
RELENTLESS, Mark Greaney (Berkley)
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel (HardCase Crime)
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Thanks to Gabriel Valjan for the great graphic!!!
Friday, January 28, 2022
CHINESE NEW YEAR MYSTERIES //Chinese New Year Crime Fiction
恭賀發財 Gung Hay Fat Choy! This is the Year of the Tiger.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, I've put together a list of mysteries that take place during Chinese New Year. As always, I welcome any additions.
CHINESE NEW YEAR MYSTERIES
The Corpses Hanging Over Paris by Cathy Ace
The Chinese Parrot by Erle Derr Biggers
Year of the Dog; Red Jade by Henry Chang
Year of the Dragon by Robert Daley
Neon Dragon by John Dobbyn
Dim Sum Dead by Jerrilyn Farmer
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
Chop Suey by Ty Hutchison
The Chinese New Year Mystery (Nancy Drew) by Carolyn Keene
The Skull Cage Key by Michael Marriott
The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan
City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley
The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee by Robert Van Gulik (7th Century China) "New Year's Eve in Lan-Fang"
Children and Young Adult:
The Nancy Drew Notebooks: The Chinese New Year Mystery by Carolyn Keene
The New Year Dragon Dilemma by Ron Roy
Short stories:
"The Lady Fish Mystery" by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, EQMM, September/October 1996.
"Murder Keeps No Calendar" by Cathy Ace.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SISTERS IN CRIME 2022 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award
Emerging Writer of Color Will Receive $2000 Grant to Support Career Development
Sisters in Crime is accepting applications for its ninth annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a $2,000 grant awarded to an emerging writer of color. The award honors the late, pioneering African American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland. Candidates must apply by March 31 and the winner will be announced in May.
“The award gave me the confidence I needed to keep going when my first book failed on submission and my first agent and I parted ways,” says 2018 Award winner Mia P. Manansala. “The book that won the award became my debut and has led to so many amazing opportunities.”
Established in 2014, The Eleanor Taylor Bland award intends to support a recipient at the beginning of their crime writing career. The grantee may choose to apply the grant toward workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses and research activities to assist in completion of their work. Strongly aligned with Sisters in Crime’s mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of current and prospective members, “this award welcomes future crime writers of color into the mystery writing fold,” says Stephanie Gale, Pushcart Prize-nominated author and President of the National Board of Sisters in Crime. “As the former grants liaison, I know the award has inspired the winner and runners up to keep writing. There are writers of color crushing the crime writing genre and I want more of it.”
The 2022 recipient will join an impressive roster of winners. This year’s panel of judges includes 2021 winner D.Ann Williams, along with Sujata Massey and Wanda Morris, who is excited to participate in the search. “The Award recognizes and introduces diverse authors at a time when people are craving #OwnVoices stories,” says Morris. “The impact of this award will be felt for generations.”
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Eleanor Taylor Bland was the author of fourteen crime fiction novels published between 1992 and 2007 which featured Marti MacAlister, an African-American female police detective and an enduring and beloved heroine who went against the grain of stereotypes related to African-American women in much of U.S. popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited a collection titled Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors (2004). Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,200 members and more than 60 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships; grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.
For more information on its programs and author members, visit the organization’s website at www.sistersincrime.org. Complete guidelines and the application can be found at www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
NOIR CITY 19 FESTIVAL- Set for March 2022
Let's try this again! The NOIR CITY film festival returns from its second COVID hiatus March 24 - 27 for an incisive and inspiring four-day festival at Oakland's historic Grand Lake Theatre. Passports (all-access passes) and individual tickets are once again available for purchase at noircity.com. All passports and tickets already purchased for the original January shows will automatically be honored at this rescheduled March festival. If you cannot attend the new dates, please contact Brown Paper Tickets to request to have your purchase refunded.
Produced, programmed and hosted by Film Noir Foundation president Eddie Muller, 2022's NOIR CITY edition, subtitled "They Tried to Warn Us!", showcases 12 movies from mid-20th century Hollywood sure to resonate with contemporary viewers. Included are shockingly prescient films focusing on megalomaniacal politicians, corrupt businessmen, neo-Nazis, racism, anti-Semitism, sexual predators, serial killers, police brutality — even a viral epidemic! This NOIR CITY program could not be more timely or topical.
The eagerly anticipated NOIR CITY 19 will open Thursday night, March 24, with a double bill. First up, All the King's Men (1949), the noir-stained 1950 Best Picture Oscar® winner, starring Broderick Crawford as Willie Stark, an ambitious Southern politician who doesn't let ethics interfere with his meteoric political rise. Crawford won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance. The Robert Rossen film is paired with the world premiere of the FNF's latest 35mm restoration — The Argyle Secrets, a 1948 B-picture directed by Cy Endfield, returned to circulation this year through the partnership of the Film Noir Foundation and UCLA Film & Television Archive. The film's mystery centers around "The Argyle Album" containing the names of U.S. politicians and industrialists who abetted the Nazis in WW II.
Weeknight shows will be presented as double bills, with one $15 admission price for two movies. Saturday and Sunday shows will have separate admissions ($12.50) for each screening. NOIR CITY Passports (all-access passes) granting admission to all 12 films are available for $100, a $30 savings over the purchase price of individual tickets. FNF proceeds from the NOIR CITY festival benefit the foundation's efforts to rescue and restore noir films in danger of being permanently lost or damaged.
As is the tradition at NOIR CITY, fans can expect plenty of onscreen surprises, noir-inspired activities, and special guest appearances!
The full schedule, Passports (all-access passes), individual tickets, and program notes are available at NoirCity.com.
Monday, January 24, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO THROUGH TIME: Zoom Presentation with author Catherine Accardi
Beginning at Captain Richardson’s tent near Grant Avenue and winding our way through neighborhoods throughout San Francisco, author Catherine Accardi shares the rich history of San Francisco in contrasting images, uncovering and revealing San Francisco in new ways.
With over 100 photographs, her book, San Francisco Through Time, takes readers on a quest to discover the places, and the stories behind them, that make San Francisco special. Join us on a journey with Catherine Accardi, the author of San Francisco Through Time with historical photographs juxtaposed alongside present-day images.
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Visit the Book Club of California website at http://www.bccbooks.org/programs/.
THE LATE MR. CARY: Guest Post by Michael Campeta
As a librarian and foreign language teacher, I know the intricacies of research and have painstakingly recreated the historical setting in which my novel occurs, as well as spent countless hours developing the book’s tightly woven plot. Relevant critiques include participating in the Bouchercon Mystery Convention. I enjoy reading, travel, architecture, and history, especially the era of the 1920s. My novels are set during the jazz age of the 1920s, a fascinating period in American history.
The decade of the 1920s is now one hundred years ago. Flappers and speakeasies are hallmarks of that era. Family conflicts, adultery, and even murder were prevalent during this period of decadence and free love. THE LATE MR. CARY is a mystery set in the stately home of an upper-crust family bringing the 1920s to life—amidst a parade of death!
It is January 1928. Megan Cary, a young and stylish librarian, lives with her moody but wealthy husband, Adam. Just as Meg can no longer tolerate her husband’s philandering, Adam mysteriously dies during a weekend trip to his hometown. Meg finds a suicide note, and the police want to quickly close the case. So does Adam’s mother, Helen Cary, the stern matriarch of the brownstone house she shares with her sister and brother-in-law, as well as her daughter and son-in-law. Skeptical that Adam would kill himself, Meg hires a private detective, Sloane Sheppard, whose investigation ultimately unravels family secrets as a series of surprising deaths occur over two cold and snowy weeks in Albany. THE LATE MR. CARY continues to a denouement where Sloane Sheppard finally reveals the mysteries behind these violent deaths.
The 1920s continue to enthrall readers. I am dedicated to writing mysteries and plan to write more novels set in the 1920s in the future.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Friday, January 21, 2022
SISTER BONIFACE debuts on BritBox
Set in rural Warwickshire during the 1960s, this is a time period in which the entire concept of police forensics is...rudimentary at best. DNA testing doesn't exist yet. Blood testing can take days. Trace evidence is in its infancy and the chain of custody - even the simple preservation - of crime scene evidence is hit or miss (as you probably recognize from the Father Brown episodes). But, the Great Slaughter Constabulary has a secret weapon in its fight against crime.
Hidden deep in the countryside is St Vincent’s Convent, a small community of wine-making nuns is Sister Boniface. An IQ of 156 and a Ph.D. in forensic science, plus an addiction to popular detective fiction and a fully equipped crime laboratory make Boniface an invaluable aid to any police investigation. Poisons, trace evidence, bloodstains, and etymology. She’s often more up to speed on the latest forensic techniques than the Police.
If there’s evidence to be found, Boniface will find it, with a little help from dashing maverick DI Sam Gillespie (Downton Abbey's Max Brown) and buttoned-up Bermudan DS Felix Livingstone (Sex Education's Jerry Iwu), who’s horrified to be stuck working in this eccentric town. Felix was supposed to be on secondment to the Metropolitan Police but an administrative error lands him in Great Slaughter.
A cast of eccentric local characters combined with his boss’s reliance on a nun leaves him reeling. Although as Sam points out, that nun ensures they have the highest clean-up rate in the county.
The character of Ruth Penny, a hard-nosed investigative journalist and the editor of the Albion Bugle, is played by Miranda Raison (Warrior), and Ami Metcalf (Allied) plays the role of Peggy Button, the young, unshakeable police constable.
Additional cast members include Belinda Lang (Inspector Alleyn Mysteries), Sarah Crowden (Grantchester), David Sterne (Detectorists), Virginia Fiol (EastEnders), and Ivan Kaye (The Coroner).
And, though it is obviously not confirmed in any way, it seems highly likely that Father Brown himself, Mark Walliams, will at least make some sort of cameo appearance in Sister Boniface's first season.
The ten-part series will arrive on Britbox beginning Tuesday, February 8.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
EDGAR AWARD NOMINEES: Mystery Writers of America
BEST NOVEL
The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen (Amazon Publishing – Lake Union)
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby (Macmillan Publishers – Flatiron Books)
Five Decembers by James Kestrel (Hard Case Crime)
How Lucky by Will Leitch (HarperCollins – Harper)
No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Deer Season by Erin Flanagan (University of Nebraska Press)
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (Harlequin Trade Publishing – Park Row)
Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins (Penguin Random House – Riverhead Books)
The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer (Penguin Random House – Viking Books/Pamela Dorman Books)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory (Tom Doherty Associates – Tordotcom)
Starr Sign by C.S. O’Cinneide (Dundurn Press)
Bobby March Will Live Forever by Alan Parks (Europa Editions – World Noir)
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell (Penguin Random House – Penguin Books)
BEST FACT CRIME
The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History by Margalit Fox (Random House Publishing Group – Random House)
Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green (Celadon Books)
Sleeper Agent: The Atomic Spy in America Who Got Away by Ann Hagedorn (Simon & Schuster)
Two Truths and a Lie: A Murder, a Private Investigator, and Her Search for Justice by Ellen McGarrahan (Penguin Random House – Random House)
The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade by Benjamin T. Smith (W.W. Norton & Company)
When Evil Lived in Laurel: The “White Knights” and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer by Curtis Wilkie (W.W. Norton & Company
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper360)
The Unquiet Englishman: A Life of Graham Greene by Richard Greene (W.W. Norton & Company)
Tony Hillerman: A Life by James McGrath Morris (University of Oklahoma Press)
The Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science by John Tresch (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense by Edward White (W.W. Norton & Company)
BEST SHORT STORY
“Blindsided,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Michael Bracken & James A. Hearn (Dell Magazines)
“The Vermeer Conspiracy,” Midnight Hour by V.M. Burns (Crooked Lane Books)
“Lucky Thirteen,” Midnight Hour by Tracy Clark (Crooked Lane Books)
“The Road to Hana,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by R.T. Lawton (Dell Magazines)
“The Locked Room Library,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Gigi Pandian (Dell Magazines)
“The Dark Oblivion,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Cornell Woolrich (Dell Magazines)
BEST JUVENILE
Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Workman Publishing – Algonquin Young Readers)
Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Scholastic – Scholastic Press)
Aggie Morton Mystery Queen: The Dead Man in the Garden by Marthe Jocelyn (Penguin Random House Canada – Tundra Books)
Kidnap on the California Comet: Adventures on Trains #2 by M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman (Macmillan Children’s Publishing – Feiwel & Friends)
Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic – Scholastic Press)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Macmillan Children’s Publishing – Feiwel & Friends)
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Macmillan Children’s Publishing – Henry Holt and Company BFYR)
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris (HarperCollins – Quill Tree Books)
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Macmillan Children’s Books – Feiwel & Friends)
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (Penguin Young Readers – G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR)
BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“Dog Day Morning” – The Brokenwood Mysteries, Written by Tim Balme (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1” – The Beast Must Die, Written by Gaby Chiappe (AMC+)
“The Men Are Wretched Things” – The North Water Written by Andrew Haigh (AMC+)
“Happy Families” – Midsomer Murders, Written by Nicholas Hicks-Beach (Acorn TV)
“Boots on the Ground” – Narcos: Mexico, Written by Iturri Sosa (Netflix)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD
“Analogue,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Rob Osler (Dell Magazines)
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THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet by Katherine Cowley (Tule Publishing – Tule Mystery)
Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner (Crooked Lane Books)
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton (Crooked Lane Books)
Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney (St. Martin’s Paperbacks)
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THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
Double Take by Elizabeth Breck (Crooked Lane Books)
Runner by Tracy Clark (Kensington Books)
Shadow Hill by Thomas Kies (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
Sleep Well, My Lady by Kwei Quartey (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
Family Business by S.J. Rozan (Pegasus Books – Pegasus Crime)
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SPECIAL AWARDS
GRAND MASTER
Laurie R. King
RAVEN AWARD
Lesa Holstine – Lesa’s Book Critiques; Library Journal Reviewer
ELLERY QUEEN AWARD
Juliet Grames – Soho Books
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The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents.
Mystery Writers of America would like to emphasize our commitment to diversity and fairness in the judging of the Edgar Awards. Judges are selected from every region of the country, from every sub-category of our genre, and from every demographic to ensure fairness and impartiality.