THE WOLFE PACK AWARDS 2024: Nero Award and Black Orchid Novella Award

The Wolfe Pack announced the Nero Award for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories: 

Ariel Lawhon: The Frozen River. 

The Black Orchid Novella Award, presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, celebrates the novella format popularized by Stout:

T. M. Bradshaw: "Double Take." It will be published in the July 2025 issue of AHMM. 

Honorable mentions for the Black Orchid Novella Award include Peter Hoppock's "Precipice"; Andrew Kass's "Deadline"; Jenny Ramaley's "Workplace Rules for a Fire-Breathing Dragon"; and Ella Rutledge's "Murder at the Y.T.D."

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 HT: In Reference to Murder

NERO & BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD WINNERS 2021

The Wolfe Pack announced the Nero Award and the Black Orchid Novella Award for 2021 during the Black Orchid Banquet in NYC on December 4. Congratulations.

NERO AWARD WINNER

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood.

The Nero is presented annually by the fan organization The Wolfe Pack to “the best American mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories.

BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD WINNER

"The Man Who Went Down Under," by Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson; published i July 2022 issue of Alfred Hitchcock Magazine.

The Black Orchid is sponsored jointly by The Wolfe Pack and AHMM and honors the novella format popularized by Stout.

HT: The Rap Sheet

The Wolfe Pack: The Nero & Black Orchid Awards

Thanks to The Rap Sheet and The Gumshoe Site for the notice about the winner of the Nero Wolfe Award. I haven't seen a list, though, of all the nominees. If you know the other nominees, please let me know, and I'll update this post. Thanks.

The Nero Award is sponsored by The Wolfe Pack, the official Nero Wolfe society, named after the fictional character in the mystery series by Rex Stout. The Nero Award is presented annually for the best American mystery. The award is given to those books that are written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories.

NERO AWARD

One Good Dead by David Baldacci

BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD (given jointly with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

"El Cuerpo en el Barril ("The Body in the Barrel") by Tom Larsen. 

Black Orchid and Nero Wolfe Awards: The Wolfe Pack

The Wolfe Pack, the society of fans of Rex Stout's mysteries featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, held their 42nd annual Black Orchid Banquet this weekend.

The Nero Award was presented for Best American Mystery to Walter Mosley for Down the River Unto the Sea. 

The Black Orchid Novella Award went to author Ted Burge for his novella, "The Red Taxi." The award is presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. It is designed to encourage writers to create a new and hitherto unpublished mystery story at novella length, the length and format which Rex Stout so often used for his shorter stories. Among other honors, the winning novella will be published next summer in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

HT: Classic Mysteries

2018 NERO AWARD & BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD WINNERS

Although I announced the Nero Award in December 2018, I omitted the winner of the Black Orchid Novella Award. Here are all the results for both from
The Wolfe Pack.

NERO AWARD WINNER
August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones (Soho)

The Nero Award is presented each year to an author for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories. It is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.

BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD WINNER:
Minerva James and the Goddess of Justice by Mark Bruce

The Black Orchid Novella Award is presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to celebrate the novella format popularized by Rex Stout.

2016 Nero Award & Black Orchid Novella Award Winners

The Nero Award is presented each year to an author for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories. It was presented by The Wolfe Pack this past weekend at the Black Orchid Banquet in New York City. The "Nero" is considered one of the premier awards granted to authors of crime fiction. This year, the winner is David C. Taylor's Night Life, (A Forge Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC).

The Black Orchid Novella Award is presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to celebrate the novella format popularized by Rex Stout. This year's winner is… for the second time…  Steve Liskow.  The novella is titled “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma.” (Steve also won in 2009.)

About the Wolfe Pack

The Wolfe Pack, founded in 1977, is a forum to discuss, explore, and enjoy the 72 Nero Wolfe books and novellas written by Rex Stout. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to the study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin. The organization has more than 500 members worldwide. For further information, please see www.nerowolfe.org.

Nero Award and Black Orchid Novella Award 2014

The Wolfe Pack made the following announcements last night at the Black Orchid Banquet:

David Morrell was awarded The Nero Award for Murder as a Fine Art (The Permanent Press). The Nero Award is presented each year to an author for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories.

The Black Orchid Novella Award is presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to celebrate the Novella format popularized by Rex Stout. This year's winner is K.G. McAbee for “Dyed to Death.”

2012 WOLFE PACK AWARDS

The Nero Award is presented each year to an author for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories. It is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City. That was last night.

And the winner is: Dana Stabenow for Though Not Dead (Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group). Her award was presented by Jane K. Cleland, chair of the Wolfe Pack's literary awards.

The Black Orchid Novella Award is presented jointly by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to celebrate the Novella format popularized by Rex Stout. This year's winner is Robert Lopresti for "The Red Envelope."

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The Wolfe Pack, founded in 1977, is a forum to discuss, explore, and enjoy the 72 Nero Wolfe books and novellas written by Rex Stout. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to the study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin. The organization has more than 500 members worldwide.