2025 David Thompson Special Service Award Recipients: Lucinda Surber and Stan Ulrich

Bouchercon Announced the 2025 David Thompson Special Service Award Recipients. Perfect! Congratulations, Lucinda and Stan. Well deserved!!!

Bouchercon, the world’s largest mystery writers and fans conference, announced that Lucinda Surber and Stan Ulrich are the 2025 recipients of the David Thompson Memorial Special ServiceAward for their extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.

“We’re insanely thrilled to receive the David Thompson Award and humbled to join the starry ranks of past honorees!” Stan and Lucinda reacted when notified of the award.

Mystery/crime fiction enthusiasts, Lucinda and Stan have been key leaders in the landscape for more than twenty years. Their first mystery convention was Bouchercon 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska and they have since served in a variety of Bouchercon volunteer positions. Stan joined the Bouchercon national board serving as Treasurer and Rules Committee Chair. Later Stan and Lucinda were Chairs of the volunteer subcommittee for two Bouchercon conventions, and Anthony Awards Chairs in Long Beach in 2014 and in Dallas in 2019.

Lucinda and Stan are also the driving force behind the mystery conference, Left Coast Crime. Stan, a retired lawyer, is President of the Left Coast Crime Conference. Lucinda, a former educator, is the organization’s Secretary. They’ve been managing the Lefty Awards since 2011. 

“Stan and Lucinda exemplify the dedication and expertise of those in a special category: key volunteers,” says Cheryl Head, Bouchercon Board Chair. “We couldn’t be successful without them.”

The David Thompson Award will be presented to Stan and Lucinda at the Opening Ceremonies of Blood on the Bayou: Case Closed in New Orleans, September 3-7, 2025. 

David Thompson Special Service Award: Sara Paretsky

The Bouchercon Board announced that SARA PARETSKY is this year's recipient of the David Thompson Special Service Award!

The award is given by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community of David Thompson, a beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Recipients are recognized for their extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.

Sara's contributions as a founder of Sisters In Crime; as a leader in helping to lay the publishing groundwork for women authors of mystery and crime fiction, and as an ongoing literacy activist, have been phenomenal.

The award will be presented during the General Members Meeting at the Bouchercon 2023 convention in San Diego. 

Congratulations, Sara, and welcome to the group!

DAVID THOMPSON SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD: LESA HOLSTINE

Lesa Holstine is the recipient the 2018 David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award by the Bouchercon Board

The World Mystery Convention, Bouchercon, is pleased to announce that Lesa Holstine is the recipient of the 2018 David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award for her contributions to the mystery community. The World Mystery Convention is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization which holds an annual convention attended by readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other lovers of crime fiction.  The David Thompson Award will be presented during the Anthony Awards ceremony on September 8 at Bouchercon in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award is given by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community of David Thompson, a beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Winners are recognized for their “extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.”

Lesa Holstine has been sharing her passion for books—especially mysteries—with readers since 2005. Her blog, Lesa’s Book Critiques, is a go-to destination for readers. Her reviews now appear in Mystery Readers Journal, ReadertoReader.com, and in Library Journal. Lesa is also the blogger for Poisoned Pen Bookstore, and she started the Authors @ The Teague program in the Glendale, Arizona Library System.

Lesa is the author of the “Mystery Fiction” chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) and has been a panelist for Sisters in Crime at the Public Library Association’s conference and has served on panels at Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon. She has also moderated crime fiction panels at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Lesa is beloved by readers and acclaimed authors alike.

Louise Penny, author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, said: “Lesa has championed crime writing with intelligence, passion, warmth and insight. This meaningful award, named for a wonderful man, could not go to a better recipient than Lesa Holstine!” 

Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Series, said: “When you write for a living you’ve always got that one reader that you’re shooting for, the one that will get what you’re trying to do, and for me that reader is Lesa Holstine.” 

Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the Jane Ryand series and the forthcoming TRUST ME, said: “Lesa’s unabashed enthusiasm, unflagging support and astonishing knowledge of crime fiction continues to change lives and change careers. Her incredibly hard work as a librarian, blogger, reviewer and cheerleader enriches our community and brightens our days.” 

Cara Black, author of the Aimée Leduc series, said: “Lesa began a visiting author series and welcomed every mystery author in town with open arms to her library. I remember Lesa sitting in the back and writing away, supporting me and the authors who felt privileged to be invited. This honor is so deserved!” 

Lori Rader-Day, award-winning author, said: “Lesa Holstine is joy personified. I love her enthusiasm for mystery reading.” 

Jane Cleland, Author of the Josie Prescott series, said: “Lesa is a doll, a complete peach! She's also a terrific writer, clear and insightful.” 

For additional information, please visit Bouchercon2018.com or Bouchercon.com. Bouchercon is also on Facebook and Twitter.

DAVID THOMPSON AWARD

2017 DAVID THOMPSON SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD to GEORGE EASTER

The Bouchercon National Board of Directors has selected George Easter as the recipient of its 2017 David Thompson Special Service Award for “extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.”

The David Thompson Special Service Award is given by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community of David Thompson, a much beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Past recipients of the award include Ali Karim, Marv Lachman, Len & June Moffatt, Judy Bobalik, Otto Penzler, and Bill and Toby Gottfried.

Founded in 1970, and named after distinguished mystery critic, editor, and author, Anthony Boucher, Bouchercon is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that each year brings together fans, authors, publishers, editors, agents, and booksellers from around the world in a different location for a four-day celebration of their shared love of the crime genre. This year's Bouchercon, Passport to Murder, will take place in Toronto, October 12-15, 2017.

George Easter is the Founder, Editor, and Publisher of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, one of the premiere review periodicals in the mystery community. Deadly Pleasures, a great resource for readers, was started in 1992. DP also includes news of forthcoming releases in the U.S. and abroad, and columns, reviews, and interviews from an international group of contributors. Sneak previews of upcoming books are divided into soft boiled, hardboiled, medium boiled and more. Deadly Pleasures was nominated four times for an Anthony Award for Best Mystery Magazine and won the Anthony for Best Critical/Biographic Work in 1999.

But Deadly Pleasures was not enough for George, being a fan’s fan, and in 1997 he conceived the Barry Awards (named after fan Barry Gardner) that are presented by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine in various categories for excellence. George also presents the Don Sandstrom Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mystery Fandom (named after fan Don Sandstrom).

George has served on the Bouchercon National Board, has attended every Bouchercon, except two, since 1991 in Pasadena, CA, and volunteered to produce the Program Book for the 2000 Bouchercon in Denver, CO. He was also responsible for getting publishers to donate books to the Book Bazaar giveaway at last year’s Bouchercon in New Orleans.

The Bouchercon Board is pleased to honor George Easterwith the David Thompson award for all he has contributed to the mystery community and for his honoring both mystery authors and fans. George Easter is truly a Fan’s Fan.

2016 David Thompson Special Service Award to Otto Penzler

The Bouchercon Board of Directors is proud to announce that Otto Penzler is the recipient of its 2016 David Thompson Special Service Award for “extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.”

Founded in 1970, and named after distinguished mystery critic, editor, and author, Anthony Boucher, Bouchercon is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that each year brings together fans, authors, publishers, editors, agents, and booksellers from around the world in a different location for a four-day celebration of their shared love of the crime genre. This year’s convention, “Blood on the Bayou—Bouchercon 2016,” takes place in New Orleans, September 15-18 (www.bouchercon2016.com).

The David Thompson Special Service Award was created by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community of David Thompson, a much beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Past recipients of the award are Ali Karim, Marv Lachman, Len & June Moffatt, Judy Bobalik, and Bill and Toby Gottfried.

This year’s honoree, Otto Penzler, is the proprietor of New York City’s The Mysterious Bookshop and founder of The Mysterious Press (1975). A publisher of original works and classic crime fiction in the U.S. and abroad, Mr. Penzler also published The Armchair Detective, a quarterly journal devoted to the study of mystery and suspense fiction, and created the publishing firms of Otto Penzler Books and The Armchair Detective Library. He is a prolific editor, and his most recent anthologies include The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories, The Big Book of Locked Room Mysteries, The Best American Mystery Stories of the 19th Century, and The Best American Noir of the Century. Since 1997 he’s also been the Series Editor of The Best American Mystery Stories of the Year.

The Mystery Writers of America has bestowed on Mr. Penzler two Edgar Awards, its 1994 Ellery Queen Award, and the 2003 Raven Award. He’s also received Lifetime Achievement awards from Noircon and The Strand Magazine. In addition, Mr. Penzler co-chaired two Bouchercon Conventions (1977 and 1983) and served on Bouchercon’s Board for ten years.