STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS WINNERS

Quarterly crime-fiction and mystery magazine The Strand announced the winners of the annual Strand Magazine Critics Awards. Recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing, The Strand Critics Awards are judged by an ever-changing group of book critics and journalists. This year’s judges were chosen from The Boston Globe, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, and The Associated Press. Congratulations to all!
 

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARD BEST NOVEL WINNER: 

Secret Identity Alex Segura (Flatiron Books)

Nominees:

Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (William Morrow)
Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (Bantam)
Desert Star by Michael Connelly (Little Brown)
Her Last Affair by John Searles (Mariner Books)
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
 
STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARD  BEST DEBUT WINNER:

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (Minotaur)

Nominees:

Jackal by Erin E. Adams (Bantam)
Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (Atria/Emily Bestler)
Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor (Soho)
Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Soho)
 
 
Strand Lifetime Achievement Awards: James Lee Burke and Lee Child 

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS

Strand Magazine Critics Awards were announced last night. Congratulations to all!

BEST MYSTERY DEBUT (2021) 

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka, Translated by Sam Malissa (Harry Abrams) 

BEST MYSTERY NOVEL (2021) 

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books) I

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR 

Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher of Grove/Atlantic Inc. in New York City. 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Sandra Brown 

Nelson DeMille

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS NOMINEES

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS NOMINEES. Congratulations to all. 

BEST MYSTERY DEBUT (2021) 

Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews (Little, Brown and Co.) 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Atria Books) 

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka, Translated by Sam Malissa (Harry Abrams) 

Lightseekers by Femi Kayode (Mulholland Books) 

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey) 

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris (William Morrow) 

BEST MYSTERY NOVEL (2021) 

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co.) 

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books) I

The Low Desert by Tod Goldberg (Counterpoint) 

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall (Thomas and Mercer) 

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman (William Morrow) 

1979 by Val McDermid (Atlantic Monthly) 

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR 

Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher of Grove/Atlantic Inc. in New York City. 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Sandra Brown 

Nelson DeMille

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS

The Strand Magazine announced the winners of the 2021 Strand Critics Awards, recognizing “excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing.” Wonderful zoom celebration. Thanks, Andrew Gulli and Hank Phillipi Ryan for a great event. Congratulations to all!

Best Mystery Novel:
• Snow, by John Banville (Hanover Square Press)

Best Debut Novel:

• When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole (Morrow)

This year's  Lifetime Achievement Awards:

Stephen King

Joyce Carol Oates

Alexander McCall Smith

Josh Stanton of Blackstone Publishing has been chosen to receive the 2021 Publisher of the Year Award. 

 

2021 Strand Critics Awards Nominees

The Strand Magazine announced the 2021 Strand Critics Awards, recognizing “excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing.”

Best Mystery Novel:
• Snow, by John Banville (Hanover Square Press)
• You Again, by Debra Jo Immergut (Ecco)
• Trouble Is What I Do, by Walter Mosley (Mulholland)
• The Missing American, by Kwei Quartey (Soho Crime)
• A Song for the Dark Times, by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown)
• Survivor Song, by Paul Tremblay (Morrow)
• Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa Unger (Park Row)

Best Debut Novel:
• Amnesty, by Aravind Adiga (Scribner)
• Leave the World Behind, by Rumaan Alam (Ecco)
• When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole (Morrow)
• Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline (Morrow)
• A Burning, by Megha Majumdar (Knopf)
• A Certain Hunger, by Chelsea G. Summers (Unnamed Press)
• Catherine House, by Elisabeth Thomas (Custom House)

This year's  Lifetime Achievement Awards go to Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alexander McCall Smith. Josh Stanton of Blackstone Publishing has been chosen to receive the 2021 Publisher of the Year Award. 

HT: The Rap Sheet

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS 2020

The Strand Magazine announced the winners of  the 2020 Strand Critics Awards last night at a fun Zoom Part. Hank Phillipi Ryan and
Andrew Guilli officiated. Great fun! Such a pleasure to attend on Zoom. The Awards recognize excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing. 


THE STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS

Best Mystery Novel
The Sentence Is Death, by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)

Best Debut Novel:
Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim (Sarah Crichton)

Bronwen Hruska of Soho Press is this year's recipient of the Publisher of the Year Award. 

Tess Gerritsen and Walter Mosley were awarded Lifetime Achievement. 

STRAND CRITICS AWARDS 2020

The Strand Magazine announced its nominations for the 2020 Strand Critics Awards. The Awards recognize excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing. 

Best Mystery Novel:
— Big Sky, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown)
— The Lost Man, by Jane Harper (Flatiron)
— The Sentence Is Death, by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)
— Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman (Morrow)
— Heaven, My Home, by Attica Locke (Mulholland)
— The Border, by Don Winslow (Morrow)

Best Debut Novel:
— Scrublands, by Chris Hammer (Atria)
— Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim (Sarah Crichton)
— One Night Gone, by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House)
— The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides (Celadon)
— Three-Fifths, by John Vercher (Agora)

Bronwen Hruska of Soho Press is this year's recipient of the Publisher of the Year Award. 

Tess Gerritsen and Walter Mosley were awarded Lifetime Achievement. 

Winners will be announced at a virtual event September 4.

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS

The Strand Magazine announced the winners of the  2019 Strand Critics Awards last night at a cocktail party in New York City.

Best Mystery Novel: Tie
Transcription, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown)
Sunburn, by Laura Lippman (HarperCollins)

Best Debut Mystery Novel:
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor  (Crown)
The Strand also announced the recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Awards: Heather Graham and Donna Leon.  

Also named was Dominique Raccah, the publisher/CEO of Sourcebooks, as its Publisher of the Year Award.

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARDS NOMINEES

The Strand Magazine announced the 2019 Strand Critics Awards. Winners will be announced this summer at a cocktail party in New York City.

Best Mystery Novel:
• Lullaby Road, by James Anderson (Crown)
• Transcription, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown)
• November Road, by Lou Berney (Morrow)
• Dark Sacred Night, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
• The Witch Elm, by Tana French (Viking)
• Sunburn, by Laura Lippman (HarperCollins)

Best Debut Mystery Novel:
• Dodging and Burning, by John Copenhaver (Pegasus)
• Star of the North, by D.B. John (Crown)
• The Other Side of Everything, by Lauren Doyle Owens (Touchstone)
• The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton 
(Sourcebooks Landmark)
• Beautiful Bad, by Annie Ward (Park Row)

The Strand also announced the recipients of its latest Lifetime Achievement Awards: Heather Graham and Donna Leon. Also named was Dominique Raccah, the publisher/CEO of Sourcebooks, as its Publisher of the Year Award.

HT: The Rap Sheet

STRAND CRITIC AWARDS

The Strand Magazine announced the winners for the 2018 Strand Critics Awards. Winners were announced on July 11 during “an invitation-only cocktail party in New York City, hosted by The Strand Magazine.” Congratulations to All!

 Best Novel:
Wonder Valley, by Ivy Pochoda (Ecco)

Best First Novel:
The Lost Ones, by Sheena Kamal (Morrow)

Lifetime Achievement Awards:  
Jonathan Gash (aka John Grant), British creator of the antiques-focused Lovejoy mysteries; 
and 
J.A. Jance, best known for her J.P. Beaumont series and her Joanna Brady series. Both of those authors will receive their commendations during that same July 11 fête. 

Publisher of the Year Award: Tom Doherty of Tor/Forge books

To see all the nominees, go here.

HT: The Rap Sheet

Strand Critics Award Winners

The Strand Critics Awards, recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction, were judged by a select group of book critics and journalists. They were presented last night in New York City. Congratulations to All!

Best Novel
The Trespasser by Tana French (Viking) 

Best Debut Novel:
The Lost Girls by Heather Young (William Morrow)

Clive Cussler was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

To see the nominees in both categories, go HERE.

The Strand Critics Awards

Strand Critics Awards Nominees:

The Strand Critics Awards, recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction, were judged by a select group of book critics and journalists. Congratulations to All!

Best Novel 
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott (Little, Brown and Company)
The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)
The Trespasser by Tana French (Viking) 
What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin (William Morrow)
Out of Bounds by Val McDermid (Atlantic Monthly Press)
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (Gallery)

Best Debut Novel: 
The Widow by Fiona Barton (NAL)
IQ by Joe Ide (Mulholland)
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell (Touchstone)
A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt (Sourcebooks Landmark)
The Homeplace by Kevin Wolf (Minotaur)
The Lost Girls by Heather Young (William Morrow)

Clive Cussler was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards will be presented at an invitation-only cocktail party in New York City, hosted by The Strand on July 12, 2017. 

Strand Magazine Critics Award

The Strand Magazine Strand Magazine Critics Awards:

Best Novel:
The Whites, by Richard Price writing as Harry Brandt (Picador)

Best First Novel:
Past Crimes, by Glen Erik Hamilton (HarperCollins)

Colin Dexter and Jeffery Deaver received this year’s Strand Critics lifetime achievement awards.

HT: Chantelle Aimée Osman

STRAND MAGAZINE CRITICS AWARD

The Strand Magazine Critics Awards were announced:

Best Novel: Defending Jacob by William Landay won the Strand Magazine Critics Award.

Best Debut Novel: The 500 by Matthew Quirk

Faye Kellerman was given The Strand’s Lifetime Achievement award for excellence in crime writing. 

This award recognizes excellence in the field of mystery fiction. The Critics Awards were judged by a select group of book critics and journalists, from news venues such as The Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago Sun Times, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, The Guardian, and several other daily papers.

Strand Magazine Critics Awards Nominees

The Strand Magazine 2012 Critics Awards Nominees. Winners will be announced July 9.

Best Novel:
The Gods of Gotham, by Lyndsay Faye (Putnam)
Broken Harbor, by Tana French (Viking)
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn (Crown)
Defending Jacob, by William Landay (Delacorte)
Live by Night, by Dennis Lehane (Morrow)

Best Debut Novel:
A Land More Kind Than Home, by Wiley Cash (Morrow)
The Yard, by Alex Grecian (Putnam)
The Expats, by Chris Pavone (Crown)
Disappeared, by Anthony Quinn (Mysterious Press/Open Road)
The 500, by Matthew Quirk (Hachette)

Faye Kellerman will be presented with The Strand’s Lifetime Achievement award “for excellence in crime writing.”

Hat Tip: The Rap Sheet

The Strand Magazine Critics Awards 2010

The Strand Magazine announced its 2010 Critics Awards

Best Novel: The Reversal, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Best First Novel: The Poacher’s Son, by Paul Doiron (Minotaur)

For the Nominees, go HERE.

Hat Tip: The Rap Sheet

Original Agatha Christie story, Incident of the Dog's Ball

Strand Magazine will be publishing a "found" Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot 5000 word story, "Incident of the Dog's Ball". This story that was one of two found in the attic at Greenway, Christie's home. It eventually became the 1937 novel Dumb Witness. I overheard this 'rumor' at Bouchercon, and it was confirmed by Andrew Gulli, the editor of The Strand. However, I wanted to wait until it was official to mention it. Very exciting.

This is the first appearance of a new Agatha Christie story in the U.S. since 1975. This story was published in the U.K. in September, in John Curran's Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks (HarperCollins).

John Curran, an "arch-fan" found this story and "The Capture of Cerberus" in the attic. Both stories also appear in his book Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks (HarperCollins). In this wonderful book (a must for Christie fans), Curran reproduces notes, stories, sketches of St. Mary Mead, as well as information about and from Agatha Christie. Curran previously published pieces in Christie fan magazines. There were 73 notebooks covering her working life from the 20s until the year of her death. What a job!

More Mystery Award Nominations!

Call for Nominations. Mystery Readers Journal subscribers and members of Mystery Readers International can nominate for the Macavity Award in five categories for works that were published in 2008. Best Mystery, Best First Mystery, Best Mystery Short Story, Best Critical/Biographical/Reference, Best Historical Mystery. Deadline for nominations is April 10. To nominate, send an email with subject line Macavity Nominations. You can nominate in as many categories, as you'd like. Be sure and put your full name in the body of the email. You must have been entered in MRI for '08 or '09 to nominate. Ballot will go out to member/subscribers by May 1.

• Hat tip to Declan Burke for posting the Irish Book Awards crime fiction shortlist. Sadly John Connolly, Ken Bruen and Declan Hughes are not on the list. However, Alex Barclay (Blood Runs Cold), Arlene Hunt (Undertow), Tana French (The Likeness) and Brian McGilloway (Gallows Lane) made the cut. The Irish issue of Mystery Readers Journal is still available in hardcopy. It was one of our best ever largely due to the support of Declan Burke.

• The Strand Magazine announced the nominees for its 2008 Critics Award for Best Mystery Novel and Best First Mystery Novel. Intended to recognize excellence in the field of mystery fiction, the Critics Awards are judged by “a select group of book reviewers from the nation’s top daily newspapers.”

In a press release, The Strand explained its award methodology:

“All judges sent to me, as committee chairman, a list of their 10 favorite books. I made a list that included all of these books--and a disparate selection it was--and the five with the most votes were to be the finalists,” said Otto Penzler, the world famous publisher and proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop. “As it happened, there were three books that made it onto the short list, with five others tied for fourth, so we had a runoff with an extra round of voting to determine the top five nominees. Judges were then asked to list these top five in order of preference, with a first-place vote awarded five points, a second-place vote four points, and so on.”

“I couldn't have been more pleased with this selection of nominees,” said Andrew F. Gulli, the managing editor of The Strand. “When I read several of these books last year, I had a feeling they would be nominated for the Critics Award.”

The awards will be presented at an invitation-only cocktail party on July 8 in New York City. A lifetime achievement award will be given posthumously to English author John Mortimer.

Best Novel:
When Will There Be Good News?, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown)
Master of the Delta, by Thomas H. Cook (Houghton Mifflin)
The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Lush Life, by Richard Price (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
Hollywood Crows, by Joseph Wambaugh (Little, Brown)

Best First Novel:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson (Knopf)
City of the Sun, by David Levien (Doubleday)
A Cure for Night, by Justin Peacock (Doubleday)
Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith (Grand Central Publishing)
A Carrion Death, by Michael Stanley (Harper)