Mystery Melange

Dragon book sculpture

I missed the announcement earlier this month of the Grand Prix du Roman Noir being bestowed on hard-boiled author Martyn Waites for his novel Born Under Punches (Mysterious Press). The nod for best French crime novel went to Yves Ravey for Un Notaire Peu Ordinaire. The awards are handed out annually at the Festival International du Film Policier de Beaune. For all the nominees, click here.

The finalists for the 2014 Bony Blithe Award (which celebrates traditional Canadian mysteries) include Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin; Gold Web by Vicki Delany; Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By by Elizabeth J. Duncan; Miss Montreal by Howard Shrier; and Framed for Murder by Cathy Spencer. The winner will be announced at this year's Bloody Words conference in Toronto, June 6th through 8th.

Deadly Pleasure Magazine announced its nominees for the annual Barry Awards. Best novel contenders include A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen; Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay; Sandrine's Case by Thomas H. Cook; Suspect by Robert Crais; Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger; and Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin. (Hat tip to Janet Rudolph at Mystery Fanfare.)

A new exhibition on Sherlock Holmes is coming to the Museum of London from October of this year to April 2015. The exhibition looks at why Sherlock Holmes conjures up such enduring fascination and how the character has transcended literature onto stage and screen and continues to attract huge audiences to this day.

Speaking of Sherlock, The Guardian's newspaper readers said Sherlock Holmes is the perfect way to get back into the reading habit. But how does his appearance on the page compare to his screen incarnations?

Bookstores are having to adapt quickly to survive in the lightning-fast changes that are taking place in the publishing world. Salon noted an American Booksellers Association report that the number of indie bookstores in the U.S. has grown 19.3 percent since 2009, adding that "There is increasing evidence that the same digital transformation that has so dramatically reshaped the publishing industry, and driven millions of consumers online, also paradoxically rewards locally rooted authenticity."

Criminal Element is offtering up the chance to win a half-dozen books from Hilary Davidson, John Sandford, and more. The entry deadline is May 6.

Elizabeth Foxwell noted some new music releases of film scores for movies such as Young Sherlock Holmes and 1945's The Man in Half Moon Street.

The featured poem at the 5-2 this week is "Marine Barracks First Aid" by David S. Pointer, and the noir of the week at Beat to a Pulp is "Partners in Crime" by Andy Henion.

The Q&A roundup is a feast of author interviews, including: Christa Faust, who chats with Vince Keenan; J.A. Jance, who is interrogated by the Mystery People; the very same Mystery People grilled Hilary Davidson on her new standalone thriller; Janet Evanovich drops by Writers Who Kill; Alan Bradley, creator of the Flavia de Luce series, was interviewed by Squiddo Magazine; and Jo Nesbø caught up to The Mystery People.