Mystery Melange

Christmas book sculpture, artist unknown

The CWA 2014 Dagger in the Library Award honoring an author's body of work was handed out to Sharon Bolton, the author of eight books as well as the Lacey Flint series. The other four finalists included Elly Griffiths, Mari Hannah, James Oswald, and Mel Sherratt.

This year's Nero Award, presented each year to an author for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, was handed out to David Morrell, for Murder as a Fine Art. The organizers of the award, The Wolfe Pack, also presented the Black Orchid Novella Award to K.G. McAbee for “Dyed to Death.”

Thanks to Sandra Seamans for noting there's a new print crime fiction magazine gearing up for publication. Dead Gun Press has posted a call for submissions for Dead Guns Magazine, with a reading period from February 1, 2015 and run through April 20, 2015. Seamans also reported, via Michael Bracken, about another new crime fiction market called Crooked Holster, billed as "an anthology of crime, mystery, and thriller," now accepting short stories up to 2500 words, flash up to 500 words, and poetry. The deadline for the first issue is February 28, 2015.

The last "Getting Away with Murder" column for 2014 from Mike Ripley at Shots Mag is out and ready for your reading pleasure. The Ripster recounts various holiday festivities including the Autumn Lunch of the Margery Allingham Society and a book by Jane Stevenson that is an homage to Allingham and her works, and the annual Publishers Publicity Circle party. He also selects his favourite crime novels of 2014 and looks ahead to some anticipated new novels of 2014.

The Guardian's Laura Wilson selected her choices for "The Best Crime and Thrillers of 2014."

Interested in global crime fiction but don't know where to start? The Mystery People's Molly Odintz picks her "Top Ten International Crime Novels of 2014."

The December issue of Gumshoe Review is available online with the latest news and reviews.

Lit Reactor compiled a history of the Noir at the Bar events with organizers Peter Rozovsky (who kicked off the very event in Philadelphia), Jedidiah Ayres, Eric Beetner, Glenn Gray, and Todd Robinson.

The featured crime poem over at the 5-2 is "Reprieve" by Robert Cooperman.

The Q&A roundup this week features thriller author Mike Pace, chatting with Omnimystery News about his new suspense thriller, One To Go; Paul D. Brazill's "Short, Sharp Interviews" features Paul O'Brien talking about his three Blood Red Turns Dollar Green books, and Alan Jones discussing his latest book, Blue Wicked.