The Crime Writers of Canada announced this year's winners of the Arthur Ellis Awards, which recognize the best in mystery, crime, and suspense writing in fiction and non-fiction by Canadian writers. The Best Crime Novel went to Sleeping in the Ground, by Peter Robinson, while the Best First Crime Novel was given to Full Curl, by Dave Butler. For all the honorees, follow this link.
The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate announced the shortlist for the 14th annual Crime Novel of the Year, which celebrates the best crime writing from British and Irish authors. The six titles include A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee; The Long Drop by Denise Mina; Spook Street by Mick Herron; The Intrusions by Stav Sherez; Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner; and Insidious Intent by Val McDermid. The shortlist will feature in a six-week promotion in libraries and in WHSmith stores, with the overall winner to be decided by the panel of Judges, alongside a public vote.
The Private Eye Writers of America announced the 2018 Shamus Award nominees including Best Novel finalists Dark Water by Parker Bilal; Blood Truth by Matt Coyle; Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton; The Room of White Fire by T. Jefferson Parker, and Monument Road by Michael Wiley. For the full list, including nods for Best Paperback Original, Best First Private Eye Novel, and Best P.I. Short Story, head on over to the Writing PIs website. Winners in the various categories will be announced at the PWA Banquet at Bouchercon in September.
French crime writer Fred Vargas, the pen name of Frederique Audoin-Rouzeau, has won Spain's prestigious Asturias prize for literature. The award foundation said that Vargas, who is also a distinguished archaeologist, perceives society as "a mysterious and complex ecosystem" and her detective stories possess original plots and irony in their description of characters, as well as abundant imagination. Vargas has won three International Dagger Awards from the Crime Writers Association.
Down & Out Books announced that New Wave Crime will join its publishing family. Founded and edited by Chantelle Aimée Osman, New Wave Crime will focus on diversity of plot, culture, and character, and champion new voices in the crime genre. Osman is currently seeking submissions, which may be sent to [email protected], and expects the first titles to be published in early 2019.
Sadly, it appears that Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, is on the market yet again. Mystery Lovers was founded in 1990 by Richard Goldman and Mary Alice Gorman, who sold the store in 2012 to Laurie Stephens, a bookseller and former librarian. In 2015, Natalie Sacco and Trevor Thomas purchased the store from Stephens but have decided to sell the store due to "family circumstances and new plans for the future." Thomas and Sacco said that their only requirement for a successor is that they be "passionate about books and the Mystery Lovers community," and assured customers that while the search for a buyer is in progress events will go on as scheduled. If you're an interested buyer, contact Natalie Sacco at [email protected]. (HT to Shelf Awareness)
In writing for the New York Times, Russian scholar Jennifer Wilson makes the case for Dostoyevsky predicting the current "true crime" craze.
In light of the upcoming mystery novel penned by President Bill Clinton and James Patterson, the New York Times took a look at the long tradition of chief executives devouring thrillers, mysteries and detective stories.
The latest poem at the 5-2 crime poetry weekly is "Not for Vegas" by Rachel Lynn McGuire.
In the Q&A roundup, Deborah Kalb spoke with Jill Orr, who is the author of the new mystery novel The Bad Break, the second in her Riley Ellison series; the New York Times chatted with Louise Penny, author of the Inspector Gamache mystery series; and the Christian Science Monitor interviewed Anne Hillerman, daughter of author Tony Hillerman, about keeping her father's mysteries alive and putting the focus on a new female character.
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