The An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 winners were announced, and this year's Crime Fiction Book of the Year goes to Cruel Acts by Jane Casey. The other finalists in that category include Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard; The Chain by Adrian McKinty; Twisted by Steve Cavanagh; The Wych Elm by Tana French; and The Hiding Game by Louise Phillips.
British social historian Hallie Rubenhold has won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction for her book The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. The book reconstructs the lives of five of the women killed by the notorious Jack the Ripper, and gives voice to the murdered women as well as painting a picture of the precariousness of working class lives in Victorian London.
CrimeFest has launched two new prizes for debut crime novel and best TV crime drama for the 2020 awards. In association with headline sponsor Specsavers, CrimeFest announced plans for the £1,000 Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award and also a Best TV Crime Drama, eligible for TV shows broadcast in 2019 in the UK based on a crime novel or true crime book, published anytime. (HT to the Bookseller)
San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore received notice that it's losing the lease for its Balboa Avenue storefront and must relocate in 60 days. In an e-mail, the bookstore said, "It is with heavy hearts that we share that unless a new buyer and new location are found immediately," the shop will be forced to close. The store has been a vital part of the San Diego community for nearly 27 years, participating in regional and industry conventions and countless in-store events. The bookstore's purchase is expected to be a turnkey sale, retaining the staff and mission of Mysterious Galaxy to grow and expand the already established brand. (HT to Shelf Awareness)
Granite Noir, Aberdeen’s international crime writing festival, returns in February 2020 and announced the headliners. Although the full lineup won't be released until December, the honored guests will include Sara Paretsky (of the private investigator V.I. Warshawski series) in conservation with Denise Mina, and Ben Aaronovitch (author of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series, in conversation with festival ambassador Stuart MacBride.
The end of the year means it's time for the "best of" 2019 lists, with the latest from the Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and the Washington Post.
The White House is reviving the National Medal of Arts, with plans to honor author James Patterson in addition to actor Jon Voight, singer Alison Krauss, Sharon Percy Rockefeller and the musicians of the United States Military. The award is given to individuals who “are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States,” according to the National Endowment for the Arts. National Council on the Arts, which oversees the endowment, reviews nominations and send recommendations to the president, who determines the honorees.
Kwei Quartey stopped by the Murder is Everywhere blog for a look at African crime fiction and its themes and settings. Quartey is the author of two series set in Ghana, a police procedural featuring the smart cop, Darko Dawson, and a new series with private eye Emma Djan.
The Golden Age writer, Dorothy L. Sayers, is apparently having something of a resurgence, possibly due to the renewed interest in fellow Golden Ager, Agatha Christie (and here's another take on that). The Seattle Times's Moira Macdonald has just discovered Sayer's creation, Harriet Vane, and the New Yorker profiled "An Overlooked Novel from 1935 by the Godmother of Feminist Detective Fiction."
Book Riot has an occasional feature they call the United States of a Mystery with "essential" books set in each state. The latest outing travels to Georgia.
Raymond Chandler spent a portion of his youth in the UK, and the Irish Times took a look at how that childhood may have affected Chandler's iconic detective fiction.
If you're a fan of the late author, Sue Grafton (of the Alphabet mysteries, beginning with A is for Alibi), her mansion is on the market. Grafton and her husband Steve Humphrey designed the mansion on a hill in Montecito, CA, which was listed with a new price of $6,999,000, after going on the market earlier this year with an $8.5 million price tag. The author died in late 2017, after completing Y is for Yesterday, her last novel in the series.
Hachette Book Group is offering a chance to win Michael Connelly's complete Harry Bosch series. One lucky winner will be drawn from random entries through December 1 (U.S. only).
As if you didn't need another reason to read, it seems that readers are more satisfied with their lives.
This week's crime poem at the 5-2 is "Page 8 Incident" by Allan Lake.
In the Q&A roundup, Lesa Holstine chatted with Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack mysteries; the Sunday Post spoke with Alex Gray about her latest thriller, The Stalker; and Declan Burke sat down with Queen's University's Dominique Jeannerod to discuss The Lammisters, his new comedic crime novel.
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