The Australia Crime Writers Association announced the 2021 winners of the Ned Kelly Awards, handed out annually since 1995 for excellence in crime fiction by Aussie authors. Best Crime Fiction was awarded to Consolation, by Garry Disher; Best Debut Crime Fiction: The Second Son, by Loraine Peck; Best True Crime: Stalking Claremont: Inside the Hunt for a Serial Killer, by Bret Christian; and Best International Crime Fiction: We Begin at the End, by Chris Whitaker.
The other major Aussie crime fiction awards, the Davitts, were also handed out this past weekend. Sponsored by Sisters in Crime Australia and named after author Ellen Davitt (1812-1879) the ceremony was once again virtual this year via Facebook due to the ongoing pandemic. Best Adult Novel went to Sally Hepworth’s domestic thriller, The Good Sister; Best Young Adult Crime Novel: Where We Begin, by Christie Nieman; Best Children’s Crime Novel: A Clue for Clara, by Lian Tanner; Best Non-fiction Crime Book: Witness: An Investigation into the Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice, by Louise Milligan; Best Debut Crime Book: Sheerwater, by Leah Swann; and Readers Choice Award: The Shifting Landscape, by Katherine Kovacic.
The upcoming Bloody Scotland conference revealed the shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021. They include The Silent Daughter by Emma Christie; The Coffin Maker’s Garden by Stuart MacBride; Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison; The April Dead by Alan Parks; and Hyde by Craig Russell. The winners of both the McIlvanney Prize and the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year will be revealed in person on September 17 and also broadcast live online. Both events require tickets in advance, but they're free and open to the public worldwide.
Some sad news for mystery fans: Caroline Todd, one-half of the mother-son writing team that went by the name Charles Todd, passed away this weekend. Son Charles posted on Facebook that the duo had "Caroline left the world a better place and was immensely happy to have met and gotten to know so many readers, authors and booksellers. She was to the very end a class act." He also noted the team had completed A Game of Fear, the latest installment in the historical mystery series featuring Ian Rutledge, and the next book in the Bess Crawford series. The tributes are pouring in, as in this remembrance from Martin Edwards, and another from Janet Rudolph. A memorial service will be held at a later date, and the family has designated Faithful Friends for memorial contributions.
Agatha Christie’s beloved amateur sleuth is set to return in a new authorized collection. Miss Marple was last seen in 1976, solving a "perfect" crime committed years earlier in Agatha Christie’s Sleeping Murder. Now, twelve authors, including Val McDermid, Naomi Alderman, Kate Mosse, Elly Griffiths, Ruth Ware, and Dreda Say Mitchell, will continue the adventures of the elderly amateur sleuth, with the first ever "new" Agatha Christie short story collection out next year. The authors are all Christie devotees, said publisher HarperCollins, and will reimagine Miss Marple "through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery."
Cozy Mystery fans will also want to take note of this sweepstakes courtesy of Criminal Element. You can enter through September 12 to win ten different print copies of cozies from Ellie Alexander, Donna Andrews, MC Beaton, Sheila Connolly and more.
Is the new Barnes and Noble CEO, James Daunt, finally turning the fortunes of the bookseller around? He credits his staff for B&N sales being up about 5% to 6% so far this year compared to 2019, with book sales up by double digits.
Meanwhile, there's apparently a mystery afoot about the lag in sales of thriller and suspense titles, traditionally the top-selling genre.
The topic of the evolution of language has always been a fascinating one for me. After all, why are humans the only Earth creatures sitting down reading this blog post today? According to linguistics expert Sverker Johansson, you can thank Neanderthals and women for helping to create language.
This week's crime poem at the 5-2 is "Ella Watson" by John D. Nesbitt.
In the Q&A roundup, Lisa Towles spoke with The Writers' Fun Zone about her new thriller, Ninety-Five; Writers Who Kill's E.B. Davis interviewed Carol J. Perry about her new paranormal mystery novel, Be My Ghost; and Megan Abbott spoke with CrimeReads about how to create an atmosphere of dread, anxiety, and obsession.
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