Congratulations to the Edgar Award winners. I’m sure the winners wrote good books, but Larry Gandle and I are not sure that the winners were the best mysteries of the year in their respective categories. Larry Gandle critiques the list of Edgar Nominees in the new issue of DP which should be out within a week. He preferred THE MISSING AMERICAN by Kwei Quartey and THE DISTANT DEAD by Heather Young to the Winner. I wanted THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman (one of my favorites of the year) to win. Larry really disliked that book, which I found a mystery, but our tastes often diverge. Larry preferred MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY to the winner in the Best First Novel category. I preferred WINTER COUNTS, my favorite in that category. We have no argument on the Best PBO. WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING by Alyssa Cole is also nominated in the same category for our Barry Award this year. Geo Easter
Best Novel
DJINN PATROL ON THE PURPLE LINE by Deepa Anappara (Penguin Random House – Random House) – Winner
BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN by Caroline B. Cooney (Poisoned Pen Press)
THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman (Penguin Random House – Pamela Dorman Books)
THESE WOMEN by Ivy Pochoda (HarperCollins Publishers – Ecco)
THE MISSING AMERICAN by Kwei Quartey (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
THE DISTANT DEAD by Heather Young (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
Best First Novel by An American Author
PLEASE SEE US by Caitlin Mullen (Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books) – Winner
MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY by Nev March (Minotaur Books)
CATHERINE HOUSE by Elisabeth Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
WINTER COUNTS by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (HarperCollins Publishers – Ecco)
DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
Best Paperback Original
WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING by Alyssa Cole (HarperCollins Publishers –
William Morrow)
– Winner
THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW by Brian Freeman (Blackstone Publishing)
UNSPEAKABLE THINGS by Jess Lourey (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
THE KEEPER by Jessica Moor (Penguin Random House – Penguin Books)
EAST OF HOUNSLOW by Khurrum Rahman (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper 360)
The Simon & Schuster
Mary Higgins Clark Award
THE CABINETS OF BARNABY MAYNE by Elsa Hart (Minotaur Books) – Winner
DEATH OF AN AMERICAN BEAUTY by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur Books)
THE LUCKY ONE by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
THE FIRST TO LIE by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge Books)
COLD WIND by Paige Shelton (Minotaur Books)
The G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Sue Grafton Memorial Award
VERA KELLY IS NOT A MYSTERY by Rosalie Knecht (Tin House Books) – Winner
THE BURN by Kathleen Kent (Hachette Book Group – Mulholland Books)
RIVIERA GOLD by Laurie R. King (Penguin Random House – Ballantine Books
DEAD LAND by Sara Paretsky (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
THE SLEEPING NYMPH by Ilaria Tuti (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
TURN TO STONE by James W. Ziskin (Start Publishing – Seventh Street Books)
Grand Masters: Jeffery Deaver and Charlaine Harris
Raven Award: Malice Domestic
Ellery Queen Award: Reagan Arthur, Alfred A. Knopf