CyberGumshoe's Mumbling in May/June 2009
Jay Bennett Dies
Jay Bennett died of natural causes on June 27 at his home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Not to be confused with another Jay Bennett, ex-Wilco guitarist who also died recently, this Bennett won two Edgars consecutively in the juvenile mystery category for THE LONG BLACK COAT (Delacorte, 1973) and for THE DANGLING WITNESS (Delacorte, 1974), while THE SKELETON MAN (Franklin Watts, 1986) was nominated in the same category. He wrote books mainly for juveniles and young adults, but authored several adult mysteries such as CATACOMBS (Abelard-Schuman, 1959) and SO SWEET, SO WICKED (Monarch, 1961; as by Steve Rand). Personally, I met him at several MWA gatherings in New York in the 70's, when he was an active member of the MWA. He was a well-read man and we talked about Soseki Natsume, popular Japanese writer but little known in the States. He was 96. (June 30, 2009)
Barry Award Nominees Announced
Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures announced the 2009 Barry Award nominees. The nominees in the novel category are as follows:
TRIGGER CITY, by Sean Chercover (Morrow)
THE DRAINING LAKE, by Arnaldur Indridason (Minotaur)
ENVY THE NIGHT, by Michael Koryta (Minotaur)
RED KNIFE, by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
THE CRUELEST MONTH, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
DAWN PATROL, by Don Winslow (Knopf)
To see the nominees in all the categories, click here. The winners will be voted on by the readers of Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News, and announced at Bouchercon in Indianapolis, Indiana in coming October. (June 19, 2009)
Nero Award Finalists Announced
The Wolfe Pack announced the 2009 Nero Wolfe Award Finalists as follows:
THE DARK TIDE, by Andrew Gross (HarperCollins)
THE TENTH CASE, by Joseph Teller (MIRA)
THE FAULT TREE, by Louise Ure (Minotaur Books)
The winner will be announced at the Black Orchid Banquet in December in New York City. (June 15, 2009)
Tedd Thomey Dies
On his Mystery*File blog, Steve Lewis reported Tedd Thomey died on December 1, 2008 in Long Beach, California. He was a restaurant critic for The (Long Beach) Press-Telegram, journalist, co-author of THE BIG LOVE (1986; about Erroll Flynn's love affair with a 15-year-old girl), which became a popular Broadway play. He also wrote several mystery novels such as AND DREAM OF EVIL (Abeland-Shuman, 1954), KILLER IN WHITE (Gold Medal, 1956), THE PRODIGY PLOT (Warner, 1987). He was 88. (June 15, 2009)
Jack Lewis Dies
Jack Lewis died on May 24 of lung cancer in Hawaii. He was a decorated Marine Corps officer, screenwriter, movie stuntman, co-founder of Gun World magazine and self-described "reproter, drunk, editor and hobo" among others. He was a technical advisor to the 1949 movie "Sands of Iwao Jima" starring John Wayne, screenwriter of "A Yank in Vietnam" in 1963, stuntman jumping into the sea on the motor bicycle in "Mr. Roberts" in 1955. He wrote several western novels as well as four mystery novels: one featuring journalist Sam Light in FACE DOWN (Avalon, 1999) and three featuring stuntman Charlie Cougar starting with THE DOUBLE CROSS (Avalon, 2000; with Light) and ending with THE COFFIN RACERS (Avalon, 2001; with Light), recently using the C. Jack Lewis name. He also authored a number of books about guns and knives unde the Jack P. Lewis name. He was 84. (June 11, 2009)
Dagger Awards Shortlists Announced
The Crime Writers' Association of Britain (CWA) announced on the shortlists for the 2009 Dagger Awards in the International, Short Story, Library and Debut categories. The nominees in the international dagger category are:
SHADOW, by Karin Alvtegen, translated by McKinley Burnett (Canongate)
THE ARCTIC CHILL, by Arnaldur Indridason, translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb (harvill Secker)
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson, translated by Reg Keeland (MacLehose Quercus)
THE REDEEMER, by Jo Nesbo, translated by Don Bartlett (Harvill Secker)
ECHOES FROM THE DEAD, by Johan Theorin, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday)
THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN, by Fred Vargas, translated by Sian Reynolds (Harvill Secker)
To see the shortlists in the four categories, click here. The winners in the four categories will be announced on July 15 in London. So will the shortlists for the Gold, New Blood, and Ian Fleming Steel daggers. (June 6, 2009)
Linwood Barclay Wins Arthur
The Crime Writers of Canada announced the winners for the 2009 Arthur Ellis Awards as follows:
Best Novel: TOO CLOSE TO HOME, by Linwood Barclay (Bantam)
Best First Novel: BUFFALO JUMB, by Howard Shrier (Vintage Canada)
Best Short Story: "Filmsong" by Pasha Malla (in TRONTO NOIR, edited by Janine Armin and Nathaniel G. Moore; Akashic Books)
Best Juvenile Novel: WAR BROTHERS, by Sharn E. McKay (Penguin Canada)
Best Crime Writing in French: LE CHEMIN DES BRUMES, by Jacques Cote (Alire)
Best Non-fiction: MAFIABOY: HOW I CRACKED THE INTERNET AND WHY IT'S STILL BROKEN, by Michael Calce and Craig Silverman (Penguin Canada)
Best Unpublished Novel: LOUDER, by Douglas A. Moles
To see the nominees, click here. (June 05, 2009)
Sister Carol Anne O'Marie Dies
Sister Carol Anne O'Marie died peacefully on May 27 in Oakland, California. She was a nun of Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in Los Angeles, and a co-founder of A Friendly Place, a shelter for the homeless women in Oakland. She was also the author of the 11 Sister Mary Helen mystery novels, starting A NOVENA FOR MURDER (Scribner, 1984) and ending with MURDER AT THE MONK'S TABLE (St. Martin's, 2006). She was 75. (June 04, 2009)
Anthony Award Nominees Announced
Bouchercon 2009 announced the nominees for the 2009 Anthony Awards. The nominees in the best novel category are as follows:
Best Novel:
TRIGGER CITY by Sean Chercover (Morrow)
THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
RED KNIFE by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO by Stieg Larsson (Knopf)
THE CRUELEST MONTH by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
To see the nominees in all the categories, click here. The winners will be announced during a gala awards ceremony on October 17, 2009 at Bouchercon in Indianapolis, Indiana. (May 20, 2009)
Bud Shrake Dies
Edwin "Bud" Shrake died of lung cancer on May 8 in Austin, Texas. The ex-sport journalist may be famous for for WILLIE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY (1988) which he co-wrote with Willie Nelson and for a sports book, HARVEY PENICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK (1992), which he co-authored with Penick, and . He wrote a number of novels, most of which are set in the Old Texas. NIGHT NEVER FALLS (Random, 1987) could be considered a mystery/action novel set in Asia and Europe. He also wrote screenplays, one of which is "Nightwing" he did with Steve Shagan and Martin Cruz Smith (whose novel it was based on). He was 77. (May 09, 2009)
Macavity Award Nominees Announced
The Mystery Readers International announced the nominees for the 2009 Macavity Awards. The nominees in the best novel category are:
TRIGGER CITY, by Sean Chercover (Morrow)
WHERE MEMORIES LIE, by Deborah Crombie (Morrow)
THE DYING BREED (UK)/THE PRICE OF BLOOD (US), by Declan Hughes (John Murray/Morrow)
THE DRAINING LAKE, by Arnaldur Indridason (Minotaur)
CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS, by Lisa Lutz (Simon & Schuster)
THE CRUELEST MONTH, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
THE FAULT THREE, by Louise Ure (Minotaur)
To see the nominees in all the categories, click here. The winners will be announced in October at Bouchercon in Indianapolis, Indiana. (May 05, 2009)
Louise Penny Wins Agatha
Malice Domestic announced the winners for the 2009 Agatha Awards on May 02 in Arlington, Virginia. The winners are:
Best Novel: THE CRUELEST MONTH, by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
Best First Novel: DEATH OF A COZY WRITER, by G. M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)
Best Non-Fiction: HOW TO WRITER KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES, by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)
Best Short Story: "The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron (in WOLFSBANE & MISTLETOE; Penguin)
Best Children's/Young Adult: THE CROSSROADS, by Chris Grabenstein (Random House)
To see the winners and nominees in all the categories, click here. (May 03, 2009)
C.J. Box Wins Edgar
The Mystery Writers of America announced the winners for the 2009 Edagar Allan Poe Awards on April 30 in New York. The winners are:
Best Novel: BLUE HEAVEN, by C. J. Box (St. Martin's Minotaur)
Best First Novel: THE FOREIGNER, by Francie Lin (Picador)
Best Paperback Original: CHINA LAKE, by Meg Gardiner (NAL/Obsidian)
Best Short Story: "Skinhead Central," by T. Jefferson Parker (in THE BLUE RELIGION; Little, Brown)
To see the winners in all the categories, click here. (May 01, 2009)
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