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2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards Nominees

January 21, 2015

Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce, as we celebrate the 206^th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the Nominees for the 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2014. The Edgar® Awards will be presented to the winners at our 69^th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

BEST NOVEL

This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)

Wolf by Mo Hayder (Grove/Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Simon & Schuster – Scribner)

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville (Soho Press)

Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown)

Coptown by Karin Slaughter (Penguin Randomhouse – Ballantine Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman (W.W. Norton)

Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur Books)

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (Prometheus Books – Seventh Street Books)

Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie (Minotaur Books – A Thomas Dunne Book)

Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh (Crown Publishers)

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver (Minotaur Books – A Thomas Dunne Book)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Albani (Penguin Randomhouse – Penguin Books)

Stay With Me by Alison Gaylin (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)

The Barkeep by William Lashner (Amazon Publishing – Thomas and Mercer)

The Day She Died by Catriona McPherson (Llewellyn Worldwide – Midnight Ink)

The Gone Dead Train by Lisa Turner (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)

World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (Quirk Books)

BEST FACT CRIME

Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America

by Kevin Cook (W.W. Norton)

The Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)

The Other Side: A Memoir by Lacy M. Johnson (Tin House Books)

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

by William Mann (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper)

The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation

by Harold Schechter (Amazon Publishing – New Harvest)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

The Figure of the Detective: A Literary History and Analysis

by Charles Brownson (McFarland & Company)

James Ellroy: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction

by Jim Mancall (Oxford University Press)

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands: Classic Film Noir by Robert Miklitsch (University of Illinois Press)

Judges & Justice & Lawyers & Law: Exploring the Legal Dimensions of Fiction and Film

by Francis M. Nevins (Perfect Crime Books)

Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe

by J.W. Ocker (W.W. Norton – Countryman Press)

BEST SHORT STORY

“The Snow Angel” – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Doug Allyn (Dell Magazines)

“200 Feet” – Strand Magazine by John Floyd (The Strand)

“What Do You Do?” – Rogues by Gillian Flynn

(Penguin Randomhouse Publishing – Ballantine Books)

“Red Eye” – Faceoff by Dennis Lehane vs. Michael Connelly (Simon & Schuster)

“Teddy” – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Brian Tobin (Dell Magazines)

BEST JUVENILE

Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

(Clarion Books – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)

Nick and Tesla’s Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder

and Steve Hockensmith (Quirk Books)

Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzai (Simon & Schuster – Paula Wiseman Books)

Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano (Penguin Young Readers Group – Kathy Dawson Books)

Fake ID by Lamar Giles (HarperCollins Children’s Books – Amistad)

The Art of Secrets by James Klise (Algonquin Young Readers)

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“The Empty Hearse” – Sherlock, Teleplay by Mark Gatiss (Hartswood Films/Masterpiece)

“Unfinished Business” – Blue Bloods, Teleplay by Siobhan Byrne O’Connor (CBS)

“Episode 1” – Happy Valley, Teleplay by Sally Wainwright (Netflix)

“Dream Baby Dream” – The Killing, Teleplay by Sean Whitesell (Netflix)

“Episode 6” – The Game, Teleplay by Toby Whithouse (BBC America)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

“Getaway Girl” – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine By Zoë Z. Dean (Dell Magazines)

GRAND MASTER

Lois Duncan

James Ellroy

RAVEN AWARDS

Ruth & Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine

Kathryn Kennison, Magna Cum Murder

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

Charles Ardai, Editor & Founder, Hard Case Crime

* * * * * *

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER – MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

(Presented at MWA’s Agents & Editors Party on Tuesday, April 28, 2015)

A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton (Minotaur Books)

The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey (Minotaur Books)

Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur Books)

Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller (Minotaur Books)

The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day (Prometheus Books – Seventh Street Books)

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SERPENTS IN THE COLD by Thomas O’Malley & Douglas Graham Purdy

January 21, 2015

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The Boston Saga

The Great Brinks Robbery was the biggest heist in U.S history in 1950 Boston, and while that case was eventually solved, this novel reimagines it, adding in the additional intrigue of a serial killer working the same neighborhood. Set in historic Scollay Square on the eve of its destruction, Boston politics and the frigid winter also play major parts in the story.

Cal is an ex-cop and a veteran, trying to make a living in private security, but business is slow. His best friend Dante is a heroin addict who lost his wife to the drug and he still hasn’t recovered. Then Dante’s sister-in-law Sheila is murdered, adding another victim to the serial killer known as The Butcher.

Cal and Dante decide to help the police catch her killer, but they really don’t have the skill set for it so they turn to good old-fashioned vigilante justice.

Very short chapters ensure the pacing stays brisk, and history buffs will enjoy all the description and atmosphere of old Boston.

Sure to appeal to Dennis Lehane fans.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SERPENTS IN THE COLD by Thomas O’Malley & Douglas Graham Purdy. Mulholland Books (January 20, 2015). ISBN 978-0316323505. 400p.

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DEAD RED by Tim O’Mara

January 20, 2015

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Raymond Donne Mysteries (Book 3)

Former New York cop turned school teacher Raymond Donne returns in this solid third entry to the series set in trendy Brooklyn, New York.

Ray gets a call from an old friend from his days on the force, Rickey Torres, who picks him up in the taxi he’s been driving to help make ends meet. But before he can explain the middle of the night meeting, Rickey is killed and Ray injured when the cab is shot up.

Turns out Rickey was also working for a private investigator, Jack Knight, another ex-cop who shared some bad history with Ray. Nonetheless, Knight hires Ray to help out with a case, a missing teenage girl whose father is a public relations millionaire, and Ray agrees, hoping it will help him find out who killed Rickey and why, as Ray’s Uncle, the chief of police, gets involved as does Allison, his reporter girlfriend.

The characters may seem like stereotypes, but in O’Mara’s hands they come to life and comfortably bridge the suspension of disbelief. Another terrific mystery that should appeal to Robert Crais or Linda Fairstein fans.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DEAD RED by Tim O’Mara. Minotaur Books (January 20, 2015). ISBN 978-1250058638. 320p.

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AS RED AS BLOOD by Salla Simukka

January 18, 2015

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The Snow White Trilogy
Translated by Owen Witesman

Lumikki’s day gets off to an odd start when she discovers a mass of bloodied money in her school’s darkroom. While she isn’t tempted to take any, she is curious about the story behind the stained bills and soon returns to the darkroom for further investigation. But Lumikki’s curiosity sets a deadly plot in motion and catches the attention of some dangerous men. Men intent on sending a message. Men who will soon discover that Lumikki is standing in their way.

This Finnish teen debut is the first in a projected trilogy. The translation is smooth and the story is overall quite intriguing but Lumikki herself isn’t as fully developed as I would have liked. It’s hard to say at this stage whether this is intentional; my hope is that her story will be fleshed out further in the next two books. That aside, As Red as Blood stands fairly well on its own. There are no real cliffhangers or terribly open plotlines, which is nice considering the translations of books two and three aren’t available just yet.

1/15 Becky LeJeune

AS RED AS BLOOD by Salla Simukka. Skyscape; Reprint edition (August 1, 2014). ISBN: 978-1477847718. 272p.

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WHITE PLAGUE by James Abel

January 16, 2015

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The country’s newest sub is stranded in the Arctic under unforeseen circumstances and Joe Rush finds himself called in to head the rescue mission. The sub reported a fire on board and that’s all the official story will reflect, but there’s much more to the distress call than that. A deadly and as yet unidentified virus has broken out amongst the crew, spreading swiftly and killing many who become infected. As a biowarfare expert, Rush is tasked not only with ensuring the sub itself remains out of enemy hands but in finding out what is infecting the crew. But when things start to go wrong on board the ship, Rush starts to suspect a saboteur amongst the crew.

White Plague kicks off a new series featuring bioweapons expert Joe Rush. The combination military and medical thriller is chock full of action, suspense, and exclamation points. (Seriously, there are lots of them.) Rush is a great lead and the idea of basing a series around a character with a job like his is definitely one I’m on board with 100%.

1/15 Becky LeJeune

WHITE PLAGUE by James Abel. Berkley Hardcover (January 6, 2015). ISBN 978-0425276327. 336p.

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THE BOSTON GIRL by Anita Diamant

January 15, 2015

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Anita Diamant, author of the much beloved The Red Tent (and several other books) hasn’t had a new book in a few years so this was highly anticipated. I am happy to say it was worth the wait.

Touching on her usual themes of Judaism, feminism and history, The Boston Girl is also heartwarming and engaging – I couldn’t put it down.

Diamant utilizes a common plot device; the heroine, Addie Baum, is 85 years old and telling her life story to her granddaughter (with much more detail than my grandmother ever remembered.) This is a poignant family story about the immigrant experience in Boston, Massachusetts. The characters are well drawn, especially Addie and her immediate family, but the secondary characters are more shadowy. Since the story is told in the first person, we can only know what Addie knows.

Addie lived through a severe flu epidemic, the Great Depression, women’s rights and lots more, all brought to life through the lens of the Baum family. I won’t be forgetting this family any time soon.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BOSTON GIRL by Anita Diamant. Scribner (December 9, 2014). ISBN 978-1439199350. 336p.

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THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Elisabeth de Mariaffi

January 14, 2015

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Evie Jones is a young reporter in 1993 Toronto, doing more investigating than actual writing. Her latest assignment is for an ongoing story that Evie nicknames “dead-girls weekend section.” She gets bumped up from digging through basement archives for stories about long dead girls to LexisNexis, which intensifies the search.

Evie has never really recovered from her best friend’s kidnapping and murder when they were eleven years old, and the suspect, Robert Cameron, was never caught. With the digital age upon her, Evie starts digging into her friend’s case as she tries to deal with a growing suspicion that someone is stalking her, but it could also be a figment of her imagination.

Paranoia is the main theme as the suspense slowly builds in this literary thriller, but reaches a frightening climax as Evie, who apparently has never seen a horror movie, goes off alone into the basement of a possible suspect’s hunting cabin deep in the woods. De Mariaffi was long-listed for the Giller Prize for How To Get Along With Women, a collection of short stories, but this is her first novel.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Elisabeth de Mariaffi. Touchstone (January 13, 2015). ISBN 978-1476779089. 320p.

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COLD COLD HEART by Tami Hoag

January 13, 2015

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Tami Hoag has been writing nail biting thrillers for years, but takes a different turn here, while fans will recognize some series characters in minor roles. While the suspense is high, the stakes are even higher as Hoag delves into traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dana Nolan is a TV reporter who is kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer, Doc Holiday – until she kills him. She suffers a traumatic brain injury in addition to a host of other injuries, and her physical recovery takes close to a year, but her psychological recovery will take much longer. The news reporter is now the news story, and she considers herself as “Before Dana” and “After Dana,” as if she were two different people.

Her family works hard to help her learn to live a more independent life, but she soon realizes that she needs goals in order to move ahead. She starts by trying to re-learn her own life, reading her old journal from high school, and slowly her memories start coming back. The summer before college, her best friend Casey disappeared and was never heard from again, and as Dana looks at her own life, she also looks at Casey’s life.

Casey’s old boyfriend, who was always under a cloud of suspicion surrounding Casey’s disappearance, is back in town, now a veteran and suffering from PTSD and a brain injury. Seven years have passed, and as these two damaged people try to find ways to live a normal life under the most difficult of circumstances, the old mystery gives them focus – he to prove his innocence, and she to find out what happened to her friend.

This unusual look at the serial killer genre is a most welcome exploration of traumatic brain injury and what it is like to be a survivor.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

COLD COLD HEART by Tami Hoag. Dutton Adult (January 13, 2015). ISBN 978-0525954545. 3684p.

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THE THIRD TARGET by Joel C. Rosenberg

January 11, 2015

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Rosenberg ties in a brilliant novel of conflict and terror in the Middle East with a story about two crusading foreign correspondents. These are men that live to get that story and will do anything to be first on the scene, scooping the competition and delivering the news as quickly as possible to the readers of the services they work for.

The first reporter we meet is A. B. Collins, who had been granted an interview with the King of Jordan forty years previously. He is a reporter working for the Associated Press and goes to the place where the King has agreed to meet him. Events ensue preventing the meeting but allowing A. B. a major scoop.

In the next segment, J.B. Collins, grandson of A.B. and a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, manages a meeting with a jailed officer of ISIS and learns of their plan to launch an attack on a third country. The terrorist’s insinuation is that ISIS has obtained weapons of mass destruction, quite possibly poison gas which they will use in their attack on the country they have in mind.

Action accelerates, J.B. meets and begins a love affair with a beautiful agent of the Israeli Mossad. He then manages to arrange a meeting with the actual head of ISIS held in a Jordanian prison and is advised that the terror group does have poison gas. In a well executed escape from the prison by the Terrorists, J.B. is forced to view the killing by the gas of several members of the prison’s authorities.

Next on J.B.’s list of events is to witness and write about a high level meeting in Jordan of the U.S. president, the King of Jordan, the prime minister of Israel and the head of the Palestinian people living next to Israel. The events of the meeting’s organization and what happens there are realistically described by Rosenberg, who in several prior books, has proven himself a master of events that took place and are taking place in the volatile Middle East.

The ending is a well executed cliff hanger that is obviously page one of the next book, in what should be more than one, possibly more novels utilizing the author’s prodigious knowledge of what is really happening in the Middle East.

1/15 Paul Lane

THE THIRD TARGET by Joel C. Rosenberg. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (January 6, 2015). ISBN: 978-1414336275. 448p.

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SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS by Theresa Romain

January 10, 2015

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Matchmaker Trilogy (Book 3)

As usual, I’m starting a series at the end, which doesn’t seem to matter much.

The scandalous heiress is Augusta Meredith, a very wealthy young woman, but the money was earned by her parents, not inherited, which doesn’t sit well with the ton. When she goes off to Bath she decides to masquerade as a widow, Mrs. Flowers, because she thinks a widow is held to lower standards of behavior than a single girl, and she’s probably right – to a point.

Josiah Everett, known as Joss, is also looked down on for his dark skin; his grandmother was from Calcutta and married an English soldier. But when Joss and Augusta get together, the pages fly by.

This is a fast, fun read and I enjoyed it.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS by Theresa Romain. Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 6, 2015). ISBN 978-1402284052. 320p.

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