We’ll Keep This Short ...

Only a week after it announced its shortlist of nominees for the 2007 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association has named the already-much-honored Peter Lovesey as this year’s winner of its Short Story Award.

According to a CWA news release, “Last year’s winner, Robert Barnard, presented the £1500 prize to Peter Lovesey for his story, ‘Needlematch’ in the Best British Mysteries IV anthology, edited by Maxim Jakubowski and published by Allison & Busby. The judges commented: ‘Set during the Wimbledon fortnight in 1981, with the Cold War raging, and a Russian tennis player’s mysterious death leading to potentially global consequences. Excellent writing, evocative setting.’”

Also shortlisted for this honor were “Epitaph,” by J.A. Konrath (from Thriller, edited by James Patterson; Mira Books); “Empathy,” by James Siegel (also from Thriller); and “Retrospective,” by Kevin Wignall (from Best British Mysteries IV).

Additional information about the CWA’s Short Story Award can be found right here.