Cream of the Cropped

Via Bill Crider’s trusty blog comes word about the nominees for this year’s Derringer Awards. The Derringers have been given out ever since 1997 by the Short Mystery Fiction Society “to honor excellence in the creative art form of short mystery and crime stories.” This year’s contenders are:

Best Story 0 to 1,000 words:
• “Saved,” by Keri Clark (Mysterical-E, Fall 2007)
• “Dreaming of a Spite Christmas,” by B.V. Lawson (Mouth Full of Bullets, Winter 2007)
• “A Woman Scorned,” by Jillian Berg (Mouth Full of Bullets, Autumn 2007)
• “Your New Fan,” by Keri Clark (Mouth Full of Bullets, Winter 2007)
• “My Hero,” by Patricia Abbott (D.Z. Allen’s Muzzle Flash, 2007)

Best Story 1,001 to 4,000 words:
• “Brimstone P.I.,” by Beverle Graves Myers (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, May 2007)
• “We All Come from Splattertown,” by Hugh Lessig (ThugLit, July 2007)
• “Joyride,” by Rick Noetzel (Shred of Evidence, December 2007)
• “Handful of Stars,” by Jack Hardway (Mouth Full of Bullets, Autumn 2007)
• “In the Shadows of Wrigley Field,” by John Weagly (The Back Alley, November 2007)
• “The Promise,” by Camille LaGuire (Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, March-April 2007)

Best Story 4,001 to 8,000 words:
• “A Trader’s Lot, by Twist Phalen (from Wall Street Noir, edited by Peter Spiegelman; Akashic Books)
• “Devil’s Lake,” by John Schroeder (Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, January/February 2007)
• “A Private Hanging,” by Herschel Cozine (Mysterical-E, Summer 2007)
• “Mr. McGregor’s Garden,” by Kate Flora (from Still Waters, edited by Kate Flora, Ruth McCarty, and Susan Oleksiw; Level Best Books)
• “Growing Up Is for Losers,” by Rosemary Harris (from Still Waters)
• “The Gospel According to Gordon Black,” by Richard Helms (The Thrilling Detective Web Site, Fall 2007)

Best Story 8,001 to 17,500 words:
• “The Bookworm’s Demise,” by Beverle Graves Myers (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, December 2007)
• “Paper Walls/Glass Houses,” by Eric Shane (The Back Alley, June 2007)
• “The Enlightenment of Magnus McKay,” by John Burdett (from Wall Street Noir)
• “Wasting Assets,” by Mike Wiecek (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, September 2007)
• “Forget Me Not,” by Clifford Royal Johns (Mysterical-E, Fall 2007)

According to Gerald So, “The finalists are put before Short Mystery Fiction Society members voting April 1-30 to determine the winner in each category.” Winners are to be announced in mid-May.