Here Come the Shamuses

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) tonight announced its 2011 list of nominees for the Shamus Awards, “given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye fiction.” Winners in each of four categories will be declared during a banquet at Bouchercon in St. Louis (September 15-18). Without further ado, the contenders are ...

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel:

• No Mercy, by Lori Armstrong (Touchstone)

• The First Rule, by Robert Crais (Putnam)

• Voyeur, by Daniel Judson (Minotaur)

• If the Dead Rise Not, by Philip Kerr (Putnam)

• Naked Moon, by Domenic Stansberry (Minotaur)

Best First P.I. Novel:

• In Search of Mercy, by Michael Ayoob (Minotaur)

• One Man’s Paradise, by Douglas Corleone (Minotaur)

• Rogue Island, by Bruce DeSilva (Forge)

• Random Violence, by Jassy MacKenzie (Soho)

• City of Dragons, by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur)

Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel:

• Hostage Zero, by John Gilstrap (Kensington)

• Nightshade, by Tom Henighan (Dundurn Press)

• Mister X, by John Lutz (Pinnacle)

• The Panic Zone, by Rick Mofina (Mira)

• Asia Hand, by Christopher G. Moore (Grove/Atlantic)

• The Little Death, by P.J. Parrish (Pocket Star)

Best P.I. Short Story:

• “The God of Right and Wrong,” by Steven Gore (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2010)

• “The Lamb Was Sure to Go,” by Gar Anthony Haywood (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, November 2010)

• “The Girl in the Golden Gown,” by Robert S. Levinson (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March/April 2010)

• “Phelan’s First Case.” by Lisa Sandlin (Lone Star Noir, edited by Bobby Byrd and Johnny Byrd; Akashic Books)

• “A Long Time Dead,” by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (The Strand Magazine, June-Sept. 2010)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

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By the way, if you wish to attend this year’s PWA awards banquet in St. Louis, know that it will be held on Friday, September 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost per ticket is $60. E-mail Christine Matthews here for more information, or to order your tickets.

A site for this dinner hasn’t been chosen yet, or at least has not yet been declared (PWA honcho Robert J. Randisi says only that it will be held “at a St. Louis institution”). However, buses to transport attendees from the conference hotel, the Renaissance St. Louis Grand, to the appropriate venue are already scheduled to be available.