Counting Up the Crime-Fiction Kudos

The British Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced its lists of finalists for three prestigious annual commendations, along with the names of contenders for a number of Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards. All of the winners are to be declared on October 18 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel (with a video presentation of that ceremony to be shown on the UK’s ITV3 on October 23).

The CWA Gold Dagger:
• Vengeance in Mind, by N.J. Cooper (Simon & Schuster)
• The Flight, by M.R. Hall (Mantle)
• The Rage, by Gene Kerrigan (Harvill Secker)
• Bereft, by Chris Womersley (Quercus)

The CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger:
• Heart-Shaped Bruise, by Tanya Byrne (Headline)
• Land More Kind than Home, by Wiley Cash (Bantam)
• Good People, by Ewart Hutton (Blue Door)
• What Dies in Summer, by Tom Wright (Canongate)

The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger:
• Dare Me, by Megan Abbott (Picador)
• A Foreign Country, by Charles Cumming (HarperCollins)
• The Fear Index, by Robert Harris (Hutchinson)
• Reamde, by Neal Stephenson (Atlantic Books)

The Specsavers Bestseller Dagger (public vote):
• Ann Cleeves
• Anthony Horowitz
• Stuart MacBride
• Jo Nesbø
• Kathy Reichs
According to a press release, “This award honors the success of authors throughout their careers, and is chosen by the reading public. Readers can check out the official Web site at www.crimethrillerawards.com and register their vote for the favorite best-selling author online. The winner will be presented with the Bestseller Dagger at the awards ceremony on the 18 October, after all the votes are counted on 12 October.”

The Film Dagger:
• Drive (Icon)
• The Dark Knight Rises (Warner Bros)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sony)
• The Guard (Optimum)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Studio Canal)

The TV Dagger:
• Appropriate Adult (ITV Studios/ITV1)
• Line of Duty (BBC/BBC2)
• Sherlock: Series 2 (Hartswood Films/BBC1)
• Wallander (Left Bank Pictures, Yellow Bird/BBC1)
• Whitechapel: Series 3 (Carnival/ITV1)

The International TV Dagger:
• Boardwalk Empire: Season 2 (HBO/Sky Atlantic)
• Dexter: Season 6 (Showtime Networks, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions/FX)
• Homeland (Teakwood Lane Productions, Showtime Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet Media Group, Fox 21/Channel 4)
• The Bridge (Danmarks Radio, Sveriges Television/BBC4)
• The Killing II: Forbrydelsen (Arrow Films/BBC4)

The Best Actress Dagger:
• Brenda Blethyn for Vera (ITV Studios/ITV1)
• Claire Danes for Homeland (Teakwood Lane Productions, Showtime Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet Media Group, Fox 21/Channel 4)
• Sofie Gråbøl for The Killing II (Arrow Films/BBC4)
• Sofia Helin for The Bridge (Danmarks Radio, Sveriges Television/BBC4)
• Maxine Peake for Silk (BBC/BBC1)

The Best Actor Dagger:
• Kenneth Branagh for Wallander (Left Bank Pictures,Yellow Bird/BBC1)
• Steve Buscemi for Boardwalk Empire (HBO/Sky Atlantic)
• Benedict Cumberbatch for Sherlock (Hartswood Films/BBC1)
• Damien Lewis for Homeland (Teakwood Lane Productions, Showtime Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet Media Group, Fox 21/Channel 4)
• Dominic West for Appropriate Adult (ITV Studios/ITV1

The Best Supporting Actress Dagger:
• Frances Barber for Silk (BBC/BBC1)
• Kelly Macdonald for Boardwalk Empire (HBO/Sky Atlantic)
• Archie Panjabi for The Good Wife (Scott Free Productions, King Size Productions, Small Wishes, CBS Productions/More 4)
• Sarah Smart for Wallander (Left Bank Pictures, Yellow Bird/BBC1)
• Una Stubbs for Sherlock (Hartswood Films/BBC1)

The Best Supporting Actor Dagger:
• Alun Armstrong for Garrow’s Law (Shed Media/BBC1)
• Alan Cumming for The Good Wife (Scott Free Productions, King Size Productions, Small Wishes, CBS Productions/More 4)
• Phil Davis for Silk and Whitechapel (Silk: BBC/BBC1; Whitechapel: Carnival/ITV1)
• Laurence Fox for Lewis (ITV Studios/ITV1)
• Martin Freeman for Sherlock (Hartswood Films/BBC1)

Best Detective Duo (public vote):
The British public can recognize their favorite TV detective duo through a telephone vote, beginning on September 7.
• DCI Banks
DCI Alan Banks and DS Annie Cabbot -– call 090 16 16 14 01
• Above Suspicion
DC Anna Travis and DCS James Langton –- call 090 16 16 14 02
• Scott and Bailey
DC Jane Scott and DC Rachel Bailey –- call 090 16 16 14 03
• Lewis
DI Robbie Lewis and DS James Hathaway –- call 090 16 16 14 04
• Whitechapel
DI Joseph Chandler and DS Ray Miles –- call 090 16 16 14 05
• Vera
DCI Vera Stanhope and DS Joe Ashworth –- call 090 16 16 14 06

(Hat tip to It’s a Crime! [Or a Mystery ...])