An “Angel” Gets Its Winnings

Courtesy of The Gumshoe Site comes word that Richard Lange has won this year’s Hammett Prize for his 2013 novel, Angel Baby (Mulholland). The Hammett is sponsored by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers and is given annually to a “work of literary excellence in the field of crime writing by a U.S. or Canadian author.”

Also in contention for the prize were: Cataract City, by Craig Davidson (Doubleday Canada); Green Light for Murder, by Heywood Gould (Tyrus); Caught, by Lisa Moore (House of Anansi Press); and The Double, by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown).

The identity of this year’s Hammett recipient was announced on June 7 during the Bloody Words Conference in Toronto, Ontario. As The Gumshoe Site’s Jiro Kimura notes, “Mr. Lange received a bronze trophy, designed by West Coast sculptor Peter Boiger.”