Eyes Front and Center

In Reference to Murder brings the news of this year’s contenders for the Shamus Awards. Winners will be announced by the Private Eye Writers of America during a special dinner associated with Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina (October 8-11).

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel:
• The Hollow Girl, by Reed Farrel Coleman (Tyrus)
• The Silkworm, by Robert Galbraith (Mulholland)
• Tokyo Kill, by Barry Lancet (Simon & Schuster)
• Hounded, by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur)
• Peter Pan Must Die, by John Verdon (Crown)

Best First P.I. Novel:
• Invisible City, by Julia Dahl (Minotaur)
• Bad Country, by C.B. McKenzie (Minotaur)
• Last of the Independents, by Sam Wiebe (Dundurn)
• Wink of an Eye, by Lynn Chandler Willis (Minotaur)
• City of Brick and Shadow, by Tim Wirkus (Tyrus)

Best Original Paperback P.I. Novel:
• The Detective and the Pipe Girl, by Michael Craven (Bourbon Street)
• Beauty with a Bomb, by M.C. Grant (Midnight Ink)
• Critical Damage, by Robert K. Lewis (Midnight Ink)
• Street Justice, by Kris Nelscott (WMG)
• Moonlight Weeps, by Vincent Zandri (Down & Out)

Best P.I. Short Story:
• “Clear Recent History,” by Gon Ben Ari (from Tel Aviv Noir, edited by Etgar Keret and Assof Gavron; Akashic)
• “The Ehrengraf Fandango,” by Lawrence Block (from Defender of the Innocent: The Casebook of Martin Ehrengraf, by Lawrence Block; CreateSpace)
• “Fear Is the Best Keeper of Secrets,” by Vali Khalili (from Tehran Noir, edited by Salar Abdoh; Akashic)
• “Mei Kwei, I Love You,” by Suchen Christine Lim (from Singapore Noir, edited by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan; Akashic)
• “Busting Red Heads,” by Richard Helms (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March 2014)

Best Indie P.I. Novel:
• The Shadow Broker, by Trace Conger (CreateSpace)
• Nobody’s Child, by Libby Fischer Hellmann (Red Herrings)
• Played to Death, by B.V. Lawson (Crimetime Press)
• The Kids Are All Right, by Steve Liskow (CreateSpace)
• Get Busy Dying, by Ben Rehder (CreateSpace)

Congratulations to all of these finalists!