Turning to the Leftys

At least for the time being (and despite the spread of COVID-19’s Omicron variant), this year’s Left Coast Crime convention is scheduled as an in-person event, to take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from April 7 to 10. That planning includes an announcement of the 2022 Lefty Award nominees, which was made earlier this morning. There are four categories of contenders.

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel:
• Cajun Kiss of Death, by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane)
• Mimi Lee Cracks the Code, by Jennifer Chow (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, by Elle Cosimano (Minotaur)
• How to Book a Murder, by Cynthia Kuhn (Crooked Lane)
• Mango, Mambo, and Murder, by Raquel V. Reyes (Crooked Lane)
• Fogged Off, by Wendall Thomas (Beyond the Page)

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel (books set before 1970):
• The Cry of the Hangman, by Susanna Calkins (Severn House)
• The Savage Kind, by John Copenhaver (Pegasus Crime)
• Clark and Division, by Naomi Hirahara (Soho Crime)
• The Bombay Prince, by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
• The Mirror Dance, by Catriona McPherson (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Death at Greenway, by Lori Rader-Day (Morrow)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel:
• Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews (Little, Brown)
• Blackout, by Marco Carocari (Level Best)
• The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Atria)
• Arsenic and Adobo, by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley Prime Crime)
• All Her Little Secrets, by Wanda M. Morris (Morrow)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories):
• Runner, by Tracy Clark (Kensington)
• Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron)
• Last Redemption, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
• Lightning Strike, by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
• Bath Haus, by P.J. Vernon (Doubleday)

Winners of the 2022 Leftys will be proclaimed, and prizes presented, on Saturday, April 9, at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque.

A news release adds, “This year’s Guests of Honor are authors Mick Herron and Catriona McPherson. Kristopher Zgorski is the Fan Guest of Honor, and author Kellye Garrett will serve as Toastmaster.” Tony Hillerman will be the Ghost of Honor.