What Would Dashiell Say?

The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers has announced its shortlist of contenders for the 2022 Hammett Prize. That annual commendation is given to a book, originally published in the English language in the United States or Canada, “that best represents the conception of literary excellence in crime writing.” And the nominees are …

• Copperhead Road, by Brad Smith (At Bay Press)
• Gangland, by Chuck Hogan (Grand Central)
• Don’t Know Tough, by Eli Cranor (Soho Crime)
• Pay Dirt Road, by Samantha Jayne Allen (Minotaur)
• What Happened to the Bennetts, by Lisa Scottoline (Putnam)

A winner should be determined by early this coming summer.

Previous recipients of the Hammett Prize include S.A. Cosby (Razorblade Tears), Jane Stanton Hitchcock (Bluff), Stephen Mack Jones (August Snow), David Joy (When These Mountains Burn), Lou Berney (November Road), and Lisa Sandlin (The Do-Right).

(Hat tip to The Gumshoe Site.)