Music City Raves

The Tennessee capital, Nashville, hosted not just one, but two crime-fiction conventions recently: Bouchercon and Killer Nashville. We’ve already talked about the award winners produced by that former assembly; now let’s recap those coming out of the latter.

This year’s Silver Falchion Awards celebrated published works in 17 categories, not all of them crime-fiction related. Below, though, are a few division winners of potential interest to Rap Sheet readers.

Best Action Adventure:
Hanging the Devil, by Tim Maleeny (Poisoned Pen Press)

Best Investigator:
Vessels of Wrath, by Thomas Holland (Independently published)

Best Mystery:
Indigo Road, by Reed Bunzel (Coffeetown Press)

Best Thriller:
Breaking Apart, by Wanda Venters, M.D. and Mary Rae, M.D.
(Written Dreams)

Best Cozy:
Trust the Terrier, by D.L. Mitchell (Black Rose)

In addition, Killer Nashville organizers handed out 17 Claymore Awards for unpublished manuscripts. Among the works honored were:

Best Action Adventure: The Aviatrix, by Christopher Boswell

Best Investigator: The Scent of Sunday, by Patricia Thorpe

Best Mystery: What They Buried, by P.J. McAvoy

Best Thriller: Electric Sky, by Peter Miller

Best Cozy: Pontoon, Romance, Boats, and Bad Business in the Wisconsin Northwoods, by T.K. Sheffield

Finally, the John Seigenthaler Legends Award went to “Charles Todd,” aka David Watjen, who with his mother, Carolyn Watjen, created the Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford historical mystery series.

To see a complete list of the 2024 Silver Falchion and Claymore winners, you need only click here.