Shot in Cleveland

Not only was British correspondent Ali Karim on the spot at this year’s Bouchercon in Cleveland, Ohio, bringing us all the latest news about prize winners, but he had his trusty camera in hand to capture highlights from those festivities.

Following the presentation of the Anthony Awards earlier this evening, convention-goers have now settled into full-on social (and social drinking) mode, trying to make the most of their last hours together. There’s not a great deal on the schedule for Sunday morning, so most attendees will be leaving Cleveland early tomorrow, some promising to meet again at next year’s Bouchercon in Albany, New York.

Before the gathering breaks up, though, we want to share a few of the photographs Ali shot during his first three days in Ohio’s second largest city. Even if you weren’t on hand for Bouchercon 2012, you can still enjoy a vicarious thrill by scrolling down through these.

Click on any of the images for an enlargement.


Local police help welcome authors, critics, and others to their convention venue, downtown’s Cleveland Marriott Renaissance.


Ali’s traveling companion, Shots editor Mike Stotter (left), with this event’s toastmaster, Irish author John Connolly.


Attending authors (left to right) Tasha Alexander, Kelli Stanley, Martyn James Lewis, Andrew Grant, and Zoë Sharp.


Mike Stotter with novelist Sean Chercover.


Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the opening ceremonies for Bouchercon 2012 were held.


Strand Magazine editor-publisher Andrew Gulli (left) alongside Peter James, chair of Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association and one of this year’s Barry Award winners.


Left to right: The ubiquitous Mr. Stotter with Australian author Michael Robotham and the UK’s Stephen Booth.


Stotter yet again (wow, he really does have a talent for standing in the way of camera lenses, doesn’t he), this time posed before the Nautica Queen, the dining cruise ship on which the 2012 Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) awards were handed out.


Former PWA presidents Max Allan Collins, Sara Paretsky, and Robert J. Randisi, the last of whom founded that organization back in 1981 and created the Shamus Award.


Our man Ali Karim with author Christa Faust.


Canadian wordsmiths Rick Mofina and Linwood Barclay flanking Ohio thriller writer Carla Buckley.


A flash storm brought heavy rain to Cleveland on Friday night, but the city was left to dry the next morning as convention-goers enjoyed their last full day there.

(All photos © 2012 Ali Karim)

READ MORE: “Bouchercon Day 3: The Wounded and the Clueless,” by Peter Rozovsky (Detectives Beyond Borders); “Cleveland Bouchercon Day 4,” by Jeri Westerson (Getting Medieval); “Bouchercon Cleveland--Fri., Oct 5 (Part One),” by J.F. Norris (Pretty Sinister Books); “Jungle Reds Rock at Cleveland Convention,” by Rhys Bowen (Jungle Red Writers); “Greetings from Cleveland,” by Marilyn Thiele (Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room).

Passing Out the Anthonys

In an out-of-the-ordinary Saturday ceremony, the 2012 Anthony Awards were handed out this evening at Bouchercon in Cleveland, Ohio. Indomitable Rap Sheet correspondent Ali Karim was on hand to collect (and subsequently phone in) all of the results.

Best Novel: A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Also nominated: The End of Everything, by Megan Abbott (Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown); Hurt Machine, by Reed Farrel Coleman (Tyrus); The Drop, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown); and One Was a Soldier, by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Thomas Dunne/Minotaur)

Best First Novel: Learning to Swim, by Sara J. Henry (Crown)

Also nominated: Nazareth Child, by Darrell James (Midnight Ink); All Cry Chaos, by Leonard Rosen (The Permanent Press); Who Do, Voodoo?, by Rochelle Staab (Berkley Prime Crime); The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens (Crown); Purgatory Chasm, by Steve Ulfelder (Thomas Dunne/Minotaur); and Before I Go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson (HarperCollins)

Best Paperback Original: Buffalo West Wing, by Julie Hyzy
(Berkley Prime Crime)

Also nominated: The Company Man, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit); Choke Hold, by Christa Faust (Hard Case Crime); Death of the Mantis, by Michael Stanley (HarperCollins); Fun & Games, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland); and Vienna Twilight, by Frank Tallis (Random House)

Best Short Story: “Disarming,” by Dana Cameron (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2011)

Also nominated: “The Case of Death and Honey,” by Neil Gaiman (from A Study in Sherlock, edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger; Bantam); “Palace by the Lake,” by Daryl Wood Gerber (from Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology, edited by Ramona DeFelice Long; Wildside); “Truth and Consequences,” by Barb Goffman (from Mystery Times Ten, edited by MaryChris Bradley; Buddhapuss Ink); “The Itinerary,” by Roberta Isleib (from Mystery Writers of America Presents The Rich and the Dead, edited by Nelson DeMille; Grand Central); and
“Happine$$,” by Twist Phelan (from Mystery Writers of America Presents The Rich and the Dead)

Best Critical Non-fiction Work: The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, edited by Charlaine Harris (Ace)

Also nominated: Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure, by Leslie Budewitz (Quill Driver/Linden); Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets from Her Notebooks, by John Curran (HarperCollins); On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling, by Michael Dirda (Princeton University Press); and Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film, by Philippa Gates
(SUNY Press)

In addition, Len and June Moffatt, founding editors of The JDM Bibliophile and erstwhile Bouchercon co-chairs, were declared as the winners of this year’s David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award. Ali tells me that the Moffatts weren’t on hand to accept their prize, but Julie Hyzy and Dana Cameron both made “emotional speeches” upon receiving their own commendations.

So that concludes this year’s Bouchercon-related awards presentations. In case you missed any of the previous ones, here they are again: Shamus Awards, Macavity, Barry, and Dilys Awards.

Now with Shamuses in Hand

Shamus Award winners Michael Wiley and Duane Swierczynski
(© 2012 Ali Karim).

Thanks to Ali Karim, who is on hand for this year’s Bouchercon in Cleveland, Ohio, we now have the winners of the 2012 Shamus Awards. These prizes were presented by the Private Eye Writers of America during a riverboat ceremony held earlier this evening.

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel:
A Bad Night’s Sleep, by Michael Wiley (Minotaur)

Also nominated: Bye Bye, Baby, by Max Allan Collins (Forge); 1222, by Anne Holt (Scribner); When the Thrill Is Gone, by Walter Mosley (Riverhead); and The Highly Effective Detective Crosses the Line, by Richard Yancey (Minotaur)

Best First P.I. Novel:
The Shortcut Man, by P.G. Sturges (Scribner)

Also nominated: The Plot Against Hip Hop, by Nelson George (Akashic); Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, by Sara Gran (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); The Ocean Forest, by Troy D. Nooe (Ingalls); and The Stranger You Seek, by Amanda Kyle Williams
(Bantam Press)

Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel:
Fun & Games, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)

Also nominated: Quarry’s Ex, by Max Allan Collins (Hard Case Crime); Threat Warning, by John Gilstrap (Kensington); Serial, by John Lutz (Kensington); and Long Pig, by James L. Ross (Perfect Crime)

Best P.I. Short Story:
“Who I Am,” by Michael Z. Lewin (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2011)

Also nominated: “A Bullet from Yesterday,” by Terence Faherty (EQMM, January 2011); “Mr. Monk & the Sunday Paper,” by Lee Goldberg (EQMM, July 2011); “Vampire Slayer Murdered in Key West,” by Michael West (EQMM, September/October 2011); and “Dancer in a Storm,” by L.A. Wilson (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2011)

In addition, The Hammer--a commendation celebrating a memorable private-eye character or series, and named after Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer--was presented to Nate Heller, Max Allan Collins’ tough historical protagonist (who will make his next appearance in Target Lancer, due out in November).

Congratulations to all of the winners, as well as everyone else lucky enough to have participated in this year’s PWA awards banquet.

READ MORE: “Cleveland Bouchercon Day 3,” by Jeri Westerson (Getting Medieval); “Bouchercon Cleveland--An Intro,” by J.F. Norris (Pretty Sinister Books).

Direct from Bouchercon 2012: The Macavity and Barry Award Winners

Our faithful British correspondent, Ali Karim, just called Rap Sheet headquarters to report on two sets of award winners, announced this evening during Bouchercon in Cleveland. These commendations were presented during a gala affair at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

THE MACAVITY AWARDS

Best Mystery Novel: Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, by Sara Gran (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Also nominated: 1222, by Anne Holt, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Scribner); The House of Silk, by Anthony Horowitz (Mulholland); The Ridge, by Michael Koryta (Little, Brown); A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny (Minotaur); The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, by Marcus Sakey (Dutton); and Hell & Gone, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)

Best First Mystery Novel: All Cry Chaos, by Leonard Rosen
(Permanent Press)

Also nominated: Learning to Swim, by Sara J. Henry (Crown); Nazareth Child, by Darrell James (Midnight Ink); Turn of Mind, by Alice LaPlante (Atlantic Monthly); The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens (Crown); and Before I Go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson (Harper)

Best Mystery-Related Non-fiction: The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, edited by Charlaine Harris (Ace)

Also nominated: Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure, by Leslie Budewitz (Linden); Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets from Her Notebooks, by John Curran (HarperCollins); Wilkie Collins, Vera Caspary and the Evolution of the Casebook Novel, by A.B. Emrys (McFarland); and The Savage City: Race, Murder, and a Generation on the Edge, by T.J. English (Morrow)

Best Mystery Short Story: “Disarming,” by Dana Cameron (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2011)

Also nominated: “Facts Exhibiting Wantonness,” by Trina Corey (EQMM, November 2011); “Palace by the Lake,” by Daryl Wood Gerber (from Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology, edited by Ramona DeFelice Long; Wildside); “Truth and Consequences,” by Barb Goffman (from Mystery Times Ten, edited by MaryChris Bradley; Buddhapuss Ink); “Heat of Passion,” by Kathleen Ryan (A Twist of Noir, February 2011); and “The Man Who Took His Hat Off to the Driver of the Train,” by Peter Turnbull (EQMM, March/April 2011)

Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains, by Catriona McPherson (Thomas Dunne/Minotaur)

Also nominated: Naughty in Nice, by Rhys Bowen (Berkley); Narrows Gate, by Jim Fusilli (AmazonEncore); Mercury’s Rise, by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press); Troubled Bones, by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur); and A Lesson in Secrets, by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper)

THE BARRY AWARDS

Best Novel: The Keeper of Lost Causes (aka Mercy), by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Dutton)

Also nominated: The Accident, by Linwood Barclay (Bantam); The Hurt Machine, by Reed Farrel Coleman (Tyrus); Iron House, by John Hart (Minotaur); Hell Is Empty, by Craig Johnson (Viking); and The Troubled Man, by Henning Mankell (Knopf)

Best First Novel: The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens (Crown)

Also nominated: Learning to Swim, by Sara Henry (Crown); The Devotion of Suspect X, by Keigo Higashino (Minotaur); The Boy in the Suitcase, by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis (Soho Crime); Turn of Mind, by Alice LaPlante (Atlantic Monthly); and Before I Go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson (Harper)

Best British Novel: Dead Man’s Grip, by Peter James (Macmillan)

Also nominated: Now You See Me, by S.J. Bolton (Bantam Press); Hell’s Bells, (aka The Infernals), by John Connolly (Hodder & Stoughton); Bad Signs, by R.J. Ellory (Orion -- one of January Magazine’s favorite crime novels of 2011); The House at Sea’s End, by Elly Griffiths (Quercus); and Outrage, by Arnaldur Indriðason (Harvill Secker)

Best Paperback Original: Death of the Mantis, by Michael Stanley (Harper Perennial)

Also nominated: The Silenced, by Brett Battles (Dell); The Hangman’s Daughter, by Oliver Pötzsch (Mariner Books); A Double Death on the Black Isle, by A.D. Scott (Atria); Fun and Games, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland); and Two for Sorrow, by Nicola Upson (Harper Perennial)

Best Thriller: The Informant, by Thomas Perry (Houghton Mifflin)

Also nominated: Carver, by Tom Cain (Bantam Press); Coup D’Etat, by Ben Coes (St. Martin’s); Spycatcher (aka Spartan), by Matthew Dunn (Morrow); Ballistic, by Mark Greaney (Berkley); and House Divided, by Mike Lawson (Atlantic Monthly)

Best Short Story: “The Gun Also Rises, by Jeffrey Cohen (AHMM, January-February 2011)

Also nominated: “Thicker Than Blood,” by Doug Allyn (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine [AHMM], September 2011); “Whiz Bang,” by Mike Cooper (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine [EQMM], September-October 2011); “Facts Exhibiting Wantonness,” by Trina Corey (EQMM, November 2011); “Last Laugh in Floogle Park,” by James Powell (EQMM, July 2011); “Purge,” by Eric Rutter (AHMM, December 2011)

THE DILYS AWARD

Given out annually by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association to “the mystery title of the [previous] year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling.”

Winner: Ghost Hero, by S.J. Rozan (Minotaur)

Also nominated: Faithful Place, by Tana French (Penguin); Wicked Autumn, by G.M. Malliet (Minotaur); Tag Man, by Archer Mayor (Minotaur); and A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

In addition, the Short Mystery Fiction Society re-announced the recipients of its 2012 Derringer Awards, and made official the fact that author Bill Pronzini has been given this year’s Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

It’s Almost Like Being There

Bouchercon 2012 officially kicked off earlier today in Cleveland, Ohio. I’m not there, or I would be bringing you my own preliminary impressions of the festivities. However, I have spotted several blog posts written by others, recounting their experiences. Check out Jeri Westerson’s Day 1 thoughts, Lesa Holstine’s convention travel memories, and Peter Rozovsky’s observations about the Cleveland launch of Books to Die For, edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke.

I shall endeavor to keep up with additional postings from Bouchercon. Let me know, though, if I miss mentioning any. Friday night is supposed to bring an announcement of this year’s recipients of the Shamus Awards; and the Anthony Awards are scheduled to be presented on Saturday night. Correspondent Ali Karim should be on hand for both events, letting me know who has won.

READ MORE: “Bouchercon Day 1: Rock and Roll Is Here to Pay,” by Peter Rozovsky (Detectives Beyond Borders); “Cleveland Bouchercon Day 2,” by Jeri Westerson (Getting Medieval).