Still Savoring CrimeFest Memories

Barry Forshaw (far left) and Mike Ripley (far right) discuss the relative virtues of American noir fiction and vintage British crime thrillers during a presentation refereed by Peter Guttridge.

By Ali Karim
Yes, I know: It has taken me more than a little while to deliver a full assessment of CrimeFest 2017. In the meanwhile, Rap Sheet editor J. Kingston Pierce featured an array of photographs from that May 18-21 event, and reported both on the winners of seven different prizes handed out during CrimeFest and the announcement of longlisted rivals for a number of 2017 Dagger awards (sponsored by the UK Crime Writers’ Association, aka CWA). But after weathering both a computer crash and scheduling difficulties, I’ve finally found free time enough to deliver a recap of this year’s convention.

CrimeFest, born in the wake of the popular 2016 Left Coast Crime convention, has always been held in one of England’s most invigorating cities—Bristol—and at the same four-star venue (the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel). This allows returning attendees to feel at home immediately upon arrival, for the hotel is centrally located, on College Green, with bars and restaurants all within easy walking distance, and an attentive, helpful staff.

Yet each year’s conference feels a wee bit different, if only because of the programming. This year’s wonderfully eclectic schedule was credited to author Donna Moore, who gave us an assortment of panel discussions (three tracks of them on Friday and Saturday!), covering the field of crime and mystery fiction from edge to edge—from Golden Age works to English-translated yarns and most everything in between. As always, organizers Adrian Muller and Myles Alfrey deserve particular applause, for their annual event creates great camaraderie among writers, and between authors and readers. More importantly, it encourages literacy—something that is essential to a functioning society.

* * *

I arrived in Bristol at high noon on Thursday, May 18, accompanied by Shots editor, Western fiction writer, and CWA Dagger liaison officer Mike Stotter. Immediately, I was reminded of what an international affair CrimeFest has become over the years, for greeting us were not only Detectives Beyond Borders blogger and man of mystery Peter Rozovsky, from Philadelphia, but also thriller novelist Karin Salvalaggio (Silent Rain), who hails from the U.S. state of Montana. This made me smile, as I resided in neighboring Wyoming for a time during the 1980s. Then I laughed when I was reminded that Karin has been living in London for a number of years, so her journey to Bristol was unlikely to have left her suffering with jet-lag.

One of Thursday’s opening panel presentations focused on debut authors, while that afternoon closed with a discourse on “forgotten writers,” during which CWA chair Martin Edwards and authors John Lawton, Jane Corry, Sarah Ward, and Andrew Wilson looked back at genre stylists such as Lionel Davidson and Elizabeth Daly. As a reviewer, I often like to refresh my palate with older works of fiction, so this was a most welcome interchange. I was delighted, too, with the opportunity to meet Wilson, who penned the definitive 2003 Patricia Highsmith biography, Beautiful Shadow, as well as a historical mystery novel titled A Talent for Murder (soon to be released in the States by Atria), which fictionalizes Agatha Christie’s 1926 disappearance.


(Left to right) CrimeFest 2017’s extremely able organizers, Donna Moore, Myles Alfrey, and Adrian Muller.


British crime-writing stars Andrew Taylor and Peter Lovesey find a quiet corner to catch up with each other.

Then it was time for some gin and the annual CrimeFest Quiz, which this year took place within the Marriott and found writer-critic Peter Guttridge holding forth once more as quizmaster. You can always count on this game to offer merriment (as when Felix Francis asked Guttridge, with a smirk, whether there was “any chance next year of having some equestrian questions”). It was no less expected to see the team made up of trivia authorities Martin Edwards, Cathy Ace, Kate Ellis, and Dea Parkin declared the winners. Fortunately, Adrian and Myles had many prizes to dispense to the runners-up, all of which were handed ’round by Mike Stotter.

We concluded the night with casual networking. After a few glasses of gin, my recollection of what exactly was said turned somewhat hazy. However, I do remember complimenting Andrew Taylor on the fact that his remarkable latest novel, set during the 17th century and titled The Ashes of London, has enjoyed a long-term stay on UK best-seller charts. Andrew is one of the most modest writers I know, and he simply smiled and put the success of his yarn down to a remarkable cover and the support of bookseller Waterstones—but we all understand the real reason is Ashes’ quality of writing.

* * *

As usual, Friday morning arrived way too soon for me and my fellow barflies. But thanks to an excellent breakfast at the hotel (which included copious quantities of industrial-strength coffee), and short visits to the swimming pool and steam room, Mike and I eventually composed ourselves for the long day ahead.

The three-track set-up of panel presentations held wide appeal for fans of debut novelists, serial-killer tales, legal thrillers, fictional police duos, and everyone interested in how journalists approach fiction writing and how to make a happy ending appear credible in this genre. Especially worthwhile was an early afternoon session called “Wunderbar! The Hidden Wonders of the German Krimi.” Sponsored by the Goethe-Institut London, it gathered together a variety of authors—Mario Giordano, Merle Kröger, Volker Kutscher, Melanie Raabe, and moderator Kat Hall—who enlightened readers as to the diversity and quality of modern crime fiction from Deutschland.

That evening’s events closed with the much-anticipated announcement of which books and authors had been longlisted for several 2017 Dagger awards (a process managed robustly by Mike Stotter and CWA secretary Dea Parkin). The CWA is currently narrowing the competition, with expectations that the shortlists of contenders will be broadcast on Wednesday, July 26, and the winners proclaimed during a festive dinner in the British capital on Thursday, October 26. (Look for both sets of results in The Rap Sheet.) For now, I can only prod you to investigate the books that have managed to get through the first stage of CWA evaluation, as they are all entertaining and enlightening reads.


During the dinner honoring Peter Lovesey, Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller share their taste for Burt Bacharach’s music.

With the Dagger pronouncements completed, and cheers having been offered to the honored challengers, some convention-goers headed off to a drinks reception sponsored by Orion Books and celebrating novelists Steve Cavanagh, Mason Cross, and Steve Mosby. Others departed the Bristol Marriott to sample menus at the abundance of surrounding restaurants. For our part, Mike Stotter and I were lucky to have been invited to an exclusive celebratory dinner for Peter Lovesey, CrimeFest 2017’s Featured Guest Author. This meal was organized by Thalia Proctor of Little, Brown UK and took place at a quaint little Italian restaurant. It was a pleasure to spend time in the company of Lovesey, who, despite his deserved success over the years remains—like Andrew Taylor—a grounded and fairly humble wordsmith. I also discovered, during our chatting at that feast, that both Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller are quite knowledgeable on the subject of American Burt Bacharach’s musical career. Who knew?

Then it was back to the CrimeFest bar for further conversation, which centered on the merits of works comprising this year’s CWA Dagger longlists. As there was some grumbling about the unusually large selection of Ian Fleming Steel Dagger contestants, and since I had been one of the judges responsible for choosing those 18 books, I found it advisable to maintain a low profile while sipping my drink.

* * *

Saturday kicked off with still more hot coffee (thank heavens!), followed by Telegraph critic Jake Kerridge’s 9 a.m. panel, “Debut Authors: An Infusion of Fresh Blood.” Among the featured experts was American teacher Bill Beverly, who last year received the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger for his first novel, Dodgers. (Later that same day Beverly took part in another colloquy, about “noir” fiction.)

Once more, the three concurrent tracks of presentations made it difficult for attendees to choose where to plant themselves during any given hour. How could we know in advance whether we would be happier to attend a discussion of, say, “What Makes the Straitlaced Victorians a Criminal Goldmine?” than we would to sit through one titled “A Little Bit Creepy: Scaring Your Readers with Death”? And would we rather listen to the wisdom of Christopher Fowler and Barbara Nadel than that of Ragnar Jónasson or Gunnar Staalesen? Our dance cards were quickly booked … and overbooked.

Among the red-letter events on Saturday were Peter Lovesey’s onstage conversation with Martin Edwards (watch it here); Tom Adams and John Curran talking about the long shadow Agatha Christie continues to cast over the mystery-fiction genre; critic-author Barry Forshaw interrogating novelist-screenwriter Anthony Horowitz; and Kerridge interviewing this year’s CWA Diamond Dagger winner, Ann Cleeves.


Sophie Calder and Kate Mills from HarperCollins UK.

Later, Mike and I joined head publicist Sophie Calder and publisher Kate Mills at the HQ Harper Afternoon Tea. For me, one of the most pleasant characteristics of book conventions such as this is encountering old friends. I’ve known Sophie since her days at Titan Books, and Kate from her work with Orion. Over steaming cups of Earl Grey they offered us some background on HarperCollins’ new genre imprint, HQ, and introduced us to their editorial team as well as some of the authors with whom they’re working.

Thus fortified in mind and spirit, we returned to our hotel room, changed into lounge suits, and with daylight in serious retreat, located our tables for the CrimeFest Awards Dinner. As ever, the food and service provided by the Marriott were exemplary, and we found ourselves thoroughly entertained by the evening’s master of ceremonies, Barry Forshaw. Droll and knowledgeable, Forshaw also demonstrated a skill for organizing, as he coordinated this event’s schedule. Among the highlights were speeches by Ann Cleeves and Peter Lovesey, as well as the handing out of seven different CrimeFest awards (including the bestowal, by Forshaw and author-reviewer Sarah Ward, of the 2017 Petrona Award; and of the 2017 H.R.F. Keating Award by Forshaw alone). However, what I’ll probably remember best about that night was an impromptu oration by Anthony Horowitz (Magpie Murders) called “The Curious Murder of Felix Francis,” which cleverly used author Dick Francis’ younger son in an examination of British Golden Age mystery fiction. You can watch that here.

* * *

Normally, Sunday panel events are subdued, as the convention winds down. But this year there were half a dozen excellent exchanges, among them one showcasing “Iceland’s Queens of Crime” and another that looked at crime/mystery/thriller short stories, which seem to be very much in vogue again as readers’ free time and attention spans dwindle, and audiobooks increase in popularity. CWA stalwarts Janet Laurence, L.C. Tyler, Ann Cleeves, Peter Lovesey, and Martin Edwards all weighed in on the future of short-form crime fiction.

Finally, capping off this year’s CrimeFest, was a thoroughly witty public conversation having to do with distinctions between U.S. and British contributions to this genre, moderated by Peter Guttridge and featuring both Barry Forshaw, author of the new book American Noir, and Mike Ripley, who wrote Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, a study of classic British thrillers. (Video footage of their tête-à-tête can be enjoyed here.) One of CrimeFest’s most commendable aspects is how well it manages the melancholic feeling one is left with after late nights, lack of sleep, too many chilled libations, and days spent in near-constant conversation. Organizers always close with an amusing last presentation, so you’re left saying good-bye to friends old and new with a smile on your face.

If you haven’t attended CrimeFest before, I strongly encourage you to do so. Many regulars (myself included) have already registered for next year’s convention, which has booked Lee Child and Jeffery Deaver as Featured Guest Authors. For more information, click here.

(An abridged version of this piece is set to appear in the Crime Writers’ Association’s Red Herrings magazine later this month.)

Getting a Feel for the ’Fest

(Left to right) Authors Christopher Fowler and Donna Moore already appear a bit off kilter as CrimeFest 2017 begins.

Someday I really must contrive to be in England in May—if only to attend CrimeFest, which is held during that month every year in Bristol, a historic port city in the nation’s southwest. Created in the wake of a one-off but very successful, 2006 visit to Bristol by the American Left Coast Crime convention, and organized under the auspices of Adrian Muller and Myles Allfrey, CrimeFest has grown into what I understand is a well-attended, multi-day event with an international flavor, rife with recognizable crime, mystery, and thriller novelists, but refreshingly short of the cliquish camaraderie familiar from some other such literary gatherings. British chemist-turned-writer Ali Karim, who has been covering CrimeFest for The Rap Sheet ever since 2008, once remarked on this page that “It’s great to come out to Southwest England each year, meet up with friends and colleagues, and relax in a comfortable and familiar environment—while also celebrating and learning more about the crime and thriller fiction genre.”

Judging from the myriad photographs and e-mail notes Ali sent my way, the 2017 conference—held from May 18 to 21—was just as convivial, boisterous, and occasionally unpredictable as expected. It offered ample worthwhile panel discussions and reasons to laugh, plus two different awards ceremonies (one during which several CrimeFest prizes were dispensed, the other to declare the longlists of contestants for the British Crime Writers’ Association’s 2017 Dagger awards). In addition, there were opportunities for authors—so often cooped up by themselves in dusty offices—to collect in quiet corners of the convention venue (the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel in College Green) and commiserate about troublesome publishers, missed deadlines, and what new books they’ve not yet found time to enjoy.

My hunch is that most Rap Sheet followers were as unuccessful as I was at attending last week’s CrimeFest. So I've gathered into this post more than a dozen photos, which should provide at least a general idea of what the four days of festivities offered. (Unless otherwise noted, these shots are were all taken by Ali Karim.)


A group of ruffians loitering with intent, outside the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel: New Zealand blogger Craig Sisterson, together with novelists Quentin Bates, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Michael J. Malone, and critic-author Barry Forshaw on the far right.


German author Volker Kutscher signs copies of The Silent Death, his second novel set in 1930s Berlin and starring maverick detective Gereon Rath (following Babylon Berlin).


Acclaimed journalist and elegant writer Ruth Dudley Edwards hangs out with Diamond Dagger award winner Andrew Taylor.


Only the dumb or daring mess with these guys: Shots editor Mike Stotter and Detectives Beyond Borders blogger Peter Rozovsky.


Why do so many of Ali’s photographs appear to have been taken sideways? Is it artistic preference, or can we blame it on these sources of creative inspiration found in his hotel room?


Thriller authors Karin Salvalaggio and Robert Wilson.


Rozovsky chats with John Lawton, author Sweet Sunday and the forthcoming Inspector Troy mystery, Friends and Traitors.


Looking sharp! Martin Edwards, author and new chair of the British Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), with novelist Zoë Sharp.


What memorable mischief might this pair be plotting? Fellow fictionists Mick Herron and Stav Sherez.


Category judge Ali Karim announces the longlist of rivals for the 2017 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award. (Photo by Mike Stotter.)


Gunnar Staalesen, whose Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year, poses alongside last year’s winner, Jørn Lier Horst.


Felix Francis shows off his genre-appropriate necktie.


Barry Forshaw (far left) and Mike Ripley (far right) compare the virtues of American noir fiction and vintage British crime thrillers in a presentation refereed by critic-author Peter Guttridge.


Until next year, then: Featured Guest Author Peter Lovesey toasts the convention that was, and mystery readers everywhere.

READ MORE: “A Clutch of Daggers at CrimeFest,” by Craig Sisterson (Crime Watch); “CrimeFest and the CWA Short Story Dagger,” by Martin Edwards (‘Do You Write Under Your Own Name?’); “CrimeFest 2017: Krimi panel, Petrona Award, American Noir, and Icelandic Queens of Crime” (Nordic Noir Blog).

Accolades Abundant in Bristol

Thanks to Ali Karim, The Rap Sheet’s fortunate man on the ground in Bristol, England, we have the winners of seven different awards presented earlier this evening during a “gala dinner” at CrimeFest. Judging from reports I’ve heard, one of the program’s highlights was a speech by novelist Ann Cleeves—this year’s Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger award winner—who recalled her lengthy struggle toward success and encouraged other aspiring authors to “stay the course” as well. Here, finally, are tonight’s prize winners:

Audible Sounds of Crime Award (for best unabridged crime audiobook): I See You, by Clare Mackintosh; read by
Rachel Atkins (Sphere)

Also nominated: Kill Me Again, by Rachel Abbott; read by Lisa
Coleman (Bolinda /Audible); The Widow, by Fiona Barton; read by Clare Corbett (Bolinda /Audible); Try Not to Breathe, by Holly Seddon; read by Jot Davies, Lucy Middleweek, and Katy Sobey (Bolinda); The Hanging Tree, by Ben Aaronovitch; read by Kobna Holdbrook–Smith (Orion); Night School, by Lee Child; read by Jeff Harding (Transworld Digital); Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz; read by Allan Corduner and Samantha Bond (Orion); and Coffin Road, by Peter May; read by Peter Forbes (Riverrun)

eDunnit Award (for the best crime fiction e-book): Wilde Lake,
by Laura Lippman (Faber and Faber)

Also nominated: The Twenty–Three, by Linwood Barclay (Orion); Deep Down Dead, by Steph Broadribb (Orenda); The Wrong Side of Goodbye, by Michael Connelly (Orion); Blackout, by Ragnar Jónasson (Orenda); Rather Be the Devil, by Ian Rankin (Orion); The Ashes of London, by Andrew Taylor (HarperFiction); and Cat Among the Herrings,
by L.C. Tyler (Allison & Busby)

The Last Laugh Award (for the best humorous crime novel):
Real Tigers, by Mick Herron (John Murray)

Also nominated: PIMP, by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr (Hard Case Crime); I Don’t Like Where This Is Going, by John Dufresne (Serpent’s Tail); A Cast of Vultures, by Judith Flanders (Allison & Busby); Razor Girl, by Carl Hiaasen (Little, Brown); The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown, by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton); Cat Among the Herrings, by L.C. Tyler (Allison & Busby); and Tall Oaks, by Chris Whitaker (Twenty7)

The H.R.F. Keating Award (for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction): Brit Noir, by Barry Forshaw (No Exit Press)

Also nominated: Agatha Christie on Screen, by Mark Aldridge (Palgrave Macmillan); Queering Agatha Christie, by J.C. Berthnal (Palgrave Macmillan); Crime Uncovered: Private investigator, by Rachel Franks and Alistair Rolls (Intellect); Crime Fiction in German: Der Krimi, by Katharina Hall (University of Wales Press); Gender and Representation in British “Golden Age” Crime Fiction, by Megan Hoffman (Palgrave Macmillan); and The Contemporary Irish Detective Novel, by Elizabeth Mannion (Palgrave Macmillan)

Best Crime Novel for Children (8-12): Murder Most Unladylike: Mistletoe and Murder, by Robin Stevens (Puffin)

Also nominated: Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret, by Lyn Gardner (Nosy Crow); Murder in Midwinter, by Fleur Hitchcock (Nosy Crow); The Thornthwaite Betrayal, by Gareth P. Jones (Piccadilly Press); The Accidental Secret Agent, by Tom McLaughlin (Oxford University Press); Violet and the Smugglers, by Harriet Whitehorn (Simon & Schuster); and The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, by Katherine Woodfine (Egmont)

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (12-16): Kid Got Shot, by Simon Mason (David Fickling)

Also nominated: Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo (Hachette Children’s Group); Cell 7, by Kerry Drewery (Hot Key Books); Theodore Boone: The Scandal, by John Grisham (Hodder & Stoughton); Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah, by Erin Lange (Faber and Faber); Orangeboy, by Patrice Lawrence (Hachette Children’s Group); Blame, by Simon Mayo (Penguin); and In the Dark, In the Woods, by Eliza Wass (Hachette Children’s Group)

Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year: Where Roses Never Die, by Gunnar Staalesen, translated by Don Bartlett (Orenda Books; Norway)

Also nominated: The Exiled, by Kati Hiekkapelto, translated by David Hackston (Orenda Books; Finland); The Dying Detective, by Leif G.W. Persson, translated by Neil Smith (Doubleday; Sweden); The Bird Tribunal, by Agnes Ravatn, translated by Rosie Hedger (Orenda Books; Norway); Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurđardóttir, translated by Victoria Cribb (Hodder & Stoughton; Iceland); and The Wednesday Club, by Kjell Westö, translated by Neil Smith (MacLehose
Press; Finland)

Congratulations to all of this year’s contenders!

READ MORE: “The Petrona Award 2017—Winner,” by Karen Meek
(Euro Crime); “CrimeFest and the CWA Short Story Dagger,” by Martin Edwards (‘Do You Write Under Your Own Name?’).

Daggers at the Ready

Following many hours of panel presentations on this, the second day of the latest CrimeFest (being held through the weekend in Bristol, England), attendees gathered together to hear the announcement of longlisted nominees for several 2017 Dagger awards. The Daggers are presented annually by the British Crime Writers’ Association. Herewith, the rundown of contenders:

CWA Gold Dagger:
• The Beautiful Dead, by Belinda Bauer (Bantam Press)
• Dead Man’s Blues, by Ray Celestin (Mantle)
• The Girl Before, by J.P. Delaney (Quercus)
• Desperation Road, by Michael Farris Smith (No Exit Press)
• Little Deaths, by Emma Flint (Picador)
• The Dry, by Jane Harper (Little, Brown)
• Spook Street, by Mick Herron (John Murray)
• Sirens, by Joseph Knox (Doubleday)
• Ashes of Berlin, by Luke McCallin (No Exit Press)
• The Girl in Green, by Derek B. Miller (Faber and Faber)
• A Rising Man, by Abir Muckerjee (Harvil Secker)
• Darktown, by Thomas Mullen (Little, Brown)

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger:
• You Will Know Me, by Megan Abbott (Picador)
• Kill the Next One, by Frederico Axat (Text)
• The Twenty-Three, by Linwood Barclay (Orion)
• The Killing Game, by J.S. Carol (Bookouture)
• The Heat, by Gary Disher (Text)
• A Hero in France, by Alan Furst (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
• We Go Around in the Night Consumed by Fire, by Jules Grant
(Myriad Editions)
• Moskva, by Jack Grimwood (Michael Joseph)
• The One Man, by Andrew Gross (Macmillan)
• Redemption Road, by John Hart (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Spook Street, by Mick Herron (John Murray)
• Dark Asset, by Adrian Magson (Severn House)
• Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly, by Adrian McKinty (Serpent’s Tail)
• The Constant Soldier, by William Ryan (Mantle)
• The Rules of Backyard Cricket, by Jack Serong (Text)
• Jericho’s War, by Gerald Seymour (Hodder & Stoughton)
• The Kept Woman, by Karin Slaughter (Century)
• Broken Heart, by Tim Weaver (Penguin)

CWA International Dagger:
• A Cold Death, by Antonio Manzini;
translated by Anthony Shugaar (4th Estate)
• A Fine Line, by Gianrico Carofiglio;
translated by Howard Curtis (Bitter Lemon Press)
• A Voice in the Dark, by Andrea Camilleri;
translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Mantle)
• Blackout, by Marc Elsberg;
translated by Marshall Yarborough (Black Swan)
• Blood Wedding, by Pierre Lemaitre;
translated by Frank Wynne (MacLehose Press)
• Climate of Fear, by Fred Vargas;
translated by Sian Reynolds (Harvill Secker)
• Death in the Tuscan Hills, by Marco Vichi;
translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Hodder & Stoughton)
• The Bastards of Pizzofalcone, by Maurizio De Giovanni;
translated by Anthony Shugaar (Europa Editions)
• The Dying Detective, by Leif G.W. Persson;
translated by Neil Smith (Doubleday)
• The Legacy of the Bones, by Dolores Redondo;
translated by Nick Caister and Lorenza Garcia (Harper)
• When It Grows Dark, by Jørn Lier Horst;
translated by Anne Bruce (Sandstone Press)

CWA Non-fiction Dagger:
• A Dangerous Place, by Simon Farquhar (History Press)
• Close But No Cigar: A True Story of Prison Life in Castro’s Cuba,
by Stephen Purvis (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
• The Scholl Case: The Deadly End of a Marriage, by Anja
Reich-Osang (Text)
• Arthur and Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes,
by Michael Sims (Bloomsbury)
• The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer,
by Kate Summerscale (Bloomsbury)
• A Passing Fury: Searching for Justice at the End of World War II,
by A.T. Williams (Jonathan Cape)
• The Ice Age: A Journey into Crystal-Meth Addiction, by Luke
Williams (Scribe)
• Another Day in the Death of America, by Gary Younge
(Guardian Faber)

CWA Short Story Dagger:
• “The Assassination,” by Leye Adenle (from Sunshine Noir, edited by Anna Maria Alfieri and Michael Stanley; White Sun)
• “Murder and Its Motives,” by Martin Edwards (from Motives for Murder, edited by Martin Edwards; Sphere)
• “Alive or Dead,” by Michael Jecks (from Motives for Murder)
• “The Super Recogniser of Vik,” by Michael Ridpath (from Motives
for Murder)
• “What You Were Fighting For,” by James Sallis (from The Highway Kind, edited by Patrick Millikin; Mulholland)
• “The Trials of Margaret,” by L.C. Tyler (from Motives for Murder)
• “Snakeskin,” by Ovidia Yu (from Sunshine Noir)

CWA Debut Dagger (for unpublished writers):
• Camera Obscura, by Richard McDowell
• Strange Fire, by Sherry Larkin
• The Reincarnation of Himmat Gupte, by Neeraj Shah
• The Swankeeper’s Wife, by Augusta Dwyer
• Lost Boys, by Spike Dawkins
• Victorianoir, by Kat Clay
• Hardways, by Catherine Hendricks
• Red Haven, by Mette McLeod
• In the Shadow of the Tower, by Clive Edwards
• Broken, by Victoria Slotover

CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger:
• The Devil’s Feast, by M.J. Carter
(Fig Tree)
• The Coroner’s Daughter, by Andrew Hughes (Doubleday Ireland)
• The Black Friar, by S.G. MacLean (Quercus)
• The Ashes of Berlin, by Luke McCallin (No Exit Press)
• The Long Drop, by Denise Mina (Harvil Secker)
• A Rising Man, by Abir Muckerjee (Harvil Secker)
• Darktown, by Thomas Mullen (Little, Brown)
• By Gaslight, by Steven Price (Point Blank)
• The City in Darkness, by Michael Russell (Constable)
• Dark Asylum, by E.S. Thomson (Constable)

CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger:
• The Watcher, by Ross Armstrong (Mira)
• The Pictures, by Guy Bolton (Point Blank)
• What You Don’t Know, by JoAnn Chaney (Mantle)
• Ragdoll, by Daniel Cole (Trapeze)
• Sunset City, by Melissa Ginsburg (Faber and Faber)
• Epiphany Jones, by Michael Grothaus (Orenda)
• Distress Signals, by Catherine Ryan Howard (Corvus)
• Himself, by Jess Kidd (Canongate)
• Sirens, by Joseph Knox (Doubleday)
• Good Me, Bad Me, by Ali Land (Michael Joseph)
• The Possession, by Sara Flannery Murphy (Scribe)
• Tall Oaks, by Chris Whitaker (Twenty 7)

CWA Dagger in the Library (previously declared shortlist):
• Andrew Taylor
• C.J. Sansom
• James Oswald
• Kate Ellis
• Mari Hannah
• Tana French

The Daggers are expertly juried awards, so the books and authors making this cut are predictably top-drawer. I don’t customarily inject my opinions into write-ups about such competitions. However, I’m particularly impressed by the lineup of rivals for this year’s Endeavour Historical Dagger. I have read and enjoyed most of the novels longlisted for that honor, but am hoping that the prize ultimately goes to Steven Price’s By Gaslight, which I described in a Rap Sheet post late last year as “an all-consuming adventure with romantic undertones, establishing a new and very high bar against which other historical whodunits will be judged.”

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

We should expect an announcement of the shortlist contenders for all of these commendations, well, shortly. And if past experience is any guide, the winners ought to be broadcast this coming fall.

FOLLOW-UP: There was another prize presented during last night’s CrimeFest merriment. It was announced that Sam Hepburn has won the 2017 CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition with her not-yet-published tale, “Box Clever.” Also shortlisted for this honor were Bruce Gaston (“The Case of the Unrepentant Killer”), Ryan Bruce (“Division”), Sam Cunningham (“The Silenced Witness”), and Chris Curran (“The Thought of You”).

Picking the Best for CrimeFest

Organizers of the 2017 CrimeFest convention, which is to be held in Bristol, England (May 18-21), have announced the shortlists of nominees for half a dozen prizes scheduled to be presented to authors during a “gala dinner” on Saturday, May 21. The categories include two new ones, applauding works aimed at younger readers.

Audible Sounds of Crime Award
(for best unabridged crime audiobook):
• Kill Me Again, by Rachel Abbott; read by Lisa Coleman
(Bolinda /Audible)
• The Widow, by Fiona Barton; read by Clare Corbett (Bolinda /Audible)
• I See You, by Clare Mackintosh; read by Rachel Atkins (Sphere)
• Try Not to Breathe, by Holly Seddon; read by Jot Davies, Lucy Middleweek, and Katy Sobey (Bolinda)
• The Hanging Tree, by Ben Aaronovitch; read by Kobna Holdbrook–Smith (Orion)
• Night School, by Lee Child; read by Jeff Harding (Transworld Digital)
• Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz; read by Allan Corduner
and Samantha Bond (Orion)
• Coffin Road, by Peter May; read by Peter Forbes (Riverrun)

eDunnit Award
(for the best crime fiction e-book):
• The Twenty–Three, by Linwood Barclay (Orion)
• Deep Down Dead, by Steph Broadribb (Orenda)
• The Wrong Side of Goodbye, by Michael Connelly (Orion)
• Blackout, by Ragnar Jónasson (Orenda)
• Wilde Lake, by Laura Lippman (Faber and Faber)
• Rather Be the Devil, by Ian Rankin (Orion)
• The Ashes of London, by Andrew Taylor (HarperFiction)
• Cat Among the Herrings, by L.C. Tyler (Allison & Busby)

The Last Laugh Award
(for the best humorous crime novel):
• PIMP, by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr (Hard Case Crime)
• I Don’t Like Where This Is Going, by John Dufresne (Serpent’s Tail)
• A Cast of Vultures, by Judith Flanders (Allison & Busby)
• Real Tigers, by Mick Herron (John Murray)
• Razor Girl, by Carl Hiaasen (Little, Brown)
• The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown, by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Cat Among the Herrings, by L.C. Tyler (Allison & Busby)
• Tall Oaks, by Chris Whitaker (Twenty7)

The H.R.F. Keating Award
(for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction):
• Agatha Christie on Screen, by Mark Aldridge (Palgrave Macmillan)
• Queering Agatha Christie, by J.C. Berthnal (Palgrave Macmillan)
• Brit Noir, by Barry Forshaw (No Exit Press)
• Crime Uncovered: Private investigator, by Rachel Franks
and Alistair Rolls (Intellect)
• Crime Fiction in German: Der Krimi, by Katharina Hall
(University of Wales Press)
• Gender and Representation in British “Golden Age” Crime Fiction,
by Megan Hoffman (Palgrave Macmillan)
• The Contemporary Irish Detective Novel, by Elizabeth Mannion (Palgrave Macmillan)

Best Crime Novel for Children (8-12):
• Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret, by Lyn Gardner (Nosy Crow)
• Murder in Midwinter, by Fleur Hitchcock (Nosy Crow)
• The Thornthwaite Betrayal, by Gareth P. Jones (Piccadilly Press)
• The Accidental Secret Agent, by Tom McLaughlin
(Oxford University Press)
• Murder Most Unladylike: Jolly Foul Play, by Robin Stevens (Puffin)
• Murder Most Unladylike: Mistletoe and Murder,
by Robin Stevens (Puffin)
• Violet and the Smugglers, by Harriet Whitehorn (Simon & Schuster)
• The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, by Katherine Woodfine (Egmont)

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (12-16):
• Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo (Hachette Children’s Group)
• Cell 7, by Kerry Drewery (Hot Key Books)
• Theodore Boone: The Scandal, by John Grisham
(Hodder & Stoughton)
• Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah, by Erin Lange (Faber and Faber)
• Orangeboy, by Patrice Lawrence (Hachette Children’s Group)
• Kid Got Shot, by Simon Mason (David Fickling)
• Blame, by Simon Mayo (Penguin)
• In the Dark, In the Woods, by Eliza Wass (Hachette Children’s Group)

Also expected to be announced during May’s CrimeFest dinner is the winner of the 2017 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The list of contenders for that commendation was previously broadcast.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

READ MORE: “CrimeFest Announces Star-Studded 2017 Lineup and Programme” (Spinetingler Magazine).