Connelly Makes the Cut

Congratulations to American author Michael Connelly, who has been chosen by the British Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) to receive this year’s Diamond Dagger award for “sustained excellence” in the crime fiction-writing field. He will be presented with this commendation during a ceremony in London, England, on October 25.

CWA chair Martin Edwards, explaining his organization’s decision, is quoted as saying: “Michael Connelly’s crime novels have won international acclaim for more than a quarter century, and have given readers, television viewers, and film fans rich entertainment. A combination of wonderful characters, vivid settings, and gripping storylines characterizes his work. The CWA is delighted to celebrate his achievements with the award of the Diamond Dagger.”

For his own part, Connelly—a 61-year-old, Philadelphia-born former newspaper reporter in Los Angeles, and now an executive producer of the TV series Bosch—sounds rather pleased with news of this latest prize win: “How can a writer who writes about a guy trying [to] make sense of things in Los Angeles ever expect to receive recognition from such a fine group from so far away? It’s beyond anything I could have imagined, and I am very honored and humbled.”

Connelly joins a distinguished cadre of previous Diamond Dagger recipients, including Dick Francis, Ruth Rendell, Reginald Hill, P.D. James, Peter Lovesey, Sara Paretsky, Andrew Taylor, Ian Rankin, and last year’s recipient, Ann Cleeves.