Prizing Diversity

The Lambda Literary Foundation today announced the finalists for its 2019 Lammy Awards. These annual prizes honor “the best lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender books.” Although there are 24 categories of nominees, those in the Mystery division are probably of greatest interest to the most Rap Sheet readers.

Lesbian Mystery:
• A Matter of Blood, by Catherine Maiorisi (Bella)
• A Study in Honor, by Claire O’Dell (HarperVoyager)
• A Whisper of Bones, by Ellen Hart (Minotaur)
• Alice Isn’t Dead, by Joseph Fink (Harper Perennial)
• Gnarled Hollow, by Charlotte Greene (Bold Strokes)
• The Locket, by Gerri Hill (Bella)
• Secrets of the Last Castle, by A. Rose Mathieu (Bold Strokes)
• Stolen, by Linda J. Wright (Cats Paw)

Gay Mystery:
• Black Diamond Fall, by Joseph Olshan (Polis)
• Boystown 11: Heart’s Desire, by Marshall Thornton (Kenmore)
• Death Checks In, by David S. Pederson (Bold Strokes)
• Dodging and Burning, by John Copenhaver (Pegasus)
• The God Game, by Jeffrey Round (Dundurn)
• Late Fees, by Marshall Thornton (Kenmore)
• Somewhere Over Lorain Road, by Bud Gundy (Bold Stroke)
• Survival Is a Dying Art, by Neil S. Plakcy (Samwise)

Winners will be declared on June 3 during a ceremony in New York City. Congratulations to all of this year’s contenders!

(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare.)