Leftys Out on Their Own

Today brings an announcement of the books and authors vying for the 2021 Lefty Awards. Normally, these commendations would be given out during the annual Left Coast Crime Convention. But this year’s convention was “rescheduled for 2022.” So, instead, the Leftys “will be voted on virtually and presented online [on] April 10, 2021,” according to Mystery Fanfare.

The nominees, in four categories, are listed below.

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel:
• Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane)
• Mimi Lee Gets a Clue, by Jennifer J. Chow (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Squeeze Me, by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
• The Study of Secrets, by Cynthia Kuhn (Henery Press)
• The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing, by J. Michael Orenduff (Aakenbaaken & Kent)
• Skin Deep, by Sung J. Woo (Agora)

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel (for books set before 1970):
• The Fate of a Flapper, by Susanna Calkins (Minotaur)
• A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder, by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
• Riviera Gold, by Laurie R. King (Bantam)
• The Turning Tide, by Catriona McPherson (Quercus)
• Mortal Music, by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press)
• Turn to Stone, by James W. Ziskin (Seventh Street)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel:
• Murder Goes to Market, by Daisy Bateman (Seventh Street)
• Derailed, by Mary Keliikoa (Camel Press)
• Murder at the Mena House, by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)
• The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman (Viking)
• The Lady Upstairs, by Halley Sutton (Putnam)
• Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Ecco)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories):
• What You Don’t See, by Tracy Clark (Kensington)
• Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron)
• Blind Vigil, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
• And Now She’s Gone, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
• All the Devils Are Here, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Congratulations to all of the contenders!