Swinging with the Leftys

During a festive awards banquet held last evening as part of the Left Coast Crime convention in Tucson, Arizona, all winners of the 2023 Lefty Awards were announced, in four categories.

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel:
Bayou Book Thief, by Ellen Byron (Berkley Prime Crime)

Also nominated: Death by Bubble Tea, by Jennifer J. Chow (Berkley Prime Crime); Five Moves of Doom, by A.J. Devlin (NeWest Press); A Streetcar Named Murder, by T.G. Herren (Crooked Lane); and Scot in a Trap, by Catriona McPherson (Severn House)

Bill Gottfried Memorial Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel (books set before 1970):
Anywhere You Run, by Wanda M. Morris (Morrow)

Also nominated: A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, by Dianne Freeman (Kensington); In Place of Fear, by Catriona McPherson (Severn House); Under a Veiled Moon, by Karen Odden (Crooked Lane); The Secret in the Wall, by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press); and Framed in Fire, by Iona Whishaw (Touchwood)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel:
Shutter, by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime)

Also nominated: Jackal, by Erin E. Adams (Bantam); Don’t Know Tough, by Eli Cranor (Soho Crime); Other People’s Secrets, by Meredith Hambrock (Crooked Lane); The Bangalore Detectives Club, by Harini Nagendra (Pegasus Crime); Devil’s Chew Toy, by Rob Osler (Crooked Lane); and The Verifiers, by Jane Pek (Vintage)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories):
Like a Sister, by Kellye Garrett (Mulholland)

Also nominated: Back to the Garden, by Laurie R. King (Bantam); Dead Drop, by James L’Etoile (Level Best); Under Lock & Skeleton Key, by Gigi Pandian (Minotaur); A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny (Minotaur); and Secret Identity, by Alex Segura (Flatiron)

Congratulations to all of the contenders!