In the, unfortunately, prolonged absence through the end of May and early June I missed making some timely comments about all of the nominations that appeared for the Barry, Anthony and Dagger awards. The events that lead to the temporary shut down of THD will one day be published in another little read blog. For now let us look forward, not back.
The full list of nominations for the Anthony's can be found at the B'Con 2008 blog. The big three are as follows.
Best Novel:
Tin Roof Blowdown - James Lee Burke
Bad Luck and Trouble - Lee Child
The Watchman - Robert Crais
Thunder Bay - William Kent Krueger
What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman
A pretty safe list. All the authors are beloved by the B'Con crowd. Impossible to pick a favorite. Ms. Lippman and Mr. Krueger have won the last four awards in this category. I'll say that Mr. Krueger and Ms. Lippman cancel each other out and the award goes to Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble. Picking against Ms. Lippman in Baltimore is a bold move, but that is what THD is know for... bold moves.
Best First Novel
Big City, Bad Blood - Sean Chercover
In the Woods - Tana French
The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz
Head Games - Craig MacDonald
The Blade Itself - Marcus Sakey
I think this is a pretty easy call. The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey will win this category. No contest. See what I mean about bold moves.
Best Paperback Original
Queenpin - Megan Abbott
Slide - Ken Bruen & Jason Starr
Blood of Paradise - David Corbett
Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues - Robert Fate
A Thousand Bones - P.J. Parrish
I've got Queenpin for the Barry, so I going with Bruen, Starr and Slide. They produced some good funk music back in 1978. And everyone has been talking about their latest LP. I'll go with the Robert Fate book as a close runner-up.
Full nominations are here for the Barry Awards. My kickback to The Rap Sheet is in the mail.
Best Novel
Soul Patch - Reed Farrel Coleman
The Unquiet - John Connolly
Down River - John Hart
Dirty Martini - J.A. Konrath
What the Dead Know, - Laura Lippman
Red Cat - Peter Spiegelman
Super tough category. I think it comes down to Soul Patch or Red Cat, call them co-favorites for right now. I must be nuts to pick against Ms. Lippman twice. TWICE! This 'bold moves' initiative can really lead to some stupid choices.
Best First Novel
Missing Witness - Gordon Campbell
Big City, Bad Blood - Sean Chercover
In the Woods - Tana French
The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz
The Collaborator of Bethlehem - Matt Beynon Rees
The Blade Itself - Marcus Sakey
If one author is going to do the double it is going to be Marcus Sakey and that is why he is my pick here. Four out of the five Anthony noms are here, plus the Edgar nominated Missing Witness. Good list.
Best Paperback Original:
Queenpin- Megan Abbott
Black Widow Agency - Felicia Donovan
Choke Point - Jay MacLarty
The Mark - Jason Pinter
Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand - Fred Vargas
Who is Conrad Hirst - Kevin Wignall
I would kill to see Jason Pinter's The Mark win here, but I really like the Vargas book to win here. The smart, safe pick is Queenpin.
And in closing the Dagger Nominations. I have read a grand total of zero of these books. THD is including them here to seem more cosmopolitan and less xenophobic.
The Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
The Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson
Loraine Connection - Dominique Manotti
A Deal with the Devil - Martin Suter
The Night's Foul Work - Fred Vargas
Again I have read none of these books, but the buzz on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been enormous. Now press doesn't equal awards, but it don't hurt. Second favorite to Ms. Vargas, cause I like women with male names.
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
Ritual - Mo Hayder
I See You - Gregg Hurwitz
Shatter - Michael Robotham
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
The Echelon Vendetta - David Stone
Not to beat a dead horse but if press equals awards then Child 44 has this in a walk away. I remember enjoying Michael Robotham's first book, Suspect. Only Child 44 is in my to be read pile. All of the rest have intriguing plot summaries though. The Robotham and Hurwitz are likely going to end up in a to be read pile at some point.
The John Creasey Dagger
The Night of the Mi'raj - Zoe Ferraris
Die With Me - Elena Forbes
Absolution - Caro Ramsay
The Bethlehem Murders - Matt Rees
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
I suspect that this is where Mr. Smith's Child 44 will receive its reward. I quick scan for plot summaries and press leave me with the vague feeling that Ms. Ferraris's and Mr. Rees also have a good shot at it, but really this is Child 44 to lose.
More than anything I have my fingers crossed that those book yet to be released in the US will find an American publisher soon... so I can read them. The exchange rate is just terrible right now so THD will have to wait.
I have a little more to say about these noms, especially the Barry and Anthony awards. I'll save it for the announcement of the winners at the B'Con in October.
The full list of nominations for the Anthony's can be found at the B'Con 2008 blog. The big three are as follows.
Best Novel:Tin Roof Blowdown - James Lee Burke
Bad Luck and Trouble - Lee Child
The Watchman - Robert Crais
Thunder Bay - William Kent Krueger
What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman
A pretty safe list. All the authors are beloved by the B'Con crowd. Impossible to pick a favorite. Ms. Lippman and Mr. Krueger have won the last four awards in this category. I'll say that Mr. Krueger and Ms. Lippman cancel each other out and the award goes to Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble. Picking against Ms. Lippman in Baltimore is a bold move, but that is what THD is know for... bold moves.
Best First Novel
Big City, Bad Blood - Sean Chercover
In the Woods - Tana French
The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz
Head Games - Craig MacDonald
The Blade Itself - Marcus Sakey
I think this is a pretty easy call. The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey will win this category. No contest. See what I mean about bold moves.
Best Paperback OriginalQueenpin - Megan Abbott
Slide - Ken Bruen & Jason Starr
Blood of Paradise - David Corbett
Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues - Robert Fate
A Thousand Bones - P.J. Parrish
I've got Queenpin for the Barry, so I going with Bruen, Starr and Slide. They produced some good funk music back in 1978. And everyone has been talking about their latest LP. I'll go with the Robert Fate book as a close runner-up.
Full nominations are here for the Barry Awards. My kickback to The Rap Sheet is in the mail.
Best Novel
Soul Patch - Reed Farrel Coleman
The Unquiet - John Connolly
Down River - John Hart
Dirty Martini - J.A. Konrath
What the Dead Know, - Laura Lippman
Red Cat - Peter Spiegelman
Super tough category. I think it comes down to Soul Patch or Red Cat, call them co-favorites for right now. I must be nuts to pick against Ms. Lippman twice. TWICE! This 'bold moves' initiative can really lead to some stupid choices.
Best First NovelMissing Witness - Gordon Campbell
Big City, Bad Blood - Sean Chercover
In the Woods - Tana French
The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz
The Collaborator of Bethlehem - Matt Beynon Rees
The Blade Itself - Marcus Sakey
If one author is going to do the double it is going to be Marcus Sakey and that is why he is my pick here. Four out of the five Anthony noms are here, plus the Edgar nominated Missing Witness. Good list.
Best Paperback Original:
Queenpin- Megan Abbott
Black Widow Agency - Felicia Donovan
Choke Point - Jay MacLarty
The Mark - Jason Pinter
Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand - Fred Vargas
Who is Conrad Hirst - Kevin Wignall
I would kill to see Jason Pinter's The Mark win here, but I really like the Vargas book to win here. The smart, safe pick is Queenpin.
And in closing the Dagger Nominations. I have read a grand total of zero of these books. THD is including them here to seem more cosmopolitan and less xenophobic.
The Duncan Lawrie International DaggerThe Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson
Loraine Connection - Dominique Manotti
A Deal with the Devil - Martin Suter
The Night's Foul Work - Fred Vargas
Again I have read none of these books, but the buzz on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been enormous. Now press doesn't equal awards, but it don't hurt. Second favorite to Ms. Vargas, cause I like women with male names.
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
Ritual - Mo Hayder
I See You - Gregg Hurwitz
Shatter - Michael Robotham
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
The Echelon Vendetta - David Stone
Not to beat a dead horse but if press equals awards then Child 44 has this in a walk away. I remember enjoying Michael Robotham's first book, Suspect. Only Child 44 is in my to be read pile. All of the rest have intriguing plot summaries though. The Robotham and Hurwitz are likely going to end up in a to be read pile at some point.
The John Creasey DaggerThe Night of the Mi'raj - Zoe Ferraris
Die With Me - Elena Forbes
Absolution - Caro Ramsay
The Bethlehem Murders - Matt Rees
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
I suspect that this is where Mr. Smith's Child 44 will receive its reward. I quick scan for plot summaries and press leave me with the vague feeling that Ms. Ferraris's and Mr. Rees also have a good shot at it, but really this is Child 44 to lose.
More than anything I have my fingers crossed that those book yet to be released in the US will find an American publisher soon... so I can read them. The exchange rate is just terrible right now so THD will have to wait.
I have a little more to say about these noms, especially the Barry and Anthony awards. I'll save it for the announcement of the winners at the B'Con in October.
Comments
Felicia Donovan
The Black Widow Agency
Spun Tales
www.feliciadonovan.com