Skip to main content

2008 Crime Writers Association Awards

Announcement of the 2008 Crime Writers Association Awards was made last week. THD's delay in highlighting these awards has everything to do with the 8 trillion degree heat that has made its way through Western New York. In an effort to go green this year the THD offices are not air conditioned. Spending time in front of the computer was more than we could manage. That and the fact that THD has been watching the third season of Lost in and effort to catch up with the season 5 premiere in January.

We posted a few of our picks for the CWA awards about a month ago. We've linked to each of the awards and what we love about this is the inclusion of Judge's notes. Short of publishing the actual tally of votes this is fascinating insight into why the book won.

Duncan Lawrie Dagger
Blood From Stone - Frances Fyfield
The Tin Roof Blowdown - James Lee Burke
Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill
Night Work - Steve Hamilton
What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman
A Vengeful Longing - RN Morris

THD did not make a pick in this category. And we are not sure why.

International Duncan Lawrie Dagger
Lorraine Connection - Dominique Manotti
The Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larrson
A Deal with the Devil - Martin Suter
A Night's Foul Work - Fred Vargas

We went with the high publicized The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with the Ms. Vargas as our second favorite. Oh well....

Ian Flemming Steel Dagger
Child 44 - Thom Rob Smith
The Echelon Vendetta - David Stone
Ritual - Mo Hayder
I See You - Gregg Hurwitz
Shatter - Michael Robotham

THD made no definitive pick in this category but we certainly favored the eventual winner. The judges also 'highly commended' David Stone's book.

John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
The Bethlehem Murders - Matt Rees
The Night of the Mi'raj - Zoe Ferraris
Die With Me - Elena Forbes
Absolution - Caro Ramsay
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith

Again THD gave a vague nod to Child 44, but we did mention Mr. Rees' fine novel.

Awards were also announced in the Non-fiction Category and Short Story Category. The Dagger in the Library is an award given for "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users." And finally the Debut Dagger is for unpublished works.

THD extends our congratulations to all of the nominees and winners. THD encourages everyone to read these books. Many have already been released for the US market. For those that have not Amazon UK and The Book Depository (Free Shipping Worldwide!) are available.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Very Best of Mr. Dennis Lehane

I thought this post would appear in October. Ya, know when SHUTTER ISLAND: THE MOVIE was supposed to be released. And then it wasn't. Something about Leo not being able to do 'press' for the movie. Doesn't really matter the reason, a February release date has one of those fancy Hollywood meanings: Not Good. Look I'll be honest, I didn't connect with SHUTTER ISLAND. I loved the fifties setting, the haunted house atmosphere, and impending doom of the Hurricane. Even the set-up of the story was intriguing but how it played out just didn't work for me. Some interesting characters, a bunch of great set pieces, but the ending announces itself with an expected, thud that went nowhere. Am I still going to the movie? Its Lehane, Scorsese, Leo, and Ruffalo of course I am. Anyway the list. 8. Prayers for Rain - 1999 The last Kenzie-Gennaro book follows our heroes as they investigate a guy who is terrorizing women into committing suicide. The book played like an episo

Small Mercies - The Return of Dennis Lehane

 A time honored tradition at The Hungry Detective HQ is to perform the twice annual, and largely ceremonial, 'Dennis Lehane New book 20XX" Google search. Nothing comes up on his long abandoned Website, except notification of the script work for his television and film projects.  Grousing aside, 2022 was a big year for Mr. Lehane. BLACK BIRD, a show he created, played on Apple+ to solid acclaim. The show's star, Paul Walter Hauser, won a Golden Globe. But despite that I have yet to watch it. Not for any other reason than I am a movie person more than a TV person. The TV I do watch is watched in an arcane order that is difficult to decipher and even more baffling to explain. Short story, I need to watch ANDOR [Editor's Note: Slow going on ANDOR despite everyone telling me it is amazing.] And then BLACK BIRD, or maybe SLOW HORSES. I'll get there...  Anyway at the dead end of 2022, I did the search. Found out he wrote a book. SMALL MERCIES . I was excited to hear it. I

A Fogotten Post: A Remembrance

[Editor's Note: Started this missive, never came back to it. Still relevant, I suppose.] I am reading MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY by Nev Marsh. This was... technically still is... on my to buy pile. In the before time... the overwhelming to be read pile time... I would have bought this and thrown it on the shelf to read in the near or more likely distant future. I hope I like it enough to buy the second in the series. Buying a book is fun, buying a book that is good is better. [Editor's Note: Abandoned this book, unfinished.] BLACKTOP WASTELAND - S.A. COSBY So glad I didn't buy this last summer. Good decision to put off buying and reading what would have certainly been one of the best books of the year. New goal for the remaining 2021 calendar. Don't be dumb. Buy Mr. Cosby's follow up and read day one! [Editor's Note: I did buy a signed copy of RAZORBLADE  TEARS, meanwhile B.W. won every award, except the Edgar where it wasn't even nominated!? Also Signed firsts of