I was remiss last week, and didn’t share the Lefty Award nominees with all of you. Since the 2021 Edgar Award nominees were announced yesterday, I thought I’d share both now.
First, here’s the press release from Mystery Writers of America about the Edgar nominees.
January 25, 2021, New York, NY – Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce, as we celebrate the 212th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the nominees for the 2021 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2020. The 75th Annual Edgar® Awards will be celebrated on April 29, 2021.
BEST NOVEL
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara (Penguin Random House – Random House)
Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney (Poisoned Pen Press)
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Penguin Random House – Pamela Dorman Books)
These Women by Ivy Pochoda (HarperCollins Publishers – Ecco)
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
The Distant Dead by Heather Young (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March (Minotaur Books)
Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen (Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books)
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (HarperCollins Publishers – Ecco)
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman (Blackstone Publishing)
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
The Keeper by Jessica Moor (Penguin Random House – Penguin Books)
East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper 360)
BEST FACT CRIME
Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley (W.W. Norton & Company)
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg (Hachette Book Group – Hachette Books)
Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight Against the Drug Companies that Delivered the Opioid Epidemic by Eric Eyre (Simon & Schuster – Scribner)
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch (Penguin Random House – Random House)
Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife by Ariel Sabar (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club edited by Martin Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper360/Collins Crime Club)
Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press)
Ian Rankin: A Companion to the Mystery & Fiction by Erin E. MacDonald (McFarland)
Guilt Rules All: Irish Mystery, Detective, and Crime Fiction by Elizabeth Mannion & Brian Cliff (Syracuse University Press)
This Time Next Year We’ll be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear (Soho Press)
BEST SHORT STORY
“The Summer Uncle Cat Came to Stay,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Leslie Elman (Dell Magazines)
“Dust, Ash, Flight,” Addis Ababa Noir by Maaza Mengiste (Akashic Books)
“Fearless,” California Schemin’ by Walter Mosley (Wildside Press)
“Etta at the End of the World,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Joseph S. Walker (Dell Magazines)
“The Twenty-Five Year Engagement,” In League with Sherlock Holmes by James W. Ziskin (Pegasus Books – Pegasus Crime)
BEST JUVENILE
Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Workman Publishing – Algonquin Young Readers)
Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Penguin Random House Canada – Puffin Canada)
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (HarperCollins Children’s Books – Katherine Tegen Books)
Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor (Penguin Young Readers – Viking BFYR)
Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage (Random House Children’s Books – Crown BFYR)
Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders (Sourcebooks Young Readers)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
The Companion by Katie Alender (Penguin Young Readers – G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR)
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown BFYR)
They Went Left by Monica Hesse (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown BFYR)
Silence of Bones by June Hur (Macmillan Children’s Books – Feiwel & Friends)
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus (Penguin Random House – Delacorte Press)
BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“Episode 1, The Stranger” – Harlan Coben’s The Stranger, Written by Danny Brocklehurst (Netflix)
“Episode 1, Open Water” – The Sounds, Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1, Photochemistry” – Dead Still, Written by John Morton (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1” – Des, Written by Luke Neal (Sundance Now)
“What I Know” – The Boys, Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson (Amazon)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD
“The Bite,” Tampa Bay Noir by Colette Bancroft (Akashic Books)
* * * * * *
THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur Books)
The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart (Minotaur Books)
The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge Books)
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton (Minotaur Books)
* * * * * *
THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
The Burn by Kathleen Kent (Hachette Book Group – Mulholland Books)
Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King (Penguin Random House – Ballantine Books)
Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery by Rosalie Knecht (Tin House Books)
Dead Land by Sara Paretsky (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
The Sleeping Nymph by Ilaria Tuti (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
Turn to Stone by James W. Ziskin (Start Publishing – Seventh Street Books)
* * * * * *
SPECIAL AWARDS
GRAND MASTER
Jeffery Deaver
Charlaine Harris
RAVEN AWARD
Malice Domestic
ELLERY QUEEN AWARD
Reagan Arthur, Publisher – Alfred A. Knopf
Here are the Lefty Award nominees.
Because of the pandemic, the 2021 Left Coast Crime convention has been rescheduled for 2022. Everything else may have changed but the Lefty Awards continue! Left Coast Crime will be presenting four Lefty Awards in 2021: humorous, historical, debut, and best. This year, the awards will be voted on virtually and presented online April 10, 2021.
The award nominees have just been selected by registrants at the last in-person convention in San Diego and the next one scheduled for Albuquerque in April 2022. LCC is delighted to announce the 2021 Lefty nominees for books published in 2020.
Lefty Nominees for Best Humorous Mystery Novel
- Ellen Byron, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard (Crooked Lane Books)
- Jennifer J. Chow, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Berkley Prime Crime)
- Carl Hiaasen, Squeeze Me (Alfred A. Knopf)
- Cynthia Kuhn, The Study of Secrets (Henery Press)
- J. Michael Orenduff, The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing Aakenbaaken & Kent)
- Sung J. Woo, Skin Deep (Agora Books)
Lefty Nominees for Best Historical Mystery Novel for books set before 1970
- Susanna Calkins, The Fate of a Flapper (Minotaur Books)
- Dianne Freeman, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (Kensington Books)
- Laurie R. King, Riviera Gold (Bantam Books)
- Catriona McPherson, The Turning Tide (Quercus)
- Ann Parker, Mortal Music (Poisoned Pen Press)
- James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)
Lefty Nominees for Best Debut Mystery Novel
- Daisy Bateman, Murder Goes to Market (Seventh Street Books)
- Mary Keliikoa, Derailed (Camel Press)
- Erica Ruth Neubauer, Murder at the Mena House (Kensington Books)
- Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)
- Halley Sutton, The Lady Upstairs (Putnam)
- David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts (Ecco)
Lefty Nominees for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories)
- Tracy Clark, What You Don’t See (Kensington Books)
- S.A. Cosby, Blacktop Wasteland (Flatiron Books)
- Matt Coyle, Blind Vigil (Oceanview Publishing)
- Rachel Howzell Hall, And Now She’s Gone (Forge)
- Louise Penny, All the Devils Are Here (Minotaur Books)
If it were up to me, these awards would be covered like the Oscars or the Emmys, or The Golden Globes.
In our world, Glen, these awards are more important.
I apparently don’t read books that get nominated for awards. Between the two lists I’ve read one book and have another on my TBR pile.
I did better than I usually do, Sandy. I’ve read nine. Usually, I’ve read more of the Lefty Awards. In the long run, though, what’s more important is that we liked the books we did read, whether or not they were award nominees.
Thanks for this, Lesa. I must admit I haven’t read many and, as usual with the Edgars, some of their nominees and omissions are head-scratchers. I recommend the Osman and Hiaasen and S. A, Cosby and Weiden books.
I had a friend tell me, Jeff, that he was surprised at the omission of S.A. Cosby from the Edgars list. What can I say? I was on the Best Mystery Committee for Library Journal. Most of our selections are on one of these lists or the other, but two of my selections are not. Every committee is different.
I am zero reads on both lists. Sadly, again this year, the Tipple Magnificent Read of Excellence Award is ignored. I need a sponsor. I thought the National Sarcasm Society was going to do it, but they have no funding because so many folks have been abducted into the Broom Society of America and humor, much like magic and forest fairies, is in short supply in the US.
I miss humor, magic, and forest fairies, Kevin. Darn. I wish there was more of it.
Thank you for the laugh, Kevin! Which book would be the winner of your award?
Yikes, I have read two out of the list, have another on my Kindle and three on hold at the library. There are some I have never heard of and I read a lot of reviews and blogs. George Easter of Deadly Pleasures usually has a problem with some of the nominations. Be interesting to see what he has to say
I will say, Jeannette, there’s been a lot of buzz this year about all the titles nominated for Best Novel for the Edgars, except The Distant Dead. In my opinion, the one I haven’t heard much about is usually the one that wins.
I loved Next Year We Will Be Laughing…and I put a YA on my library list…but usually those nominated are not on my preferred reading list!