THE ANTHONY AWARDS

The next batch of writing awards go to the winners of the Anthonies, named for Anthony Boucher, the late mystery writer, reviewer and editor. An annual convention, the Bouchercon, has been held every year in a U.S. city since 1970. The 2015 conference will be October 8-11 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Unlike other awards, Anthony winners are chosen during the conference by the members who are creators and fans of mystery and detective fiction. Nominees, however, are chosen in advance, and this year they are:

Best Novel

LAMENTATION. Joe Clifford. Oceanview Publishing
THE SECRET PLACE. Tana French. Viking
AFTER I’M GONE. Laura Lippman. William Morrow
THE LONG WAY HOME. Louise Penny. Minotaur
TRUTH BE TOLD. Hank Phillippi Ryan. Forge

Best First Novel

BLESSED ARE THE DEAD. Kristi Belcamino. Witness Impulse
ICE SHEAR. M.P. Cooley. William Morrow
INVISIBLE CITY. Julia Dahl. Minotaur
THE LIFE WE BURY. Allen Eskens. Seventh Street
THE BLACK HOUR. Lori Rader-Day. Seventh Street

Best Paperback Original

STAY WITH ME. Alison Gaylin. Harper
THE KILLER NEXT DOOR. Alex Marwood. Penguin
THE DAY SHE DIED. Catriona McPherson. Midnight Ink
WORLD OF TROUBLE. Ben H. Winters. Quirk
NO STONE UNTURNED. James W. Ziskin. Seventh Street

Best Critical or Non-Fiction Work

THE FIGURE OF THE DETECTIVE. Charles Brownson. McFarland
DEATH DEALER. Kate Clark Flora. New Horizon.
DRU’S BOOK MUSINGS. Dru Ann Love. Dru’sbookmusings.com
POE-LAND. J. W. Ocker. Countryman.
WRITES OF PASSAGE. Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ed. Henery Press

Best Short Story

HONEYMOON SWEET. The Bouchercon Anthology 2014. Craig Faustus Buck. (Down and Out)
THE SHADOW KNOWS. Chesapeake Crimes. Barb Goffman. (Wildside)
HOWLING AT THE MOON. Ellery Queen Mystery Mag. Paul D. Marks
(Dell)
OF DOGS AND DECEIT. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Mag. John Shepphird. (Dell)
THE ODDS ARE AGAINST US. Ellery Queen Mystery Mag. Art Taylor (Dell)

Best Anthology or Collection

FACE-OFF. David Baldacci, Ed. Simon & Schuster.
MURDER AT THE BEACH. Bouchercon Anthology 2014. Dana Cameron, Ed. Down and Out.
TROUBLE IN THE HEARTLAND. Crime Fiction Inspired by songs of Bruce Springsteen. Joe Clifford, Ed. Gutter.
IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. Laurie King & Leslie Klinger, Eds. Pegasus Crime.
CAROLINA CRIMES. Karen Pullen, Ed. Wildside.

Since 1989, a “Lifetime Achievement Award” has also been given at Bouchercon. Some of the winners were Donald Westlake, Robert Parker, Lawrence Block, Lee Child, Sara Paretsky, and Sue Grafton. In 2015, it will be presented to Margaret Maron.

Of the 25 authors of books or stories this year, 11 were women, with a possible two more if initials disguised the gender. Whether a man or woman, J. W. Ocker’s POE-LAND, has already won the Edgar and is nominated for an Anthony. The most winning novels by a publisher was three by Seventh Street. I was also pleased by the nomination of the collection, IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, since my series of stories featuring the great detective is already up on Amazon and a launch will be held soon.