Mystery Melange

The Los Angeles Times announced the finalists for its annual Book Prizes. The nominees in the Mystery/Thriller category include: Richard Crompton, Hour of the Red God; Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo's Calling; John Grisham, Sycamore Row; Gene Kerrigan, The Rage; and Ferdinand von Schirach, The Collini Case.

Finalists for the Audie Awards, handed out by the Audio Publishers Association for excellence in audio books, were announced last week. Mystery Scene Magazine noted the lists for the Mystery and Thriller/Suspense categories.

Open Road Media listed several worthy Mysteries for Black History Month for you to investigate.

The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes has landed at the COSI Center of Science and Technology in Columbus, Ohio, with a run through September 8. The show brings the world of Sherlock Holmes to life with interactive exhibits that allow visitors to become Holmes' eyes and ears as he tackles a new case, using investigative tools and techniques from Holmes himself. Other exhibits include original manuscripts, publications, period artifacts, film and television props and costumes and other interactive crime-solving opportunities.

Mike Ripley writes the entertaining and informative "Getting Away with Murder" column for Shots eZine, but he is also an author in his own right. Telos Crime just released a new edition of his 1989 novel Angel Touch to mark the 25th anniversary of the title winning the first ever Last Laugh Award created by the Crime Writers Association to celebrate comedy in crime writing.

The weekly crime poem at the 5-2 is "Your Voice" by Lauren McBride.

Margot Kinberg's Anthology, In a Word: Murder, which was originally published as an ebook to raise money for the late blogger/crime fiction promoter Maxine Clark's preferred charity (the Princess Alice Hospice), is now available in paperback form.

The Q&A roundup this week includes Benedict Jones taking Paul D. Brazill's "Short, Short Interview" challenge; Hank Phillippi Ryan interviews fellow author Nancy Pickard for the Sisters in Crime New England blog; Dave Zeltserman chatted with LitVote about his award-winning short stories and novels; and Crime Watch featured "9mm: An interview with William Cook."

One sad note this week: Nancy Robertson Bell, author of the Jackson Crain and Biggie Weatherford series, has died at the age of 81 in her home state of Texas.