Mystery Melange

Yesterday, the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers announced that this year's recipient of the Hammett Prize is Richard Lange for Angel Baby. The award is given to literary excellence in the field of crime writing by a U.S. or Canadian author and was handed out at what was to be the very last (alas) Bloody Words conference. The other finalists were Cataract City: A Novel, by Craig Davidson; Green Light for Murder, by Heywood Gould; Caught, by Lisa Moore; and The Double, by George P. Pelecanos.

The Crime Writers of Canada announced the Arthur Ellis Awards last week. The Best novel award went to Seán Haldane for The Devil’s Making; Best First Novel to J. Kent Messum for Bait; Best Novella to Melodie Campbell, The Goddaughter’s Revenge; Best Short Story, Twist Phelan, "Footprints in Water," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine; Best Book in French, Maureen Martineau,  L’enfant promis; Best Juvenile/YA, Elizabeth MacLeod, Bones Never Lie; and Best Unpublished First Novel (Unhanged Arthur) to Rachel Greenaway, Cold Girl.

The International Crime Fiction seminar at Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, is taking place June 13-14. Author Declan Burke has a bit more about the event and some of the best-selling authors who will be in attendance.

All Due Respect, a quarterly digital and hard copy magazine, is looking for crime stories of at least 2,000 words for their next issue. ADR also sends accepted stories for consideration in the annual Best American Mystery Stories series, the O. Henry Awards, and the Spinetingler Awards. (Hat tip to Sandra Seamans.)

Spy novelist David Ignatius described his four favorite spy cities for the Omnivoracious blog.

Colleen Collins, who co-authored How to Write a Dick and operates the Guns, Gams & Gumshoes blog, wrote about the "First U.S. Female Private Eye: Kate Warne," for Digital Book Today.

CNN reported on how libraries are being reinvented for "hanging out, messing around and geeking out" for teens, especially in low-income communities, to promote creativity, critical thinking and hands-on learning.

Is this the beginning of the turnaround for the troubled Nook eReader? Barnes & Noble is going to offer a co-branded Nook with Samsung.

The Collins English Dictionary solicited Twitter users to suggest and vote on a new (and currently in use) word to add to the tome. The winner: "Adorkable,"  defined as: "adj slang socially inept or unfashionable in a charming or endearing way [blend of ADORABLE and DORK]."

This week's featured crime poem at the 5-2 is "Joy Wears a Stocking Mask" by Catherine Wald, and the weekly pulp story at Beat to a Pulp is "Miracle on 191st Street" by Steve Romagnoli.

In the Q&A roundup, Joshua Swainston stops by Paul D. Brazill's blog for a "Short, Sharp Interview"; Matthew Quirk chatted with The Mystery People about his latest thriller, The Directive; and Glass Key Award-winning author Jørn Lier Horst was interviewed by Crime Fiction Lover about his writing and his life as a police officer.