Mystery Melange

Crime Writers of Canada announced the 2016 Arthur Ellis Award winners for excellence in crime fiction titles by Canadian authors:

• Best Novel: Peter Kirby, Open Season
• Best First Novel: Ausma Zehanat Khan, The Unquiet Dead
• The Lou Allen Memorial Award for Best Novella: Jeremy Bates, Black Canyon, Dark Hearts
• Best Short Story: Scott Mackay, The Avocado Kid, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
• Best Book in French: Luc Chartrand, L'Affaire Myosotis
• Best Juvenile/YA: Stephanie Tromly, Trouble is a Friend of Mine
• Best Nonfiction: Dean Jobb, Empire of Deception
• The Dundurn Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel: Jayne Barnard, When the Flood Falls
• 2016 Grand Master Winner:  Eric Wright

SleuthFest announced the Freddie Awards for Writing Excellence in two categories, Traditional, won by Melinda B. Pierce for her book Trouble in the Glades, and Hard-Boiled, won by J.D. Allen for 19 Crimes. Mystery Fanfare has a list of all the finalists.

Sisters in Crime is currently taking submissions for its annual  Eleanor Taylor Bland Award grant of $1,500 for an emerging writer of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. This grant is intended to support the recipient in activities related to crime fiction writing and career development such as workshops, conferences and retreats. Both members and nonmembers of SinC can apply.

Harlan Coben, bestselling author of the Simon Bolitar series and more, chose a list of "My six best books" for the Daily Express.

Harlan Coben also branched out into children's books, and hopefully more young Harlans out there will read for fun. But a new study also notes that boys who live with books also "earn more as adults."

It looks like the ezine Plots with Guns, founded by Anthony Neil Smith, is back online with their latest free copy featuring stories by Patricia Abbott, Rusy Barnes, Math Bird, Lesa Cantoral, Paul J. Garth, Paul Heatley, Preston Lang, and Benjamin Whitmer. Plus, new publisher Sean O'Kane is open to submissions for future editions of stories of between 2K and 10K.

Want a little more variety in your crime fiction plots? Seattle Public Librarian Linda Johns chose "Five Murder-less Mysteries to Read Now."

The New York Daily News took a look at Murder, She Wrote: Fashion 101, and how Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher "totally killed us with her amazing wardrobe," from patterned blouses to statement jewelry.

This week's crime poem at the 5-2 is "Sympathetic Magic" by Peter M. Gordon.

In the Q&A roundup, Katrina Nidas Holm interviewed Lisa Lutz about her new novel, The Passenger, for the LA Review of Books; Omnimystery News welcomed author Peter S. Fischer to discuss the latest book in his Hollywood Murder Mysteries series; Loren Estleman chatted with the Detroit Free Press about not one or two, but three new releases, including one in his crime fiction series with film archivist Valentino, as well as a Western and story collection; Craig Johnson was snared by The Mystery People to talk about latest Walt Longmire novella, The Highwayman; and John Hart stopped by Criminal Element to chat about his newest novel, Redemption Road, what he's been doing during the five years between books, and his advice to aspiring writers.