Mystery Melange

 

The University of Alabama School of Law has named the finalists for the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The three books chosen to compete for the prize are: The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey; The Hallows by Victor Methos; and An Equal Justice by Chad Zunker. The prize, previously authorized by Lee, is given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. Candice Robbins, Assistant Dean for Advancement at the Law School, said "The books represent a diverse offering in legal fiction, from a historical mystery series written by Massey, to a sharp legal thriller by Methos, and, finally, a fast-paced novel that explores the crisis of homelessness in the United States by Zunker."

The shortlist was announced for the Glass Key Award. The award, named after the novel, The Glass Key, by American crime writer Dashiell Hammett, is a real glass key given every year by the members of the Crime Writers of Scandinavia to a crime novel written by a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish author. Each country's members put forth a candidate novel, making up the shortlist, which this year includes: Dødfunden (Found Dead) by Gretelise Holm (Denmark); Den åttonde tärnan (The Eight Bridesmaid) by Eva Frantz (Finland); Svik (Betrayal) by Lilja sigurðardóttir (Iceland); Kniv (Knife) by Jo Nesbø (Norway); and Skuggjägaren (Shadow Hunter) by Camilla Grebe (Sweden). The winner will be announced in August.

2020 Goldsbsoro Books Glass Bell Award shortlist includes a critically acclaimed debut, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s darkly comic My Sister, the Serial Killer, about a woman who must cover up her younger sister’s habit of killing her boyfriends. Also on the shortlist is Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, a historical thriller about the horrors of the slave trade. The prize rewards "compelling storytelling with brilliant characterisation and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realised" in all genres. The winner will be announced on Thursday, 2nd July and awarded £2,000 and a handmade, engraved glass bell.

The Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance announced finalists for the Maine Literary Awards. This year, the awards will be live-streamed at 7 p.m. May 28 on Zoom. The alliance received more than 150 books and 135 short works, according to executive director Gibson Fay-LeBlanc. The Crime Fiction finalists are: Gerry Boyle, Random Act; Katherine Hall Page, The Body in the Wake; and Joseph Souza, Pray for the Girl.

The CWA have announced the longlist for the 2020 Margery Allingham Competition and will pare it down to the shortlist and the winner over the coming weeks. Their mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, one that fits into legendary crime writer’s definition of what makes a great story: "The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it."

Due to the pandemic this year, International Thriller Writers canceled the in-person ThrillerFest Conference at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, but they just announced there will be a virtual conference July 6 - July 14. Attendees will be treated to an outstanding array of guests and publishing professionals, including a Free Debut Authors' Presentation, Free ITW Author Videos, and a Free Awards Presentation. The usual Mega CraftFest, Master Class, Pitching Sessions, Consulting Sessions, and CareerFest will also all be offered this July. For more information and to register, follow this link.

The Scottish National Library is lifting the lid on a vast archive donated by crime author Ian Rankin. The collection, which fills 77 boxes in the National Library’s collection centre, includes an unpublished first novel by Rankin, original manuscripts, song lyrics, poems, and more. Highlights from the collection will be showcased in a major exhibition next year. One fun fact: the documents reveal Rankin considered killing his iconic Inspector Rebus in the very first novel.

It's Crime Reading Month in the UK, but it's also Crime Writing Month in Canada. Here's a list of 22 Canadian thrillers and mysteries to read to celebrate.

From the growing ranks of the literary fraud world, we recently learned that a French serial-killer expert whose books about murderers have sold millions, admits serial lies, including the murder of an imaginary wife.

Does lockdown provide the perfect conditions for a murder? Agatha Christie's biographer, Laura Thompson, weighs in.

TV often shows psychopaths as being violent and deadly; but you may have one living next door and never know.

Apparently, virtual murder-mystery dinners during lockdown are a thing.

The Page 69 test this week featured Kate White's Have You Seen Me: A Novel of Suspense.

The latest crime poem at the 5-2 Weekly is "Flawless Conviction" by William L. Domme.

In the Q&A roundup, Author Interviews chatted with Timothy Hallinan, who has been awarded the Lefty for Best Humorous Crime Novel and also nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity, the Nero, and the Shamus, about the ninth and final book in his Bangkok series, Street Music; the Irish Mirror spoke with Val McDermid on how observation is key to her success; Lesa's Book Critiques hosted Arthur Ellis Award winner, A.J. Devlin to chat about his new novel, Rolling Thunder; Abby L. Vandiver, writing as Abby Collette, discussed the first book in her new series, A Deadly Inside Scoop; and On the Bookshelf welcomed Hannah Mary McKinnon to talk about her new thriller, Sister Dear.