Mystery Melange

I'm a bit behind in noting this, but the finalists were announced for the Maine Book Award for Crime Fiction, including Claire Ackroyd, Body in the Blueberry Barrens; Robert T. Kelley, Raven; Kathryn Lasky, A Slant of Light; and Sara Sligar, Vantage Point. The winners will be revealed at the Maine Literary Awards in Gardiner or online on May 28.


The winners of the Minnesota Book Awards were also revealed, with The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens (Mulholland Books) winning in the Genre Fiction category. The other finalists included Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster); Broken Fields by Marcie Rendon (Soho Press/Penguin Random House); and The Codebreaker's Daughter by Amy Lynn Green (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group).

International Thriller Writers announced a new honor, the Trailblazer Award, given to members who, through extraordinary achievement, have changed the marketplace for writers. The inaugural winners include authors Andrea Bartz (We Were Never Here), Charles Graeber (The Good Nurse), and Kirk Wallace Johnson (The Feather Thief), "who took time, energy, and focus from their own creative work in order to represent every writer navigating this moment in their landmark lawsuit Bartz v. Anthropic."


The drop in reading skills of middle-schoolers is becoming an increasing concern, and author James Patterson has committed $10 million to create the Patterson Institute of Early Adolescent Literacy at Vanderbilt University. The institute, which will focus on improving literacy for students in grades four to eight, will fund academic research, provide tutoring to students, and offer professional development for teachers. Patterson previously funded an early childhood reading program at the University of Florida and wants wants to focus on letting children read more books that they like. “The objective is to get them reading and give them books to turn them on” to reading, he said.


There will be a Noir at the Bar on May 28 at Kells in Pike Place, Seattle, Washington, with Scott Andrews hosting. Authors schedule to appear and read from their work include G.G. Silverman, Jeff Ayers, Michael Fowles, Alice K. Boatwright, Robert J. Binney, J.L. Brown, and K.B. Jackson.


Another Noir at the Bar will be a pre-festival highlight before the upcoming Maine Crime Wave conference in Portland on Friday, May 29th. Hosted by Matt Cost and Jule Selbo, the night will feature a criminally phenomenal line up of writers including Tess Gerritsen, Allison Keeton, Travis Kennedy, Robert Kelley, Joanna Schaffhausen, James Ziskin, Zakariah Johnson, Gabriela Stiteler, Mo Drammeh, and Rebecca Turkewitz.


Mystery writers will take the stage at the Literary Branch panel on May 31 in the Ojai Art Center Gallery in Ojai, California, exploring the many forms of mystery and thriller fiction—from cozy to forensic to legal suspense. Featured speakers include Patricia Fry, author of the Klepto Cat and Calico Cat series; Sheila Lowe, whose real-world expertise informs her Claudia Rose mysteries; Judith Ayn, known for her legal action series; and Fiona Manning, creator of the Eleni Nina Santor series featuring a Greek-American U.S. Marshal. The panel will be followed by a reception and book signing.


Mystery Readers Journal editor, Janet Rudolph, has issued a final call for the upcoming issue themed around "Mysteries set in France." If you have a mystery that fits this theme, you can contribute an Author! Author! essay of 500–1500 words, first person, up-close and personal about yourself, your books, and the theme connection. The publication is also seeking reviews and articles. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026


Art Taylor's "The First Two Pages" blog featured DK Snyder to discuss "Home," her first story to appear in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.


This week's crime poem up at the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly is "Hegseth" by Tony Dawson.


In the Q&A roundup, Deborah Kalb spoke with Kim Sherwood, author of the new novel, Hurricane Room, the third in her Double O trilogy, based on Ian Fleming's iconic James Bond character; and Author Interviews chatted with Carmela Dutra, a Bay Area–based author, about the second book in her Food Truck Mystery Series, Hot Wings and Homicide.