Mystery Melange

I missed this bit of news earlier, but the shortlist for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was announced. This year's finalists include: Frances Crawford, A Bad, Bad Place (Transworld); Linda Duncan McLaughlin, Original Sins (Into Books); Kirsty Lockwood, We Know What You Did (Orion); Zoë Rankin, The Vanishing Place (Viper); and May Rinaldi, Liar Thief (Black Spring).


The winner of the 2026 The Louie Award for fast fiction crime writing is Richard Morton for his story, "Low Tide." The Louie Award complements the Australian Crime Writers Association’s long standing and internationally recognized Ned Kelly Awards, Australia’s premier awards for crime writing and is sponsored by Dr. Antonio Di Dio in celebration of his late father Luigi. Submissions are limited to 500 words and must be centered around the theme of the year, which in 2026 was "bubble."


There will be a Noir at the Bar at the Kensington Club on Adams Avenue in San Diego, California, on July 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Mystery and thriller authors currently scheduled to read from their works include Marc Carlos, Jonathan Maberry, David Putnam, Caitlin Rother, Terry Shames, Michael A Stetz, and Jaime Parker Stickle.


There will also be a Noir at the Bar in association with the upcoming Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, UK, on Thursday, July 23, starting at 4pm. Authors taking part include D.V. Bishop, Elle Blair, Heather Fitt, Helen Jones, Theresa Loughrey, Shane McGinley, Cationa McPherson, T.H. Murdock, Nell Pattison, Kay Wilson, and Cat Yaffe.

A new interactive exhibit, Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition, is currently on view in Prague at the Bílá Labuť Gallery in Florenc. Visitors can explore original manuscripts, historical documents and numerous exhibits, as well as try a range of interactive stations. Instead of a traditional exhibition guide, they receive a notebook full of clues and become investigators themselves. Among the highlights is a recreation of the legendary apartment of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson at 221B Baker Street in London. Other sections of the exhibition focus on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the development of forensic science, and the historical background that inspired the author to create his world-famous stories. A dedicated area also explores Sherlock Holmes' influence on popular culture, with historic games, comics, magazines, radio scripts, and original film props and costumes from productions by Warner Bros. and the successful television series Sherlock (BBC) and Elementary (CBS). The exhibition continues until January 10, 2027


Level Best Books announced the formation of Level Best Books UK, a wholly owned subsidiary based in London to be led by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Publisher and CEO of Level Best Books, and internationally acclaimed mystery author Martin Edwards, who will serve together as Co-Directors. Edwards is author of twenty-five novels and numerous works of nonfiction and has received many of the mystery world's highest honors, including the Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers' Association, as well as serving as President of the legendary Detection Club. As Co-Director, Edwards will help strengthen relationships with British authors, booksellers, reviewers, literary organizations, festivals, and readers while assisting in identifying opportunities to expand Level Best's presence throughout the UK mystery market.


The Maine Crime Writers blog celebrated a milestone this past week. Fifteen years ago, in July, 2011, a group crime fiction authors based in Maine banded together to talk about all things mystery. In commemoration of the anniversary, they posted a conversation held back in the beginning about crime writers and research with contributing authors that include: Kate Flora, Sarah Graves, Gerry Boyle, James Hayman , Barbara Ross, Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson, Vicki Doudera, and Paul Doiron.


Registration is open for the International Thriller Writers (ITW) 3th Annual Online Thriller School, September-October. The program includes sixteen sessions spread over eight weeks taught by bestselling authors and industry professionals who will give insights into setting, suspense, structure, editing, characters, point of view, voice, promo and publicity, and more. Participating authors include Oyinkan Braithwaite, Eli Cranor, Benjamin Dreyer, Robert Dugoni, Rob Hart, Gregg Hurwitz, Steven James, Donald Maass, John Marrs, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Orna Ross, John Russell, and Stacey Willingham.


This week's crime poem up at the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly is "Tax Exempt" by David Anson Lee.


In the Q&A roundup, author and journalist, Bryan Gruley, Edgar-nominated author of seven novels and one award-winning work of nonfiction, applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, River Deep, featuring Bitterfrost Detective Garth Klimmek; Gregg Hurwitz stopped by NPR to discuss his new thriller, The Delivery, about a family who gains a humanoid personal assistant who knows too much and not enough; James Ellroy chatted with The Radio Times about his latest novel, Red Sheet, somewhat tongue-in-cheek referring to himself as the "King of American crime fiction and the greatest American crime writer ever"; and Ian Rankin (Inspector Rebus series) spoke with The Irish Examiner about aging, West Cork, Rory Gallagher, and his favorite books of all time.