Mystery Melange

Crime Fiction Lover revealed the shortlists for its annual Crime Fiction Awards, "a special celebration at the end of the year that honours the finest our beloved genre has to offer." The nominations were submitted by readers, and all the thousands of nominations were then checked over by the blog's editorial team. The winner of each category will be determined by a vote among readers, plus the editors will also give an Editor’s Choice award. The online ballot closes at noon UK time on Wednesday, December 2.

Voting has also begun for the annual Goodreads Choice Awards, including titles in the Mystery & Thriller category. You can see all the twenty opening round finalists and vote for your favorites via this link.


Michael Bracken, a four time Derringer Award recipient and distinguished author of more than 1,300 short stories, will discuss his six key elements in writing short fiction, from capturing the reader’s attention to ending with impact, in a Zoom presentation on November 14 ET at noon. For registration and more information about the event, sponsored by the Wisconsin Chapter of Sisters in Crime, follow this link.


There are a couple of "noir" themed crime fiction conferences this weekend. Iceland Noir returns to Reykjavik, Iceland this weekend, with special guest Arnaldur Indriðason, Lee Child, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Alex North / Steve Mosby, Makoto Yukimura, Lucy Foley, Chris Chibnall and many more. Plus, Venice Noir in Venice, Italiy, will feature presentations by special guests Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, David Hewson, Erin Kelly, Clare Mackintosh, Denise Mina, Abir Mukherjee, Barbara Nadel, Ambrose Parry, Ian Rankin, Lucy Worsley, and more. If you're lucky enough to be in the area for either of those events, tickets are still available.


Mystery Writers of America will present their next MWA University session on November 18th at 8pm EST via Zoom. Titled "Once Upon a Crime: Bringing Historical Mysteries to Life," the event will feature L.A. Chandlar with a master class on crafting historical mysteries that immerse readers in another era while keeping them turning pages. Explore how to weave research and your own unique flair into a compelling story, create characters shaped by their times, and build clues and investigations that fit a world before modern forensics. L.A. Chandlar is the author of the Lane Sanders Mystery Series.and has been nominated for the Agatha, Lefty, Macavity, and Anthony Awards; winner of Suspense Magazine's Crimson Scribe and the Guides Association of NY Apple Award.


Kirkus Reviews is out now with its 10 choices for the "Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2026." The Rap Sheet also noted two additional "best of 2026" lists from prominent British booksellers Blackwell’s and Waterstones.


Kevin Tipple's Thursday Treats column has news of the launch of the new anthology, Gritmas 2: 14 Sinister Tales Inside, with proceeds going to Feed the Children; Unloaded: Volume 3 (now available for pre-order at Amazon in advance of the November 17th publication date), in which the 21 tales share the common thread of no guns involved; Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium, also now available via pre-order, and much more.
 

Short Mystery Fiction President, Joseph S. Walker, posted an updated "Cornucopia of Great Reads" news from the short crime fiction community, including more about the last issue of Black Cat Weekly and its follow-on publication, Black Cat Mysteries; the new SMFS Mystery Magazine which just published its first issue; the release of the 2026 edition of The Best American Mystery and Suspense, edited by Megan Abbott and Steph Cha, and much more.


This week's crime poem up at the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly is "4VC51N6 817C#" by Kathrine Varnes.


In the Q&A roundup, Stephanie Wrobel, whose debut, Darling Rose Gold, was short-listed for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Revenge Plot; Crime Fiction Lover chatted with German architect-turned crime author C Trojan about his debut thriller, The Null Archive; and in a "blast from the past," The Bunburyist posted a link to a 1969 interview with The Today Show's Hugh Downs and author James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity) discussing violence in novels and on TV,  reactions to his work, and the reason he left Hollywood.