What's New - 2007 Archive

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12/27/07

»› The December/January 2008 issue of Mystery News was mailed on December 17, 2007. Lynn Kaczmarek interviews Chicago writer and Edgar winner Theresa Schwegel for our cover article. Schwegel's newest cop novel, Person of Interest, came out a few weeks ago. Marv Lachman writes about Gerogette Heyer, the grand dame of the Regency novel. Steve Miller convenes a group of the "In the beginning..." alums, catching up with Tasha Alexander, Betty Webb, Jim Winter, Chris Knopf and Con Lehane. Virginia R. Knight profiles Irish author Cora Harrison, who is the author of a couple dozen books for young readers and has now turned her hand to a new historical myster series with My Lady Judge. Tom McNulty talks with Charles Ardai about his hot publishing house, Hard Case Crime, which has been a critical and popular success. And we introduce a cool new feature called "Real to Reel" penned by Roger M. Sobin...who starts his piece with "There is the book, and there is the film. How many times have you watched a film after reading the novel or short story, and said, "They left out so much." Or, "They changed this or that..."?? Modeled after a local group that reads the book and then watches the film, and has a great time discussing them. In his first column, Roger's lens is on Laura, written by Vera Caspar y in 1942/1943 and made into a movie in 1944. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and calendar. Happy New Year!!

»› Updated the Back Issues, Authors, and Calendar pages.

12/2/07

»› Finally updated the Calendar page with many 2008 events. Also uploaded photos taken in and around Anchorage during and after Bouchercon this past fall.Updated Authors page.

10/28/07

»› The October/November 2007 issue of Mystery News was mailed on October 24, 2007. The cover interview (by Pamela Lawrence) is of Phil Rickman, whose most recent novel featuring vicar - and exorcist - Merrily Watkins is The Remains of an Altar. Marv Lachman writes about Ross Macdonald, author of the Lew Archer private eye series, who is sadly becoming forgotten. Steve Miller's back with an "In the beginning" profile of Derek Nikitas, author of Pyres, and a member of the marketing consortium known as Killer Year. Lynn inaugurates a new feature called "I Saw a Mystery", with a review of the DVD of Midsomer Murders Season Nine, while Dave Magayna reviews the audio version of Jonathon King's newest Max Freeman mystery, Acts of Nature. And in the continuing celebration of our 10th anniversary, we introduce you to more of the wonderful interesting people that contribute to Mystery News. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and convention calendar.

»› Updated the Back Issues, Authors, and Calendar pages.

8/26/07

»› The August/September 2007 issue of Mystery News was mailed on August 20, 2007. The cover interview (by Lynn Kaczmarek) is of Barbara D'Amato, who was our cover interviewee way back in August 1997 when we published the first issue of Mystery News under the Black Raven Press masthead. Marv Lachman writes about Michael Innes, pseudonym of John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, the prolific creator of John Appleby of Scotland Yard. Steve Miller's on a brief (we hope!) hiatus and so Lynn has stepped in with an "In the beginning" interview of Taylor Holden, author of the highly acclaimed The Sense of Paper. Dave Magayna reviews the audio versions of Christine Falls by Benjamin Black and The Blight Way by Patrick F. McManus. And in the continuing celebration of our 10th anniversary, we introduce you to more of the wonderful interesting people that contribute to Mystery News. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and convention calendar.

»› Updated the Back Issues, Authors, and Calendar pages.

7/27/07

»› We have a correction to one of the nominees for the Barry Award for Best Short Story. The correct name of the nominated story by Paul Halter is "The Flower Girl." Our sincere apologies to Mr. Halter for this error. If any of our readers would like to change their vote for Best Short Story, please email us at BarryAwards2007@gmail.com or fax us at 1-877-699-6080.

»› The organizers of Bouchercon 2007 have announced the nominees for the Anthony Awards, which will be presented at a banquet at Bouchercon in Anchorage on September 29, 2007. We are thrilled to be among the nominees, and to congratulate our regular contributors, Gary Warren Niebuhr and Maddy Van Hertbruggen, for their nominations. (update - winners are in blue below)

BEST NOVEL:

BEST FIRST NOVEL:

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:

BEST SHORT STORY:

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION:

SPECIAL SERVICES AWARD:

»› Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures are pleased to announce the 2007 Barry Award nominations and winners (in blue below). The Barry Awards are named for of one of the most ardent and beloved ambassadors of mystery fiction, Barry Gardner, and are voted on by the readers of Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures. The 11th Annual Barry Awards presentation took place at Bouchercon in Anchorage, Alaska in late September.

»› Macavity Awards - nominated and voted on by the membership of Mystery Readers International. Will be presented at Bouchercon. (update - winners are in blue below)

»› The CWA presented the Dagger Awards at a black tie dinner in London on July 5.

»› The winner of the CWA Short Story Award will be announced later in the year. The nominees are: (update - winner is in blue below)

»› The Wolfe Pack has announced the nominees for the 2007 Nero Award, which will be presented at the Black Orchid Banquet in New York on
December 1 (update - winner is in blue below)

»› The Quills Selection Committee has announced the nominees for the 2007 Quill Award, which will be presented on October 22 in New York. The
nominees in the Mystery/Suspense category are: (update - winner is in blue below)

»› The Agatha Awards were presented at Malice Domestic, way back in May.

6/25/07

»› I've been remiss in keeping the site updated and I'll be working diligently over the next week or so month or two to get it updated. So please accept my apologies and check back again soon.

»› The June/July 2007 issue of Mystery News was mailed on June 25, 2007. The cover interview (by Gary Warren Niebuhr) is of Michael Koryta, youngest winner of the St. Martin's/Private Eye Writers Best First PI Novel Contest in 2003, whose third novel featuring Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard, A Welcome Grave, has been getting strong reviews from the likes of Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Marv Lachman writes about Anthony Gilbert, pseudonym of Lucy Beatrice Malleson, who wrote 51 books featuring defense lawyer Arthur Crook. Steve Miller's "In the beginning" interview is of David Sundstrand, who comes to crime fiction at the other end of the spectrum from Michael Koryta - after years of teaching. Sundstrand's novel, Shadow of the Raven, tells the story of Francisco Flynn, an agent with the Bureau of Land Management. Dave Magayna goes multimedia on us with a review of the audio version of The Watchman by Robert Crais, a review of a DVD set called Writing Killer Mysteries with Kris Neri, and an invitation to join the online mystery networking venue called Crimespace. And we celebrate our 10th anniversary of publishing Mystery News with Part One of our introduction to the wonderful interesting people that contribute to Mystery News. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and convention calendar.

Updated the Back Issues, Authors, Bookstores and Calendar pages.

5/28/07

I've been remiss in keeping the site updated and I'll be working diligently over the next month or two to get it updated. So please accept my apologies and check back again soon.

The April/May 2007 issue of Mystery News was mailed on April 16, 2007. The cover interview (by Virginia R. Knight) is of Edward Marston, whose latest, The Princess of Denmark, brings Nicholas Bracewell's acting troupe to Denmark. Marston also writes under the names Keith Miles and Conrad Allen. Marv Lachman writes about Brett Halliday, whose tough-guy PI, Mike Shayne, appeared in 40 novels written by Halliday who later allowed other writers, including Dennis Lynds and Bill Pronzini, to write under the Halliday name. Cindy Tambourine makes her Mystery News interviewing debut interviewing Donna Ball, whose series featuring Raine Stockton and her search-and-rescue dog Cisco is set in the Smoky Mountains. Steve Miller's "In the beginning" interview is of Sean Chercover, whose first novel, Big City, Bad Blood, introduces PI Ray Dudgeon. Dave Magayna reviews audio book selections by John Case and Michael McGarrity. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and convention calendar.

Updated the Back Issues, Authors and Calendar pages.

2/21/07

The February/March 2007 issue of Mystery News was mailed yesterday, February 21st. Our cover interview (by Virginia R. Knight) is of Francine Mathews, whose newest thriller,The Alibi Club, takes place in the forties in Paris right before the Germans arrived. Mathews also writes the Jane Austen historical mystery series under the Stephanie Barron. Lynn Kaczmarek rediscovers Susan Dunlap, who wrote 3 different series in the 80s and 90s and is back with a new one beginning with A Single Eye. Steve Miller's "In the beginning" interview is with Henry Chang, whose Chinatown Beat was published by Soho to great acclaim in November of last year. In his Out of the Past column, Marv Lachman zeros in on Roy Vickers's body of work, including the series for which he is best known: The Department of Dead Ends. Dave Magayna reviews the audio book versions of Killing Time by Linda Howard and One Shot by Lee Child. Our annual feature of each reviewer's list of the best books they read in 2006. And, of course, our usual columns, reviews, previews and convention calendar.

Updated the Back Issues, Authors and Calendar pages.

2/4/07

News from Left Coast Crime in Seattle: Donna Moore won the Left Award for Go to Helena Handbasket (Point Blank Press), and Louise Penny won the Dilys Award for Still Life (St Martin's Minotaur).

The buzz around the convention is the news that LCC 2009 will be held in Hawaii. More details to follow - Bill and Toby Gottfried are pulling it all together.

And we have heard that the toastmaster for Bouchercon 2009 in Indianapolis will be S.J. Rozan.

1/22/07

Rest in Peace: Barbara Seranella: April 30, 1956 - January 21, 2007.

Click here for her LA Times New Year's Resolutions op-ed piece, here for a photo of Barb and the Snyder boys from Chicago Boucheron, here for her website. Damn, this is so sad.

1/21/07

Updated the Calendar page to include the Forensic University of St. Louis: 50 Ways to Catch a Killer, a conference sponsored by Sisters in Crime that will offer writers (and curious members of the public) education in all aspects of forensic science. "ForU STL" is scheduled for November 1-4, 2007, at the St. Louis Airport Hilton, St. Louis, Missouri. We'll post a web link as soon as we get one...

1/20/07

The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers has announced the nominees for the 2007 Hammett Prize:

The winner will be announced during the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Bookseller conference in Baltimore in October.

Updated the Calendar page to include the Midwinter Mystery Weekend 2007 in Cannon Beach, OR and to correct the Fan Guest of Honor and Poirot Award info for Malice Domestic. Added a link to the Bouchercon Standing Committee site.

1/19/07

The Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2007 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film published or produced in 2006. The Edgar Awards will be presented at the 61st Gala Banquet, April 26, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. (update - winners are in blue below)

BEST NOVEL

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

BEST FACT CRIME

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

BEST SHORT STORY

BEST JUVENILE

BEST YOUNG ADULT

BEST PLAY

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

BEST TELEVISION FEATURE/MINI-SERIES TELEPLAY

BEST MOTION PICTURE SCREENPLAY

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

GRAND MASTER: Stephen King

RAVEN AWARDS

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER-MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

1/13/07

Check out the very cool interview that author Naomi Hirahara did with our own Gary Warren Niebuhr. We met Gary nearly 12 years ago at the first Eyecon that he and Ted Hertel organized in Milwaukee and he's been one of our favorite people ever since.

The New England Crime Bake Committee is sponsoring the third annual short crime fiction contest in memory of Al Blanchard. The prize is $100 plus publication in Level Best Books' fifth anthology of short crime fiction. The story must be a crime story by a New England author OR with a New England setting. The winner will be a guest of the Crime Bake Committee at the New England Crime Bake, held in November, where the award will be presented in person. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007. For specific submission guidelines, visit the Crime Bake website.

Shannon Clute and Richard Edwards have put together some fascinating podcasts their www.noircast.net site. "Behind the Black Mask: Mystery Writers Revealed" is an interview show wherein authors of hard-boiled, pulp, mystery, and suspense reveal secrets about their fiction and the writing life. Past guests include Duane Swierczynski, David Corbett, and Theresa Schwegel. "Out of the Past: Investigating Film Noir" features the scholarly discussion and close reading of classic films noir and neo-noir. Movies investigated to date include Out of the Past, Double Indemnity, and The Big Sleep, as well as the neo-noir Blade Runner, Batman Begins, and The Big Lebowski.

The Bloody Words convention, scheduled to be held in Victoria, BC in June of this year, has been cancelled by the chair, Frances Thorsen. Plans are moving forward for Bloody Words 2008 in Toronto with Guest of Honour Rosemary Aubert.

The Deadly Ink convention, to be held in Parsippany, NJ in June, has announced that Chris Grabenstein will be this year's Guest of Honor. Deadly Ink also has created two new awards for 2007. The first is for the best mystery novel of 2006, in memory of David G. Sasher, Sr. The second is for the best Young Adult Mystery of 2006, in memory of Ida Chittum. Nominations can be emailed to info@deadlyink.com. Voting will take place at DI 2007 and awards will be presented at the banquet.

Updated the Calendar page to include Murder and Mayhem in Muskego, High Desert Crimes Book Fair 2007, and GenreCon.

1/1/07

Happy New Year!

Updated the Calendar and General Mystery Links pages. Updated link for the Black Orchid Book Shop on the Booksellers page

The MWA is sponsoring the Helen McCloy/MWA Scholarship for Mystery Writing, which seeks to nurture talent in mystery writing in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. The scholarship is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents only. Membership in Mystery Writers of America is not required to apply. The scholarship may be used to offset tuition and fees for U.S. writing workshops, writing seminars, or university/college-level writing programs. MWA will present two scholarships for up to $500 each in summer/fall 2007. The deadline for applying is February 28, 2007. For more information, click here or e-mail mccloy-mwa@lycos.com.

In our earlier announcement about the 2007 Edgar Awards, we neglected to include the fact that Al Roker, star of NBC's Today Show, will be the host of this year's Edgar Banquet.

The Wolfe Pack announced that the winner of the Nero Wolfe Award for best mystery novel published in 2005 was Vanish by Tess Gerritsen. The award was presented at the annual Black Orchid Banquet in New York City on December 2, 2006.

The Wolfe Pack also announced that they will co-sponsor, with Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, a new annual writing prize, the Black Orchid Novella Award. The contest will offer a prize of $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. The winner of the first Black Orchid Novella Award will be announced at The Wolfe Pack's annual Winter Banquet in December 2007. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2007. The contest will honor an unpublished work of mystery fiction written in the tradition of the Nero Wolfe mystery stories: this tradition emphasizes the deductive skills of the story's sleuth and eschews overt sex and violence. Submissions will be screened by members of The Wolfe Pack, and the winner will be selected by Linda Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. For more information, click here or email BlackOrchidNovellaAward@janecleland.net.

The Private Eye Writers of America announced the creation of a new award to be called simply "The Hammer." The award acknowledges the major contribution to the private eye genre by Mickey Spillane through his creation of Mike Hammer. Unlike other awards, which go to the writer, this award will go to a character, i.e., a Private Eye who has exhibited quality and endurance in a field where many characters have come and gone. It will be decided on by a committee, and the inaugural award will be presented at next year's Shamus Awards Ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska. For more information, email Ted Fitzgerald.

Read the What's New archive for 2005

Read the What's New archive for 2004

Read the What's New archive for 2003

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The What's New? page is updated regularly by Chris Aldrich, one of the partners in Black Raven Press. Items of general interest to fans of mystery and crime fiction may be emailed to her at whatsnew@blackravenpress.com. Please do not send promotional announcements for individual authors or books - they will likely not be used and will likely only cause annoyance. Please refer to our submission guidelines for information on submitting books for review. Please report any broken links to webmaster@blackravenpress.com