RARA-AVIS: The Edgars

Kevin Smith (kvnsmith@total.net)
Sun, 8 Feb 1998 13:27:03 -0500 Rick Robinson just forwarded me the list of this year's Edgar nominations,
and while "mystery" novels (as opposed to "crime fiction") doesn't seem to
interest the hardcore in this group, I thought I'd pass it along, and maybe
add on a few comments. I notice we've all been slacking a bit lately, so I
thought this would jump start things a bit.

>1998 MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA Edgar Nominees were announced 5 February
>1998. The 1998 Awards Chair was Margaret Maron. Winners will be
>announced and awards presented at the 53rd gala Banquet, Thursday, April
>30 at the Sheraton New York Hotel, New York City.
>
>Best Novel
> CIMARRON ROSE by James Lee Burke. New York: Hyperion, 1997.
> DREAMING OF THE BONES by Deborah Crombie. New York: Scribner, 1997.
> A WASTELAND OF STRANGERS by Bill Pronzini. New York: Walker, 1997.
> BLACK AND BLUE by Ian Rankin. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.
> THE PURIFICATION CEREMONY by Mark T. Sullivan. New York: Avon, 1997.

Has anyone read the Pronzini book? I've never even heard of it! What's it
about? I enjoyed Burke's book, but not as much as some of the Robicheaux
books.

>Best First Novel by an American Author
> A CRIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Suzanne Berne. Algonquin Books, 1997.
> LOS ALAMOS by Joseph Kanon. Broadway Books, 1997.
> BIRD DOG by Phillip Reed. New York: Pocket Books, 1997.
> FLOWER NET by Lisa See. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
> 23 SHADES OF BLACK by K.j.a. Wishnia. Setauket, NY: Imaginary Press,
>1997.

>Best Paperback Original
> HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN by Susan Rogers Cooper. New York: Avon, 1997.
> THE PRIORESS' TALE by Margaret Frazer. New York: Berkley Prime Crime,
>1997.
> TARNISHED ICONS by Stuart M. Kaminsky. New York: Ivy Books, 1997.
> CHARM CITY by Laura Lippman. New York: Avon, 1997.
> SUNSET AND SANTIAGO by Gloria White. New York: Dell, 1997.

At last! Nominees I can afford! Alas, I haven't read any of them. Tarnished
Icons? Is that a Russian book, or Toby Peters? Or the sequel to The Green
Bottle?

>
>Best Fact Crime
> THE DEATH OF INNOCENTS by Richard Firstman and Jamie Talari. New York:
>Bantam, 1997.
> OUR GUYS: THE GLEN RIDGE RAPE AND THE SECRET LIFE OF THE PERFECT SUBURB
>by Bernard Lefowitz. University of California Press, 1997.
> THE NAPOLEAN OF CRIME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ADAM WORTH, MASTER THIEF
>by Ben MacIntyre. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997.
> BITTER HARVEST: A WOMAN'S FURY, A MOTHER'S SACRIFICE by Ann Rule. New
>York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
> MAY GOD HAVE MERCY: A TRUE STORY OF CRIME & PUNISHMENT by John C.
>Tucker. New York: Norton, 1997.

Best Fact Crime? The rising cost of books, and the declining selection as
megabookstores take over the world.

>Best Critical/Biographical Work
> THE READER AND THE DETECTIVE STORY by George M. Dove. Bowling Green,
>OH: Popular Press, 1997.
> CRIME FICTION AND FILM IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: FLORIDA NOIR edited by
>Steve Glassman and Maurice O'Sullivan. Bowling Green, OH: Popular
> Press, 1997.
> DEADLY WOMEN: THE WOMAN MYSTERY READER'S INDISPENSABLE COMPANION edited
>by Jan Grape, Dean James, and Ellen Nehr. New York: Carroll & Graf,
>1997.
> "G" IS FOR GRAFTON: THE WORLD OF KINSEY MILLHONE by Natalie Hevener
>Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay. New York: Henry Holt & Co.,1997.
> AZ MURDER GOES ... CLASSIC edited by Barbara Peters and Susan Malling.
>Scottsdale, AZ: Poisoned Pen Press, 1997.

>Best Short Story
> "Keller on the Spot" by Lawrence Block. Playboy Magazine, November
>1997.
> "Ways to Kill a Cat" by Simon Brett. Malice Domestic 6. New York:
>Pocket Books, 1997.
> "The Kneeling Soldier" by Jeffrey Deaver. Ellery Queen Mystery
>Magazine, March 1997.
> "Find Miriam" by Suart Kaminsky. New Mystery Magazine, Summer 1997.
> "The Man Who Beat the System" by Stuart Kaminsky. Funny Bones. New
>York: Signet, 1997.

What do you guys and gals think of Block's hitman, Keller? And once again
with Kaminsky! And again? Is this his year? And is it okay to buy Playboy
for the fiction? It seems the best place to nab a new Block or Westlake
story these days...(mind you, some of those women are downright
scary-looking)

>Best Young Adult
> TANGERINE by Edward Bloor. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1997.
> GHOST CANOE by Will Hobbs. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1997.
> YESTERDAY'S CHILD by Sonja Levitin. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1997.
> THIN ICE by Marsha Qualey. New York: Delacorte, 1997.
> DEAL WITH A GHOST by Marilyn Sanger. New York: Henry Holt, 1997.

What ever happened to Frank and Joe?

>Best Children's
> TURN THE CUP AROUND by Barbara Mariconda. New York: Delacorte, 1997.
> CHRISTIE'S COMPANY DOWN EAST by Katharine Hall Page. New York: Avon,
>1997.
> SECRETS AT HIDDEN VALLEY by Willo Davis Roberts. New York: Atheneum.
> WOLF STALKER by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. National
>Geographic Society, 1997.
> SPARROWS IN THE SCULLERY by Barbara Brooks Wallace. Atheneum, 1997.

Or Bert and Nancy and Freddie and Flossie?

>Best Television Episode
> "Thrill" Written by Rene Balcer. Law & Order, NBC.
> "Blood" Story by Rene Balcer and Craig Tepper, teleplay by Craig
>Tepper. Law & Order, NBC.
> "First Degree" Written by Michael R. Perry, Stephen Gagham, and David
>E. Kelley. The Practice, ABC.
> "Burned" Written by Siobhan Byrne. Law and Order, NBC.
> "Double Down" Story by Richard Swaren and Simon Wincelberg, teleplay by
>Ed Zuckerman and Simon Wincelberg. Law & Order, NBC.

What? No Homicide nominations? I like Law and Order, but to me Homicide is
about the best thing on the electronic nipple these days. Harsh,
in-your-face story-telling about working cops who are human beings, not
soap opera characters tricked up with pot bellies and a gratitous sex
scenes in the last five minutes. Oh, well, it is a writing award, and I
guess L&O does have some pretty damn good writing. At least Dellaventura
wasn't nominated.

>Best Television Feature/Mini-series: To Be Announced.

Why? Probably because they all sucked, or at least the ones I saw. Though
some of the British imports were pretty good.

>Best Movie
> Donnie Brasco. Screenplay by Paul Attanasio. Columbia Pictures, 1997.
> L.A. Confidential. Screenplay by Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland.
>Warner Brothers, 1997.
> Conspiracy Theory. Screenplay by Brian Helgeland. Warner Brothers,
>1997.

Oooh, a toughie. Johnny or Kevin? Sorry, Mel, back to the highlands.

>Best Play
> A Red Death. Stage Adaptation by David Barr.

Is this from the Mosely book? Where was it produced? Did anyone see it?
Tell me more, tell me more. And, while we're on the topic of drama, have
there been any good, hardboiled plays anyone can remember? Or saw? Or heard
about?

Kevin Smith
Web Guy for The Thrilling Detective Web Site
For info, mailto:kvnsmith@total.net

"It's the detectives come to see about the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance...
I don't know how much more of this I can take...
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake..."
- Watching the
Detectives (Elvis Costello)

#
# To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to majordomo@icomm.ca.
# The web pages for the list are at http://www.vex.net/~buff/rara-avis/.