Feb 1, 2010

Best Mysteries/Crime Fiction for 2009

Looking for a good mystery or crime fiction novel but can't decide which one to pick from the hundreds on the library or bookstore shelves?

Here are some recent ones you might want to look at  - 2009 books nominated for an award this year.

The Mystery Writers of America gives the Edgar Awards every year to honor Edgar Allan Poe. The prize goes to the best mystery fiction and nonfiction published in the previous year.

The 2010 nominees include

Best Novel:
· The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
· The Odds by Kathleen George
· The Last Child by John Hart
· The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
· Nemesis by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett
· A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

Best First Novel by an American Author:
· The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
· Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
· The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
· A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield
· Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
· In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff

Best Paperback Original:
· Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott
· Havana Lunar by Robert Arellano
· The Lord God Bird by Russell Hill
· Body Blows by Marc Strange
· The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice by L.C. Tyler

I haven't read any on the list as yet but  it's a place to start in a search for some of the best crime fiction out there. Winners of the Edgar Awards will be announced April 29.

7 comments:

  1. My favorite author of all time is Deborah Crombie. If I was in solitary confinement, I would request a never-ending supply of her books....

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  2. thanks for this info; now I can read the best!

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  3. I'm ashamed to call myself a fan of crime and mystery books. After perusing your lists I don't recognize any of the titles or the authors. I'm wondering what, in fact, I did read in 2009!

    Thanks for the post.

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  4. Elyse: I must try Deborah Crombie. Thanks for the tip!

    Charlie: I haven't read any of these and am wondering the same - did I really read lots of mystery books last year? :)

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  5. Thanks for the lead to "Nemesis" by Jo Nesbø. I'm a big fan of Scandinavian crime mysteries/police procedurals, and this is a new author for me. Surprisingly, my library has three of his novels, all of which I've put on hold.

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  6. I love mysteries, and Edgar Allen Poe award winners. I really would like to read more of them than I do, so I appreciate you posting this list of recent award winning works. Now to get them in my grip!

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  7. p.s. I was so sad to hear of Robert Parker's death a few weeks ago. He wrote the best dialogue, so sharp and witty, and I loved the relationships he created with his characters. I've read everything he's written; have you read any of his work?

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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