Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: Your 2008 CWA Dagger Winners

Picks of the Week

Harry Dolan: Bad Things Happen
BAD THINGS HAPPEN is a nifty debut, cleverly told and unfurled from the very first line: "The shovel has to meet certain requirements" on through meeting "the man who calls himself David Loogan." There are reasons for concealment, just as there are reasons the editor of a mystery magazine bearing little resemblance to EQMM or AHMM might bring him into the fold, thus catalyzing a series of murderous events. The twists come quickly and the dialogue is sharp and if it falls apart slightly at the end, no matter - I want to read much more from Dolan from now on.
Ian MacKenzie: City of Strangers: A Novel
MacKenzie's debut novel reminded me a lot of Paul Auster's NEW YORK TRILOGY, whether it was intended or not, in terms of his choice of words, the thrust of the narrative and the existential nature of the main character (whose first name, incidentally, is Paul) caught up in a snowballing sequence of strange and violent events in and around New York City. MacKenzie straddles the line between thriller and internal examination of a man's failings, and his ability to do so establishes him as a young writer of serious talent and future.
Megan Abbott: Bury Me Deep
In a word: amazing. In more words: Megan Abbott, who has never delivered anything less than an excellent novel, exceeds expectations and takes a very bold and very necessary step forward both in the quality of the prose, the development of her characters and especially in portraying how obsession seeps into the very soul of people, transforming them into their worst nightmares all too easily. Just read this book. And then tell many others to do so as well.
Ninni Holmqvist: The Unit
Understandably, echoes of THE HANDMAID'S TALE are hard to ignore in this dystopic examination of a society where fertility is so high a priority that older, single, marginal women are shut away in secret locales to live out the rest of their lives in seemingly perfect harmony - at least, until the "donations" begin. But Holmqvist's marvelous book doesn't browbeat her thesis into the reader and smartly expands her ideas to look at the plight of all marginalized folk, women and men alike, and how the promise of comforts can be the most horrifying of all. Prepare to be disturbed, but prepare further to think about the ramifications.
Paula Froelich: Mercury in Retrograde
This is possibly the most perfect novel for today's economically challenged times. Why? Because it has plenty of glitz and glamor and blind items, as befitting a narrative by the deputy editor of Page Six, but Froelich isn't arch or snarky or acid-tongued in the slightest. Her trio of protagonists land in all manner of embarrassing situations but they aren't played for mean-spirited laughs. The New York here is something of a fantasy-land, but not so far off the mark that it's completely unbelievable. Most of all it's clear Froelich remains sincere and optimistic about her chosen city, and has retained her sense of fun. So no need to check your brain at the door, but sometimes it just needs to chill out and relax.

July 10, 2008

Your 2008 CWA Dagger Winners

Announced earlier today at an awards dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane:

The Duncan Lawrie Dagger: Frances Fyfield, BLOOD FROM A STONE
The International Duncan Lawrie Dagger: Dominique Manotti, THE LORAINE CONNECTION
The Ian Fleming Steel Dagger: Tom Rob Smith, CHILD 44
John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger: Matt Rees, THE BETHLEHEM MURDERS (aka THE COLLABORATOR OF BETHLEHEM)
The Non-Fiction Dagger: Kesper Aspden, NATIONALITY: WOG - THE HOUNDING OF DAVID OLUWALE
Dagger in the Library: Craig Russell
Short Story Award: Martin Edwards for "The Bookbinder's Apprentice"
Debut Dagger: Amer Anwar, WESTERN FRINGES

Congratulations to all the winners!

Posted at 07:00 PM in World of Mystery | Permalink

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Comments

congratulation to one of my favorite author ever, Frances Fyfield.

Posted by: Bastian | July 12, 2008 at 08:41 PM

Why until now no one give any comments ? But i can predict some of the comments :"Lippman and Burke should've won the award". And usually the one who thinks Lippman and Burke should've won doesn't read the other books in the shortlist.

Posted by: Bastian | July 12, 2008 at 10:18 PM

Great news for Dominique....about time ! And hopefully this brings recognition in the US and translations.

Posted by: Cara | July 13, 2008 at 01:20 PM

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