The Crime Writers' Association has announced the shortlists for a number of this year's Daggers - the prestigious awards that celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing.
The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement.
The shortlists were announced tonight (Friday May 21) at CrimeFest in Bristol. The winners will be announced at an event staged as part of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate, on Friday July 23.
CWA Chair Tom Harper said: "Our shortlists this year reflect the extraordinary breadth and quality of modern crime writing. Whether you like it long or short, fact or fiction, around the corner or on the far side of the world – these awards recognise the best of the genre, from established masters to tomorrow's bestsellers."
The shortlists announced tonight, presented here with the judges' comments, are as follows:
THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER
For crime, thriller, suspense or spy fiction novels which have been translated into English from their original language, for UK publication between June 1 2009 and May 31 2010. Prize money £1000 for the author and £500 for the translator
Shortlist
Badfellas Tonino Benacquista Tr. Emily Read (Bitter Lemon Press).
Hidden in the Norman countryside under the witness protection programme, an American Mafioso and his family each discover a new vocation. Crime fiction that makes you chuckle is rare and this is an exceptional example of the species.
August Heat Andrea Camilleri Tr. Stephen Sartarelli (Picador).
The bitter-sweet adventures of Inspector Montalbano have a nostalgic air in this fine short novel. Another summer holiday with his beloved Livia is interrupted by the discovery of a long-hidden murder. Camilleri brilliantly evokes small-town Sicily.
Hypothermia Arnaldur Indriðason Tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker).
Erlendur's tenacious investigations of old cases, as well as his own life, come together in this dark, moving mystery. Ghosts from his own past haunt his search for long missing persons.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest Stieg Larsson Tr. Reg Keeland (MacLehose Press)
This exciting and much acclaimed end to what would have been the first of three trilogies maintains the suspense of a complex thriller, while expanding a fascinating cast of characters.
Thirteen Hours Deon Meyer, Tr K.L. Seegers (Hodder and Stoughton) - originally written in Afrikaans)
Benny Griessel has been put out to pasture, charged with mentoring a disparate group of new South African police officers. Suddenly, he has thirteen hours to save a life and solve a murder. Meyer turns the constraints of the clock into a tour de force of plotting.
The Darkest Room Johan Theorin Tr Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday).
Four plot strands whorl around the vortex of an unexplained death. It is impossible to reduce this mysterious novel to ghost story, a police procedural or a gothic tale.
Judges
Ann Cleeves, non-voting chair, is an award-winning crime writer.
Karen Meek is a library assistant and founder of the Euro Crime website: www.eurocrime.co.uk
Ruth Morse teaches English Literature at the University of Paris. She is a frequent contributor to the Times Literary Supplement.
John Murray-Browne is a bookseller.
CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER
Any crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment, between 1st June, 2009 and 31st May, 2010. Prize money £500.
Shortlist
A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
In A Calculated Risk scuba diving takes on a new significance on the other side of the law. Subtly and deftly told with a menacing atmosphere.
The Weapon by Jeffrey Deaver from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
High stakes and lack of time are the order of the day in The Weapon. Shaped by today's headlines it is intriguing, topical and thrilling.
Can You Help Me Out There by Robert Ferrigno from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
In Can You Help Me Out There, Robert Ferrigno has showcased an ability to mix humour with suspense along with having a knack for creating villains that make you smile even as they send chills down your spine.
Boldt's Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
With one of the most memorable and compelling opening scenes, Boldt's Broken Angel follows Detective Boldt as he tracks down a twisted serial killer. A model thriller.
Like a Virgin by Peter Robinson from The Price of Love (Hodder and Stoughton)
In Like a Virgin a cold case brings back memories of a number of brutal murders and its repercussions. Elegantly written containing many unforgettable images and karma that comes back to haunt you.
Killing Time by Jon Land from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
In a Killing Time, time is the enemy of a professional killer after a murder goes terribly wrong. Gruesome, but an intriguing and thoroughly credible story.
Protecting the Innocent by Simon Wood from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
A stubborn lovestruck protagonist is not averse to taking a little risk, but how far would you go for love? A tangled tale with horrific consequences for the love struck characters.
Judges
Ayo Onatade Chairperson, writes for a number of crime fiction websites including Shotsmag.co.uk, Mystery Women and Crimespree Magazine.
Simon Brett is the author of more than eighty books, many of which are crime novels, including the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter, Fethering and Blotto and Twinks series. He is also President of the Detection Club.
Adrian Magson is a freelance writer, crime author and reviewer, with more than 300 short stories published in magazines and anthologies in the UK and overseas.
CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY
Sponsored by The Random House Group.
Nominated and judged by librarians and awarded to an author for a body of work, not one single title. Prize money £1,500.
Shortlist:
Simon Beckett (Bantam)
Exciting British addition to the forensic arena. Tackles different ground in each novel.
R J Ellory (Orion)
Beautifully crafted, matching lyrical prose with complex characters and taut storylines.
Ariana Franklin (Random House)
Wonderful cast of characters. Wears her research lightly and highlights new aspects of the era.
Mo Hayder (Bantam)
Pacy writing. Seamlessly interweaves personal lives of police characters into the plots.
Denise Mina (Transworld)
Good plots, strong female characters, excellent dialogue. Brings working class Glasgow to life.
Chris Simms (Orion)
Manchester-set police procedural. Well researched and finely plotted.
General comment:
The overall standard remains high. It appears to be harder for new authors to come through.
Judges
John Martin is a veteran librarian in Leicestershire.
Helen McNabb is the stock manager for the Vale of Glamorgan libraries.
Cheney Gardner is the Reader and Community Services Manager at the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
Karen Fraser is Customer Service Librarian with Shetland Library, Britain's most northerly library service.
Mark Benjamin (Chair) Worked as a Team Librarian with Northumberland libraries from 1980 until 2009 and is now a freelance online bookseller.
Viki Lagus is developing the library community in South Tyneside.
Deborah Ryan works at RNIB's National Library Service where she manages a team who help blind and partially sighted readers to get the best out of the meagre 5% of books published in accessible formats.
CWA DEBUT DAGGER
Sponsored by Orion
The Debut Dagger is a new-writing competition open to anyone writing in the English language who has not yet had a novel published commercially. First prize is £500 plus two free tickets to the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards and night's stay for two in a top London hotel. All shortlisted entrants receive a generous selection of crime novels and professional assessments of their entries, and have also been invited to the Dagger Awards presentations.
Shortlist
All the Precious Things Jan Napiorkowski (UK)
A Murder in Mumbles Rick DeMille (USA)
A Place of Dying Patrick Eden (UK)
Case No 1 Sandra Graham (Australia)
Chinese Whispers Alan Carter (Australia)
In the Lion's Throat Bob Marriott (New Zealand)
Legacy Rebecca Brodie (UK)
Lockdown Danielle Ramsay (UK)
Pretty Preeti Stephanie Light (India)
Safe Harbour Rosemary McCracken (Canada)
The Beggar's Opera Peggy Blair (Canada)
The Chameleon Factor Kathleen Stewart (Australia)
Judges
Stefanie Bierwerth – Editorial Director, Michael Joseph
Angus Cargill – Fiction Editor, Faber and Faber
Tom Harper – Chairman, Crime Writers' Association
Kate Parkin – John Murray (Publishers)
Genevieve Pegg – Senior Commissioning Editor, Orion Publishing
Gordon Wise – Literary agent, Curtis Brown
THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION
Any non-fiction work on a real-life crime theme or a closely-related subject by an author of any nationality, as long as the book was first published in the UK in English between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010. Prize money £2000.
Shortlist
David Cesarani: Major Farran's Hat (Heinemann)
A scandalous case – long-forgotten in Britain, but memorialised in Jerusalem – of the abduction and disappearance of a young Israeli boy by a British security agent.
David R. Dow: Killing Time (Heinemann)
A haunting memoir, by an American defence lawyer, of his fight to save the lives of possibly-innocent murderers condemned to death in Houston, Texas.
Ruth Dudley Edwards: Aftermath: The Omagh Bombing & the Families' Pursuit of Justice (Harvill Secker)
The historian and crime-novelist's detailed account of the successful struggle, with the assistance of lawyers, to achieve recognition of those responsible.
Jeff Guinn: Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie & Clyde (Simon & Schuster)
A meticulously detailed account, with previously unpublished family material, of the remarkably unglamorous career of the notorious pair's two-year crime spree.
Alex McBride: Defending the Guilty (Penguin/Viking)
A light-hearted but instructive description, by a criminal barrister, of the early career of a leading defence lawyer, and the problems that have to be overcome.
Douglas Preston, with Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (Virgin/Random House)
An investigation into one of the most infamous figures in recent Italian history, a serial killer who ritually murdered 14 young lovers, and has never been caught.
Judges
Brian Innes, Chairperson. Graduated in chemistry, and worked for some years in biochemical research. He is the author of over 40 books, mainly on criminal matters, and in 16 foreign languages.
Lesley Grant-Adamson. Lesley Grant-Adamson's 20 books include crime novels, non-fiction crime, travel, and 'Writing Crime and Suspense Fiction'. She writes short stories and poetry, teaches creative writing, and was Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at Cambridge.
Don Hale. In 2001 Don won an International Peace Prize, and was voted Journalist of the year. He was later made an OBE for campaigning journalism. His more recent books include the true story of the first Royal Detective – Don's great grandfather.
Professor Allan Jamieson, Director of the Forensic Institute in Glasgow. Widely recognised as an expert in forensics science, he is also co-editor in chief of Wiley's Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences.
Helen Pepper. Helen's first job was with the Forensic Science Service. She currently works as a senior lecturer in Police Studies at Teesside University. Helen enjoys helping crime writers with their research, and is also a consultant for ITV drama.
