Play Book Tag discussion

Happy Dance!

Edgar Awards Nominations have been announced!

https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announ...

I will be back to discuss & list them

I actually have on my TBR 😲-The Last Russian Doll

I have added

Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders

Crooked:Nathan MastersCrooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal

We will do an informal Edgar Challenge again this year.
In the past we have arranged it as follows:
February- Free choice reads
March - Best First Novel by an American Author
April- Best Novel

That being said we don't hold anyone to strict guidelines.

Post your reviews on this thread and the other books or tag of the month if that applies.

BEST NOVEL

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke (Grove Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein (Penguin Random House – Ballantine Books)
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (Simon & Schuster – Simon Element – Marysue Rucci Books)
An Honest Man by Michael Koryta (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company – Mulholland Books)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (Simon & Schuster – Atria Books)
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Simon & Schuster – Atria Books)
The Golden Gateby Amy Chua (Macmillan Publishing – Minotaur Books)
Small Town Sinsby Ken Jaworowski (Macmillan Publishing – Henry Holt and Co.)
The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji (Simon & Schuster)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Boomtownby A.F. Carter (Penzler Publishers – Mysterious Press)
Hide by Tracy Clark (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
Lowdown Road by Scott Von Doviak (Hard Case Crime)

BEST FACT CRIME
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child by Kim Cross (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)
Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fallby Zeke Faux (Penguin Random House – Crown Currency)
Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glatt (Macmillan Publishers – St. Martin’s Press)
Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandalby Nathan Masters (Hachette Book Group – Hachette Books)
I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter (Penguin Random House – Ballantine Books)
The Lost Sons of Omaha: Two Young Men in an American Tragedyby Joe Sexton (Simon & Schuster – Scribner)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Perplexing Plots: Popular Storytelling and the Poetics of Murderby David Bordwell (Columbia University Press)
Spillane: King of Pulp Fictionby Max Allan Collins & James L. Traylor (Penzler Publishers – Mysterious Press)
A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak (Macmillan Publishing – St. Martin’s Press)
Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poeby Robert Morgan (LSU Press)
Love Me Fierce In Danger: The Life of James EllroyLove Me Fierce in Danger – The Life of James Ellroy by Steven Powell (Bloomsbury Publishing – Bloomsbury Academic)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Girl Forgottenby April Henry (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby (Penguin Young Readers – Dutton Books for Young Readers)
The Sharp Edge of Silenceby Cameron Kelly Rosenblum (HarperCollins Publishers – Quill Tree Books)
My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon (HarperCollins Publishers – Katherine Tegen Books)
Just Do This One Thing for Meby Laura Zimmerman (Penguin Young Readers – Dutton Books for Young Readers)

* * * * * * * * * * * *
OUR OTHER AWARDS

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD – Presented on behalf of Simon & Schuster.

Play the Fool by Lina Chern (Penguin Random House – Bantam)
The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard by Kate Robards (Crooked Lane Books)
Murder in Postscriptby Mary Winters (Penguin Random House – Berkley)

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD – Presented on behalf of G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Hard Rain by Samantha Jayne Allen (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
An Evil Heartby Linda Castillo (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Bad, Bad Seymour Brown by Susan Isaacs (Grove Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)
Past Lying by Val McDermid (Grove Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)
A Stolen Childby Sarah Stewart Taylor (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)

THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD – Endowed by the estate of Lilian Jackson Braun.

Glory Beby Danielle Arceneaux (Pegasus Books – Pegasus Crime)
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien (Macmillan – St. Martin’s Paperbacks)
Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
Murder of an Amish Bridegroom by Patricia Johns (Crooked Lane Books)
The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell (Crooked Lane Books)

Thanks for this, BnB! I'm in but no time now to ID anything. However, I was texted and emailed on the nominees very early today because one of them, Best First Novel by an American Author nominee Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji, was written by the SIL of a friend's primary care physician whom she's spent a lot of time seeing this past year due to escalation of long term and chronic medical conditions. He urged Ellen to read it once he realized she loves mysteries and she did - says it's a good first effort and clearly meant to be a series. Set in 1870 Philadelphia - a different setting and period for sure.

Just sharing that 6 degrees relationship. I'm sure the next visit to her PCP he'll be bubbling over about his SIL's nomination!

Theresa wrote: "Thanks for this, BnB! I'm in but no time now to ID anything. However, I was texted and emailed on the nominees very early today because one of them, Best First Novel by an American Author nominee M..."

I have at least one on my TBR and will have to read another as the title has a character with my maiden name!

Other than that, I'll have to do a little investigation.

I second the Happy Dance! I'll have to take some time to look this over and decide what I wanto to read. I read Vera Wong last year and enjoyed it. Hope you like it Ann.

I've read All the Sinners Bleed which was one of my favorites of 2023. I also read Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers which I liked a lot and An Evil Heart which was the latest in the Kate Burkholder series.

I have so many on my TBR but am looking forward to reading Flags on the Bayou The River We Remember and Murder by Degrees.

Thanks for posting this B&B. As always, a couple of these completely escaped my TBR but are there now.

If any one finds an interest in the 3 I plan on reading would love to join up as a buddy

I have The Peacock and the Sparrow and The Last Russian Doll as definite reads. As is All the Sinners Bleed. The Madwomen of Paris is a likely but not sure but a buddy read would likely weigh me to read it. I also have a few others in different categories - Higgens Clark, Grafton, and Braun nominees.

The Last Russian Doll I have already borrowed as mulitiple copies are in each of the 3 NYC libraries and oddly no hold lists. I plan to read it in next couple of weeks - does that work for anyone as a buddy read?

Everything else I hope to read is a 3 to 4 week wait. Even the cozies.

Maybe we re-orient our reading plan - Feb is Best Debut American, March Best Novel and April is any and all?

Here is my list:
Best Novel-For sure
Flags on the Bayou
All the Sinners Bleed
The possibilities for best novels
The Madwomen of Paris
The River We Remember
Crook Manifesto

First Novel- For sure
Small Town Sins
There are others which are possibilities but am most interested in
Murder by Degrees

Other books-
For Sure
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard
The Taken Ones

possibilities-
Murder in Postscript
Of Manners and Murder
I'm open to some others.

Theresa, I'm not sure what everyone else feels about the order.

I'm more up for throwing out the order all together, because I really want to read the ones I have ASAP regardless.

Thanks for setting this up again! I'm in for All the Sinners Bleed for February if Authors of Color is the the winning tag.

I'm open to others but not for sure. I have ready access to Small Town Sins and Glory Be and have A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe on hold.

Still haven't read Harlem Shuffle yet or I would be in for Crook Manifesto.

Jen K wrote: "Thanks for setting this up again! I'm in for All the Sinners Bleed for February if Authors of Color is the the winning tag.

I'm open to others but not for sure. I have ready access..."

I'm in the same position as you for Crook Manifesto. Harlem Shuffle is on my TBR. I'll see if I can bump in forward to this month.

I'm fine if we toss the order out. I am still going to make sure I read something from best novel and best first novel. To start off I put a hold on The Bones of the Story and Murder of an Amish Bridegroom. I'm sure I'll add more as reviews start coming in.

Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "Thanks for setting this up again! I'm in for All the Sinners Bleed for February if Authors of Color is the the winning tag.

I'm open to others but not for sure. I hav..."

Same position on Harlem Shuffle. Though Crook Manifesto is now on my TBR, no way getting read in 2024.

I am up for All Sinners Bleed - and my hold should come in for a February read.

I'm going to try to read Harlem Shuffle this month as it is a historical-mystery. Not sure I will read Crook Manifesto as I own other books that will be put forward first.

I will plan both All Sinners Bleed and Flags on the Bayou for February.

I don't think I will manage Harlem Shuffle this week/ month but determined to read in February now. I'm also a definite for All Sinners Bleed.

Let's have an official All the Sinners Bleed Edgar Buddy Read then in February. Do we want to just do it in this thread or set up a separate Buddy Read on Feb 1?

Theresa wrote: "Let's have an official All the Sinners Bleed Edgar Buddy Read then in February. Do we want to just do it in this thread or set up a separate Buddy Read on Feb 1?"

I think we should set it up on a separate thread in Footnotes.

I'm in for it.

I opened a Buddy Read for All the Sinners Bleed for February. It has AOC tags and fits Black History Month!

I'm planning to read both The Last Russian Doll and The Peacock and the Sparrow in March. Anyone interested in a buddy read?

For those in Steeplechase, All the Sinners Bleed is also tagged Southern Fiction sufficiently.

Read All the Sinners Bleed

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This feels like the natural thread to add this too. Maybe BnB can change the name to Edgar and Agatha Awards.

This week Malice Domestic announced the nominees for the Agatha Awards, honoring tradional more cozy mysteries. Malice Domestic came into being 36 years ago in the 80s as a counter to the Edgars which was a boys club and recognized mostly only hard-boiled, shunning cozy, amateur detective and books by women and minorities. They named their award after Agatha Christie and were and still are dedicated to traditional mysteries. The Edgars have diversified significantly, but Malice Domestic still has a presence with its Agatha.

Here are the nominees:

Contemporary
Wined and Died in New Orleans
Helpless: A Zoe Chambers Mystery
The Weekend Retreat
Case of the Bleus
The Raven Thief

Historical
Susanna Calkins Death Among the Ruins
Celeste Connally. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord
Amanda Flower. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died
Cheryl Head. Time's Undoing
Sujata Massey. The Mistress of Bhatia House

Debut
Danielle Arceneaux. Glory Be *also an Edgar nominee
Kristin Kisska. The Hint of Light
Josh Pachter. Dutch Threat
Daphne Silver. Crime and Parchment
Nina Simon. Mother-Daughter Murder Night

NONFICTION

Anjili Babbar. Finders: Justice, Faith, and Identity in Irish Crime Fiction
David Bordwell. Perplexing Plots: Popular Storytelling and the Poetics of Murder
Mark Dawidziak. A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe
Robert Morgan. Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe

CHILDREN | YOUNG ADULT

Elizabeth C. Bunce. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity
Kate Jackson. The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary
Alex Segura. Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
Nancy Springer. Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose
Taryn Souders.The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle

SHORT STORY

Shelley Costa, “The Knife Sharpener” in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jul/Aug 2023
Tina deBellegarde. “A Good Judge of Character” in Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Traditional
Barb Goffman. “Real Courage” in Black Cat Mystery Magazine issue 14
Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski. “Ticket to Ride” in Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Beatles
Richie Narvaez. “Shamu, World’s Greatest Detective” in Killin’ Time in San Diego: Bouchercon 2023

These Agatha nominees are so in my wheelhouse! Some already on my TBR.

Theresa wrote: "These Agatha nominees are so in my wheelhouse! Some already on my TBR."

I'm really intrigued by Case of the Bleus, seeing as it was set in Sonoma County.

I think it's interesting that two of the nominees in the nonfiction category were about Edgar Allan Poe. Is there some sort of Poe resurgence I missed?

Olivermagnus wrote: "I think it's interesting that two of the nominees in the nonfiction category were about Edgar Allan Poe. Is there some sort of Poe resurgence I missed?"

I was wondering the same thing and went looking at dates and got out my calculator - 2024 is the 175th Anniversary of his death (1849).

I have seen increasing mention of Poe in other contexts and his works being read more often. I suspect the anniversary is in part responsible.

Thanks Theresa - That makes sense. I'll add one of them to my TBR.

Olivermagnus wrote: "Thanks Theresa - That makes sense. I'll add one of them to my TBR."

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. And rereading some Poe this year.

When I was looking up the Malice Domestic 2024 nominees after seeing a general announcement, I came across the 2023 list of nominees and winners (which had a nominee that fits a PS Tag - book with 'leap' in the title - I'm always up for a new mystery), and after uploading and taggin to title the 2024 list, I went back to look at it more closely. It was interesting to note that in the Childrens and YA category, almost all the authors are the same as last year. Also some repetition in Contemporary and Historical. - might need to explore some of these authors. I love cozy and traditional mysteries but in recent years have been reading more diversely and thus far fewer mysteries at all.

All - there is currently a Giveaway for the Poe biography: A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe which is nominated for both an Edgar and an Agatha. It's also the shorter one.

Only nominee I have read so far is All the Sinners Bleed. I gave it 5 stars. My Review.

Buddy Read Discussion here

Anyone intetested in a March Buddy Read for The Peacock and the Sparrow - nominee for best first novel? It is an espionage thriller set in Bahrain during Arab Spring. Not a true historical mystery as it is set in modern times.

I am reading it in March for another group's buddy read so thought it might be of interest here too.

Theresa wrote: "Anyone intetested in a March Buddy Read for The Peacock and the Sparrow - nominee for best first novel? It is an espionage thriller set in Bahrain during Arab Spring. Not a true his..."

I've put a hold on it at the library, if it comes in I can do it. I love espionage.

I could join in as well if that is OK.

I love espionage and this looks different and interesting. I'll try to join.

Steven and Olivermagnus, everyone is welcome.

Absolutely everyone is welcome! I'll open a buddy read March 1.

FYI - I have other nominees on hold (some suspended holds) - one that might also be interesting and different and good for a buddy read is The Last Russian Doll - I'm thinking April to get to it - got a lot on my plate right now with work, personal day to day stuff that's been ignored too long, and oh reading for challenges.

The others I have on hold include Glory Be - just suspended that one - and several of the cozy and historical mystery set ones. As I get to those I'll be posting here.

Theresa wrote: "Absolutely everyone is welcome! I'll open a buddy read March 1.

FYI - I have other nominees on hold (some suspended holds) - one that might also be interesting and different and good for a buddy ..."

I might try Glory Be this month for the tag. It looks cute.

I'm hoping to read it this month too. It also was nominated for an Agatha, not just a Edgar.

Finished Flags on the Bayou.

I wish I had suggested this for a buddy read. It is a great book for that.

While James Lee Burke is a mystery writer, I'm not sure this is indeed a mystery.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Theresa wrote: "Anyone intetested in a March Buddy Read for The Peacock and the Sparrow - nominee for best first novel? It is an espionage thriller set in Bahrain during Arab Spring. Not a true his..."

My Peacock and Sparrow has arrived at the library, unfortunately I can't as car is in shop with major work.
As soon as it is completed I will pick it up and be ready to go for the Buddy read.

Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Anyone intetested in a March Buddy Read for The Peacock and the Sparrow - nominee for best first novel? It is an espionage thriller set in Bahrain during Arab Spring..."

Good news on book but bad news on car!

The peacock and the sparrow sounds good to me. My library has a long wait. If I request the audio I might get it faster. I had a few Middle Eastern grad students around that time, and there was so much optimism at first. And fear. The last Russian doll sounds good too.

Nominated for Best Paperback Original:

Hide - Tracy Clark

4 stars

Hide is the first book in a series about Detective Harriet Foster. Foster has had a rough time. Her teenage son was shot to death and then her partner committed suicide. She is finally back to work in a new department with a new partner, but she is still working through her grief. When a young woman's body is found brutally murdered, Harriet must put aside her grief to find the killer.

I enjoyed this mystery novel. Harriet is a good character to root for. She is a black woman detective in the Chicago police department who has to work besides some bad apples. She has suffered from unbearable grief, but still continues to do her job. The mystery was interesting. The author gives you some chapters with a couple of possible killers point of views. While you get to be inside their heads, it is unclear which one is responsible for the deaths. The supporting characters could be fleshed out more, but I suspect that they will in future books in the series. Overall, it was an interesting police procedural with a worthy detective.

Cora wrote: "Nominated for Best Paperback Original:

Hide - Tracy Clark

4 stars

Hide is the first book in a series about Detective Harriet Foster. Foster has had a rough time..."

This wasn't on my to read list and now I think it needs to be there.

Need to write my review but quite enjoyed Glory Be. It is on Hoopla and good on audio. I prefer my mysteries to be cozy though. :)

Also picked up The Golden Gate which is on Kindle sale today for $2 .99. Not sure when I will read.

Jen K wrote: "Also picked up The Golden Gate which is on Kindle sale today for $2 .99. . ..."

Me too!