Nominees for the Critics Awards Announced
The Strand Magazine has announced its nominees for the 2013 Strand Magazine Critics Awards. Recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction, the Critics Awards were judged by a select group of book critics and journalists from news venues such as NPR, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Time, CNN and The Boston Globe.
George Pelecanos and Thomas H. Cook each have been nominated twice for the Critics Awards, Pelecanos taking the top prize in 2012 for The Cut. Other nominees include William Boyd, Craig Johnson, Lauren Beukes, and Roger Hobbs.R.L. Stine and Peter Lovesey will receive The Strand’s Lifetime Achievement award for excellence in crime and thriller writing. Stine, one of the bestselling authors of all time, has sold hundreds of millions of books and attained prominence for creating the Goosebumps series of books for young adults. “I’ve read The Strand voraciously for years. I look forward to every issue,” said Stine. “What a thrill to be chosen by this publication for a lifetime achievement award. I’m truly honored to be selected.”British author Peter Lovesey is one of England’s most talented and versatile crime authors and has earned a reputation as one of the finest practitioners of both historical mysteries and hardboiled crime novels. In 1970 Lovesey published his first novel, Wobble to Dead, which featured Sergeant Cribb. The Victorian detective was featured in nine other novels, and a highly successful TV series was spun off featuring Lovesey’s creation. “It’s a huge boost to be honored in this way by The Strand, “ Lovesey said. “When I look at the previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, I’m humbled to be in such company—but overjoyed as well.”Best Novel:
– The Shining Girls: A Novel by Lauren Beukes (Mulholland Books)
– Solo: A James Bond Novel by William Boyd (Harper)
– Sandrine’s Case by Thomas H. Cook (Mysterious Press)
– A Serpent’s Tooth by Craig Johnson (Viking)
– Ratlines by Stuart Neville (Soho Press)
– The Double by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown and Company)
– Best First Novel:
– Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly (Grove Press)
– Ghostman by Roger Hobbs (Knopf)
– A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames (Seventh Street Books)
– The Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman (Harper)
– Norwegian by Night by Derek Miller (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
– Peter Lovesey
– R.L. Stine
Past recipients of the Critics Awards have included Michael Connelly, Joseph Finder, Laura Lippman, Richard Price, Tom Rob Smith, and Elmore Leonard.
The awards will be presented at an invitation-only cocktail party on July 9 in New York City.
(Photo of Peter Lovesey by Kate Shemilt)