Edgar Nominees

I'm indebted to Declan Burke's Crime Always Pays for this nicely formatted short list.
The Edgars are awarded by the Mystery Writers of America and are actually the Edgar Poe Awards. This year celebrates the 199th anniversary of Poe's birth. Over on the Edgars site you get the full list with a lot of lovely cover pics as well. We have to wait until May 1 to find out the winners.

Who says that awards don't matter? I bet you look through this list to see what you've read! I know I did. The only one I've read is Tana French's IN THE WOODS - apparently in that category because she was born in Vermont, although she is always touted as an Irish writer. So more books to look out for.

BEST NOVEL
Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (Henry Holt and Company)
Priest by Ken Bruen (St. Martin’s Minotaur)
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins)
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books)
Down River by John Hart (St. Martin’s Minotaur)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell (HarperCollins - William Morrow)
In the Woods by Tana French (Penguin Group - Viking)
Snitch Jacket by Christopher Goffard (The Rookery Press)
Head Games by Craig McDonald (Bleak House Books)
Pyres by Derek Nikitas (St. Martin's Minotaur)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Queenpin by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
Blood of Paradise by David Corbett (Random House - Mortalis)
Cruel Poetry by Vicki Hendricks (Serpent’s Tail)
Robbie’s Wife by Russell Hill (Hard Case Crime)
Who is Conrad Hirst? by Kevin Wignall (Simon & Schuster)