1 July 2009

The CWA International Dagger short list - my update

Five down - 1 to go! The winner's flag is in sight.

So now I've read 5 of the 6 of the shortlisted nominations for CWA International Dagger. This is how they stand in my rankings:
  • 4.9, Johan Theorin, ECHOES FROM THE DEAD, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday)
  • 4.9, Karin Alvtegen, SHADOW, translated by McKinley Burnett, (Canongate)
  • 4.8, Arnaldur Indriðason, ARCTIC CHILL, translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker)
  • 4.8, Jo Nesbø, THE REDEEMER, translated by Don Bartlett (Harvill Secker)
  • 4.5, Fred Vargas, THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN, translated by Siân Reynolds (Harvill Secker) - my rating 4.5
Still to go:
Stieg Larsson, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, translated by Reg Keeland (MacLehose Quercus)

The winners will be announced in London on the evening of July 15
Just looking at the final list, I still think this is a tough one to call.
Norman on Crime Scraps and I have parted ways with SHADOW.
Something to check: Euro Crime's CWA International Dagger polls - compare the "sentimental" with the "logical" favourite.

2 comments:

Uriah Robinson said...

I don't think we have parted ways that far on Karin Alvtegen's Shadow, Kerrie.
I did say it was "a brilliant read" and it was an "impossible choice" to pick between such good books. If I rated them on your excellent system I would put them at:
Theorin 4.9
Larsson 4.86
Alvtegen 4.85
Nesbo 4.84
Indridason 4.7
Vargas 4.5

We agree much more than we disagree on this. :o)

Thanks for the links.

Maxine Clarke said...

I think we are quite close to each other, Kerrie. I have almost finished The Redeemer and have yet to read the Vargas, but thanks to Karen M now have it. Whether I'll get through it all by 15 July I don't know, but I'll try.

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