Reading right now:

            “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger. I have to admit that I’ve never read one of William Kent Krueger’s books. It seems way past time to do so since on May 1 he won the Edgar Award for best mystery novel of the year from the Mystery Writers of America. Krueger has lived in many different states, but says on his website that he spent some of the best years of his life in Oregon. The setting for “Ordinary Grace” is the small town of New Bremen, Minnesota in 1961, where murder changes everything for 13-year-old Frank Drum. From what I’ve read, this is really a coming-of-age-story within a mystery. While this is a stand-along mystery, Krueger is known for his Cork O’Connor series. The 14^th book in the series comes out in August (“Windigo Island”). Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!

Other Mysterious Things: 

             

On May 1, 2014, the Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2014 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, recognizing the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2013.

BEST NOVEL

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

BEST FACT CRIME

The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War

by Daniel Stashower

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

America is Elsewhere: The Noir Tradition in the Age of Consumer Culture

by Erik Dussere

BEST SHORT STORY

"The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository” – Bibliomysteries

by John Connolly

BEST JUVENILE

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Episode 1” – The Fall, Teleplay by Allan Cubitt (Netflix)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

"The Wentworth Letter" – Criminal Element’s Malfeasance Occasional

By Jeff Soloway

GRAND MASTER

Robert Crais

Carolyn Hart

RAVEN AWARDS

Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore, Ann Arbor, Michigan

* * * * * *

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

(Presented at MWA’s Agents & Editors Party on Wednesday, April 30, 2014)

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman