THE CRIME WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION DAGGER AWARDS 2010

The Crime Writers’ Association is delighted to announce the shortlists for a number of this year’s Daggers - the prestigious awards that celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing.

The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement.
The shortlists were announced tonight (Friday May 21) at CrimeFest in Bristol. The winners will be announced at an event staged as part of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate, on Friday July 23.

CWA Chair Tom Harper said: “Our shortlists this year reflect the extraordinary breadth and quality of modern crime writing.  Whether you like it long or short, fact or fiction, around the corner or on the far side of the world – these awards recognise the best of the genre, from established masters to tomorrow’s bestsellers.”

The shortlists announced tonight, presented here with the judges’ comments, are as follows:

THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER
For crime, thriller, suspense or spy fiction novels which have been translated into English from their original language, for UK publication between June 1 2009 and May 31 2010. Prize money £1000 for the author and £500 for the translator

Shortlist

Badfellas  Tonino Benacquista  Tr. Emily Read (Bitter Lemon Press).
Hidden in the Norman countryside under the witness protection programme, an American Mafioso and his family each discover a new vocation. Crime fiction that makes you chuckle is rare and this is an exceptional example of the species.

August Heat  Andrea Camilleri  Tr. Stephen Sartarelli (Picador).
The bitter-sweet adventures of Inspector Montalbano have a nostalgic air in this fine short novel. Another summer holiday with his beloved Livia is interrupted by the discovery of a long-hidden murder. Camilleri brilliantly evokes small-town Sicily.

Hypothermia  Arnaldur Indriðason Tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker).
Erlendur’s tenacious investigations of old cases, as well as his own life, come together in this dark, moving mystery. Ghosts from his own past haunt his search for long missing persons.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest  Stieg Larsson Tr. Reg Keeland (MacLehose Press)
This exciting and much acclaimed end to what would have been the first of three trilogies maintains the suspense of a complex thriller, while expanding a fascinating cast of characters.

Thirteen Hours  Deon Meyer, Tr K.L. Seegers (Hodder and Stoughton) - originally written in  Afrikaans)
Benny Griessel  has been put out to pasture, charged with mentoring a disparate group of new South African police officers. Suddenly, he has thirteen hours to save a life and solve a murder. Meyer turns the constraints of the clock into a tour de force of plotting.

The Darkest Room  Johan Theorin  Tr Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday).
Four plot strands whorl around the vortex of an unexplained death. It is impossible to reduce this mysterious novel to ghost story, a police procedural or a gothic tale.


Judges
Ann Cleeves, non-voting chair, is an award-winning crime writer.
Karen Meek is a library assistant and founder of the Euro Crime website: www.eurocrime.co.uk
Ruth Morse teaches English Literature at the University of Paris. She is a frequent contributor to the Times Literary Supplement.
John Murray-Browne is a bookseller.


CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER
Any crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment, between 1st June, 2009 and 31st May, 2010.  Prize money £500.

Shortlist

A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler  (Mira)
In A Calculated Risk scuba diving takes on a new significance on the other side of the law. Subtly and deftly told with a menacing atmosphere.

The Weapon by Jeffrey Deaver from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
High stakes and lack of time are the order of the day in The Weapon. Shaped by today’s headlines it is intriguing, topical and thrilling.

Can You Help Me Out There by Robert Ferrigno from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
In Can You Help Me Out There, Robert Ferrigno has showcased an ability to mix humour with suspense along with having a knack for creating villains that make you smile even as they send chills down your spine. 

Boldt's Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
With one of the most memorable and compelling opening scenes, Boldt's Broken Angel follows Detective Boldt as he tracks down a twisted serial killer. A model thriller.

Like a Virgin by Peter Robinson from The Price of Love (Hodder and Stoughton)
In Like a Virgin a cold case brings back memories of a number of brutal murders and its repercussions. Elegantly written containing many unforgettable images and karma that comes back to haunt you.

Killing Time by Jon Land from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
In a Killing Time, time is the enemy of a professional killer after a murder goes terribly wrong. Gruesome, but an intriguing and thoroughly credible story.

Protecting the Innocent by Simon Wood from Thriller 2 edited by Clive Cussler (Mira)
A stubborn lovestruck protagonist is not averse to taking a little risk, but how far would you go for love? A tangled tale with horrific consequences for the love struck characters.

Judges
Ayo Onatade Chairperson, writes for a number of crime fiction websites including Shotsmag.co.uk, Mystery Women and Crimespree Magazine.
Simon Brett is the author of more than eighty books, many of which are crime novels, including the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter, Fethering and Blotto and Twinks series. He is also President of the Detection Club.
Adrian Magson is a freelance writer, crime author and reviewer, with more than 300 short stories published in magazines and anthologies in the UK and overseas.

CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY
Sponsored by The Random House Group.
Nominated and judged by librarians and awarded to an author for a body of work, not one single title. Prize money £1,500.

Shortlist:
Simon Beckett (Bantam)
Exciting British addition to the forensic arena. Tackles different ground in each novel.

R J Ellory (Orion)
Beautifully crafted, matching lyrical prose with complex characters and taut storylines.

Ariana Franklin (Random House)
Wonderful cast of characters. Wears her research lightly and highlights new aspects of the era.

Mo Hayder (Bantam)
Pacy writing. Seamlessly interweaves personal lives of police characters into the plots.

Denise Mina (Transworld)
Good plots, strong female characters, excellent dialogue. Brings working class Glasgow to life.

Chris Simms (Orion)
Manchester-set police procedural. Well researched and finely plotted.

General comment:
The overall standard remains high. It appears to be harder for new authors to come through.

Judges
John Martin is a veteran librarian in Leicestershire.
Helen McNabb is the stock manager for the Vale of Glamorgan libraries.
Cheney Gardner is the Reader and Community Services Manager at the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
Karen Fraser is Customer Service Librarian with Shetland Library, Britain's most northerly library service.
Mark Benjamin (Chair) Worked as a Team Librarian with Northumberland libraries from 1980 until 2009 and is now a freelance online bookseller.
Viki Lagus is developing the library community in South Tyneside.
Deborah Ryan works at RNIB's National Library Service where she manages a team who help blind and partially sighted readers to get the best out of the meagre 5% of books published in accessible formats.


CWA DEBUT DAGGER
Sponsored by Orion
The Debut Dagger is a new-writing competition open to anyone writing in the English language who has not yet had a novel published commercially. First prize is £500 plus two free tickets to the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards and night’s stay for two in a top London hotel. All shortlisted entrants receive a generous selection of crime novels and professional assessments of their entries, and have also been invited to the Dagger Awards presentations.

Shortlist
All the Precious Things              Jan Napiorkowski (UK)

A Murder in Mumbles                Rick DeMille (USA)

A Place of Dying                      Patrick Eden (UK)

Case No 1                              Sandra Graham (Australia)

Chinese Whispers                     Alan Carter (Australia)

In the Lion’s Throat                   Bob Marriott (New Zealand)

Legacy                                  Rebecca Brodie (UK)

Lockdown                               Danielle Ramsay (UK)

Pretty Preeti                            Stephanie Light (India)

Safe Harbour                            Rosemary McCracken (Canada)

The Beggar’s Opera                   Peggy Blair (Canada)

The Chameleon Factor                Kathleen Stewart (Australia)

Judges
Stefanie Bierwerth – Editorial Director, Michael Joseph
Angus Cargill – Fiction Editor, Faber and Faber
Tom Harper – Chairman, Crime Writers’ Association
Kate Parkin – John Murray (Publishers)
Genevieve Pegg – Senior Commissioning Editor, Orion Publishing
Gordon Wise – Literary agent, Curtis Brown