2024 SMFS Member Anthony Award Nominees

Earlier this week, several SMFS list members were nominated for the 2024 Anthony Awards in various categories. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon: Nashville on Saturday evening, August 31, 2024. The full list of nominees and more information can be found on the Facebook announcement. The SMFS list members that reported on the SMFS list their nominated books and short stories are:

 

Best Anthology

Here in the Dark: Stories by Megan Lucas (Shotgun Honey Books, July 2023)

 

Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of The Beatles, Editor Josh Pachter (Down & Out Books, October 2023).

 

The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions by Art Taylor (Crippen and Landru, February 2023).

 

School of Hard Knox: Stories That Break Father Ronald Knox's Commandments for Crime Fiction. Edited by SMFS list members Donna Andrews, Greg Herren, and Art Taylor (Crippen and Landru, August 2023).

 

Best Short Story

Barb Goffman for “Real Courage” (Black Cat Mystery Magazine #14, Wildside Press, October 2023).

 

James D.F. Hannah for “Knock” (Playing Games, Editor Lawrence Block, Subterranean Press, July 2023)

 

Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski for “Ticket To Ride.” (Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of The Beatles, Editor Josh Pachter, Down & Out Books,  October 2023).  

 

Best Hardcover Novel

James L'Etoile for Face of Greed: A Novel (Oceanview Publishing, November 2023)

 

Best Paperback Original

James D.F. Hannah for Because the Night: A Henry Malone Novel (Down & Out Books, June 2023)

 

SMFS Members Nominated for the 2023 The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence

  

Several SMFS list members were nominated earlier this week for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence. There are ten categories with five finalists in each category. SMFS members are finalists in two categories. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 25^th. The SMFS members who reported their presence as finalists are:

 

Best Short Story

Blair Keetch for "To Catch a Kumiho” in In the Spirit of 13: A spirited crime anthology. (Carrick Publishing)

Sylvia Warsh for "The Natural Order of Things" in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2022

M. H. Callway for "Must Love Dogs - or You're Gone" in GONE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CRIME STORIES. (Red Dog Press)

 

Best Novella

M. H. Callway for “Amdur's Ghost” in In the Spirit of 13: A spirited crime anthology. (Carrick Publishing)

 

For the full list of nominees and other information, please see the Crime Writers of Canada website.

2022 Macavity Award Winner: Richard Helms

During the opening ceremonies of Bouchercon 2022 Minneapolis, the winners of the 2022 Macavity Awards were announced. SMFS list member Richard Helms won in the Best Short Story category for “Sweeps Week” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)

SMFS Member Nominees for the 2022 Macavity Awards

 
The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in September. 

This year we have five members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society nominated in the category of Best Short Story. The nominees are: 

Richard Helms: “Sweeps Week” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)

Steve Hockensmith: “Curious Incidents” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2021)

R.T. Lawton: “The Road to Hana” (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2021)

G.M. Malliet: “The White Star” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)

Gigi Pandian for “The Locked Room Library” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)  The story is also nominated for an Anthony Award.

 

The full list of nominees and their categories can be found here.

2020 Macavity Awards SMFS Member Nominees

Earlier this week, the 2020 Macavity Awards nominees were announced and include several members of the SMFS. The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in five categories.  The winners will be announced during the opening ceremonies at the virtual Bouchercon in Sacramento later this year.

The nominated SMFS members are:

Best Mystery Short Story:

Michael Chandos with "West Texas Barbecue" in the anthology, The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes From The Panhandle To The Piney Woods, published by Down & Out Books, and edited by Michael Bracken.

Barb Goffman with “Alex’s Choice in the anthology, Crime Travel, published by Wildside Press and edited by Barb Goffman.  

G. M. Malliet with “Whiteout” in the Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2019 issue. This tale also finished third in the most recent EQMM Readers Award balloting.

Art Taylor with “Better Days” in the Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2019 issue. This tale also finished tied for sixth place in the most recent EQMM Readers Award balloting.

Best First Mystery:

Tara Laskowski with One Night Gone, published by Graydon House. This book won an Agatha Award earlier this year and is also up for an Anthony Award.

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery:

Edith Maxwell with Charity’s Burden: A Quaker Midwife Mystery, published by Midnight Ink. This book won an Agatha Award earlier this year.

SMFS Member Nominees for the 2019 Macavity Awards

The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in several categories. The winners will be announced at opening ceremonies at Bouchercon 2019  in Dallas, Texas, this October.

This year we have five members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society nominated in the category of Best Short Story. The nominees are:

Craig Faustus Buck for “Race To Judgement” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: November/December 2018.

Leslie Budewitz for “All God’s Sparrows” in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2018.

Barb Goffman for “Bug Appétit” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: November/December 2018.

Gigi Pandian for “The Cambodian Curse” in the collection, The Cambodian Curse & Other Stories, published by Henery Press. 

Art Taylor for “English 398: Fiction Workshop” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2018.

The full list of all the 2019 Macavity Award Nominees can be found on the website. Congrats and good luck to all the nominees and especially to those members of the SMFS!

2019 Edgar Award Best Short Story Winner: Art Taylor

SMFS member Art Taylor has won a 2019 Edgar Award for his short story, “English 398: Fiction Workshop” published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine: July/August 2018 issue. The Edgars were presented to the winners yesterday evening during the 73^rd gala of the Mystery Writers of America at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. The full list of winners can be found on the MWA website.

Mr Taylor has written extensively on how the story came to be. He has done so in his post on the Sluethsayers Blog last June which can be read here as well as on his “First Two Pages” post last June which can be read here.  As noted in the post here last February which provided a link to read the story, Mr. Taylor is also up for an Agatha Award.

Links to Agatha Award Finalists for Best Short Story

Our own Art Taylor has sent the news of the links to all of the short stories that are nominated for an Agatha this year. Big time thanks to Art Taylor for putting this together.

"All God's Sparrows" by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

"A Postcard for the Dead" by Susanna Calkins in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)

"Bug Appetit" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

"The Case of the Vanishing Professor" by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

"English 398: Fiction Workshop" by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

SMFS Member Nominees for the 2018 Macavity Awards

The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. The winners will be announced at opening ceremonies at Bouchercon in St. Petersburg, Florida in September.

This year we have five members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society nominated in the category of Best Short Story. The nominees are:

Craig Faustus Buck for “As Ye Sow” in the anthology, Passport to Murder: Bouchercon Anthology 2017, published by Down & Out Books.

Terence Faherty for “Infinite Uticas” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2017.

Barf Goffman for “Whose Wine is it Anyway” in the anthology, 50 Shades of Cabernet published by  Koehler Books.

Paul D. Marks for “Windward” in the anthology, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea, published by Down & Out Books.

Art Taylor for “A Necessary Ingredient” in the anthology, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea, published by Down & Out Books.

The full list of all the 2018 Macavity Award Nominees can be found on the website. Congrats and good luck to all the nominees and especially to those members of the SMFS!

Gerald So Interviews: 2018 Derringer Finalist Robert Lopresti

Gerald So Interviews: 2018 Derringer Finalist Robert Lopresti

2016 Agatha Award Winner and SMFS Member Art Taylor Recaps His Agatha Win

As posted here last Sunday Art Taylor won the 2016 Agaatha Award for his story, "Parallel Play." In his blog posting, Art recaps a very special event. You can, and should, read it here.

SMFS Congratulates 2016 Agatha Award Winner and SMFS Member Art Taylor

SMFS Congratulates 2016 Agatha Award Winner and SMFS Member Art Taylor who won in the "Best Short Story" category with his tale, "Parallel Play" in the anthology Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning published by Wildside Press (April 2016).

You can read his winning story on his website here. 

In addition to Art Taylor, three other SMFS members were up for the "Best Short Story" Agatha Award. Those nominees were Barb Goffman, Edith Maxwell  and B. K.  Stevens.

Additionally, member Pam De Voe's book, Trapped: A Mei-hua Adventure was a finalist in the "Best Children/Young Adult" category.

Established in 1989, Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area that celebrates the traditional mystery, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie, containing no explicit sex, excessive gore, or violence. The 2016 Agatha Awards were given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2016 (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm.