Mystery Writers Of America Announces

2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominees

Mystery Writers of America last week announced the nominees of this year’s Edgar Awards, which will be presented Thursday, April 27 in New York. These are the nominees in three top categories; to see the entire list, click here.

Best Novel

•Devil House, by John Darnielle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux - MCD)

•Like a Sister, by Kellye Garrett (Hachette Book Group/Little, Brown & Co./Mulholland Books)

•Gangland, by Chuck Hogan (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)

•The Devil Takes You Home, by Gabino Iglesias (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown & Co./Mulholland Books)

•Notes on an Execution, by Danya Kukafka (HarperCollins – William Morrow)

•The Maid, by Nita Prose (Penguin Random House – Ballantine Books)

Best First Novel

•Jackal, by Erin E. Adams (Penguin Random House - Bantam)

•Don’t Know Tough, by Eli Cranor (Soho Press – Soho Crime)

•Shutter, by Ramona Emerson (Soho Press – Soho Crime)

•More Than You’ll Ever Know, by Katie Gutierrez (HarperCollins – William Morrow)

•Portrait of a Thief, by Grace D. Li (Penguin Random House – Tiny Reparations Books)

Best Paperback Original

•Quarry’s Blood, by Max Allan Collins (Hard Case Crime)

•On a Quiet Street, by Seraphina Nova Glass (Harlequin Trade Publishing – Graydon House

•Or Else, by Joe Hart (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)

•Cleopatra’s Dagger, by Carole Lawrence (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)

•A Familiar Stranger, by A.R. Torre (Amazon Publishing /Thomas & Mercer)

From Covid To Pizzagate, Conspiracy

Tracks Crazy Theories That Defy Belief

From the Satanic Panic to the anti-vaxx movement, the 1969 moon landing to Pizzagate, it seems to be human nature to believe we're being lied to by the powers that be (and sometimes, to be fair, we are). But while it can be fun to indulge in a bit of Deep State banter on the group chat, some of these theories have taken on a life of their own—and, it seems, spawned an entire subspecies of humans who blindly believe them. In their new book titled Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them, authors Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge dig into the depths of conspiracy theories, revealing some of the origins, how they have changed and, in some ways, stayed the same through the years. In looking at how the conspiracies began and adapted, they explore how people fall into these patterns of belief and essentially be prone to a snowballing of make-believe. Phillips and Elledge say this book was not written to save the "tin foil hatters" who have fallen down the rabbit hole, since that could be perceived simply as another Deep State trick to divert attention from the “true reality.” Instead, it’s designed to entertain with tales of some truly persistent and ludicrous theories, as well as to provide insight on those family and friends who are teetering on the edge of alternative blackholes, and maybe shed some light on ways that could bring them back from the abyss.

The Scariest Killer Dolls, Puppets,

And Dummies Found In Thrillers

Literature is so full of evil dolls and puppets that it’s probably best to assume that any doll or puppet you encounter in a book is up to no good. Maybe they’re stalking your significant other, maybe they’re trying to drive you insane; whatever their method, remember that we are not the same species and your first response should always be to throw it in the fire. Grady Hendrix recently compiled a list for Crime Reads that identifies some of the best killer dolls and puppets found in books and which, in some cases, made it into the movies. First on the list is one of my favorites, the dummy named Fats in William Goldman’s creepy-as-hell novel Magic, which was turned into an even creepier-as-hell movie in 1978. As Hendrix says (and I agree), “This book is so delightfully unpleasant that it’s impossible to leave off the list. Magic is more talked about than read because the opening 30 pages are deeply disorienting, and if you make it off the beach there are still a couple of confusing time jumps to come, but hang in there, because it all comes together in the end like two steel jaws snapping your hand off at the wrist. The body count is low, but the emotional stakes get driven right through your heart.” Other novels on the list include Clothilde Dupont in Helen Morgan’s The Witch Doll, and Daphne du Maurier’s Pin, from the novel of the same name.

The Hate-Fueled Murder Of

12-Year-Old Shanda Sharer

It was late morning on Jan. 11, 1992, when a hunter in Madison, Indiana came across a badly burned body that had been partially wrapped in a red blanket. He quickly left the scene and dialed 911, and within 20 minutes authorities showed up and began to investigate the first homicide in Jefferson County in more than three years. The victim was positioned on her back with her arms stretched up into the air, but her remains were so badly incinerated that the police couldn’t even identify how old she was. Nearby was a soda bottle filled with an accelerant and, as efforts to ID the body intensified, an uneasy feeling began to grow that—because the early ’90s was the height of a satanic panic—the victim might have fallen prey to human sacrifice. The case broke wide open that night when a hysterical 15-year-old girl named Toni Lawrence and her parents made a visit to the Indiana State Police. The teen explained that the previous night, she and her friend, 15-year-old Hope Rippey, met up with one of Rippey’s friends, Laurie Tackett, 17. Lawrence hopped into Tackett’s car and believed they were going to a concert, but Tackett let the younger teens know there was a change in plans. There was a fourth passenger in the car—17-year-old Melinda Loveless—and Tackett announced they were on their way to kill 12-year-old Shanda Sharer. After luring the pre-teen out her house, the girls spent the night beating and torturing her before Tackett dragged her body into the field and set it on fire, then went to McDonald’s for breakfast. It was Sharer whom the hunters had found later that day.

Left Coast Crime Announces

2023 Lefty Award Nominees

It was a big week for mystery and thriller awards, as Left Coast Crime announced the nominees for its annual Left Awards, which will be voted on at the Left Coast Crime Convention and presented at a banquet on Saturday, March 18 in Tucson. Some of the nominees are:

Best Mystery Novel

•Like A Sister, by Kellye Garrett  (Mulholland Books)

•Back To The Garden, by Laurie R. King (Bantam Books)

•Dead Drop, by James L’Etoile (Level Best Books)

•Under Lock & Skeleton Key, by Gigi Pandian (Minotaur Books)

•A World Of Curiosities, by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

•Secret Identity, by Alex Segura (Flatiron Books)

Best Debut Mystery Novel

•Jackal, by Erin E. Adams (Bantam Books)

•Don’t Know Tough, by Eli Cranor (Soho Crime)

•Shutter, Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime)

•Other People’s Secrets, by Meredith Hambrock (Crooked Lane Books)

•The Bangalore Detectives Club, Harini Nagendra (Pegasus Crime)

•Devil’s Chew Toy, by Rob Osler (Crooked Lane Books)

•The Certifiers, by Jane Pek (Vintage Books)

Congratulations from BunzelGram to all nominees!

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Greenwich Mean Time

“A globe-spanning, mind-spinning thriller that will delight fans of Jason Bourne. Rōnin Phythian, an assassin with extraordinary powers and a code of his own, deserves a sequel. Make that sequels.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire

“Greenwich Mean Time is a rollicking good time of thrills and skills.” —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

"Over-the-top action..." —Publishers Weekly

When photojournalist Monica Cross literally stumbles into the site of an old airplane crash at the edge of a Himalayan glacier, she is exposed to a dark and deadly secret that was meant to remain hidden forever. Unaware that her life is in grave danger, she attempts to get home to New York while the Greenwich Global Group—a dark-web, murder-for-hire outfit—pulls out all stops to make sure she never gets there. Spanning ten time zones, nine countries, and four continents, Greenwich Mean Time is a tightly spun thriller that plays out against a sinister plot designed to change the course of history for all time.

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