An Appreciation of the Edgar Awards

The winners have been announced for the Edgar Awards, otherwise simply known as the Edgars, presented by the Mystery Writers of America.  Named after Edgar Allan Poe, the awards honor the best in the field of mystery writing. 

Previous winners have included Elmore Leonard, Dick Francis, John le Carre, Raymond Chandler, Raold Dahl, Avram Davidson, Harlan Ellison, Harlan Coben, and Rick Riordan.  Some stage plays that have been recognized in the past include Frederick Knott's Dial M for Murder, Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution, and Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth. 

Screenwriters have also been given the prize, including Ben Maddow for The Asphalt Jungle, John Michael Hayes for Rear Window, Reginald Rose for 12 Angry Men, Ernest Lehman for North by Northwest, Joseph Stefano for Psycho, Peter Stone for Charade, Ernest Tidyman for The French Connection, Robert Towne for Chinatown, Michael Crichton for The Great Train Robbery, Daniel Waters for Heathers, Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction, Christopher McQuarrie for The Usual Suspects, Billy Bob Thornton for Sling Blade, Guy Ritchie for Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Christopher Nolen for Memento, and William Monahan for The Departed.

This year's winners are:

Best Novel - The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
Best First Novel by an American Author - Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva
Best Paperback Original - Long Time Coming by Robert Goddard
Best Fact Crime - Scoreboard, Baby by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry
Best Critical/Biographical - Charlie Chan by Yunte Huang
Best Short Story - "The Scent of Lilacs" by Doug Allyn
Best Juvenile - The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dorl Hillestad Butler
Best Young Adult - Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price
Best Play - The Psychic by Sam Bobrick
Best Television Episode Teleplay - Luther, "Episode 1" by Nell Cross
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award - "Skyler Hobbs and the Rabbit Man" by Evan Lewis
Grand Master - Sara Paretsky
Raven Awards - Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore and Once Upon a Crime Bookstore
The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award - The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Previous writers recognized as Grand Masters by the Mystery Writers of America include Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, P.D. James, Mickey Spillane, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ellery Queen.

It makes me want to go out there and read a good thriller!