Peter Guttridge, one of my favorite novelists — I can’t say enough good things about his Nick Madrid series — is also a terrific critic and reviewer. Once, in a typically thoughtful review of one of my books, he said in passing that I was “weighted down” with American awards for crime-writing. I always liked that phrase because it sounded a little sinister, as if I had been fitted for a nice pair of cement shoes. But it also seemed to get at the way that awards can function as straw men. When people want to have a go at me, they often choose to have a go at the awards. “I would think that someone who has won X award would not make this error,” readers sometimes chide. Yeah, you’d think. But the fault, dear reader, is not in the plaques or statuettes, but in myself, that I am human. I make a lot of mistakes, an issue that will be front-and-center at the website when it’s updated later this week.
As noted here before, I’m more or less on hiatus from the Internet and it’s been grand. Read two terrific books in the past week — the new Sean Chercover and Ann Hood’s The Knitting Circle. I went to Atlanta for a cousin’s wedding and, shortly after a quintessential Atlanta experience — three miles, forty minutes, on Interstate 85/75 through downtown — stumbled out of the rental car and checked my iPhone. I had been nominated for two Anthonys, novel and short story. This came on the heels of the announcement, late Friday, that I had been nominated for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for best novel and the Barry as well. So I was feeling pretty good. Then I found out twenty minutes ago, via email, that I’m up for the short story Dagger as well. To see myself on the same shortlist as Robert Barnard — well, I swooned a little.
I expect to lose all these awards. All! And that’s not poor-mouthing, as my Atlanta cousins might say. The competition is formidable and there is that perception that I walk around with an Agatha teapot dangling from one ear, Edgar on the other, while using Nero Wolfe’s capacious head for a purse. But, of course, I’m pleased. The proper response to an award, or a nomination for an award is this: “Yippee!” Then back to work.
But I’ll hope you’ll forgive me sharing the news here.
I’m extremely happy to see WHAT THE DEAD KNOW nominated for awards. i’m extremely cranky about most of the nomination lists i’ve seen for various reasons and wonder how much longer i’m going to read in the genre since i really don’t get it anymore. I tried so many of those books nominated in any number of categories and couldn’t read past page 10, never mind trying 50 pages.
On top of everything else, I just saw a proposed cover for next year’s novel and it was so beautiful I almost fainted. Made me want to read the book.
Laura – congratulations on all the nominations!
And remember you can always just smile, nod graciously and say “It’s an honor to be nominated.” Although I like your “Yippee” better!
Congrats is the proper response, along w/”Yippee!” and “Holy Wow, great job!” And hey, you deserve all the accolades. You’ve done the work, so reap the rewards and rejoice.
Congratulations and tune out the naysayers. I read one of your short stories this past week, the story about the prostitute. I was trying to decide whether or not to buy the anthology so when I saw you had an entry, I sat down to sample it and ended up reading the entire story! I didn’t buy the book, but wanted to say “thank you” for the story.
Jackie, that’s the story nominated for the Dagger. And that character will appear in the novella that’s being published this fall, as part of the short story collection.
Congratulations! We think you deserve it. At least among friends, “yipppee” is far more appropriate than “ah gee shucks”.
Enjoy! Savor! Grin a whole lot!
Congratulations on the multiple nominations!
As to "weighted down" and ‘straw men’, all one should need is to see where your name is listed on the <i>Award Annals</i> <a href=”http://www.awardannals.com/wiki/Honor_roll:Mystery/Suspense_authors” target=”_blank”>Honor roll:Mystery/Suspense authors</a> page. That speaks for itself.
Anthony’s, Daggers and a Barry.. Oh My! Congratulating you has become something of an annual habit at awards time. Since ALL of your books have won some type of award I think we shouldn’t count you out of any of these honors. You work hard you reap the benefits, or the hardware as the case may be. Enjoy, bask, savor and stick it in your pocket to fondle when the times get lean.
Hurrah hurrah!!!!!!!!! Now we just need all the movies to happen. I have popcorn at the ready!
Yea!!!! It couldn’t happen to a nicer person or a better author.
Laura, WHAT THE DEAD KNOW is a fantastic book, and I’m taking enormous pleasure in seeing it rack up all these nominations. They are well-deserved.
Congratulations!!!
Well deserved, Laura! And as that great American poet Kid Rock says: “it ain’t braggin’, mother[bad word] if you back it up.’
What the Dead Know is one of my favorite books of last year. The reader absorbs a lot of information, mostly emotional about the consequences of a crime. I think their reaction to the question of, why didn’t she just leave?, will change as a result of reading it. It’s very well done.
Slightly off-topic, but some good summer reads are: Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand (postpunk, drugs, sex, rock-and-roll, Maine coast ghoulish with missing people, photographers,alcoholic hero); In the Woods by Tana French (fantastically written double-mystery set in Ireland); Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdadottir (Icelandic murder mystery with atmosphere but a warning on gruesome history of witchhunts, sorcery, and murder).
What are people reading this summer?
Kathy