Mystery Tidbits ... More to Come

Remind me to tell you about Vermont's "Snowflake Bentley" some afternoon ...

Recovering from both the Dec. 27 blizzard and the days set aside to enjoy family visits means I've done way too much "day job" labor this week already. So I'm settling into the new Charles Todd mystery tonight and hope to have something sensible to say about it by tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, a couple of tidbits of news:

First, from Dave Zeltserman, who's been redefining modern noir with his (mostly) Boston-area crime fiction: "Last year my novella, Julius Katz won several awards including the Shamus Award. I'm happy to be able to report that my second Julius Katz story, 'Archie's Been Framed', has won first place in Ellery Queen's 2010 Readers Choice Awards." Way to go, DZ!

Second, I mentioned Margaret Maron's book Christmas Mourning as an intriguing blend of domestic and threatening within one well-crafted mystery. Maron fans will enjoy this interview, provided by Sisters in Crime: http://sisters-in-crime-sinc.blogspot.com/2011/01/things-you-dont-know-about-margaret.html

If you're not tired of "best" lists yet, check this one, only five books long: Maureen Corrigan's list of best mysteries for 2010:

Faithful Place, by Tana French
The Rembrandt Affair, by Daniel Silva
The Sleepwalkers, by Paul Grossman
A Fierce Radiance, by Lauren Belfer
The Confession, by John Grisham

More details here.

And here's a good way to honor the new year: Stop by Louise Penny's website and sign up for her newsletter, so you'll know about her next book and other great news.