Edgar Awards honor Dennis Lehane, 'Midnight in Peking'
This year, the Edgars, one of the highest honors in the mystery writing genre, bestowed titles on books with subject matter ranging from a foreigner killed in China to a look at the world of crime during the Roaring 鈥�20s.
The Best Novel award was given to Dennis Lehane鈥檚 book 鈥淟ive by Night,鈥� which follows the son of a police captain as he explores the criminal underground of Prohibition-Era America. Lehane, a Boston native, paid sweet tribute to the recently threatened city in his acceptance speech, according to industry newsletter .
鈥淓verything about me that people love, and everything about me that pisses people off comes from being from Boston,鈥� Lehane said.
The Best Fact Crime award went to author Paul French for his work 鈥淢idnight in Peking,鈥� which explored the death of a young Englishwoman in China in the 1930s as the country was experiencing tremendous change. (Check out Monitor writer Randy Dotinga鈥檚 Q&A with French here.) French came from Shanghai to accept his Edgar Award in New York City.
鈥淚t was a very long flight but obviously worth it,鈥� French said during his acceptance speech.
The debut novel prize, titled Best First Novel by an American Author, went to 鈥淭he Expats鈥� by Chris Pavone. Pavone鈥檚 novel follows an American woman living abroad in Europe who is terrified her past is coming back to haunt her.
Meanwhile, the Best Paperback Original prize honored 鈥淭he Last Policeman鈥� by Ben H. Winters, a novel that centers on a police detective trying to solve a mystery as Earth is threatened with extinction.聽
The Best Critical/Biographical award went to writer James O鈥橞rien for his book 鈥淭he Scientific Sherlock Holmes鈥� and the Best Short Story prize was given to writer Karin Slaughter for her piece 鈥淭he Unremarkable Heart.鈥�
In categories for younger readers, author Jack D. Ferraiolo was awarded the Best Juvenile mystery award for his book 鈥淭he Quick Fix,鈥� while the Best Young Adult prize was given to the book 鈥淐ode Name Verity鈥� by Elizabeth Wein.
The Grand Master prize, which honors an author鈥檚 body of work, was given to 鈥淲inter of the World鈥� author Ken Follett and Margaret Maron of 鈥淭he Buzzard鈥檚 Table.鈥�
The Edgars also award writing for a mystery TV episode, and this year鈥檚 honor went to the installment of the BBC series 鈥淪herlock鈥� titled 鈥淎 Scandal in Belgravia.鈥�
In his acceptance speech, Follett noted the power that a great story can have over a reader.
鈥淚f they're hoping it will turn out this way, and fearing it will turn out that way, they're going to turn the page,鈥� he said.
