The Arthur Ellis Awards

As Bloody Words, Canada’s largest mystery convention, comes to a close, the news of the Arthur Ellis Winners has become available:

Best First Novel
Jon Evans, Dark Places (HarperCollins Canada)

Best Novel
Barbara Fradkin, Fifth Son (RendezVous Press)

Best Short Story
Leslie Watts, “Crocodile Tears” in Revenge: A Noir Anthology (Insomniac Press)

Best Non-Fiction
Matthew Hart, The Irish Game: A True Story of Crime and Art (Viking Canada)

Best Juvenile
Carrie Mac, The Beckoners (Orca Book Publishers)

Best Crime Writing in French
Ann Lamontagne, Les Douze Pierres (Vents d’Ouest)

Derrick Murdoch Award
Max Haines, for years of giving new life to old crimes

Congratulations to all the winners. I’m especially pleased for Fradkin, who lives and works in my hometown of Ottawa, and Evans, as DARK PLACES was one of the best pure thrillers I read all last year (and thus I eagerly await the next one, BLOOD PRICE, which will be out in Canada soon and in the US in October from Perennial/Dark Alley.)

Speaking of Bloody Words, Tania of I Love a Good Mystery has promised to report back from the convention, so stay tuned for that as well.