The Edgar Effect

The Duluth News Tribune caught up with Brian Freeman, whose debut novel IMMORAL was nominated for the Edgar:

Brian Freeman was in Duluth, researching his third novel, when the

red light flashed on his BlackBerry on Saturday afternoon. The message:

His debut thriller, “Immoral,” has been nominated for a prestigious

Edgar Award.

“I shrieked so loud you could probably hear me in the Cities,”

Freeman says of being nominated for mystery writing’s highest honor.

When Freeman attends the gala with his wife on April 27, he hopes “to shake hands with his favorite suspense author, Michael Connelly” who, of course, is nominated for Best Novel for THE LINCOLN LAWYER.

Meanwhile, PJ Parrish explores the flipside of what happens when, as various 2002 Edgar nominees put it in the bar afterwards, you “tie for second place”:

I applauded the winner then grabbed the wine bottle and poured myself a

tall one. The next day, we went home and I went back to chapter 12 of

what was to become our fourth book, Thicker Than Water.

I

wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you the truth: Losing bites. And I

would bet you that for all the grousing, bitching, complaining and

second-guessing that surrounds the Edgars, there isn’t an author out

there who wouldn’t kill to have one of those ugly little statues.

So

many good books. (There were over 500 books entered in Best Novel alone

this year and an astonding 1701 total Edgar submissions.) But there are

only five nominee slots. And only one winner.

But she’s quick to point out the good part of being nominated: the 60+ year tradition, being judged by your peers, and never forgetting the high of the moment.