Using as its theme, "Mining for Murder," the 22nd Left Coast Crime Conference will take place from March 29-April 1, 2012 at the Sacramento, Calif. Sheraton Grand Hotel. Mystery readers and mystery writers alike attend this annual event, which derives its name from the conference’s typical location in the western half of North America.
Winners of the Lefty Award, the Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award, the Golden Nugget Award, the Eureka! Award and the Dilys Award will be announced at the conference. A press release issued Jan. 30, 2012 lists the following nominees for each of these awards, with an added entry for any associated series.
Lefty Award nominees (for the most humorous mystery)
- The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series, book 13)
- Getting Old Can Kill You by Rita Lakin (Gladdy Gold series, book 7)
- October Fest by Jess Lourey (Murder-By-Month Mystery, book 6)
- Magical Alienation by Kris Neri (Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty Mystery, book 2)
- Dying for a Dance by Cindy Sample (Laurel McKay series, book 2)
- The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus
Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award nominees (for the best historical mystery)
- Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (Her Royal Spyness series, book 5)
- A Game of Lies by Rebecca Cantrell (Hannah Vogel series, book 3)
- Mercury’s Rise by Ann Parker (Silver Rush Mystery, book 4)
- Killing Season by Priscilla Royal (Medieval Mystery, book 8)
- Troubled Bones by Jeri Westerson (Crispin Guest Medieval Noir series, book 4)
- A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series, book 8)
Golden Nugget Award nominees (for the best mystery set in California)
- Disturbance by Jan Burke (Irene Kelly series, book 11)
- The Drop by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch series, book 17)
- Bit Player by Janet Dawson (Jeri Howard series, book 10)
- V Is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series, book 22)
- City of Secrets by Kelli Stanley (Miranda Corbie Mystery, book 2)
Eureka! Award nominees (for the best first mystery)
- The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series, book 1)
- Nazareth Child by Darrell James (A Del Shannon Novel, book 1)
- Dead Man’s Switch by Tammy Kaehler (Kate Reilly Racing Mysteries, book 12)
- Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab (A Mind for Murder Mystery, book 1)
Dilys Award nominees (for the book members of the Independent Mystery Booksellers’ Association (IMBD) have most enjoyed selling. The IMBD, which selects the winner of this award, announced its nominees on Jan. 26.)
- Faithful Place by Tana French (Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox series, book 3)
- Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (Max Tudor series, book 1)
- Tag Man by Archer Mayor (Joe Gunther series, book 22)
- A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Gamache series, book 7)
- Ghost Hero by S.J. Rozan (Bill Smith, Lydia Chin series, book 11)
The 2012 Left Coast Crime Conference will also honor mystery series writers John Lescroart, Jacqueline Winspear, James Rollins and Harley Jane Kozak. Lescroart (Abe Glitsky/Dismas Hardy series) and Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series) will be the conference’s Guests of Honor, with Rollins (Sigma Force series) as its Special Guest. Kozak (Wollie Shelley series) will preside over the events as Toastmaster.
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