Cool Canadian Crime

Sharon Wildwind

June 1 to 7, 2007 is Canadian National Crime Writers Week. Sponsored by Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization of published and unpublished writers, agents, publishers, and mystery book stores, the week features displays and readings by mystery, thriller, and true crime writers across the country and the awarding of the 2007 Arthur Ellis Awards.

Arthur B. English became Canada’s official hangman in 1913. He adopted the pseudonym of Arthur Ellis, a nod to his cousin who was the official hangman in England and worked under the name John Ellis. English retired in 1938, and subsequent hangmen continued to work under the same false name until capital punishment was stopped in Canada in 1962.

These are the published nominees for the 2007 Arthur Ellis awards. There is also an “unhanged” award for yet-to-be-published writers. So print this list out and take it to your favorite bookstore or library and spend a hot summer reading cool Canadian Crime

Best Short Story
Vicki Cameron, “Lady in Violet Satin” in Storyteller (Fall 2006)
Karl El-Koura, “The Curious Case of the Book Baron” in Storyteller (Spring 2006)
Barbara Fradkin, “Voices from the Deep” in Dead in the Water (RendezVous Press)
Jennifer Geens, “Canadian Diamonds” in Storyteller (Summer 2006)
Dennis Richard Murphy, “Fuzzy Wuzzy” in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (August 2006)

Best Non-Fiction
Edward Butts, The Desperate Ones: Forgotten Canadian Outlaws (Dundurn Press)
Guy Lawson & William Oldham, The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia (Scribner/Simon & Schuster)
Mike McIntyre, To the Grave: A Spectacular RCMP Sting (Great Plains Publications)
Brian O’Dea, High: Confessions of a Pot Smuggler (Random House Canada)
Linda Spalding, Who Named the Knife (McClelland & Stewart)

Best Juvenile
Marty Chan, The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul (Thistledown Press)
Sean Cullen, Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates (Penguin Canada)
L.M. Falcone, The Devil, The Banshee and Me (Kidscan Press)
Norah McClintock, Tell (Orca)
Monique Polak, All In (James Lorimer)

Best Crime Writing in French
Because of the low number of submissions to this category, unfortunately, there is no French award for 2007.

Best First Novel
Glen Bonham, The Elvis Interviews (Battlefield Publishing)
Anne Emery, Sign of the Cross (ECW Press)
Stephen Kimber, Reparations (HarperCollins Canada)
Grant McCrea, Dead Money (Random House Canada)
David Russell, Deadly Lessons (Rendezvous Press)

Best Novel
Linwood Barclay, Lone Wolf (Bantam/RHC)
Emma Cole, Every Secret Thing (Allison & Busby)
Barbara Fradkin, Honour Among Men (RendezVous Press)
Kathy Reichs, Break No Bones (Scribner/Simon & Schuster)
Peter Robinson, Piece of My Heart (McClelland & Stewart)

Looking for the best in Canadian crime-writing?
Stay clued in through Cool Canadian Crime, a free e-newsletter from Crime Writers of Canada, with news of upcoming books by CWC authors, CWC author book launches and signings, other events with our authors, Arthur Ellis Awards nominees and winners, and much more

It would be a crime to miss out on this deal, so sign up on-line at http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/