I’m not sure where the summer’s going—it’s flying by!—but I’m excited about one of July’s big events this week: My first visit to ThrillerFest! And I’m still astounded by the news that led to me attending in the first place: my story “Parallel Play” being named a finalist for the Thriller Award for Best Short Story, which will be presented at the awards banquet Saturday night at the Grand Hyatt in New York. The suspense is already killing me, but no matter what happens, I’m grateful to be in such fine company with the other authors on the short story slate: Eric Beetner, Laura Benedict, Brendan DuBois, and Joyce Carol Oates. Couldn’t be happier to have my own work listed alongside theirs.
I’m only able to come in for part of the conference, so I’m unfortunately not on any panels, but looking forward to attending several of the programs as a spectator and to seeing so many author friends throughout the quick trip.
The full list of Thriller Award finalists is below, and many friends throughout the categories as well—sending all of them good wishes. See you in New York!
2017 Thriller Award Finalists
BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
Megan Abbott — YOU WILL KNOW ME (Little, Brown and Company)
Reed Farrel Coleman — WHERE IT HURTS (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Noah Hawley — BEFORE THE FALL (Grand Central Publishing)
Laura McHugh — ARROWOOD (Spiegel & Grau)
Ben H. Winters — UNDERGROUND AIRLINES (Mulholland Books)
BEST FIRST NOVEL
Bob Bickford — DEADLY KISS (Black Opal Books)
J.L. Delozier — TYPE AND CROSS (WiDo Publishing)
David McCaleb — RECALL (Lyrical Underground)
Nicholas Petrie — THE DRIFTER (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
E.Z. Rinsky — PALINDROME (Witness Impulse)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Robert Dugoni — IN THE CLEARING (Thomas & Mercer)
Anne Frasier — THE BODY READER (Thomas & Mercer)
Paul Kemprecos — THE MINOAN CIPHER (Suspense Publishing)
Jonathan Maberry — KILL SWITCH (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Stephen Maher — SALVAGE (Dundurn)
BEST SHORT STORY
Eric Beetner — “The Business of Death” UNLOADED: CRIME WRITERS WRITING WITHOUT GUNS (Down & Out Books)
Laura Benedict — “The Peter Rabbit Killers” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)
Brendan DuBois — “The Man from Away” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)
Joyce Carol Oates — “Big Momma” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)
Art Taylor — “Parallel Play” CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING (Wildside Press)
BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Pierce Brown — MORNING STAR (Del Rey)
Elle Cosimano — HOLDING SMOKE (Disney-Hyperion)
A.J. Hartley — STEEPLEJACK (TOR Teen)
Billy Taylor — THIEVING WEASELS (Dial Books)
Kara Thomas — THE DARKEST CORNERS (Delacorte Press)
BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
James Scott Bell — ROMEO’S WAY (Compendium Press)
Sean Black — THE EDGE OF ALONE (Sean Black)
Sibel Hodge — UNTOUCHABLE (Wonder Women Publishing)
J.F. Penn — DESTROYER OF WORLDS (J.F. Penn)
Richard Thomas — BREAKER (Alibi)