Table 35: More from the Edgar Awards
More news from Thursday's Edgar Awards dinner, meat, potatoes, and prizes courtesy of the Mystery Writers of America:
- I sat at the Soho table again this year, which meant I renewed acquaintances with the affable Ed Lin, whom I'd met previously at Bouchercon 2012 in Cleveland. Back then I'd been interested to learn that he has a novel set in Taiwan upcoming from Soho. This time, talk turned to his three novels set in New York's Chinatown around 1975. Lin said he chose that period because of turbulent events of the time on the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan, with old leaders dead or dying, and the Cultural Revolution drawing to an end. What does that have to do with a troubled Chinese-American Vietnam vet cop in New York? I don't know, but I'm eager to find out. The novels are This is a Bust, Snakes Can't Run, and One Red Bastard.
- Dennis Lehane, whose Live By Night won the best-novel Edgar, drew appreciative nods and murmurs for expressing his gratitude to bookstores. He also thanked libraries for putting books into the hands of "a kid from the wrong side of the tracks" free of charge.
- Ken Follett, named a grand master along with Margaret Maron, displayed an enthusiasm for his work that made me think it must be great fun to write massively successful international thrillers. I haven't read Follett, but I may do so now. And that's what I like best about conventions and other crime-fiction events: Meeting, talking with, or just hearing new (or new to me) authors and, because of those meetings, getting excited about reading their work.
Labels: Asia, bookstores, China, Dennis Lehane, Ed Lin, Edgar Awards, Edgar Awards 2013, Ken Follett, libraries, Margaret Maron, MWA, Mystery Writers of America, Soho Crime, Taiwan
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 4:25 PM
3 Comments:
Ken Follett has been on my to-read list for eons. I have issues with a lot of historical mysteries, but I suspect his are more then just let's-use-the-era-as-a-backdrop.
And I think historical mysteries may be a relatively recent pursuit of his. At any rate, I always thought of him as a thriller writer. But Eye of the Needle won the best-novel Edgar award in 1979, so I figure he must have some crime-fiction chops, too.
G.F.: I have put your potentially libelous comment on hold. I'll be happy to repost it if you can provide evidence for what you say is "pretty well known."
Post a Comment
<< Home