Gumshoe Awards -- Best European Crime Novel

A couple of people have posted questions on blogs about the absence of a Best European Crime Novel on this year's Gumshoe Awards shortlist. After discussions with my committee, we decided to eliminate that category.

I never thought it was a strength of the Gumshoes, and I also don't like the "ghetto-ization" of books that it implies. (That's why we don't have a category for Best Paperback.) I thought it made sense to divide crime novels into Mystery and Thriller -- but after that point, it seemed like splitting too many hairs.

It also seemed somewhat disrespectful, as if a certain class of books had to be considered on their own because they didn't match up to the rest.

So now all novels, hard or soft, US/UK/European/whatever, are considered in the main categories. I think that by keeping the focus on only three categories of books -- Best Mystery, Best Thriller, Best First Novel -- the awards carry more weight and give greater distinction to those books that are selected.

As for Best Website, we still haven't decided what exactly we want to do with that. I have an idea in the works, but it may not be implemented in time for this year's awards. I'll keep you posted.

Comments

[Clea Simon]

Just to be the devil's advocate: I'd make the case for a "best paperback only" category simply because they don't get much press. Therefore, simply because they are not as well known, they tend to get overlooked by most awards. You could make the same case for "best small press," for example. Don't have to, but that would be one argument for.

[I.J. Parker]

Thank you, Clea.
Of course, that wouldn't be necessary if pb originals were included in the other categories, but frequently they have already been eliminated as not equally qualified.

[David Montgomery]

We've nominated several paperback originals for the Gumshoes over the years. (And there is one, Phil Hawley's Stigma, on this year's shortlist as well. Also Craig McDonald's Head Games only received a limited hardcover release. For all intents and purposes, it's a paperback as well.)

The problem as I see it is that if you set up a "special" category for Best Paperback, you're acknowledging that they are a lesser form, and not worthy of competition for Best Novel with hardbacks. I don't believe that is true. I think there are superior novels being released as PBOs and that their binding is irrelevant. Thus, I prefer to allow all books to compete as equals, and let the best rise to the top.

[John Dishon]

What's the difference between mystery and thriller, as far as the award is concerned? What qualities would a book have that would put it in one category as opposed to the other?

[Cameron Hughes]

Mystery doesn't have to be fast-paced. A thriller typically doesn't need an element of seeking answers to questions.

[David J. Montgomery]

I mused on the differences between mysteries and thrillers a while back... But one of the most basic differences is that a mystery is usually about the investigation of a
crime (i.e., the mystery) and a thriller is about the prevention of a future crime (with that anticipation generating the thrills). Not all crime novels fall easily into that calculus, but it explains most of them.
It's largely an academic difference in the minds of most readers, but why have hairs if you're not going to split them?

[RP]

Screw you, you fookin' bastard!

[Elaine Flinn]

"We've nominated several paperback originals for the Gumshoes over the years.."

And I'm here to say how flattered, honored and appreciative I shall always be to have been a pbo Gumshoe nominee!

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