Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently had a fascinating conversation with authors Lou Berney and Thomas Perry about awards. She really wanted to talk about the Hammett Awards, which is presented by the International Association of Crime Writers. Here’s the information about the Hammett Awards, as it appears on the IACW web site.
“Since 1991, the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers has presented the Hammett trophy to the book of the year that best represents the conception of literary excellence in crime writing.” You can find the entire list of nominees and winners here. https://www.crimewritersna.org/hammett/past.htm Then, you can check the Poisoned Pen’s web site for the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
You can see the entire conversation here.
Jane Stanton Hitchcock, a Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press author, won the most recent Hammett Award for her novel, Bluff. Because Peters, Berney and Perry discussed that book, here’s the summary of the 2019 Hammett Award winner.
Winner of the 2019 Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing
“Bluff is a triumphant and thrilling return. Not only can Hitchcock stage a murder mystery that’s as comedic as it is clever, but she also skewers the social elite—a world in which she grew up—with a satirical touch that’s both razor-sharp and subtly sympathetic.”—The Strand Magazine
There has never been a better time for revenge in this noir crime thriller from New York Times bestselling author Jane Stanton Hitchcock!
One-time socialite Maud Warner polishes up the rags of her once glittering existence and bluffs her way into a signature New York restaurant on a sunny October day. When she walks out again, a man will have been shot.
Maud has grown accustomed to being underestimated and invisible, and she uses her ability to fly under the radar as she pursues celebrity accountant Burt Sklar, the man she believes stole her mother’s fortune and left her family in ruins. Her fervent passion for poker has taught Maud that she can turn weakness into strength to take advantage of people who think they are taking advantage of her, and now she has dealt the first card in her high-stakes plan for revenge.
One unexpected twist after another follows as Maud plays the most important poker hand of her life. The stakes? To take down her enemies and get justice for their victims. Her success depends on her continuing ability to bluff—and on who will fold.
Can she win?