Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher, who is also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the convention since 1986. This page details Bouchercon XL and the 24th Anthony Awards ceremony.
Bouchercon The convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 15, 2009; running until the 18th. The event was chaired by critical / non-fiction writer and owner of The Mystery Company bookshop Jim Huang; and Mike Bursaw, owner of the Indianapolis Mystery Mike's bookshop.
Special Guests Lifetime Achievement award — Allen J. Hubin Guest of Honor — Michael Connelly Toastmaster — S. J. Rozan Honored Youth Author — Wendelin Van Draanen Fan Guest of Honor — Kathryn Kennison
Anthony Awards The following list details the awards distributed at the twenty-fourth annual Anthony Awards ceremony, located at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.
Novel award Winner: Michael Connelly, The Brass Verdict
Shortlist: Sean Chercover, Trigger City William Kent Krueger, Red Knife Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Louise Penny, The Cruelest Month
First novel award Winner: Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Shortlist: Rosemary Harris, Pushing Up Daisies Julie Kramer, Stalking Susan G. M. Malliet, Death of a Cozy Writer Tom Rob Smith, Child 44
Paperback original award Winner: Julie Hyzy, State of the Onion
Shortlist: Max Allan Collins, The First Quarry Christa Faust, Money Shot Vicki Lane, In a Dark Season P. J. Parrish, South of Hell
Short story award Winner: Sean Chercover, "A Sleep Not Unlike Death", from Hardcore Hardboiled
Shortlist: Dana Cameron, "The Night Things Changed", from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe Jane K. Cleland, "Killing Time", from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine November 2008 Toni L. P. Kelner, "Skull and Cross-Examinations", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine February 2008 Laura Lippman, "Scratch a Woman", from Hardly Knew Her Kristine Kathryn Rusch, "The Secret Lives of Cats", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine July 2008
Critical / Non-fiction award Winner: Jeffrey Marks, Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography
Shortlist: Frankie Y. Bailey, African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study Kathy Lynn Emerson, How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries Kate Summerscale, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective
Young adult award Winner: Chris Grabenstein, The Crossroads
Shortlist: John Green, Paper Towns Lauren Henderson, Kiss Me, Kill Me Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey Wendelin Van Draanen, Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
Cover art award Winner: Peter Mendelsund; for Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Shortlist: David Rotstein; for Linda L. Richards, Death Was the Other Woman David Rotstein; for Elizabeth Zelvin, Death Will Get You Sober David Rotstein; for Louise Ure, The Fault Tree Steve Cooley; for Christa Faust, Money Shot
Special service award Winner: Jon Jordan and Ruth Jordan, Crimespree Magazine
Shortlist: Ali Karim, Shots magazine David Montgomery Gary Warren Niebuhr Sarah Weinman
References