To help celebrate May being Mystery Month, I accepted nominations from crime fiction readers at large for authors and books they’re obsessed about. The nominees were announced at the end of May, and 960 people stopped by to vote for their favorites.
Congratulations to the following winners:
Novel You Shoved Most Often in People’s Faces
The End of Everything by Megan Abbott
Lead Character You Most Want As Your Friend
Charlie Hardie—Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski
Most Scene-Stealing Supporting Character
Elvis Cole—The Sentry by Robert Crais
Most Throat-Grabbing Opening Sentence
“There are drunken assholes, and there are assholes who are drunks.”—Purgatory Chasm by Steve Ulfelder
Most Memorable Dialogue
Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski
Catchiest Title (this won by one vote)
The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis
Most Eye-Popping Cover
Getting Off by Lawrence Block
Favorite Author on Social Media
Meg Gardiner
Most Criminally Underrated Author
Eric Beetner
This was great fun for me, and I hope it was for you, too. Thank you to everyone who took time to submit nominations, spread the word, and vote. I hope you’re making notes as you read this year’s books, so you’ll be ready with your noms for next year’s Stalkers!
16 Comments
Meg Gardiner
June 11, 2012 at 2:24 amI’m honored to have won! Thank you to everyone who voted for me. And thank you, Pop Culture Nerd, for running such a fun event.
I will now wait for a little Stalker Award statuette to leap at me from the bushes when I least expect it.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:44 pmI’m checking flights now. Will be crouching in the bushes to throw statuette at you when you least expect it. I have strong thighs so I can crouch a looong time. Heh heh.
Mark Edwards
June 11, 2012 at 7:36 amThat Lawrence Block cover is hilarious. I do love Hard Case Crime books though.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:45 pmIt is definitely attention-grabbing.
Lawrence Block
June 11, 2012 at 8:27 amI’m delighted to learn that Getting Off has won a Stalker Award for its cover, but feel I should point out that credit should go to Hard Case Crime publisher Charles Ardai (who always manages to get great cover art for his books) and artist Gregory Manchess (whose gorgeous painting led one bookstore to post this hand-lettered notice next to the display: “If you lick it, you have to pay for it.”)
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:47 pmThank you so much for stopping by, Mr. Block. I love the great, pulpy covers for HCC books. And thank you for providing the artist’s name so he can get proper credit.
That is a fantastic notice. Wonder how many copies they sold to lickers.
Eric Beetner
June 11, 2012 at 4:30 pmI love that it seemed to be problematic enough they felt the need for a sign.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 4:34 pmAdmit it—you were among those “problem” people.
Naomi Johnson
June 11, 2012 at 10:16 amI like these Stalker Awards: unlike most awards I actually had some favorites win. Congrats to all of them, and particularly to Eric Beetner. I hope that ‘underrated’ tag gets lost real soon.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:51 pmI often look at lists of awards and don’t see my reading taste represented at all, and figured there are others out there who feel the same. Hence, these. Thanks for submitting your faves.
le0pard13
June 11, 2012 at 12:19 pmGreat awards (and job on this), Elyse.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:51 pmThanks! Glad you enjoy them.
Eric Beetner
June 11, 2012 at 12:29 pmSo flattered and honored to be voted most underrated. Now to work on “most over-hyped million seller with best opening line and kick-ass cover art that you shared on Twitter the most” for next years race.
Pop Culture Nerd
June 11, 2012 at 1:53 pmYou make me laugh, Beetner. That is a lofty goal and I hope you achieve it.
Steve Ulfelder
June 12, 2012 at 3:03 amHey, what an honor – thanks to all who voted! Now as to the guy skulking in my shrubbery and shooting cell-phone video of my house: Is he my prize?
David Thayer
June 16, 2012 at 10:46 amMegan Abbott is a writer whose work is startling and fresh.