[1]
Edgar Award© Mystery Writers of America. [2]
DB here:
Some good news for Perplexing Plots. It’s gotten positive reviews in various places; they’re sampled on its Amazon page [3]. Most recently, Geoffrey O’Brien has written a very generous review for the New York Review of Books [4] (February 8, 2024). He has, needless to say, kind words for Martin Edwards’ monumental Life of Crime [5] as well. More broadly, he shares his insights into the appeals of mystery fiction as a genre.
Meanwhile, Perplexing Plots has been nominated for two awards. One is for a 2023 Edgar, given by the Mystery Writers of America [6], in the Best Critical/Biographical category. This honor is one I had scarcely dreamed of. The MWA [7] is the most famous and influential organization of practitioners of the craft. The book is up against high-quality competition: biographies of Mickey Spillane, James Ellroy, and Edgar Allan Poe, all by esteemed experts. The awards will be presented on 1 May.
Perplexing Plots has also been nominated for an Agatha, to be awarded at the annual Malice Domestic conference [8] of fans of classic whodunits (26-28 April). This is especially gratifying to me, since one theme of the book is the enduring significance of the traditional puzzle mystery, even in an era when noir fiction and suspense thrillers garner so much attention.
In all, I appreciate the recognition that the book has received and hope that readers find it worth exploring. Thanks as well to the staff of Columbia University Press for publishing the book.