Joe Gores R.I.P.

Sadly Joe Gores, author of the DKA series, a 3-Time Edgar winner and winner of the "EYE," the PWA Life Achievement award, has died. He was 80. Will post more when we have it. For now out best goes out to the family. This is a huge loss for the mystery community.

RJR

Kenn Davis, R.I.P.

Anyone here ever read the Carver Bascomb books by Kenn Davis? And a novel called BOGART '48? Kenn Davis suffered a heart attack on January 12 and passed away. He was 77. He hadn't had a book published since 1990, but for many years--before and after his writing career--has been a painter. His brother, Zekial Marko--also known as John Trinian--died last year. This Spring they'll both have their ashes scattered by their family.

I just made contact with him again in May by email. Kenn and I were friends throughout the 80's, as we usually saw each other at Bouchercon. His wife emailed me this week with the sad news.

His website is

KennDavis-art.com.

RJR

Dick Stodghill, R.I.P.

Dick Stodghill, R. I. P.

Dick was a long time member of PWA. He and Jackie were very helpful to me during PWA's formative years, Dick acting for years as the membership chair. He also had stories in two of the early PWA anhologies.

I copied the below from a newspaper.
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A former Pinkerton Detective Agency operative himself, he was a longtime fan of classic mystery writers, whose attributes he could discuss at length, and during an earlier, temporary retirement from his newspaper work, tried his hand at it with amazing results.
A fan of short stories, his soon began to appear regularly in top mystery publications, most notably Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Even after his eventual return to newspaper work, he was a regular contributor, his stories frequently culled for hard-cover collections published by groups like Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America.
Indeed, during last month's Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Indianapolis, his story Panic on Portage Path was a nominee for a 2009 Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America.
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I lost contact with Dick for a long time, but recently we had emailed because I thought I'd be seeing him at BCon in Indianapolis. He emailed me just before I left telling me he was too ill to attend. He was 84, and still going strong with a Shamus nomination. He's be missed.

RJR

PWA Shamus Banquet Update

We're getting the same two questions from people about the PWA Shamus Banquet at the Slippery Noodle blues bar in Indianapolis, Fri. Oct. 16, 6:30 to 9:00: Are tickets still available? and Can I come if I'm not a writer?

We have managed to INCREASE our seating at the banquet, so tickets will be on sale until OCT. 1. And ANYONE can come--writers, agents, editors and FANS. Tickets are $50. Email Bob Randisi at RRandisi@aol.com for details on how to get your tickets. It is STILL a ticketed event, with no entry without one.


Bob Randisi

SHAMUS AWARDS

From Ted Fitzgerald, Awards Chair:

PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES
2009 SHAMUS AWARDS NOMINEES

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) is proud to announce the nominees for the 28th annual Shamus Awards, given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye fiction. The 2009 awards cover works first published in the U.S. in 2008. The awards will be presented at the PWA banquet, to be held Friday evening Oct. 16, 2009, in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. For banquet details, contact Robert J. Randisi at rrandisi@aol.com.

2009 Shamus Awards Nominees


Best Hardcover
Salvation Boulevard by Larry Beinhart (Nation Books), featuring Carl Vanderveer
Empty Ever After by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books), featuring Moe Prager
The Blue Door by David Fulmer (Harcourt), featuring Eddie Cero
The Price of Blood by Declan Hughes (Wm. Morrow), featuring Ed Loy
The Ancient Rain by Domenic Stansberry (St. Martins Minotaur) featuring Dante Mancuso

Best First PI Novel
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer (Doubleday), featuring Riley Spartz
Swann’s Last Song by Charles Salzberg (Five Star), featuring Henry Swann
The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang (Simon & Schuster), featuring Mei Wang
In the Heat by Ian Vasquez (St. Martins Minotaur), featuring Miles Young
Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson (St Martins Minotaur), featuring Crispin Guest

Best Paperback Original
Snow Blind by Lori Armstrong (Medallion) featuring Julie Collins
Shot Girl by Karen Olson (Obsidian) featuring Annie Seymour
The Stolen by Jason Pinter (MIRA) featuring Henry Parker
The Black Hand by Will Thomas (Touchstone/Simon &Schuster) featuring Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn.
The Evil That Men Do by Dave White (Crown/Three Rivers Press) featuring Jackson Donne

Best Short Story
“Family Values” by Mitch Alderman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2008), featuring Bubba Simms
“Last Island South” by John C. Boland. (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2008), featuring Meggie Trevor
“The Blonde Tigress” by Max Allan Collins (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2008), featuring Nate Heller
“Discovery” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Nov 2008), featuring Pita Cárdenas
“Panic on Portage Path” by Dick Stodghill (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008), featuring Jack Eddy and Bram Geary.

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PWA was founded in 1981 by Robert J. Randisi to recognize the private eye genre and its writers. Previous Shamus winners include Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Harlan Coben, Max Allan Collins, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, O’Neil deNoux, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Sue Grafton, James W. Hall, Steve Hamilton, Jeremiah Healy, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, John Lutz, Bill Pronzini, S.J. Rozan, Sandra Scoppettone and Don Winslow. P.I. Guy logo by Terry Beatty.

William Tapply

Borrowed, with permission, from Ed Gorman's blog, but posted by PWA member Brendan DuBois.

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Hi Ed ---

Not sure if you got the news or not, but I've heard that Bill Tapply, author of the Brady Coyne mysteries and a host of other books, died last night of cancer.

Damn.

He was active in the New England chapter of MWA, for a while we shared agents, and he was overall just the best... and he will be missed.

Well, thought you'd like to know.

And I visit your site at least twice a day; it's one of my favorites...

You take care.

All best, Brendan DuBois

PWA Banquet

Those of you interested in attending the PWA Banquet in Indianapolis in Oct. please keep the night of Fri., Oct. 16th open, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Invitations will go out to PWA members in August. After the membership is given the opportunity to respond, the event will be open to the public. Watch this blog for further info. Also, go to the Bouchercon Website http://www.bouchercon2009.com/.

RJR