Mystery Short Story Nominations

by Paula Gail Benson

This time of year, it’s great to be able to celebrate some of the best in mystery short stories with the nominations for recognition by the Mystery Writers of America (which presents the Edgar awards, named after Edgar Allan Poe) and Malice Domestic (which presents the Agathas, named after Agatha Christie). The Edgars are determined by MWA member judges and presented at a Gala Banquet, held this year at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

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Following are the 2019 Edgar Best Short Story nominees:

“Rabid – A Mike Bowditch Short Story” by Paul Doiron (Minotaur Books).
“Paranoid Enough for Two” – The Honorable Traitors by John Lutz (Kensington Publishing).
“Ancient and Modern” – Bloody Scotland by Val McDermid (Pegasus Books).
“English 398: Fiction Workshop” – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Art Taylor (Dell Magazines).
“The Sleep Tight Motel” – Dark Corners Collection by Lisa Unger (Amazon Publishing).

Gigi Pandian's 2017 Agatha Best Short Story Award

The Agathas are nominated by persons registered to attend the annual Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, Maryland, and will be selected by a ballot of those who attend the conference. The awards will be presented at the banquet on May 4, 2019. This year’s nominees provide a range of time periods and characters to contemplate and savor. For the first time, a wife and husband (Tara Laskowski and Art Taylor) have been nominated for the award. Here are the links to each story:

"All God's Sparrows" by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

"A Postcard for the Dead" by Susanna Calkins in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)

"Bug Appetit" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

"The Case of the Vanishing Professor" by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

"English 398: Fiction Workshop" by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

Please read and enjoy!