CWA Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award - shortlist

Again from Book2book:

The Crime Writers' Association is delighted to announce the shortlist for this year's CWA Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award - the prestigious prize for the best historical crime novel of 2007.

The winner will be announced by the Chair of judges, Janet Laurence, at a party to be held at Six Fitzroy Square, London W1, on Wednesday, November 7th, from 6.30-8.30pm. The award is sponsored by the Estate of Ellis Peters and her publishers, the Headline Book Publishing Group and the Little, Brown Book Group.

This year's shortlist contains a wide-ranging selection, from Henry II's England to post-war Munich and Tuscany, via the Victorian railways, and nineteenth century Istanbul and Canada. All are to be greatly enjoyed.

The shortlist, in alphabetical order by author, is as follows:

Ariana Franklin - MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH - Bantam Press

Judges' comments: 'Ariana Franklin has found a unique female protagonist, an Italian doctor trained in the study of death and brought to England as assistant to a renowned investigator charged by Henry II with the solving of murder. In this seductive book, characters leap into life, scenes form a closely woven and colourful tapestry, the central figure of Adelia, the mistress of the art of death, has an unusual charm, and the plot darkens as the story progresses.'


Jason Goodwin - THE SNAKE STONE - Faber and Faber

Judges' comments: 'A second outing for Jason Goodwin's eunuch sleuth, now having to dedicate his talents to clearing his name from the accusation of murder in nineteenth century Istanbul. The loving evocation of the city, its food, architecture, ethnic diversity and rivalries, and the political unrest that seethes as the Sultan lies dying, provides a compelling backdrop to a tale that twists and turns, and involves a host of memorable characters, including a magnetic heroine. The climax in the city's underground water system is thrilling.'


Philip Kerr - THE ONE FROM THE OTHER - Quercus

Judges' comments: 'Philip Kerr's German PI protagonist, Bernie Gunther, is working in 1949 Munich. This is a tale where nothing is what it seems on the surface, where the difficulty for Bernie is to distinguish one thing from another, whether it concerns war crimes, murder, dirty deals, or what the motives are for engaging his services. In a complex, multi-layered tale, characterisation, period atmosphere and the eventual unfolding of the facts all ring true and provide a satisfying whole.'


Andrew Martin - MURDER AT DEVIATION JUNCTION - Faber and Faber

Judges' comments: 'Another attractive mystery featuring the engagingly straight-forward pre-First World War railway detective, Jim Stringer. Andrew Martin marries together a cast of memorable and totally believable characters with a devious plot involving a secret society. Railways weave their own spell as lightly incorporated period detail assists in producing an absorbing crime novel that is peppered with atmospheric train journeys in the depths of winter.'


Mark Mills, THE SAVAGE GARDEN, HarperCollins

Judges' comments: 'Post war Tuscany, a sixteenth century garden and a wartime killing are woven together in an atmospheric and psychologically involving novel. The mysteries of the garden, the tensions in the family Docci, the emerging personality of the Cambridge architectural student who teases out much more than the secrets of the historic garden, all combine in a compelling read from the author of the highly regarded THE WHALEBOAT HOUSE (originally published as AMANGANSETT).'


Stef Penney - THE TENDERNESS OF WOLVES - Quercus

Judges' comments: 'A marvellously evoked tale of murder and the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old boy into the icy wastes of Canada in the second half of the nineteenth century. The unlocking of the murder mystery involves the solving of past crimes as well as the present, explores the question of personal and ethnic identity, commercial corruption, parent/child relationships, greed, loyalty and love; major themes that the first-time author tackles with authority and imagination.'


The CWA Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award judging panel consisted of:

Janet Laurence (Chair): Author of two crime series, one set in the eighteenth century featuring the Italian painter, Canaletto; honours degree in history.

Sir Bernard Ingham: former Chief Press Secretary to Margaret Thatcher, and author of numerous books covering both his time in politics and his beloved Yorkshire.

Maureen Lyle: Journalist and regular reviewer of crime fiction, also playwright on literary, historical and musical subjects.

Jessica Mann: Author of twenty crime novels, journalist and reviewer, whose latest book was a non-fiction account of the overseas evacuation of children during the Second World War.

Colin Murray: Long career in publishing, now works as a freelance editor, specialising in crime, science fiction and fantasy, and has recently published his first crime novel.