Bury Your Dead won the Dilys Award!

A perfect day!

Just heard that Bury Your Dead did win the Dilys!!! It was announced last night in Santa Fe. The magnificent Barbara Peters (she of Poisoned Pen Press and her bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ) accepted for me.

The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (who give out the Dilys) asked each of the nominees who weren't there for a speech, in case we won. Here is the one I sent - and presumably, Barbara read -


I wish I could be here to look you in the eyes so you'd know how deeply grateful and overjoyed I am. But the truth is, I'd probably just blubber and jump for joy and make almost no sense. Barbara, would you mind jumping around a bit, for me? In a dignified sort of way, of course.

Thank you to the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association for the Dilys Award. Thank you for what it represents. Handselling. Not downloading. But actually pressing a paper and ink book into a customer's hand. Knowing the name of the book, knowing the name of the author. Knowing the name of the customer.

Now there's an art worth celebrating. Bookselling. What a very beautiful gift that is.

Thank you for this amazing award. Especially given the fabulous books and writers who were also nominated. Bribery does pay off. Tell your children.

Thank you too, to the most wonderful editors in the world, Hope Dellon and Dan Mallory. And to Minotaur Books, who have seen that a small mystery with very little blood and no sex, set in Canada can have something to say. What a terrific publisher they are!

I think the Dilys is especially precious to me because BURY YOUR DEAD is the sixth book in the Gamache series. I'm always afraid of falling into a routine, or getting lost as so many other magnificent crime novels are published. I have a lot of fears. Of not being good enough, of not writing the books you deserve to read. Of staggering when I should be leaping. But now, when I'm afraid, I can look at this marvelous award you've given me, and feel maybe I can do it.

BURY YOUR DEAD is, in many ways, about second chances. I've been given a second chance in life, and I am beyond happy to be taking it in your company. I will never forget Barbara's experience here tonight. Damn, I wish I was with you!

I also want to thank the gorgeous Barbara Peters and say that she is drunk at this very moment and will almost certainly be arrested before the night is out. She is also a very lovely woman, and a great friend.

Merci, tout le monde.


I'd have paid good money to hear Barbara say those words!

I'm so incredibly happy. As you know, Bury Your Dead was a difficult book to write - not so much because of the complexity of the interwoven story lines, but because of the emotional toll - on characters I love, and therefore on me. To win, then, such a meaningful award really goes to my heart.

As does all your happiness for me. you are so generous and kind. Thank you!

One more???

Oh, why not - Yippppppeeeeee!

And, the magnificent Lesa Holstine, over at Lesa's Book Critiques was at Left Coast Crime, where the awards were given out. In her blog today she lists the winners of the other awards....a great list to add to your TBR stack! Here's an excerpt from her blog -

The Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery Novel went to J. Michael Orenduff for The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein.

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award for best historical mystery novel, events pre-1950, went to Jacqueline Winspear for The Mapping of Love and Death.

The Hillerman Sky Award for the mystery that best captures the landscape of the Southwest went to Margaret Coel for The Spider's Web.

And, since I was sitting next to him at dinner, it's a pleasure to say that the Watson for mystery novel with best sidekick went to Craig Johnson for Junkyard Dogs.


Thanks for posting Lesa - hope you don't mind my lifting it!

Congratulations to all the winners and all the nominees.

Now - it's back to the monastery for me!

Dilys tonight

sunny, cold, temps minus 5

Winter just keeps clinging on. But the sunshine really does make it easier.

We took advantage of our new hair cuts, and the fact we were actually dressed at 6:30 last night, to go to the Bistro on the Avenue for dinner. I had a hankering for steaks frites. Off we went - love that restaurant, on Greene. Feels very much like a Parisian bistro, though because it's in Westmount most people speak English.

We both had grilled ribeye, but instead of frites we had vegetables. And then shared the most wonderful slice of key lime pie.

We absolutely love our Montreal apartment. It's small, but perfect for our needs. And the location is wonderful, as you can tell. Walking distance to all sorts of great restaurants, and food shops and a bookstore, and the metro (subway). In the summer we can even walk to the Musee des beaux arts if we wanted. But not in the winter. We're far too delicate for that.

Tonight, in Santa Fe, the Dilys Award is being given out - and Bury Your Dead is on the shortlist! It's awarded at Left Coast Crime, which is an annual gathering of crime readers and writers, on the west coast. The Dilys is a particularly meaningful award since it's voted on by booksellers. It's for the book the Independent Mystery Booksellers across North America most enjoyed selling last year. Here's the complete list of nominees -

LOVE SONGS FROM A SHALLOW GRAVE, Colin Cotterill
THE LOCK ARTIST, Steve Hamilton
MOONLIGHT MILE, Dennis Lehane
BURY YOUR DEAD, Louise Penny
ONCE A SPY, Keith Thomson
SAVAGES, by Don Winslow

An amazing list of nominees - and again, it really is enough to be on the list, especially when you consider all the great books that were published last year.

By the way, the forecast for Santa Fe is sunny with highs around 55 degrees. I'd have thought it would be much warmer, but I guess not.

Have just finished the writing for today - wish I could tell you what's happening...but that would be a mistake.

Heading back to the country in an hour or so. Taking pizzas and chicken wings to Pat and Tony, to thank them for looking after Trudy and the house.

I'll let you know what happens at the Dilys. Fingers crossed!

Dilys Nominee!!!!

Hi there,

I just had to give you the fabulous news that THE BRUTAL TELLING has been nominated for a Dilys Award in the US! Robin Agnew, of Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor just wrote to tell me.

The Dilys is one of my favorite awards - it's given out by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) in the United States and it is for the books they most enjoyed selling in the past year. So it is very meaningful. I'm absolutely beyond thrilled. One of my other books, STILL LIFE, was nominated and even won! I don't think I'll win this year...too many great books on the list. I think Alan Brandley will win for his terrific debut. Here's the list of nominees...

2009 Nominees

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley, Delacorte
A Quiet Belief in Angels, R.J. Ellroy, Overlook
The Dark Horse, Craig Johnson, Viking
The Girl Who Played with Fire, Steig Larsson, Alfred A. Knopf
The Ghosts of Belfast, Stuart Neville, Soho
The Brutal Telling, Louise Penny, Minotaur
The Shanghai Moon, S. J. Rozan, Minotaur

Yay - such great company.