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When the first Edgar Award — named after Edgar Allen Poe — was bestowed on an accomplished American mystery writer by his peers, a gallon of gas cost 15 cents; the bikini was about to scandalize Paris; and the U.S. was on the brink of a baby boom after the war.  

It was 1946 and his mystery-writing peers decided that Julius Fast deserved the Best First Novel for “Watchful at Night.” Decades later, you can still buy a hardcover of that book on Amazon.

Since then, the Mystery Writers of America has awarded a dozen or so Edgars to novelists, short-story writers, true crime authors and biographers. The nominees are announced in January; the ceremony is in spring.

I look at the list every year and I’m here to say that this year’s list is outstanding, and the mysteries are ornate and unexpected. S.A. Cosby’s novel, “Razorblade Tears,” features the fathers of two gay sons, one white, one Black, who were married to each other.

When the young men are murdered, the fathers,  who've have served time in prison, embark on a wild, revenge-driven quest for justice. And while it’s bloody, Cosby’s powerful writing propels this novel right to a raucous, redemptive finale.

This list also features some terrific women who are writing crime in refreshing ways, far beyond the “dead girls” problem that seems to permeate so much of crime fiction.

“The Damage” by Caitlin Wahrer, up for Best First Novel, asks if there are any limits when it comes to protecting someone you love.

Ann Hagedorn’s nonfiction book, “Sleeper Agent,” is about a Russian spy who reached the highest level of the Manhattan Project and then got away. It is deeply suspenseful.

So if you like mysteries and crime novels like I do, my Thread must-reads come straight off the Edgar nominee list. Just Google "Mystery Writers of America."

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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Kerri Miller

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