The Mystery Writers of America announces its annual recognition of the mystery, crime, suspense, and intrigue genres each January. The list commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe (215 years this year!). In 2020 borg writer Elizabeth C. Bunce won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for her book Premeditated Myrtle, and in 2022 she was a finalist for the award for the third novel in her Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series, Cold-Blooded Myrtle. Yesterday the MWA announced this year’s slate of nominees, and for the third time the MWA judges selected Elizabeth and her series as a finalist, this time for the fifth novel in her series, Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity!
The 78th Annual Edgar Awards honors the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, and television published or produced in 2023, and the ceremony will be held in New York on May 1, 2024. You might recall Elizabeth’s partner in crime joined her when she won the 2020 award at the award’s only virtual ceremony:
In 78 years only a few dozen series have earned multiple nominations, and only a dozen Edgar Award-winning authors have had a series honored three times. Elizabeth’s Myrtle Hardcastle series joins Michael Connelly’s Bosch series, Tony Hillerman’s Dark Winds series, Harlan Coben’s Bolitar series, Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series, Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series, Stuart Kaminsky’s Inspector Rostnikov series, Sir Ian Rankin’s John Rebus series, Dick Francis’s Sid Halley series, Wendelin Von Draanen’s Sammy Keyes series, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Bessledorf series with this honor.
Past honorees include Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, John le Carré, Donald E. Westlake, Michael Crichton, Phyllis A. Whitney, Joan Lowery Nixon, Tony Hillerman, Ken Follett, Willo Davis Roberts, Gore Vidal, Gregory Mcdonald, Lawrence Block, James Patterson, Donald P. Bellisario, Glen A. Larson, Matt Nix, Laurie R. King, Barbara Brooks Wallace, Dori Hillestad Butler, Lois Duncan, Quentin Tarantino, Elmore Leonard, Stuart Woods, Stephen King–and Elizabeth.
The Mystery Writers of America has been recognizing works in the mystery genres since the 1940s. According to the MWA, the Edgar Awards, or Edgars, as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen, and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents.
A haunted Scottish estate! A string of murders! Amateur detective Myrtle Hardcastle returns in her fifth adventure, a blend of Scooby-Doo and Clue, but who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit the crimes? It’s more mayhem, mischief, and murder to sleuth out for our astute and irrepressible heroine. Myrtle and her daring sidekick Peony the cat uncover a string of murders during a treasure hunt on an isolated Scottish island that was just inherited by her partner in detecting crime, Miss Judson. If you love all things Scottish, this book is for you. Elizabeth has even included a Scots lexicon in the back for readers to keep up with Myrtle, lots of crime and history trivia, and Easter eggs pulled from two centuries of mystery fiction.
borg contributor, and Edgar Award-winning author Elizabeth C. Bunce launched her Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery Series in 2020. Publishers Weekly referred to the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series as “the best thing to happen to youth mysteries since Trixie Belden.” Not only did Premeditated Myrtle win the 2020 Edgar Award, it was named an Honor Book by the 106 years (and counting) Society for Midland Authors, and it was named to the Library of Congress’s annual Great Reads from Great Places list. With this week’s nomination, Elizabeth and her series now have garnered three Edgar Award nominations, three Agatha Award nominations, and three Anthony Award nominations. Last year her book In Myrtle Peril took home the Silver Falchion Award–the second time she was a finalist for that award.
Check out Elizabeth’s reviews of books, TV, and movies at borg here. The Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery Series is published by Algonquin Young Readers, a division of Workman Publishing Company and Hachette Publishing. Artwork and design for the series is created by Brett Helquist (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Laura Williams, and Carla Weise. Premeditated Myrtle, How to Get Away with Myrtle, Cold-Blooded Myrtle, In Myrtle Peril, and Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity are all available in hardcover, Audiobook, eBook, and paperback. Don’t miss the audiobooks of each book performed brilliantly by actor Bethan Rose Young (Knightfall, High Seas).
See the full slate of 2024 Edgar Award finalists at the Mystery Writers of America website.
Congratulations, Elizabeth, and to all the 2024 nominees!
