Bouchercon XXVII

Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the convention since 1986. This page details Bouchercon XXVII and the 11th Anthony Awards ceremony.

Bouchercon

The convention was held in Saint Paul, Minnesota on October 10, 1996; running until the 13th. The event was chaired by Dennis Armstrong and freelance book reviewer Bruce Southworth. Armstrong was working for the local "Once Upon a Crime" book-store at the time and was allowed to take time off work to organise the event.

Special Guests

Guest of Honor — Mary Higgins Clark
Fan Guest of Honor — Ellen Nehr
Toastmaster — Jeremiah Healy

Anthony Awards

The following list details the awards distributed at the eleventh annual Anthony Awards ceremony.

Novel award

Winner:

Mary Willis Walker, Under the Beetle's Cellar

Shortlist:

Michael Connelly, The Last Coyote
Barbara D'Amato, Hard Christmas
Andrew Klavan, True Crime
Bill Pronzini, ''Blue Lonesome''

First novel award

Winner:

Virginia Lanier, Death in Bloodhound Red

Shortlist:

Richard Barre, The Innocents
G. M. Ford, Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca?
Charles Kenney, Hammurabi's Code
Martha C. Lawrence, ''Murder in Scorpio''

Paperback original award

Winners:

Harlan Coben, Deal Breaker

Shortlist:

Eileen Dreyer, Bad Medicine
Teri Holbrook, A Far and Deadly Cry
Gloria White, Charged with Guilt
Robert D. Zimmerman, ''Closet''

Short story award

Winner:

Gar Anthony Haywood, "And Pray Nobody Sees You", from Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes

Shortlist:

K.K. Beck, "Rule of Law", from Malice Domestic 4
Jean B. Cooper, "The Judge's Boy", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine August 1995
Bill Crider, "How I Found a Cat, Lost True Love, and Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo", from Cat Crimes Takes a Vacation
Elizabeth Daniels Squire, "The Dog Who Remembered Too Much", from ''Malice Domestic 4''