Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention organized completely by fans of the genre, took place this past weekend in Raleigh, NC. And guess what? Both Greg Iles's Natchez Burning and Laura Lippman's After I'm Gone came home with top honors. No big mystery there!
Natchez Burning, a thrilling small town story of a son, his father, and a series of horrible crimes tearing apart their community, won The Barry Award for Best Thriller of the Year. Praise for the book includes:
“It is rare when a book as impactful and daring as Natchez Burning appears . . . Its intriguing plot demands to be read from beginning to end . . . It is compelling reading that awes [and] entertains at the same time.” —Huffington Post
After I'm Gone, a detective mystery following the case of a man, his disappearance, and the lives of those he left behind, won The Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Year. Critics have been equally thrilled:
"She's one of the best novelists around, period."—Washington Post
Congratulations to both Greg and Laura for this well-deserved recognition. If you love mysteries and thrillers, be sure to crack one or both of these titles for an experience you won't soon forget.
-The LLF Team