Underoos were a big thing when I was little. I was lucky and got the Wonder Woman pair. I was invincible when I wore them. The only things missing were the bullet-deflecting bracelets, the Lasso of Truth, and the invisible plane. I was so close to becoming a superhero when I was 6 years old. In 2004 I thought my time to become a superhero had come! The Boston Red Sox beat the so-called “Evil Empire” New York Yankees to go to the World Series. Then the Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first title in 86 years. Surely this was a sign of great things to come! But then I started feeling… odd. My hands and legs were getting tingly,...

Happy Spring! Unless, of course, it’s still icy and snowish where you are…in which case, have another hot chocolate on us. As you know, Crimespree’s most important mission is to spread the word about books we like. So, we’re excited to say that we have a free book—and it’s a great one—for each and every one of you. DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS was first published in 1997, and it has proven to be an enduring American Noir tale. Author Kent Harrington understands the importance of connecting readers with books, and so he has made this book available at no charge to readers of Crimespree. We’re going to publish the whole book one chapter at...

Editor’s note: This is not meant to suggest that this is complete list, but rather a tool to be used to help plan out your next fix for your reading habit. Title: Author Publisher Name List Price PubDate Format Description Category Description Cat’s Claw Albert, Susan Wittig Berkley 7.99 4/2/2013 Mass market (rack) paperback Fiction \ Mystery & Detective \ General Widow’s Tears Albert, Susan Wittig Berkley Hardcover 25.95 4/2/2013 Hardback Fiction \ Mystery & Detective \ Women Sleuths Curse of the PTA Alden, Laura Signet 7.99 4/2/2013 Mass market (rack) paperback Fiction \ Mystery & Detective \ General Maya’s...

On Thursday, The L.A. Times announced the finalists for the 33rd annual L.A. Times Book Prizes. There are ten categories, but here is the one that applies to us: Mystery/Thriller Tana French / Broken Harbor (Viking) Nick Harkaway / Angelmaker (Knopf) Fuminori Nakamura / The Thief (Soho Crime) Chris Pavone / The Expats (Crown) Ariel S. Winter / The Twenty-Year Death (Hard Case Crime) The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony April 19, the evening before the L.A. Times Festival of Books, April 20-21. The ceremony will be open to the public and ticket info will become available in later this...

Earlier this week, The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers announced the nominees for their annual HAMMETT PRIZE. Jim Lynch, Truth Like the Sun: A Novel (Knopf) Howard Owen, Oregon Hill (Permanent) Kurt Palka, Patient Number 7 (McCelland & Stewart) G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen (Emblem/Canada; Grove/US) The organization will name the HAMMETT PRIZE winner, during the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) Fall Conference, in Somerset, New Jersey, September 30-October 2. The Award is a bronze “Thin Man” trophy, designed by sculptor Peter...

The Short Mystery Fiction Society have announced the finalists for the 2013 Derringer Awards. Awards are given in 4 categories based on word count. BEST FLASH STORY (Up to 1,000 words): “An Old-Fashioned Villain” by Nick Andreychuk (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, May 2012) “The Cable Job” by Randy DeWitt (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, September 2012) “Dead Man” by A.J. Hayes (Off The Record 2: At The Movies, September 2012) “Twas the Knife Before Christmas” by Allan Leverone (Shotgun Honey, December 24, 2012) “Daddy’s Girl” by Nicola Kennington (The Flash...