I first wrote about my progress towards reading eligible titles for this year’s International Dagger Award for crime fiction translated into English a few weeks ago and had planned for this follow up post to to cover the mass of extra books I had read before the announcement of the official shortlist on Friday night (UK time).
Alas I only managed a further 3 books, bringing my total to a rather paltry 18 of the eligible 76 books (as listed at Euro Crime)
- Camilleri, Andrea; The Potter’s Field
- Camilleri, Andrea; The Track of Sand;
- Drvenkar, Zoran; Sorry (DNF)
- Enger, Thomas; Burned
- Fossum, Karin; The Caller SL
- Higashino, Keigo; The Devotion Of Suspect X
- Holt, Anne; Fear Not
- Horst, Jørn Lier; Dregs SL
- Indridason, Arnaldur; Outrage SL
- Kaaberbol, Lene & Friis, Agnete; The Boy in the Suitcase
- Läckberg, Camilla; The Drowning
- Läckberg, Camilla; The Hidden Child
- Larsson, Asa; Until Thy Wrath Be Past SL
- Meyer, Deon; Trackers SL
- Nykanen, Harri Nights of Awe
- Nesbo, Jo; Headhunters
- Theorin, Johan; The Quarry SL
- Tursten, Helene; Night Rounds
- Wagner, Jan Costin; Winter Of The Lions
I’ve indicated which six of these would make my personal shortlist and there have been no changes since my first post. My personal favourite of those is Karin Fossum’s THE CALLER but any of them would be a worthy winner.
Now I wait to see if any of these make the official shortlist and get my credit card ready so I can order the shortlisted books I haven’t read in time for the winner’s announcement in a few weeks. Hopefully I have at least made something of a start and one or two of my selections make it to the judges’ shortlist.
Other people are speculating about their choices over at Euro Crime.
Of your shortlist, I’ve only read Outrage and Until Thy Wrath Be Past. I would also put those on my short list. I’ve loaned a friend my copy of Dregs, which I haven’t yet read; she said it’s one of the best Scandinavian mysteries she’s ever read. I hope to read it over this holiday weekend.
Bernadette – I think you’ve made some excellent choices for your short list. I’ll be interested to see how close you come to what’s actually listed.
Can’t take issue with your shortlist! In fact I think they are now identical as I originally had 7 on mine and so reluctantly removed The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill – not least because it provides a bit of geographical variation. Sorry to repeat what I’ve written elsewhere, but this year, unlike last, we are so spoilt for choice it is beyond reasonableness, let alone what a human being can read! Bring on next year – actually I’ve already chosen my winner for next year, Last Will by Liza Marklund, so I suppose I could just take the year off;-)
Ah Maxine that is why Last Will is not on Karen’s list! These eligibility requirements e.g. published in the UK between one date and another, and up to last year originally written in French by a woman are too complex for me.
Bernadette, I’ve no major discrepancy with your list. I’m planning to read next Until Thy Wrath be Past. But by the shortlist announcement will be known before I can finish reading it.
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