Bouchercon 2011: Spirits of St. Louis officially begins today. Featured American Guests of Honor this year are Robert Crais and Charlaine Harris. Val McDermid and Colin Cotterill are the British Guests of Honor. On Sunday, September 18 awards for best novel, best author will be announced at the Anthony Award Brunch. Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski series will receive a Lifetime Achievement award.

"Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them."
-Alice Sebold

The stranger you seek: a novel by Amanda Kyle Williams

Where the shadows lie by Michael Ridpath

World War Two will not take place by Bill James

The Canton Seniors Book Discussion Group will not meet in December. Copies of the January 25, 2012 selection, Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon will be available after November 16, 2011. Request a copy at the Adult Reference Desk.

The British Crime Writers' Association has announced its shortlists for the 2011 Dagger Awards. This past May, Lindsey Davis was awarded The Diamond Dagger Award for sustained excellence in crime writing. Ms. Davis is the author of an historical mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco. She is considered the 'founder' of historical mysteries.

try these:

Tell no one [sound recording] by Harlan Coben

Prey [sound recording] by Michael Crichton

Crisis [sound recording] by Robin Cook

Also try the titles listed on the Cozy Mystery Authors audiobooks blog post. 

Register to join us for a glass of wine and book discussion from 7:00-8:00 PM on Tuesday, September 20th at Vintner's in Canton when we'll discuss The old wine shades: a Richard Jury mystery. The "Old Wine Shades" is the name of a pub where Inspector Richard Jury is told an intriguing tale. This story leads him to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a woman and her autistic son while house hunting in the English countryside. The only clue he has is Mungo, the clever family dog, who disappeared with them and now has returned. Copies of this book are available if you ask!:

The old wine shades: a Richard Jury mystery by Martha Grimes

Libby Fischer Hellmann, a Chicago-based author of crime novels will be conducting two fee-based workshops this Fall on how to write a crime novel. Ms. Hellmann has been twice-nominated for an Anthony Award and once for an Agatha.

For more information and/or to register go to Libby Fischer Hellmann's Writing Workshops.

Easy innocence by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Ever noticed how often food is mentioned in a mystery story?

John Cusack will portray Edgar Allan Poe, the "godfather of goth" in the upcoming movie The raven. Author Edgar Allan Poe forms a reluctant partnership with a police detective to catch a murderer who kills his victims by following elements of Poe's stories. Alice Eve plays Poe's love interest, Alice, and Luke Evans plays the police detective. The film is directed by James McTeigue. The raven is due in the theaters in March 2012.

PBS' Masterpiece Mystery has announced a prequel to the Inspector Morse series will be aired in 2012. Shaun Evans will star as Morse. The working title is "Endeavor". If you haven't watched this wonderful series nor read the Inspector Morse books by Colin Dexter, do so! Last Bus to Woodstock published in 1975 introduces Morse.

James Sallis' 2005 neo-noir novel, Drive is coming to a theater near you this September. A stunt driver for movies, Driver finds more excitement as a wheelman during robberies, but when a heist goes sour, a contract is put on his head, and Driver's survival skills go into high gear.

A covert affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS by Jennet Conant

Once upon a river: a novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell

The fires of the gods: a Sugawara Akitada mystery by I.J.

Scared to Death by Wendy Corsi Staub

Rizzo's Fire by Lou Manfredo

The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson

Ring of Guilt by Judith Cutler

Great house [Large print] by Nicole Krauss

Full dark, no stars [Large print] by Stephen King

Twelve steps to a compassionate life [Large print] by By Karen Armstrong

The scent of jasmine [Large print] by Jude Deveraux

Stalling for time [Large print]: my life as an FBI hostage negotiator by Gary Noesner

My father at 100 [Large print] by Ron Reagan

Love me if you dare [Large print] by Carly Phillips

Dead zero [Large print]: a Bob Lee Swagger novel by Stephen Hunter

The fatal touch: a Commissario Alec Blume novel by Conor Fitzgerald

The last stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick

Knuckler: my life with baseball's most confounding pitch by Tim Wakefield with Tony Massarotti ; foreword by Phil Niekro

The quantum thief by Hannu Rajaniemi

Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley

Local author Harry Dolan will be at Nicola's Books with his second mystery which features his main character David Loogan from his first novel. Dolan will talk about his latest Loogan story Very Bad Men on Monday, July 18th at 7:00PM.

The Vintner's Wine and Mystery Book Discussion group has recessed for the summer.

Book discussions will resume on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. The Old Wine Shades by Martha Grimes is the September reading selection. Copies of this book will be available after Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Ask at the Adult Reference Desk for a copy.

The group's 2011-2012 book discussion titles and dates will be available here in August.

Mystery Readers International has announced this year's nominations for an Macavity Award. The winners will be announced at Boucheron 2011, the World Mystery Convention which will be held in St. Louis this September. Janet Rudolph's blog, Mystery Fanfare has the complete list of the nominations for Best Mystery, Best First Mystery, etc.