The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the shortlist for the 2014 Ned Kelly Awards on Saturday evening at the Bendigo Writers Festival. I was absolutely thrilled to be on the spot when my latest novel The Dying Beach was included among the books nominated for 2014 Best Crime Novel.
This makes it 3/3 books nominated for Ned Kelly Awards for me. What a buzz!
I am also rapt to be sharing the Best Crime Novel shortlist with some of my favourite contemporary Australian authors, three of us — myself, Garry Disher and Stephen Orr — sharing a publisher in Melbourne-based Text Publishing (who also published one of the Best True Crime nominated books).
Australian Crime Writers Association chair, Michael Robotham, described this year’s shortlists as among the strongest in the 19-year history of the prizes.
‘I can’t remember a time when the competition was so fierce and the quality so high.’
I certainly don’t envy the judges’ their task – you can read their comments on the shortlisted books here.
The full list of nominees is below. Winners will be announced on 6 September at the Brisbane Writers Festival.
2014 BEST CRIME NOVEL
Garry Disher, BITTER WASH ROAD
Kathryn Fox, FATAL IMPACT
Adrian McKinty, IN THE MORNING I’LL BE GONE
PM Newton, BEAMS FALLING
Stephen Orr, ONE BOY MISSING
Angela Savage, THE DYING BEACH
2014 BEST FIRST CRIME NOVEL
Peter Cotton, DEAD CAT BOUNCE
Candice Fox, HADES
Alex Hammond, BLOOD WITNESS
Ellie Marney, EVERY BREATH
2014 BEST TRUE CRIME
Paul Dale, DISGRACED?
John Kidman & Denise Hofman, FOREVER NINE
Eleanor Learmonth & Jenny Tabakoff, NO MERCY
Colin McLaren, JFK: THE SMOKING GUN
Duncan McNab, OUTLAW BIKERS IN AUSTRALIA
John Safran, MURDER IN MISSISSIPPI
2014 SANDRA HARVEY SHORT STORY AWARD
Louise Bassett, HOUSEWARMING
Darcy-Lee Tindale, THE SCARS OF NOIR
Roger Vickery, VOICES OF SOI 22
Emma Viskic, SPLINTER
Emma Viskic, WEB DESIGN
Angela Savage 
Hello there,
Congrats on you inclusion in the shortlist – I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Please say hello to Olgamary. Please tell her I had Ainsworth and Andrew for afternoon tea today.
Best wishes to you all.
John M
LikeLike
Thanks John. Olgamary got to my panel with Michael Robotham and Garry Disher but unfortunately had to leave before the Ned Kelly Awards shortlists were announced. We’ll have to celebrate when we meet for dinner on Thursday.
LikeLike
Oh, Angela, I am so happy for you! This such exciting news. I wish all of you the best. And I think The Dying Beach is definitely Neddy-worthy 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Margot. As Michael Robotham says, it’s a very tough field this year. I couldn’t pick a winner from that shortlist. But I appreciate the vote of confidence.
LikeLike
you are a legend kid!
Terry
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Terry 🙂
LikeLike
Congratulations, Angela! What an achievement! I’ll have fingers crossed for you…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks FF. I’m absolutely thrilled. To be shortlisted three times in a row makes me feel like a winner already!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations to you, Angela! The nomination is so well-deserved, as “The Dying Beach” is quite a good read on all fronts: social issues, characters, readability and humor.
This is the only book I’ve read of the Best Crime Novel nominations, so I better get moving.
LikeLike
Thanks Kathy. I feel like the nominated is something good to share with fans of Jayne Keeney like yourself.
I’ve read most of the shortlisted books in both the Best Fiction and Best First Fiction categories. That’s why I know it’s going to be a tough call on the winners.
LikeLike