If you want to see what's new in the Mystery genre, look no further than Nashville. Nashville, Tennessee, hosted the annual Bouchercon World Mystery convention August 28-September 1st this year. Bouchercon, named in honor of the late mystery author and critic Anthony Boucher, brings together mystery writers and fans. It's always a great place to learn what's new and what's worth reading for mystery buffs. Attendees vote on Anthony Awards for best books in several categories.
William Kent Krueger has been a Bouchercon favorite for years. Krueger was on hand to promote his new Cork O'Connor novel, Spirit Crossing. See him in person next year in Erlanger. He will give a book talk and sign books at the Erlanger branch on April 9, 2025.
Panel programs are the heart of Bouchercon. Attendees hear from favorite authors as well as newcomers. Here a panel of first-time authors greet their newest readers:
Books that made an impact and got plenty of notice include:
S.A. Cosby is Bouchercon regular and has written several bestselling mysteries. His newest book, All the Sinners Bleed won the Anthony Award for Best Novel at the Convention.
The Peacock and the Sparrow is a page-turning first novel by I.S. Berry. Her book is part of a trend of more female authors in the spy novel genre.
Mick Herron's Slow Horses books have been made into a popular TV series starring Gary Oldman. He discussed this latest book, The Secret Hours.
Brad Thor, on the right, is interviewed by David Morrell, creator of the Rambo series. Thor was on hand to promote Shadow of Doubt, his latest thriller.
Nancy Springer won the Anthony Award for Best Children's or Young Adult Mystery for Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose. Suitable for all ages, including adults, Springer's books feature Sherlock Holmes' long lost kid sister, Enola. The books have been made into a TV series starring Millie Bobbie Brown.
Rachel Howzell Hall's new thriller What Fire Brings generated a lot of buzz.
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane is a mob mystery set in Boston in 1974. Lehane did a solo interview at Bouchercon. During his talk, he shared stories of writing for TV shows such as The Wire
Dennis Lehane
Nashville resident J. T. Ellison promoted her forthcoming thriller A Very Bad Thing
Timothy Egan won the Anthony for Best Nonfiction for A Fever in the Heartland
Nina Simon won the Anthony Award for the Best First Novel for Mother-daughter Murder Night.
Audiobooks and the Mystery genre are a great combination. The convention featured a panel of leading narrators discussing their work:
Audiobook narrators and professionals at Bouchercon. Left to right: Jessica Kaye, moderator; Andi Arndt, Marni Penning, Holly Adams, Amanda Stribling, and Brian Keany.
Check out these and more mysteries in the Kenton County Public Library catalog.
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