Strand Critics Awards: Richard Price and Glen Erik Hamilton take the Top Prizes and Jeffery Deaver and Colin Dexter Honored

Richard Price wins the Best Novel Award for The Whites, Glen Erik Hamilton takes home the best debut novel prize for Past Crimes. Jeffery Deaver and Colin Dexter receive Lifetime Achievement Awards…

On Wednesday, July 6, at an invitation-only cocktail party in Manhattan, Richard Price won the Strand Critics Award for Best Novel for The Whites (Henry Holt). Glen Erik Hamilton won the Best First Novel award for Past Crimes (William Morrow). And, Jeffery Deaver and Colin Dexter were awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contributions to the genre.

Richard Price won the Strand Critics Award for Best Mystery Novel of 2008 for Lush Life which ties him with Laura Lippman and Michael Connelly at two awards each. “Given that my novels are oftentimes propelled by a singular crime that allows me explore the malleable nature of justice in an urban setting,” said Price. “I consider winning the Strand Magazine Best Novel award a great validation. I couldn’t be more thankful.”

Glen Erik Hamilton burst onto the scene last year with his debut novel Past Crimes which received great review coverage and an Edgar nomination, “I am delighted to receive the Strand Critics Award, on every front: To be included with the other amazing nominees, to share a stage with Jeffrey Deaver and Richard Price, and to be a tiny part of Strand Magazine’s great history,” said Hamilton.  “The hard work of the Strand and of the critics and journalists behind the magazine is essential in getting new authors noticed, and I’m tremendously grateful for my first award.”

In addition to the Critics Awards, Jeffery Deaver and Colin Dexter were both recognized for their contributions to the field of crime fiction with the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Since his debut novel Last Bus to Woodstock in 1970, Colin Dexter has earned a reputation as the master of the literary detective novel for introducing millions of readers to Inspector Morse who stands as one of the most iconic fictional detectives in literary history.

Jeffery Deaver for the past thirty years has attracted millions of readers eager to read the latest Lincoln Rhyme book, but his versatility has stretched to short stories, serial novels, stand-alone novels and much more. In addition to all of his talents he’s one of the few authors who has managed to hit the New York Times Bestseller lists consistently over the past twenty years.  “My theory about writing–indeed the sole reason I’ve made this my livelihood–has always been to try to give readers a thrilling and fun time,” said Deaver, “You sit in a dark room and pound away at the keys, with that goal in mind, and you never really know if you hit the bullseye–much less if you’re even in the target. (I could carry this metaphor out, but the editor within me says, “Enough already!” Let me just say one thing:  It’s an honor  like this that make every one of those minutes struggling at the computer worth while. I’m humbled beyond words!”

The Critics Awards were judged by a select group of book critics from The Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Best Novel:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (Mulholland Books)

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George (Viking)

The Lady from Zagreb by Phillip Kerr (Putnam)

Forty Thieves by Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press)

The Whites: A Novel by Richard Price (Henry Holt)

The Cartel by Don Winslow (Knopf)

Best First Novel:

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango (Atria)

Normal by Graeme Cameron (Mira)

The Marauders: A Novel by Tom Cooper (Crown)

Past Crimes by Glen Erik Hamilton (HarperCollins)

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead)

Disclaimer by Renée Knight (Harper)

Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Jeffery Deaver

Colin Dexter