The CWA Dagger in the Library, 2008

Sponsor: The Random House Group

Prize: £1500

The 2008 Dagger in the library has been won by Craig Russell. This page has more information about the other shortlisted authors.

The Dagger in the Library is an annual award, given to "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users"; authors are nominated by UK libraries and Readers' Groups and judged by a panel of librarians. The award is given for the body of an author's work, not for an individual title, and those nominated must be alive at the time of the nomination and should preferably be working in Britain. The broadest definition of the crime novelist is used; it can include authors of thrillers, suspense novels, spy fiction and period fiction as well as more traditional forms like "cosies", "hard-boiled" and police procedurals.

Overall judges’ comments

‘We were pleased to discover new names amongst the more well-known authors, and delighted to see a wealth of new talent emerging in this, the most popular genre in public libraries. Over 65 nominations came in from twenty-five separate sources across the UK, and the shortlist was hotly debated.’

The Shortlist

Here, in alphabetical order, are the runners-up for the 2008 Dagger in the Library:

Elizabeth Corley
Andrew Martin
Denise Mina

CJ Sansom
Chris Simms

Here are more details of the nominees:

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Elizabeth Corley

Judges’ comments: ‘Corley’s novels were described as fast-paced and gripping. The politics and practicalities of resourcing investigations, set in a convincing police milieu in which teamwork took preference over the maverick, endeared these novels to the judging panel. Victims are fully realized as characters, and the aftermath of violent crime is dealt with sympathetically.’

Elizabeth Corley was born in West Sussex and impressively manages to balance her passion for crime writing with a high-powered career in investment banking. Currently the Chief Executive of European business at a global investment company she spends her day dealing with facts and figures, pension funds, and insurance business. In contrast she spends her evenings and holidays feeding her creative side by writing intriguing thrillers.

She lives in Surrey with her husband and stepdaughter but her job requires continuous travel. Rarely spending a week without boarding a plane she divides her time between London, Germany and France.

Her page on the Allison & Busby web site

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Andrew Martin

Judges’ comments: ‘In Jim Stringer we have a Pooteresque central character making his way in an environment alien to most. We enjoyed Andrew Martin’s strong evocation of setting and the way in which the initially rather unlovable character of Stringer developed and matured over the course of the series, becoming more sympathetic.’

Andrew Martin, a former Spectator Young Writer of the Year, grew up in Yorkshire. After qualifying as a barrister he became a freelance journalist in which capacity he has tended to write about the north, class, trains, seaside towns and eccentric individuals rather than the doings of the famous, although he did once loop the loop in a biplane with Gary Numan. He has also learned to drive steam locomotives, albeit under very close supervision.

He has written for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, The New Statesman and Granta.

Website: jimstringernovels.com

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Denise Mina

Judges’ comments: ‘Strong female characters, dark humour and a good Glasgow setting make her novels popular with readers.’

Denise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an engineer, the family followed the North Sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe, moving twenty-one times in eighteen years from Paris to the Hague, London, Scotland and Bergen. She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs: working in a meat factory, bar maid, kitchen porter and cook. Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.

At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time. Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, Garnethill when she was supposed to be studying instead. In 1998 Garnethill won the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey Dagger for the best first crime novel and was the start of a trilogy completed by Exile and Resolution.

In 2005 The Field of Blood was published, the first of a series of five books following the career and life of journalist Paddy Meehan from the newsrooms of the early 1980s, through the momentous events of the nineteen nineties.

She also writes comics and wrote Hellblazer, the John Constantine series for Vertigo, for a year. She has also written a one-off graphic novel and in 2006 she wrote her first play. As well as all of this she writes short stories published various collections, stories for BBC Radio 4, contributes to TV and radio.

Website: www.denisemina.co.uk

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CJ Sansom

Judges’ comments: ‘CJ Sansom’s novels stand head and shoulders above most historical crime fiction. The narrative voice is strong and engaging and historical events are brought to life by his exceptional research, which is integrated quietly into the stories. His novels are richly populated with interesting characters and the standard of his writing makes for rewarding reading. He is justifiably popular with readers.’

CJ Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex. Sansom also won the 2005 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger for Dark Fire, and he was shortlisted for the 2007 Dagger in the Library. The Shardlake series is being adapated for TV by the BBC, with Kenneth Brannagh playing Shardlake.

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Chris Simms

Judges’ comments: ‘A strong sense of locale in Simms’s stories enhances the reading experience. His exploration of the underbelly of life is convincing and persuasively depicted. His insights into the criminal mind are at times unexpectedly empathic.’

Chris Simms says that he’s always been drawn to books that give insights into unusual minds. The twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’ The Collector, the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter, the murderous urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s Butcher Boy: all had an influence in shaping him as a writer.

His own books – tense psychological thrillers set very firmly in Manchester – follow the fortunes of DI Spicer as he pursues mad, bad and deadly individuals through the city’s ever changing landscape. Alongside detailed descriptions of Manchester itself, Chris covers a variety of issues, including the violent theft of high performance cars, the shady end of the cosmetic surgery industry and the consequences of Britain’s ‘war on terror’. He does so with ‘intelligence and subtlety’, according to The Bookseller. In 2007, Chris was selected by Waterstone’s as one of their top ‘25 Authors for the Future’.

Website: www.chrissimms.info

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JUDGING PANEL

Further details may be obtained from the CWA Dagger Liaison Officer, Meg Gardiner, by emailing . Any queries should also be addressed to her.