A widow on the run while living with
mental illness, a teenager growing up in a rural cult, and a pre-teen girl in
small-town Otago inspired by Nancy Drew to investigate the murder of her
schoolteacher are among a diverse array of heroines whose stories and escapades
have today been named on the longlist for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best
Novel.
“In what has been a really unusual
year for so many people around the world, we’re really glad to be able to once
again highlight some great Kiwi storytelling,” says founder Craig
Sisterson. “So many people turned to the creative sector while in lockdown –
reading books and watching films and shows for entertainment, comfort, and
escape. While we were saddened to have to cancel a dozen or more library events
in April and May, to help keep everyone safe, we are stoked we can now
celebrate some of our local authors.”
The Ngaio Marsh Awards judges, spread
throughout the world and in a variety of rāhui and lockdown situations, were
impressed by the variety of this year’s entrants and the many new voices who
had joined the ‘yeahnoir’ scene, says Sisterson. “Along
with some wonderful debut authors, we’ve had a number of experienced writers
from other genres – ranging from kids’ books to literary fiction to
playwrighting and paranormal romance – bring their storytelling talents to the
crime, thriller, and suspense realm for the first time.”
The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the
best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. The
longlist for this year’s Best Novel prize is:
SHADOW OF A DOUBT
by SL Beaumont (Paperback Writers Publishing)
TRUST ME, I'M DEAD
by Sherryl Clark (Verve Books)
WHATEVER IT TAKES
by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press)
ONE SINGLE THING
by Tina Clough (Lightpool Publishing)
GIRL FROM THE TREE HOUSE
by Gudrun Frerichs
AUE by Becky
Manawatu (Makaro Press)
THE NANCYS
by RWR McDonald (Allen & Unwin)
HIDE by SJ Morgan
(MidnightSun Publishing)
THE GREAT DIVIDE
by LJM Owen
IN THE CLEARING
by JP Pomare (Hachette)
THE WILD CARD
by Renee (Cuba Press)
A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE
by Nalini Singh (Hachette)
The longlist is currently being
considered by a judging panel of crime, thriller, and suspense writing experts
from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
The finalists for both this Best Novel
category and Best First Novel will be announced later this year. The finalists
will be celebrated, and the winners announced, as part of a special event at
this year’s WORD Christchurch Festival, held from 29 October to 1 November.
An online video highlighting the twelve longlisted books can be seen below.
Congratulations to all the nominated authors.
For
more information on this year’s longlist, or the Ngaio Marsh Awards in general,
please contact founder and judging convenor Craig Sisterson, craigsisterson@hotmail.com
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