January Magazine Wins 2005 Gumshoe Award

The editors of January Magazine are pleased to announce that Mystery Ink, a popular Web site catering to readers of mysteries and thrillers, has given January's Crime Fiction section its 2005 Gumshoe Award for Best Crime Fiction Web Site.

"There are a lot of Web sites out there that feature information on the genre," remarks Mystery Ink editor David J. Montgomery, "but few of them do so with the passion, insight and attention to quality that January Magazine does."

January was launched in late 1997 as a literary journal devoted to book reviews and author interviews. Its Crime Fiction department, created and edited by J. Kingston Pierce, debuted in early 1998. In addition to reviewing new crime novels, January has interviewed such prominent mystery makers as Tom Bradby, Anne Perry, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Sara Paretsky and Steve Hamilton. In April 1999, editor Pierce introduced "The Rap Sheet," a mostly monthly newsletter filled with short book reviews, as well as news about authors and awards in the genre.

Over the last few years, January has also produced extensive tributes to Ross Macdonald and, most recently, Dashiell Hammett.

"I'm delighted that January was selected for this honor," says Linda L. Richards, editor of January Magazine. "January's crime fiction section wouldn't even exist without J. Kingston Pierce. His very real passion for crime fiction as well as his deep understanding for it -- not to mention a whole lot of long hours and hard work -- are entirely responsible for making January's crime fiction coverage the significant force that it has become. I'm so pleased to see that work recognized in this very public way."

Although this is the fourth year that Mystery Ink has handed out Gumshoe Awards, it is only the second time an award has been given to a Web site covering the genre as a whole. Last year's winner was Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, edited by Sarah Weinman, a contributing editor of January Magazine.

The official Mystery Ink news release about the 2005 Gumshoe Awards reads as follows:

March 9, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2005 Gumshoe Award Winners Announced

(Washington, D.C.) -- Mystery Ink, one of the Internet's most popular destinations for readers of mysteries and thrillers, announced today the winners of the fourth annual Gumshoe Awards. The Gumshoes are given by Mystery Ink each year to recognize the best achievements in the world of crime fiction. The nominees were chosen from books published for the first time in 2004.

According to Mystery Ink's editor, David J. Montgomery, the crime fiction genre is as strong as it has ever been, making the final selections difficult. "Narrowing down the shortlists was difficult enough, but singling out only one book in each category was especially hard. All the books nominated were so good that any of them could justifiably have won, but I think we've come up with some outstanding selections. The books that won all show uncommonly fine writing, plotting and characters that help set the standard for fiction of all types."

Mystery Ink is also especially proud this year to award Lawrence Block the Gumshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is among the finest writers that literature has to offer, and there is no one that deserves it more.

The winners of the 2005 Gumshoe Awards are:

Best Mystery:
Jim Fusilli: Hard, Hard City (Putnam)

Best Thriller:
Barry Eisler: Rain Storm (Putnam)

Best European Crime Novel:
Henning Mankell: The Return of the Dancing Master (New Press)

Best First Novel:
Dylan Schaffer: Misdemeanor Man (Bloomsbury)

Best Crime Fiction Web Site:

January Magazine's Crime Fiction section

www.januarymagazine.com/crfiction/crfiction.html

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Lawrence Block

To see the complete list of nominees and read David J. Montgomery's tribute essay to Lawrence Block, please visit: www.mysteryinkonline.com/gumshoe.html

Last year's winners were:
Best Novel: Steve Hamilton -- Blood Is the Sky (St. Martin's Minotaur)
Best First Novel: P.J. Tracy -- Monkeewrench (Putnam)
Best Crime Fiction Web Site: Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind -- www.sarahweinman.com
Lifetime Achievement: Ruth Rendell

Online since the beginning of 2001, Mystery Ink features reviews of mysteries and thrillers, interviews with authors, reference information and more.

For additional information, please contact David J. Montgomery or visit our Web site at www.mysteryinkonline.com.

Contact:
David J. Montgomery
Editor, Mystery Ink
2300 Middle Creek Lane
Reston, VA 20191
E-mail: editor@mysteryinkonline.com
Web site: www.mysteryinkonline.com