Annal:2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel

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Results of the Agatha Award in the year 2008. For a ranked list of books, try an honor roll:

Death of a Cozy Writer: A St. Just Mystery

G.M. Malliet

From deep in the heart of his eighteenth century English manor, millionaire Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk writes mystery novels and torments his four spoiled children with threats of disinheritance. Tiring of this device, the portly patriarch decides to weave a malicious twist into his well-worn plot. Gathering them all together for a family dinner, he announces his latest blow—a secret elopement with the beautiful Violet…who was once suspected of murdering her husband.

Within hours, eldest son and appointed heir Ruthven is found cleaved to death by a medieval mace. Since Ruthven is generally hated, no one seems too surprised or upset—least of all his cold-blooded wife Lillian. When Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is brought in to investigate, he meets with a deadly calm that goes beyond the usual English reserve. And soon Sir Adrian himself is found slumped over his writing desk—an ornate knife thrust into his heart. Trapped amid leering gargoyles and stone walls, every member of the family is a likely suspect. Using a little Cornish brusqueness and brawn, can St. Just find the killer before the next-in-line to the family fortune ends up dead?

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme: A Domestic Diva Mystery

Krista Davis

Gracious living can be murder. First in an all-new mystery series— includes delicious recipes and great tips on entertaining!

Few can compete with Natasha Smith when it comes to entertaining, but her childhood rival, Sophie Winston, certainly tries. Natasha may have stolen the spotlight—and Sophie’s husband—but Sophie is determined to rob her of the prize for the Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown. She just needs the right ingredient.

But Sophie’s search for the perfect turkey takes a basting when she stumbles across a corpse. And when the police find her name and photo inside the victim’s car, Sophie will have to set her trussing aside to solve the murder—or she’ll be serving up prison grub.

Paper, Scissors, Death: A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery

Joanna Campbell Slan

Every scrapbook tells a story. Memories of friends, family…and murder?

Mousy housewife Kiki Lowenstein has two great loves: scrapbooking and her young daughter, Anya. But her happy family album is ruined when her husband, George, is found naked and dead in a hotel room. As Kiki tracks down George’s murderer, she discovers his sordid secret life.

Cruel taunts by George’s former flame compel Kiki to spout an unwise threat. When the woman is murdered, Kiki’s scissor-sharp words make her the prime suspect. She could be creating scrapbook keepsakes for the rest of her life-behind bars. Supported by her loyal friends, along with a little help (and a lot of stomach flutters) from the dashing Detective Detweiler, can Kiki cut the true killer out of the picture and design a new life for herself and Anya?

Includes expert scrapbooking tips and techniques, and a coupon for free Snapfish photos!

Pushing Up Daisies: A Dirty Business Mystery

Rosemary Harris

Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest—but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime. Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years…

Through a Glass, Deadly: A Glassblowing Mystery

Sarah Atwell

Glassblower Emmeline Dowell has made a home for herself among the artists of Tucson’s Warehouse District. But her friendship with troubled newcomer Allison McBride takes a dangerous turn when Allison’s husband turns up dead in Em’s studio.

Now Emmeline is involved in a murder investigation that reaches beyond the sunny Southwest. And when the killer acts again, it’s up to her to pick up the shards of Allison’s life before it’s too late.

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