This year I really have to disagree -- The Collini Case, by Ferdinand von Schirach which is frankly stunning, and Roslund and Hellstrom's Two Soldiers , which also frankly, is amazing, were both so much better. As much as I liked Vargas' book, it didn't measure up to either of these two books. I'm actually stunned.
Better luck next year and hopefully the judges will take into account that crime fiction goes well beyond entertainment value and into a medium for examining the world around us.
To comment on this, I would have been quite happy if The Ghosts of Ordebec and The Collini Case shared the CWA Dagger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the merits of the stunning Collini case, political and social, and that books that make such a contribution to society should have recognition.
But I loved Ordebec for many reasons and still miss Adamsberg's eccentric team, the zany family he encounters, the creative plot, the interesting dialogue and thoughts -- and Normandy.
If these two books co-won, that would have been just perfect.