Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: cozy mystery

MYSTERY & MAYHEM SHORT-LIST for 2016 (2016 M&M Semi-Finalists)

These titles are in the running for the 5 First Place Book Awards for the 2016 Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards competition!

Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2016 M&M Finalists to the Short List. The novels will now compete for the First Place Category Positions!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to FINALISTS LIST and now has moved forward to the SHORT LIST of the 2016 M&M Book Awards. They are now 2016 M&M Semi-Finalists as they compete for the limited First in Category Positions of the 2016 M&M Book Awards in the last rounds of judging.

Each of the titles below have earned the M&M AWARDS SHORT LIST Semi-Finalists bragging rights!

The Mystery & Mayhem Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Classic Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners!

The M&M Book Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Cooking/Knitting/Hobbies, Blended Genre, Medical/Lab, Travel, Humorous, Historical, Classic British, Y/A, and Senior Sleuth.

The following titles will compete for the FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Book Awards Packages.

NOTE: This is the Official List of the M&M 2016 SHORT LIST.

The Finalists Authors and Titles of Works that have made it to the Short-list (aka The Semi-Finalists) of the M&M 2016 Novel Writing Contest are:

Under English Heaven by Alice K. Boatwright

Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale

The Body Next Door by Gay Yellen

A Scone To Die For – H.Y. Hanna

Death Runs on Time by A. B. Michaels

Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs by Jeanette Hubbard

Killer Transaction by Catherine Bruns

Twelve for Twelve by Dawn Rasmussen

The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin by Regina Jeffries

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox

Engaged in Danger: A Jamie Quinn Mystery by Barbara Venkataraman

Death Unscripted by M.K. Graff

Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai by Traci Andrighetti

Sherlock Holmes and the Dance of the Tiger -Suzette Hollingsworth

Skyrizer # 7 by Phillip Buchanon

The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies by Connie Spittler

Smart, but Dead by Nancy G. West

Hot Scheming Mess by Lucy Carol

The M&M Semi-Finalists will compete for the M&M First In Category Positions, which consists of Seven Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize purse of $200. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

All Short Listers will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the M&M Awards First Class Category Positions.

Good Luck to all of the M&M Semi-Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in. The 2016 First In Category Winners and Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Annual Awards Gala and Banquet.

The M&M Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 M&M Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2017. Please click here for more information.

January 23, 2017
The M&Ms, Chanticleer’s Mystery & Mayhem Novel Contest & Book Awards Official Finalist List for 2016
The Mystery & Mayhem Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Classic Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners!

The M&M Book Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Cooking/Knitting/Hobbies, Blended Genre, Medical/Lab, Travel, Humorous, Historical, Classic British, Y/A, and Senior Sleuth.

The following titles will compete for the SHORT LIST rounds. The works that make it on the SHORT LIST will then compete for FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Book Awards Packages.

NOTE: This is the Official List of the M&M 2016 Finalists.

The Finalists Authors and Titles of Works of the M&M 2016 Novel Writing Contest are:

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox

Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin by Regina Jeffries

Murder by the Spoonful by Vicki Vass

The Magic of Murder by Susan Lynn Solomon

Banished Threads b Kaylin McFarren

Member from Devon by Bruce Graham

Skyrizer # 7 by Phillip Buchanon

The Scarlet Wench by M. K. Graff

Major Crimes by Michele Lynn Seigfried

Death Runs on Time by A. B. Michaels

A Scone to Die For (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries)  by H. Y. Hanna

Killer Transaction by Catherine Bruns

Twelve for Twelve by Dawn Rasmussen

Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale

Bells on Her Toes by Diana J. Febry

Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs  by Jeanette Hubbard

Under English Heaven  by Alice K. Boatwright

The Body Next Door by Gay Yellen

Death Unscripted by M.K. Graff

The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies by Connie Spittler

Hot Scheming Mess by Lucy Carol

Engaged in Danger: A Jamie Quinn Mystery by Barbara Venkataraman

Sherlock Holmes and the Dance of the Tiger by Suzette Hollingsworth

Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai by Traci Andrighetti

Smart, but Dead by Nancy G. West

Deathbed of Roses by Alannah Foley

Homes and Watkins   by R. J. Lewis

The M&M Finalists will compete to be on the SHORT LIST and those works will then compete for the M&M First In Category Positions, which consists of Seven Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize purse of $200. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.
All First In Category Award Winners will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

First In Category winners will compete for the M&M Awards Grand Prize Award for the $200 purse and the M&M Grand Prize Ribbon and badges.
- TEN genre Grand Prize winning titles will compete for the $1,000 purse for CBR Best Book and Overall Grand Prize.
- A coveted Chanticleer Book Review valued at $345 dollars U.S. CBR reviews will be published in the Chanticleer Reviews magazine in chronological order as to posting.
- A CBR Blue Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals
- Digital book award stickers for on-line promotion
- Adhesive book stickers
- Shelf-talkers and other promotional items
- Promotion in print and on-line media
- Review of book distributed to on-line sites and printed media publications
- Review, cover art, and author synopsis listed in CBR’s newsletter
- Default First in Category winners will not be declared. Contests are based on merit and writing craft in all of the Chanticleer Writing Competitions.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!
Good Luck to all of the M&M Finalists as they compete.

Short List announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in. The 2016 First In Category Winners will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Annual Awards Gala and Banquet.

The M&M Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 M&M Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2017. Please click here for more information.
August 18, 2016
MOTHER TERESA’S ADVICE for JILTED LOVERS by Donna Barker — a bright and sassy mystery

A surprising tale about the practical and magical powers of love and jinxes, disguised as a chick-lit mystery. How many genres can you pack into one novel? This one melds at least three, starting out as classic chick lit: bold, edgy, funny, modern, urban, all about working women’s lives and loves.

The narrative has a bright and sassy voice that pulls the reader right in, and before you know it, the story has morphed into a supernatural/spiritual murder mystery overlying a sweet romance.

The combo arises from the pairing of Tara Holland and her best friend for two decades, Betsy, two self-employed thirty-somethings in Vancouver. Tara is a technical and business writer with a perpetually broken heart, and Betsy is a marketing/web guru who skips like a stone across bisexual relationships. She has given up on romance, while Tara is always seeking Mr. Right. But every time she thinks she’s found him, he ends up dead through an assortment of coincidental innocent accidents. Is Tara jinxing her lovers?

Betsy also sees a potential moneymaker in helping women stuck in bad situations escape them through Tara’s seemingly psychic abilities. Tara cooperates by adopting many of Betsy’s new-age-type practices to learn how to channel her power. But she insists that it only be used for good, rather than simply removing troublesome men from desperate women’s lives.

After many false starts, they put together the web-based enterprise “Mother Teresa’s Advice for Jilted Lovers.” Then all sorts of strange things begin to happen, while the money rolls in as does death threats and dubious untimely demises.

Meanwhile, Tara finally finds the man of her dreams in Glen—until he departs with no warning, leaving behind a cryptic clue. Tara recovers from a broken heart once again with Betsy’s nursing. Suddenly, Tara must question everything through a lens of darkness. Tara finds herself on the run to save her own life and soul.

The story’s twists and turns make it impossible to guess the ending. For readers who want more, the ending leads clearly into the beginning of the next volume in this sharp new series.

August 10, 2016
ICED TEE by Cherie O’Boyle, second installment of the Estela Nogales Mystery Series

A freezer with blood trickling down the side. An inquisitive border collie. Cherie O’ Boyle stirs these intriguing images to bring readers another engaging mystery with Iced Tee: An Estela Nogales Mystery, the second book in her popular series. Boyle doesn’t fail to bring another fantastic narrative for cozy mystery fans.

Readers are introduced to the quirky little community of Arroyo Loco located in the coastal mountains of California. A diverse community complete with its own obligatory Home Owners Association, filled with people you probably recognize from your own neighborhood: you have busybodies, town gossips, the obligatory community grouch, and the person who leads the association but no one really cares for them leading. Definitely a slice of California pie in this book!

Our ensemble of quirky characters is topped off by one Estela Nogales who with her border collies Shiner and Scout, “live here happily in our weathered house under a big blue oak.” Estela is an amateur sleuth and psychologist by trade. At times self-deprecating, yet charming with a wry sense of humor, Estela really drives the story forward. Cherie O’Boyle crafts a character that makes the reader want to do two things: never put the book down until it is finished and pick it back up once completed.

Estela’s perspective of the community is priceless and epitomizes the author’s desire to create a community that appears like any other real-life counterpart. Her descriptions are intimate and cozy, making readers feel right at home in the community in a feel-good type of way.

The mystery unfolds rather quickly and humorously. Community member Tee is found dead, but this is certainly not your run of the mill death. Tee is discovered in a chest freezer. What ensues is a frankly hilarious exchange of community members on what resulted in poor Tee’s demise.

The wild running theory is that Tee was killed over stolen ice cream; perhaps she was the ice cream thief. Did she fall backwards into the freezer, bumping her head, during this act of thievery? Was she startled by a fellow community member who caught her in the middle of this horrendous crime? After all, a broken camera was found in pieces on the floor near the chest freezer!

You will have to pick up Iced Tee to find out what happens next. The narrative abounds with smaller challenges popping up in the background of the freezer mystery. If you enjoy puzzles presented in the form of a laugh out loud whodunnit, than this is this book for you. Cherie O’Boyle crafts another good old cozy mystery that will certainly appeal to a wide variety of readers and keep them guessing until the final page.
Reviewer’s Note: This mystery was awarded the 2015 Chanticleer Book Reviews “Small Town Cozy” for Mystery and Mayhem Awards.

July 14, 2016
VALENTINE’S DAY by April Kelly, — a Rick Valentine Mystery, Book 1

A clever plot, engaging characters, and a solid dose of self-deprecating humor make this detective mystery unique and a highly entertaining read.

Rick Valentine, a twenty-something, newly minted private investigator, is discovering that setting up one’s own PI business isn’t all that easy.

Clients aren’t lining up outside his office door and those who do come are more interested in having him find their lost cat than solve a real crime. Rick doesn’t exactly have an instinct for the business, either—once he’s stumbled onto a crime, he’s more likely to dig himself deeper with the bad guys than help put them behind bars. In fact, most of the people in Rick’s life seem to spend their time looking out for him, making sure that he survives to fight another day.

However, readers don’t make it very many pages into this cleverly written novel before realizing that there is far more going on behind the scenes than first appears to be the case.

A past employer who keeps Rick afloat by tossing him odd jobs here and there might also be connected with the death of Rick’s father. His “receptionist” no longer acts like a receptionist at all, instead exhibiting an alarming proficiency at handling a very large, very lethal gun.

Are these two drawing Rick into a life-threatening situation, keeping tabs on him for some reason having to do with his past, or helping him survive as he builds his business? And why are there two truly scary, murderous thugs suddenly looking for him?

April Kelly begins this first novel in her Rick Valentine Mystery series by gently introducing the reader to quirky, humorous characters and carefully laying the foundation for a more complex plot that is tied to past events in the main character’s life. After settling into thinking you are reading just another humorous cozy mystery, you suddenly realize you are hooked, thoroughly enjoying yourself, and unable to put the book down. This is fun! Clues pile upon clues, nothing is as it seemed in the beginning; Rick’s past is far more mysterious than it originally appeared to be and all those entertaining people you met early on have become compelling characters you truly care about.

Kelly has used her background as a television writer to skillfully develop a far more entertaining mystery novel than is typical of the genre. Valentine’s Day is highly recommended for those who love a good whodunit, endearing characters, and some laugh-out-loud moments.

June 7, 2016
The Official List of the Chanticleer 2015 Grand Prize Winners of the Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions

We are excited and honored to have announced the 2015 grand prize award winners at the third annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Saturday, April. 30th, 2016 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.

We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the fiercely competitive 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.

Our next Awards Banquet will be held on April 1st, 2017, for the 2016 winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

CBR– Discovering Today’s Best Books with the CBR BLUE RIBBON Writing Competitions!

The Chanticleer Grand Prize Award 2015 for Overall Best Book:

Daughter of Destiny by Nicole Evelina was awarded the Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize for the Best Book in the 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions. Congratulations to author Nicole Evelina.

The Chanticleer Genre Grand Prize 2015 Winners are as follows:

The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Great Symmetry
by James Wells

View Cygnus Category 1st Place Winners

The Journey Grand Prize Ribbon for Narrative Non-fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Rhythm for Sale
by Grant Harper Reid

View Journey Category 1st Place Winners

The M&M Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery & Mayhem Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

There’s Something About Marty
by Wendy Delaney

View Mystery & Mayhem Category 1st Place Winners

The Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Ribbon for YA Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
by Nikki McCormack

View Dante Rossetti Category 1st Place Winners

The Chaucer Grand Prize Ribbon for Historical Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Valhalla Revealed
by Robert A Wright

View Chaucer Category 1st Place Winners

The Laramie Grand Prize Ribbon for Western, Pioneer, Civil War Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Doctor Kinney’s Housekeeper
by Sara Dahmen

View Laramie Category 1st Place Winners

The Chatelaine Grand Prize Ribbon for Women’s Fiction and Romantic Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Daughter of Destiny
by Nicole Evelina

View Chatelaine Category 1st Place Winners

The CLUE Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Blood Relations
by Lonna Enox

View CLUE Category 1st Place Winners

The Paranormal Grand Prize Ribbon for Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Aurora Affair
by Carolyn Haley

View Paranormal Category 1st Place Winners

The Somerset Grand Prize Ribbon for Literary, Contemporary, & Mainstream Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Alexandrite
by Richard Lenz

View Somerset Category 1st Place Winners

Now this is something to CROW about!

Enter Your Book or Manuscript in a contest!

Please note that the above awards are for submissions that we received in 2015. The award winners were acknowledge at the 2016 annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 30th, 2016.

The winners of the 2016 Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions (works entered in 2016) will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet held April 1st, 2017. Reserve your spot now.

We invite you to read the Chanticleer editorial book reviews of these stellar works. The reviews will be published on our website and in the Chanticleer Reviews online magazine. If they are not currently posted, they will be posted as they are reviewed! Congratulations, again, to these award winning authors!

For more information about the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions, please visit our Writing Contests pages.

We are currently accepting 2016 and 2017 contest entries: CBR International Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

We would like to thank our sponsors who make the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions and the Chanticleer Authors Conference possible.

May 2, 2016
Contest Spotlight: March Madness brings “Mystery & Mayhem” to our Writing Competitions

[fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]For some March Madness is basketball, for us at Chanticleer Reviews it’s that last minute rush, as Mystery Authors scramble to meet our March 31st deadline for the Mystery & Mayhem Awards (aka the M&M’s).

The M&M’s cozy mysteries is one of our favorite categories and we have many fond memories of amazing books and authors winning M&M’s. Some, like author Pamela Beason’s THE ONLY WITNESS–which answers the question: “What would happen if a signing gorilla was the only witness to a terrible crime?”–taking not just taking the M&M’s but also the top overall grand prize.

Pam is working on creating a dynasty as she won again with her sequel THE ONLY CLUE, taking the M&M Grand Prize for 2014. And for 2015 her RACE WITH DANGER is a contender in in our Dante Rossetti awards!

Our 2013 M&M Grand Prize winner Bernadette Pajer’s FATAL INDUCTION: A PROFESSOR BRADSHAW MYSTERY is another favorite here in the Chanticleer office. Revolving around a race to win an electrical engineering competition in Seattle 1901, the time of Tesla!

Bernadette has gone on to write four book in the series and we couldn’t be happier to see the witty and entertaining Professor Bradshaw continue his escapades of electrical engineering and solving mysteries with science.

Your book could earn a place in our M&M hall of fame for 2016.

All you have to do is enter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”transparent” class=”” id=””]What are the M&M’s?[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”3_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Our Mystery & Mayhem Awards are the Chanticleer Reviews search for the best cozy mystery fiction books of 2016!

We are looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem”, amateur sleuthing, romantic suspense, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For thriller, action suspense, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards).[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding=”10px” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!

~$1000 Overall Grand Prize Winner
~$2800 in Genre Grand Prizes
~$28,980 in reviews, prizes, and promotional opportunities awarded to Category Winners

[/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”/services#!/Cozy-Mystery-Writing-Contests-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews/p/21521076/category=5193080″ color=”darkgray” size=”” type=”” shape=”” target=”_blank” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”1px” shadow=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]Enter Now![/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

March 8, 2016
First Place Category Winners for the 2015 Mystery & Mayhem Awards
The Mystery & Mayhem Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries. The Mystery & Mayhem Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the 2015 M&M Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 M&M Grand Prize Award.
- Animal Mystery: Leighann Dobbs – Ghostly Paws
- Small Town Cozy Mystery: Cherie O’Boyle – Iced Tee
- Adventure: M. L. Rowland – Murder Off the Beaten Path
- Classic: Lonna Enox – Blood Relations
- Amateur Sleuth: Wendy Delaney – There’s Something About Marty
- Hobby/Profession: Nancy G. West – Fit to be Dead
- Humorous: Michele Lynn Seigfried – Community Affairs
- Historical (PNW): Jennifer Mueller – Murder Beside the Salish Sea
- Historical: Michael Scheffel – St. Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken
- Blended Genre: Mark Vilela – The Long December
- Romance: Kate Vale – Crossing Paths
Honorable Mention:

E. M. Graham – St. Jude Without

More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The Mystery & Mayhem First Place Category award winners will compete for the Mystery & Mayhem Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Best Mystery Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winners will receive an award package including a complimentary book review, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2016 M&M Awards. The deadline is March 31, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the M&M AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 5, 2016
MAUI WIDOW WALTZ by JoAnn Bassett, a humorous cozy mystery

Nervous and demanding brides are nothing new to wedding planner, Pali Moon. She’s been in the business long enough to know how to calm nerves and cool tempers. But nothing in her skill set has prepared her for Lisa Marie Prescott, a spoiled, demanding uber-rich kid who insists on the “perfect” Valentine’s Day wedding. A wedding that comes with more than a few complications and one sticky little detail – the groom is missing and presumed dead.

Lisa Marie, however, insists that her fiancé, Brad, will show up on time. And if that fails, she has a back-up plan. GQ-handsome Kevin – Brad’s business partner – is going to stand proxy at the altar for Brad.

With bills piling up, her house in foreclosure and her business being pulled out from under her, Pali isn’t in a position to question the legality of Lisa Marie’s crazy plan. Or the fact that Lisa Marie expects a paparazzi-worthy ceremony complete with one thousand origami paper cranes in just nine days. Then Lisa Marie’s father, known as the “Godfather of Garbage,” shows up with a warning: he’ll focus his talent for making people disappear on Pali if she doesn’t deliver on her promise of the perfect wedding.

Pali’s desperate financial situation coupled with her strong sense of survival keeps her moving forward with arrangements for the big day. And with Lisa Marie’s demands escalating as her grip on reality crumbles, Pali is trapped in a no-win situation, struggling to keep the wedding-from-hell from turning into another Saint Valentine’s Day massacre.

In this highly entertaining first installment of the “Islands of Aloha” mystery series, author JoAnn Basset delivers a well-rounded cast of intriguing, eclectic characters. The author’s use of first-person narrative invites the reader into Pali’s inner circle, her “ohana” or “family” of caring friends that give the book a cozy, close-knit feeling of community. And with crazy Lisa Marie driving the runaway bridal train, the author provides a hilariously unique twist on the “Bridezilla” theme.

Wit and humor shine through the author’s savvy blending of endearing characters and incomparable island beauty. And with a fast-paced, cleverly-crafted plot, “Maui Widow Waltz” promises to be a hands-down favorite for cozy mystery enthusiasts!

February 18, 2016
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARTY by Wendy Delaney – a Working Stiffs Mystery Series

Part-time Deputy Coroner and full-time Prosecutor’s Assistant, Charmaine “Char” Digby has a secret. Her childhood heartthrob, hunky Detective Steve Sixkiller, is back in her life, not to mention under her covers. But the relationship comes with a catch.

Char’s insecurities keep her from telling anyone about it, so it’s no surprise when her matchmaking best friend, Rox, works double time to fix her up with Port Merritt’s eligible and handsome ER doc, Kyle Cardinale. The good doctor goes out of his way to let Charmaine know that he’s up for the chase while Detective Sixkiller questions Char’s motives for keeping their relationship under wraps.

Charmaine’s problems multiply when her boss sends her to interview the bereaved family of Port Merritt’s wealthiest businessman, Marty McCutcheon, who rolled over dead at his 63rd birthday celebration. With a life-long diet of double cheeseburgers and a sultry new wife twenty years his junior it’s no wonder Marty’s heart stopped.

Health issues aside, his ex-wife, Darlene, is pointing fingers and crying “foul play.” Between his greed-driven progeny, a jilted girlfriend, and a last minute decision to change his will, Charmaine’s built-in lie detector is telling her it wasn’t the clogged arteries that took Marty out.

As she pieces together the circumstances surrounding Marty’s “last supper,” Charmaine realizes that nearly everyone in his close circle has something to gain from his death. And when the cause of his death looks more and more like poisoning she presses an unconvinced County Prosecutor to open a formal investigation.

Unable to make her case, and over Detective Sixkiller’s protests, Char takes it upon herself to dig into the McCutcheon family’s personal business. Her determination to learn the truth lands her smackdab in the middle of the killer’s radar, and as she mines the hidden corners of Marty’s past, the information she unearths may never see the light of day.

Tightly written and packed with small town innuendo and gossip, Wendy Delaney’s action-packed novel moves beyond the simple cozy mystery genre. With a wink and a nod to the Shakespearean complexities of a duplicitous, wealthy family, There’s Something about Marty exposes the insatiable cravings and rivalries that arise when blood ties go bad.

This third installment of Wendy Delaney’s “Working Stiffs” mystery series is an engaging, fast-paced read. Through her nimble use of wit and humor Ms. Delaney delivers rich, eccentric characters and clever plot twists that promise to keep the reader turning the page.

February 1, 2016