Welcome

Welcome to the home page of Mystery Writers of America (“MWA”). Come on in, cruise around and explore our dynamic new website. MWA is the premier organization for mystery and crime writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and folks who just love to read crime fiction. In these pages, you’ll find much to enjoy about MWA, our programs, our authors and their books, including frequently updated calendars of events, announcements about our authors, their tour dates and their new releases, and a brand new blog brought to you by the leading authors of the mystery genre.

MWA is a storied organization with a golden past and an exciting present. Each Spring, we present the Edgar® Awards, widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious awards in the genre. We sponsor MWA:Reads (a vibrant youth literacy program) and numerous other symposia and events designed to enlighten and inform authors and fans alike. If you’re an author in the mystery or crime genre or an allied professional, you’ll find important services and benefits here. If you’re a reader, fan, librarian, journalist or anybody else interested in learning more about the genre, you’ve come to the right place. We hope you’ll enjoy our site, learn a lot and keep coming back for more.

News & Press

Click here to find out everything you need to know about the 2009 Edgar Awards Banquet, MWA’s Crime Fiction University and this year’s Edgar Nominees.



Press Releases
2010 Edgar Nominations - January 19, 2010
2010 Grand Master, Raven and Ellery Queen Award Recipients - December 9, 2009

Regional Chapters

MWA has eleven regional chapters, ranging in size from one state (Florida) to thirteen (Midwest). Any member of MWA is automatically enrolled in the appropriate regional chapter. All chapters have a newsletter and most have regular meetings; increasingly, chapters also have an online presence. Many MWA meetings are open to non-members.
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Now in Stores:

The Bad Kitty Lounge
Author: Michael Wiley
Published: December 31, 2009 by St. Martin's Press
Forthcoming: date tba.

Judy Terano -- a nun with a messy past -- is dead. The whites of her eyes are marbled with broken blood vessels. Eyes don't bleed like that from reading in bad light. Her neck shows the bruises of strangulation. On her belly, she has a big fine-lined tattoo of a cat, its back arched, its tail raised like a furry S, its legs taut. The ink has faded but the lines are sharp and clear. It looks like a cat in heat. Under the tattoo someone has scrawled two words -- "BAD KITTY."
Click for more info.
 
Her Highness' First Murder
Author: Peg Herring
Published: January 22, 2010 by Five Star
Series Name: A Simon & Elizabeth Mystery
Category: Historical mystery
Main Character: Simon, Elizabeth Tudor
In London, headless corpses of beautiful women are found, haunting Henry VIII with memories of his own beheaded wives. Unknown to the King, his daughter Elizabeth joins with Simon Maldon, the crippled son of a respected physician, to find the killer.
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More titles that are in stores

Coming Soon:

Working Stiff
Author: Tori Carrington
Published: March 2, 2010 by Tor-Forge & Books on Tape
Series Name: Sofie Metropolis, PI
Category: Comedic Mystery
Main Character: Sofie Metropolis, Jake Porter, Yummy Greek Baker Dino
Available in paperback March 2010!

The week before Halloween, a body disappears from Sofie’s Aunt’s funeral home. It might be a holiday prank, but Sofie’s barely begun to investigate when she’s handed a truly hot case: prove the innocence of Little Johnny Laughton who's on trial for murder! And what happens when sexy Aussie bounty hunter Jake Porter finally takes her up on her many offers?


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The Dead Travel Fast
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Published: March 1, 2010 by MIRA
Main Character: Theodora Lestrange, Andrei Dragulescu
With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh – and a disappointed suitor – far behind. She is bound for Roumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.


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More titles that are coming soon