“But … awards are all a popularity contest!”

Damn right they are. But they do more than gauge or reflect popularity. They raise visibility and awareness.

If you’re eligible to vote for the annual Anthony Awards in crime fiction, I’ll note that my 2025 novel THAT OCTOBER is eligible for the Anthony for Best First Novel.

The list attached here is in no way an exhaustive list of novels that could win the award when it’s presented at Bouchercon in Calgary this fall. But I’ll note it here anyway.