Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the convention since 1986. This page details Bouchercon XLIV and the 2013 Anthony Awards ceremony.^[1]

Bouchercon

The convention was held at Albany, New York from 19–23 September 2013. The event was chaired by Al Abramson.

Special guests

• Lifetime Achievement: Sue Grafton
• International Guest of Honor: Anne Perry
• American Guest of Honor: Tess Gerritsen
• Toastmaster: Steve Hamilton
• Fan Guests of Honor: Chris Aldrich & Lynn Kaczmarek
• The David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award: Marv Lachman

Anthony Awards

The following list details the awards distributed at the 2013 annual Anthony Awards ceremony.^[2]

Best Novel

Winner:

• Louise Penny, The Beautiful Mystery

Shortlist:

• Megan Abbott, Dare Me
• Sean Chercover, The Trinity Game
• Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
• Hank Phillippi Ryan, The Other Woman

Best First Novel

Winner:

• Chris Pavone, The Expats

Shortlist:

• Daniel Friedman, Don’t Ever Get Old
• Owen Laukkanen - The Professionals
• Matthew Quirk - The 500
• Michael Sears, Black Fridays

Best Paperback Original

Winner:

• Johnny Shaw, Big Maria

Shortlist:

• Lou Berney, Whiplash River
• Joelle Charbonneau, Murder for Choir
• Alison Gaylin, And She Was
• Malla Nunn, Blessed are the Dead

Best Short Story

Winner:

• Dana Cameron, "Mischief in Mesopotamia" from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

Shortlist:

• Sheila Connolly, "Kept in the Dark" from Best New England Crime Stories: Blood Moon
• Barb Goffman, "The Lord is My Shamus" from Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder
• Todd Robinson, "Peaches" from Grift, Spring 2012
• Karin Slaughter, "The Unremarkable Heart" from Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance

Best Critical Non-fiction Work

Winner:

• John Connolly and Declan Burke, Books to Die For: The World’s Greatest Mystery Writers on the World’s Greatest Mystery Novels

Shortlist:

• Joseph Goodrich, Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947-1950
• D.P. Lyle, M.D., More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered
• Mathew Prichard, The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie
• Otto Penzler, In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero