What Is the CWA Silver Dagger?

“One thing the Brits do better than anyone else is the psychological suspense novel.”
-Deadly Pleasures
Mystery Magazine

The CWA Silver Dagger Award is the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger Award. I had never heard of it until I bought a book by Morag Joss last month.

On June 27, 2009 I was browsing the “staff picks” book suggestions at The Bookloft
http://www.thebookloft.com/ shop in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The book “Half Broken Things” had a personal appeal. I gave Alan three or four books (including ‘Half Broken Things’) to help me choose the one to buy. He confirmed “Half Broken Things” by Morag Joss. It is a CWA Silver Dagger Award winner.

I am now inspired to look here for other books that have won the Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger Awards. I found the website that will give me ‘just that’:
http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/index.html
If you are ever in a quandary as to what to read take a peek yourself.

Twenty-five years ago today:

July 8, 1984
Sunday

I woke up at 10:15AM this morning and asked mom, “What about breakfast?”
She was so sweet. She was willing to cook something up just for me on this Sunday morning.

After eating I went bicycling and then came home to “lie out” in my gray bikini bathing suit for a while. I was waiting for the Tour de France to come on television at 1PM. I couldn’t help but nap during the golf and prize fighting match that was going on.

Mom and Dad stopped by while the prize fight was on TV. Mom couldn’t help herself and did a bit of ‘Mop n Glo’ to my kitchen floor. She’s too “cool”.

I ended up going on another evening bicycle ride because Danny Garcia telephoned at three o'clock that afternoon.
Danny said, “I can’t visit via BART after all because of two haircut jobs that I forgot about.”

I napped some more and was just feeling 'plain' lazy.

PHOTO: MOM, circa 1984
Mom came by to visit again because she had put a few loads of laundry together. She got me into taking the initiative (in terms of washing and folding my clothes). While mom was still at my pad the phone rang at 4PM. It was Chris Cordellos!

“Yeah, I talked to Barb last Friday,” I said to Chris.
“I’m so low on funds. It might be a good idea for us to just stay in the Bay Area instead of going to Huntington Beach like we planned.”
Silence.
“Don’t be mad,” Chris said.
“It’s okay,” I replied.
“I was in San Francisco last night because me, Jim and Tony drove down from Eureka to Stockton where Jim’s folks live. And from San Fran we went to Sonoma. We were all over the roads,” Chris explained.
“No kidding!”
“Yep, why don’t you come over for a Bar-B-Que that my ma and pa are sparking up?” he asked.
“Okay, I’ll see if I can make it,” I said as I looked in my mom’s direction, wondering if she knew who I was speaking with.
“I’ll be pissed if you didn’t!” Chris bounced back.

Of course, like a dog being thrown a bone I took off in the convertible for Concord. During the drive I couldn’t help but recall that Danny had said he and Mary were going to PIER 39 in San Francisco that night. He promised he’d call me later. He never actually invited me, so I jumped at the Bar-B-Que offer.

It was fun to see Chris. I had a rerun meeting with Nick (Chris’ brother), Julie, Mr. & Mrs. Cordellos, Tony and Jim Severn at the BBQ. Jim’s mannerisms ‘cracked me up’ because I saw a lot of copycat body language that Chris often uses. I think it could be that Chris (over the past three and a half years) picked up a lot of his ways as he did Chris’ ways. This may not be a very cool observation.

Jim Severn is pretty nice though. By 10PM we had finished eating and I was 'on the road again' (as were they). Their friend, Tony, was already out of the US Coast Guard. Jim and Chris don’t get out until February 16, 1985. I laughed at how they both know the exact date.

Chris was ‘bummed out’ again because he hated to leave. I am just so flabbergasted that he called me tonight. He really does think of me!