The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson:
Maureen Johnson does a great job of conveying the horror of the original (and the new) murders, while ALSO being understanding about peoples' fascination with them. The atmosphere around Rippermania is both bloodthirsty and fearful, which should be an oxymoron, but isn't: It's a combination that we've seen again and again, both portrayed in story (the Scream movies, for example) and played out in real life (the freaking nightly news). I'd like to say that her imagining of the Rippermania media blitz and commercialism bonanza was a brilliant satire on our desensitization to violence and so on, but... it actually felt too close to truthful to be entirely funny. Which, actually, might make it even more impressive, satire-wise.
The Girl is Murder, by Kathryn Miller Haines:
There are moments in The Girl is Murder that really shine—Iris’ description of the Harlem nightclub is a standout—and the character development is easily as engrossing as the plotting. In terms of straight prose, though, Judy Blundell’s writing is more capable of smoothly transporting the reader to another place and time.
The Silence of Murder, by Dandi Daley Mackall:
The Big Twist leapt out at me about 2/3s of the way in, so that reveal wasn't a shock for me, but I did like that it made the whole story even more of a tragedy than I'd expected it to be. (Why that pleased me, I don't know. Maybe because I don't run across Real Tragedy in murder mysteries all that often? Not counting, like, Scandinavian ones.) While the Twist wasn't a total surprise, I was surprised by the identity of the murderer, likewhoa.
Shelter, by Harlan Coben (I read this one, but never wrote about it—which is unfortunate, as I thought Coben did a great job. Ah, well. I guess I'll just have to re-read it so I can tell you why in detail...)
Amazon | Indiebound.
Kill You Last, by Todd Strasser.
Amazon | Indiebound
Are you rooting for any in particular?
What about the other categories?
I will be pulling for the only one I've read, The Name of the Star, good thing I also loved it.
Posted by: Doret | 19 January 2012 at 11:38 AM
I rooting for Icefall in the children's category! Agatha Christie-meets-Vikings. What's not to lurve?
Posted by: Brooke Shirts | 19 January 2012 at 08:58 PM
I really need to read that. The cover keeps scaring me off.
Posted by: Leila | 19 January 2012 at 09:29 PM
I love that you're discussing the Edgars, even if nobody's read mine. I love the other 4 books nominated in the YA category, so it would be an honor to lose to any of them. Humbly, Dandi Daley Mackall, www.silenceofmurder.com; www.dandibooks.com
Posted by: Dandi Daley Mackall | 01 February 2012 at 02:19 PM
No worries, Dandi! Your book is nearing the top of my TBR pile!
Posted by: Leila | 01 February 2012 at 02:22 PM