A few days ago the
American Bar Association Journal and the University of Alabama Law School announced
the shortlist for the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
The finalists are:
1.) My Sister’s Grave, by Robert Dugoni;
2.) Terminal City, by Linda Fairstein; and,
3.) The Secret of Magic, by Deborah Johnson
With previous
winners being John Grisham (twice), Michael Connelly and Paul Goldstein there
is going to be a new winner this year.
Dugoni was on the 2012 shortlist for his book, Murder One. I read that book and thought
it an excellent legal thriller. I exchanged emails with the author on a legal
ethics issue arising in the book.
I have read books by Fairstein but not for over a decade.=
I am not familiar with Johnson.
The members of the selection
committee this year are Roy Blount
Jr., author and humorist; Wayne Flynt, author and Alabama historian; Mary
McDonagh Murphy, independent film and television writer and producer; and
Michele Norris, NPR host and special correspondent.
Information on the books can be
found on the ABA Journal website which announced the shortlist at http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/2015_harper_lee_prize_voting/.
As in previous years readers of the Journal can help pick the winner by voting
online at the Journal. The public, through the book attracting the most votes,
effectively becomes a 5th selector whose vote is recognized as an
equal vote to each of the selection committee members.
Unlike previous years none of the
judges are practising lawyers. It does not make sense to me not to have at least one
practising lawyer on the committee to judge a prize of legal fiction.
As I did last year I am going to
read the books on the shortlist so I can prepare reviews and my choice for the
Prize prior to September. As with this year’s shortlist for the Arthur Ellis
Award for Best Canadian Crime Novel I have not read any of the books on the
Harper Lee Prize shortlist.
The Prize will be
presented on September 3 in Washington as a part of the Library of Congress
National Book Festival.
Bill, all three authors, Robert Dugoni, Linda Fairstein, and, Deborah Johnson, are new to me and it'll be interesting to see who wins the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. Fairstein is by far the best known of the trio.
DeleteThanks, Bill, for letting us know who the finalists are. It will indeed be very interesting to see who the winner is for this year. I'll look forward reading your reviews.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. I hope this Award will get further recognition with the publication this summer of Lee's second book.
DeleteInteresting books: I must read Murder One first.
ReplyDeleteFYI: Linda Fairstein was an attorney, then became a prosecutor in Manhattan and was the head of the sex crimes unit for years.
Kathy D.: Thanks for the comment. I think you will like Murder One.
Delete