Saxton Reads! & Reviews

I didn't attend but I still get a tingle, or should that be a thrill, when the winners of the 2011 Thrillerfest Awards were announced. These are voted on each year by The International Thriller Writers .

The two categories that interest me the most are (nominees with winner listed first)

Best First Novel
Chevy Stevens – STILL MISSING (St. Martin’s)
Carla Buckley – THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE (Random House)
Paul Doiron – THE POACHER’S SON (Minatour)
Reece Hirsch – THE INSIDER (Berkley)
Thomas Kaufman – DRINK THE TEA (Minatour)

Best Hardcover Novel
John Sanford – BAD BLOOD (Putnam)
Michael Connelly – THE REVERSAL (Little Brown)
Jeffery Deaver – EDGE: A NOVEL (Simon & Schuster)
Brian Freeman – THE BURYING PLACE (Minatour)
Mo Hayder – SKIN (Grove)

I haven't read them all but felt Stevens Still Missing was a great debut. Here's my comments as posted to this blog:

I really liked the Chevy Stevens presented this debut. Sounds like a simple story. Real Estate Agent, Annie O'Sullivan is abducted at the closing of an open house. She coins this person "The Freak", though some of us may have other names for this type of predator. We learn of Annie's harrowing fight for survival through gut wrenching, often angry, therapy sessions. It's a good way to unfold Annie's story, a session at a time. The title summed it up for me.

and anyone who follows my reviews here or on Goodreads knows that Mo Hayder's Gone was one of my favorite recent reads. I hear Skin is just as good.

You can see the other winners by following the link at Thrillerfest.

So do you agree with the winners? Which have you read and enjoyed?