Left Coast Crime

�Left Coast Crime

Left Coast Crime is an annual conference organized by mystery fiction fans for mystery fiction fans, first held in San Francisco in 1991. It is concerned with western North American region mysteries, but the conference itself travels worldwide, having been held in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as different parts of the United States. The conference enables fans to mix with authors. A prominent author of western mystery fiction is invited to be the guest speaker.

Conference participants have voted on an award for the most humorous mystery novel since 1996. The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery (for a mystery set prior to 1950) has been voted since 2004. The PANIC is an award for the best Los Angeles noir in memory of Paul Anik and the first, for 2009, will be awarded at the 2010 conference in Los Angeles.

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel Award Winners

1996: The Fat Innkeeper by Alan Russell
1997: No award given
1998: Three To Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
1999: Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
2000: Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
2001: No award given
2002: tie: Dim Sum Dead by Jerrilyn Farmer and Fender Benders by Bill Fitzhugh
2003: tie: The Hearse Case Scenario by Tim Cockey and Pipsqueak by Brian M. Wiprud
2004: Mumbo Gumbo by Jerrilyn Farmer
2005: tie: We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews and Blue Blood by Susan McBride
2006: Cast Adrift by Peter Guttridge
2007: Go to Helena Handbasket by Donna Moore
2008: Murder With Reservations by Elaine Viets
2009: Greasing the Pinata by Tim Maleeny
2010: Getting Old Is a Disaster by Rita Lakin
2011: The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein by J. Michael Orenduff
2012: The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews
2013: The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks[7]
2014: The Good Cop by Brad Parks
2015: Herbie�s Game by Timothy Hallinan
2016: Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews
2017: Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron
2018: A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award Winners

2004: For The Love Of Mike by Rhys Bowen
2005: The Witch in the Well by Sharan Newman
2006: Spectres In The Smoke by Tony Broadbent
2009: Nox Dormienda, A Long Night For Sleeping by Kelli Stanley
2010: A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell
2011: The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear
2012: Mercury's Rise by Ann Parker
2013: Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson
2014: Dandy Gilver and a Bothersome Number of Corpses by Catriona McPherson
2015: A Deadly Measure of Brimstone by Catriona McPherson
2016: Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen
2017: The Reek of Red Herrings by Catriona McPherson
2018: In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen
2019: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey