Ellen Hart and Marcie Rendon have won the Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction, which were launched in 2012 by the Women's National Book Association of New Orleans to honor founding member Diana Pinckley, who was a longtime crime fiction columnist for the New Orleans Times- Picayune as well as a civic activist. The prizes will be presented October 6 in New Orleans.
Ellen Hart, author of 32 novels in two series, is receiving the Pinckley Prize for Distinguished Body of Work. The judges praised her "persistence over a long and distinguished publishing career, her generosity to other writers, and her success in creating believable and lovable characters."
Marcie Rendon wins the Pinckley Prize for Debut Novel for Murder on the Red River (Cinco Puntos Press). The judges "were impressed with Rendon's sense of place and her creation of an unforgettable character who forges her own way in a challenging world."