Apologies for being a few days late on this...but I wasn't able to attend the Wolfe Pack's annual Black Orchid Banquet this year. One of the highlights of the banquet is the presentation of two major literary awards.

This year, the Nero Award, given for the best American mystery story written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, went to Alaskan author Dana Stabenow for Though Not Dead, which features one of her regular series detectives, private investigator Kate Shugak. Runners-up included:

• Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
• The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
• The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
• Spiral by Paul McEuen
• Black Orchid Blues by Persia Walker

The Black Orchid Novella Award - known as the BONA - was awarded to author Robert Lopresti, for his novella, "The Red Envelope." The award, presented jointly by the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, honors a story written in the novella format at which Rex Stout excelled. As part of the award, "The Red Envelope" will be published in a few months by the magazine.

Congratulations to both winners and to all the nominees!