Jack French wins Agatha Award

Jack French won the Agatha Award for 2004 Best Nonfiction with his book "Private Eyelashes: Radio's Lady Detectives" which was presented on April 30, 2005 in Arlington, VA at the seventeenth annual Malice Domestic, the largest mystery convention on the east coast.

The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie, are presented to winners in five categories of mystery literature: Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Nonfiction, Best Short Story, and Best Children's Novel. Winners are chosen by secret ballot of approximately 800 Malice Domestic attendees who come to the convention from throughout North America and Europe. The Agathas are among the most prestigious honors in the field of mystery and crime literature, including the Edgars, presented by Mystery Writers of America, and the Anthonys, presented by Bouchercon.

The trophies for the winners of the Agatha consist of specially created teapots, embossed with the category, year, and a traditional skull and crossbones, symbol of murder mysteries.

"Private Eyelashes" chronicles the complete history of the 44 network radio shows that featured a woman crime solver in the lead or co-lead of the series. It debuted in April 2004 to critical acclaim from both the OTR community and the world of mystery literature. Jack won the Ray Stanich Award in October 2004 and one month later the Library of Congress chose his book to be recorded as a Talking Book for the blind
and disabled.

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