The 45th annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, an event for crime fiction fans and authors, washed up on the shores of Long Beach, Calif., drawing more than 1,600 people.
Organized by Ingrid Willis, this year’s convention drew near record numbers of crime fiction folks, including roughly 200 day passes. Embracing Long Beach’s location, the convention embodied the “Murder on the Beach” theme, with volunteers—always the backbone of any Bouchercon—wearing bright yellow lanyards identifying the wearers as “Beach Patrol.” The Opening Ceremonies, hosted by Harper and William Morrow, was presided over by the witty British Toastmaster Simon Wood.
J.A. Jance, the author of the long-running and successful J.P. Beaumont mysteries set in Seattle, was the convention’s American Guest of Honor, while the prolific Edward Marston, a major contributor to the historical crime fiction subgenre who writes under a variety of pen names, was honored as the convention’s International Guest of Honor.
Jeffery Deaver, whose Lincoln Rhyme series features a disabled ex-NYPD cop and was the basis for the 1999 film The Bone Collector starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, was honored with Bouchercon’s Lifetime Achievement Award. 2014’s Fan Guest of Honor was Al Abramson, a long-time friend of the genre who organized the 2013 convention in Albany, New York.
Next year's event will be held in Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 8-11.
