We’re taking a break from planning the Dangerous to Know launch—some exciting opportunities are in the planning stages—to share a round-up of good news!

During the week that the Academy Award nominations were announced (quick costume design hot take: Love & Friendship was robbed, and Mary Zophres should have gotten a nod for Hail, Caesar! as well as La La Land), we received some wonderful recognition of our own. Design for Dying was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel! The Agathas are presented by the Malice Domestic conference, where Renee Patrick got her start back when we were lucky enough to receive the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Authors. To have Design for Dying nominated for an Agatha is a genuine thrill that also feels like coming home. We’re so happy to be in the company of these writers—

Best First Novel

Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper
Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon
The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn
Decanting a Murder by Nadine Nettmann
Design for Dying by Renee Patrick

It’s also a joy to see so many friends—like Ellen Byron, who won a grant the same year we did!—acknowledged in other categories. Best of luck to all the nominees!

As if that weren’t enough, Design for Dying was also nominated for the Best Debut Mystery award at Left Coast Crime! Again we find ourselves surrounded by fine writers. Our deep thanks to everyone who voted for us.

One last tidbit: we were pleased to learn Design for Dying was one of Seattle Mystery Bookshop’s top ten hardcover bestsellers of 2016. To be listed among those names is already a highlight of this still-young year.