Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger Award to Val McDermid

The Crime Writers' Association has awarded Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid this year's Cartier Diamond Daggar Award. This award acknowledges the work of an author who has made an outstanding contribution to the genre. McDermid describes her work as "Tartan Noir." Her characters/series are: journalist Lindsay Gordon, private investigator Kate Brannigan, psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan. The show Wire in the Blood is based on McDermid's work.
In an interview, McDermid talks about mysteries and readers: "One should play fair with the reader, and give them the opportunity to figure it out for themselves. But in my experience, most crime fiction readers aren't just in it for the puzzle - they`re interested in the unfolding of the story. The more mysteries you read, of course, the more likely you are to guess what the ending will be, but if the book is well enough written, that isn't always a problem. However, I do like to think that I usually manage to provide a twist in the tail that will give my readers that gasp of shock or surprise at the end."