Edited by Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry and Tom DeHaven

If you think Richmond is a conservative family town, “Richmond Noir” suggests you’re a sucker. According to this short-story anthology published last year, R-Town is a sinkhole of crime and murder covered over by forced gentility and decay. A fishing trip turns into an Oregon Hill death trap; a museum employee meets a larcenous femme fatale; a jazz musician battles addiction in Jackson Ward — nothing good happens here, and it’s all strangely compelling.

richmondnoir.blogspot.com

Second Place: “Finding Thalhimers” by Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt

Third Place (Tie): “Richmond in Ragtime” by Harry Kollatz Jr. and “Haunted Richmond” by L.B. Taylor Jr.