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Monday, March 3, 2014

Berkley Prime Crime Celebrates 20 Years!

NEW YORK, NY – March 1, 2014 – Twenty years ago, in March 1994, Berkley Books introduced Berkley Prime Crime, a mass market mystery imprint that included five launch authors.  This year, Berkley celebrates the 20th anniversary of Prime Crime with special author events and promotional giveaways.

In its first year, Berkley Prime Crime (BPC) published approximately forty titles, all mass market.  In 2013, the imprint published 150 titles, including mass market originals, trade paperbacks, and hardcovers.  Every year, BPC launches approximately 25-30 new series, including several house-owned franchises that editors have developed from idea to execution.  In the past year, BPC debuted sixteen titles on the New York Times Bestsellers List (printed and extended lists combined), which comes out to more than one per month!

“When we launched Berkley Prime Crime in March 1994 I believed that the audience for the traditional or ‘cozy’ mystery was still largely underserved and untapped.  Twenty years later I can say without reservation that this has proven to be correct and that Berkley Prime Crime has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations,” said Natalee Rosenstein, Vice President and Senior Executive Editor of Berkley. 

This spring Berkley Prime Crime is hosting two events at mystery bookstores that have supported Berkley Prime Crime over the years.  On March 13, Julie Hyzy, Miranda James, and Rebecca Hale will be at Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas.  On March 25 the Poisoned Pen in Phoenix will host Margaret Coel, Carolyn Hart, Earlene Fowler, and Avery Aames.

Throughout the remainder of 2014, more events and promotional giveaways are planned, in addition to Berkley Prime Crime’s annual presence at mystery conventions BoucherCon and Malice Domestic.  You can find out more about Berkley Prime Crime titles and authors at The Crime Scene, our cozy mystery Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecrimescenebooks.



Berkley Prime Crime has been kind enough to provide a tote bag containing five (5)  cozy mysteries for one of my readers. The titles are, well, a  mystery, but they will all be Berkley Prime Crime books.   Please comment on the blog with your favorite type of cozy (food, craft, pets, etc) and don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you.

28 comments:

  1. WOW - I don't often get to make the first comment on a blog - I love cozies that contain the combination of books (libraries, bookstores) and animals (dogs or cats)! Thanks for the great giveaway!!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Penny. Please reply with a contact email to be included in the drawing.

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  2. I like food cozies (not so much craft or pet ones) or others that have well-developed characters (at least some of whom are likable), a good puzzle to solve, and a strong sense of place.
    Thanks!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Suzanne. Please reply with a contact email to be included in the drawing.

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    2. Sorry, Marlyn. It's a mystery to me why I can't follow directions ;-). You can reach me at sbsperling@verizon.net. Thanks!

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  3. I like food and pet cozies best.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Janet. Please reply with a contact email to be included in the drawing.

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  4. Suzanne said it all: likable characters, a good puzzle, an interesting locale. And for me, something book-related or academic.

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  5. My comment seems to have been swallowed. Forgive me if this posts double.

    I seem to gravitate to the culinary cozies and away from the craft and paranormal cozies. I most like the ones that have strong characters and good plots.

    carstairs38@gmail.com

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  6. Hi Marlyn! What a lovely giveaway! I read across several types of cozies. I like paranormal themed best, followed by those that have animals and/or books, as well as the knitting or crochet themed cozies. kay dot kaym57 at gmail dot com.

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  7. Hi Marlyn, I like cozies which are more "traditional" mystery, i.e. not too cutesey. Thanks for having the drawing. Find me at TdeV@bstw.com

    Theresa

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  8. Hi Marlyn,
    I enjoy cozies with well developed characters and a good puzzle. Culinary, pet and craft mysteries have fit the bill. ...and even a recent mystery with a family skeleton :-)
    Lauren
    lkimerer at gmail dot com

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  9. Hi Marlyn,
    What a delightful contest - I love tote bags, and cozies located in California. I am a sucker for any mystery with the Golden Gate Bridge on the cover! Karen 94066 at aol dot com.

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  10. Marlyn,
    Thank you for a chance to win the Berkley prize package. I enjoy cozies dealing with food and book related items. twbooks at cox dot net.

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  11. I love cozies and I love tote bags. My favorite cozies feature small-town amateur sleuths and if they are funny so much the better. I am so happy that many cozies now feature mature, even elderly sleuths. Okay, okay, so that's my age group. I' way past chick lit. My e-addy is bucklemyshoe69@gmail.com

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  12. I think I read more food r-related cozies than other types.

    Margit.curtright@gmail.com

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  13. Such a wonderful deal, thanks for opportunity!
    lynn@tangledyarn.com

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  14. I'm rather eclectic in my tastes, but often setting comes first (a place I'm interested in) or a craft I would like to do if I were crafty (I'm a craft klutz), sometimes food, esp. if it involves tea or the White House! I like animals so am attracted to those also. I like some humor, caring people, not crazy about ongoing romantic agony (ie. this guy or that one?/huffy about one assumption when something is said, reminds me of teens) altho I like ongoing loving relationships. Think I've been reading Berkley Prime Crime mysteries since they first began. My personal email (in spite of what it looks like--was paranoid about safety in the "old" computer days is jeplibrary@netscape.net.

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  15. The winner of the prize pack is Margit! I'll be emailing you for your shipping address.
    Thank you to everyone else for reading my blog!

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