Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Champion

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! You voted and here it is. The "World's Favorite Detective" is:

HARRY BOSCH

If this has been a basketball game you were watching, it probably wouldn't have been very exciting. The votes broke down to 79% Bosch to 21% Marlowe. Thanks to everyone who participated in the "World's Favorite Detective" tournament. If you would like to see what the final overall bracket looked like. Here is that document. If you have any trouble accessing it and would like to see it. Just email and I'll send you a copy.

The winners of the bracket contest are:

1st place - Naomi J with 13 correct guesses (out of a possible 15)
2nd place - Lisa K with 11 correct guesses
3rd place - Bill S with 10 correct guesses

I will be contacting the winners to find out which books they'd like as their prizes and where they'd like them sent. Thanks again for participating and look for another contest next year!
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21 comments:

Holly West April 18, 2010 at 5:04 PM  

I have to say I'm surprised! Of course, I was rooting for Kinsey Milhone, who dropped out a few rounds ago. Regardless, this was a lot of fun, Jen. Thanks!

Naomi Johnson April 18, 2010 at 5:41 PM  

I'd give up every correct guess to have Marlowe win. Thanks for all the fun, Jen! You've really started something here.

kathy d. April 18, 2010 at 5:45 PM  

This was a lot of fun. Maybe you'd consider doing one for the non-licensed detectives? Wow, would a variety of names come in.

Christine April 18, 2010 at 5:50 PM  

A bittersweet win, Naomi? My congratulations to you, Lisa K. and Bill S.!

Except for Harry making it to the finals, my brackets went down in big 'ol flames, and yet, it was fabulous fun! Thanks, Jen!

bermudaonion April 18, 2010 at 6:24 PM  

Wow, he won by a landslide!

Gail April 18, 2010 at 7:00 PM  

Lots of fun Jen. Thanks for all the hard work to put this together!I personally am delighted that Harry won although I have some other equal faves who got shot down (so to speak...). Thanks again!

George April 18, 2010 at 9:26 PM  

That was fun, and I'm not at all surprised about the winner! Great job, Jen!

Kiwicraig April 18, 2010 at 9:57 PM  

Not surprised at all, by the victor or the margin. Bosch was crushing people all tournament, right from the start.

Congratulations to Michael Connelly - and to you Jen, for a fantastic tournament that got lots of people talking about detective fiction.

darbyscloset April 18, 2010 at 10:23 PM  

Yeah!! That's my Man!!!
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

darbyscloset April 18, 2010 at 10:23 PM  

Yeah!! That's my Man!!!
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

le0pard13 April 18, 2010 at 10:37 PM  

Let's see if anyone brings this up with Michael Connelly at the book panel he'll be in at the L.A. Times Festival of Books next weekend. And, what Robert Crais will have to say about it (he's in the same panel), if they do ;-). Congrats to Naomi, Lisa, and Bill. Thanks, Jen.

Unknown April 19, 2010 at 8:00 AM  

Great that Harry won have been rooting for him from the start.Jen thank you it was a lot of fun
Kay

Jen Forbus April 19, 2010 at 8:04 AM  

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments. I'm so, so glad you all enjoyed it. Look for something similar to show up next year!

Elizabeth April 19, 2010 at 9:11 AM  

If it couldn't be Cole, then way to go Bosch!

Richard R. April 19, 2010 at 11:30 AM  

I wonder how many of those who voted for Bosch have even read any Marlowe novels? I'd bet this result is an age thing, a "books I like now vs. old films with Bogart" thing. Bah.

Connelly is a good writer, but Chandler is the greatest.

Jen Forbus April 19, 2010 at 11:40 AM  

Richard, I might've been inclined to agree with that if Marlowe hadn't gotten as far as he did and bumped off as many modern favorites as he did. I think many, many readers of writers like Connelly and Crais know Marlowe, have read Marlowe and identify the influence Chandler had on those writers. I also think that ten, twenty, thirty years from now we'll be looking at how Connelly, Crais, Burke, et al. influenced the modern writers of that day. And actually, I can look at several young writers now who have been influenced by them. They have all contributed to the genre and it's richer for it. There are a lot of people who think that it should be Sherlock Holmes reigning here...and this same concept holds true there, too...Doyle influenced those who came after him.

It's a continuum, and I'm very glad for that continuum. Art, as they say, imitates life. And the life of Marlowe's time isn't the same as the life of Bosch's time.

What I like most about this project is that people are talking about these writers and characters. And that's the way their times continue to live!

MysterLynch April 19, 2010 at 1:02 PM  

I am filled with great sadness that Marlowe fell short.

Must be because he is not very tall.

Jen Forbus April 19, 2010 at 1:23 PM  

You must be right, Jeremy! :-)

kathy d. April 20, 2010 at 3:23 AM  

What an interesting discussion. When I think of Marlowe and Sam Spade, I have to admit I am influenced by their Bogartization.

I only discovered Harry Bosch a few years ago when a friend loaned me one of the earlier books. Then I read a few more including "Nine Dragons" and I still liked the character. If I were going on a train ride, I'd grab a few of these books off the rack.

The next Connelly, I think, is another Mickey Haller/Harry Bosch combination. I still think that "The Lincoln Lawyer," is one of the best legal thrillers ever written.

Kiwicraig April 20, 2010 at 6:05 PM  

Richard - I've read both Connelly and Chandler. They're both great writers. As I said somewhere else - I love both the writers, but one detective stands out far more for me, particularly when we're talking 'favourites'.

Kiwicraig April 20, 2010 at 6:06 PM  

Also, I think the fact that Poirot, Holmes, and Marlowe were the other three in the Final Four with Bosch shows there wasn't any historical bias (and in fact, if there was any it went the other way)...

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