One of the major recurring events at ThrillerFest is the presentation of the Thriller Awards. The awards ceremony caps the conference with a banquet. For two of the most anticipated categories, here are this year's nominees, all terrific contenders for your thriller collections. For a complete list of the awards categories and 2011 finalists, go to the ThrillerFest website.

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

Previous authors who have taken home the trophy include Jeffrey Deaver, Joseph Finder, Christopher Reich, Robert Harris, and Lisa Gardner. The 2011 finalists are as follow:

• Michael Connelly, The Reversal (Little, Brown): Mickey Haller temporarily moves over to the prosecution side and works with Harry Bosch to reconvict a killer. (See LJ's review.)
• Jeffery Deaver, Edge: A Novel (S. & S.): An agent tries to protect a man from a ruthless villain in this cat and mouse stand-alone work. (See LJ's review.)
• Brian Freeman, The Burying Place (Minotaur: St. Martin's): A police detective investigates the kidnapping of a girl less than a year old while his partner chases a killer.
• Mo Hayder, Skin (Grove): Inspector Caffery has his hands full dealing with a woman who vanishes from rehab while a monster uses a disturbing MO to eliminate his victims. (See LJ's review.)
• John Sanford, Bad Blood (Putnam): The suicide of a suspect leads Virgil Flowers to a mess of chaos and death that harkens back generations.

MY PREDICTION: While all five are guaranteed great reads, my money is on Connelly, whom Barbara Hoffert declared "hot as ever" in Prepub Alert.

BEST FIRST NOVEL

The joy of this category is discovering new talents. Past winners include Joe Hill, Nick Stone, Adam Fawer, Tom Rob Smith, and Jaime Freveletti. The 2011 finalists are as follows:

• Carla Buckley, The Things That Keep Us Here (Random): The results of a pandemic decimate a family's lives and the country. (See LJ's review.)
• Paul Doiron, The Poacher's Son (Minotaur: St. Martin's): A game warden learns his estranged father has been accused of murder. (See LJ's review.)
• Reece Hirsch, The Insider (Berkley: Penguin Group USA): About to become partner in a prestigious law firm, an attorney witnesses a colleague plummet off the building to his death.
• Thomas Kaufman, Drink the Tea (Minotaur: St. Martin's): A friend asks a struggling PI to find his daughter, who has been missing for a long time. (See LJ's review.)
• Chevy Stevens, Still Missing (St. Martin's): Abducted and held for a terrifying year in captivity, a woman must relive her ordeal during her therapy sessions.

MY PREDICTION: Vegas odds would favor Stevens, whom Barbara Hoffert showcased in Prepub Alert.