A Big, Happy Announcement

A Big, Happy Announcement!

By Saralyn Richard

Winning a Silver Falchion award is a big deal! Like the Edgar from Mystery Writers of America, and the International Thriller Writers award, the Killer Nashville silver falchion contest is an annual international competition that draws hundreds of entries from the finest mystery writers in the industry. The contest is judged by a panel of professional authors whose expertise and experience give them insights as to what makes high quality mystery fiction.

Becoming a Top Pick or a Finalist for a Silver Falchion is celebration-worthy, but capturing the actual award, becoming the number one ranked novel in its category for the year—that is a pinnacle.

So when Murder Outside the Box was named the Silver Falchion winner in the category of Best Investigator for 2025, I was overjoyed. The fact that an unexpected five-day stay in the hospital prevented me from accepting the award in person was a bit of a disappointment, but I watched the awards ceremony on You Tube and screamed with delight.

I didn’t get to give an acceptance speech or hear the applause of my peers in person, but I’ve thought about what I might have said had I been there, and it’s all about Detective Parrott. In the past seven years and through four books in the series, Detective Parrott has resonated with readers, and he’s become as real to me as a friend, a family member. He lives in my home and in my dreams. And now he’s the best investigator in the world of mystery writing.

Ironically, Parrott began as an afterthought. When I plotted the first book in the series, Murder in the One Percent, I was so focused on the victim, the perpetrator, the characters with motives—the detective wasn’t even on my radar until after the murder took place. As I continued to write about him, Parrott grew more and more compelling, and I realized he was actually the protagonist of the book. I rewrote the beginning to put him front and center, and from then on, he commanded the story.

The book’s early reviews created an unexpected clamor for “more Parrott.” I think what resonated with readers was Parrott’s “everyman” nature that distinguished him from the ultra-rich and powerful community he served. A true outsider in every way, he remained unimpressed and undaunted by the ways of the one percenters he was investigating. At the same time, his own personal issues kept him grounded and relatable to readers. That’s how the series was born.

Now, after four books: Murder in the One Percent, A Palette for Love and Murder, Crystal Blue Murder, and Murder Outside the Box, Parrott is world-famous as the Best Investigator of 2025. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

I’d love to hear the names of some of your favorite investigators. Do you go for police procedurals or amateur sleuths? What makes them your favorites?