Florida Keys authors Elia Chepaitis of Grassy Key and Lewis C. Haskell of Key West are two of four finalists announced in a nationwide competition to claim the 2016 Mystery Writers Whodunit Award.

Chepaitis with “Murder with Kayaks in the Florida Keys,” and Haskell, with “Tequila Mockingbird,” are joined as finalists by Loveland, CO, (formerly Islamorada, FL) resident Carl Bock with “Coronado’s Trail,” and Ocean City, MD, resident Paul Marion Geiger with “The Crayon Box.”

Candidates for the Award, which is supported by the Marion Stevens Fund at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys and sponsored by Absolutely Amazing eBooks, were required to submit the first three pages of a finished, but unpublished manuscript to a judging committee led by celebrated mystery author Sandra Balzo. Ted Hertel, an attorney, author, reviewer and past executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America; Gary Warren Niebuhr, library director, reviewer and author of numerous nonfiction works on the subject of crime fiction; and Shirrel Rhoades, an author, film critic, media consultant and publisher of Absolutely Amazing eBooks completed the judging team.

Winner of the Mystery Writers Whodunit Writing Competition and Award will be announced at the upcoming 3rd Annual Mystery Writers Key West Fest, set for June 10-12, and will claim a Whodunit Award trophy, a book-publishing contract with Absolutely Amazing eBooks, and Mystery Writers Key West Fest 2017 registration, airfare and hotel accommodations for two nights.

The 2016 Mystery Writers Key West Fest – “Murder & Mayhem in Paradise” – is to include multiple workshops, presentations, panel discussions and social events where attendees mingle with acclaimed crime fiction and true crime writers, including keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum; New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham; acclaimed thriller and mystery novelist Timothy Hallinan; New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black; award-winning crime and science fiction writer James O. Born; Sandra Balzo, award-winning author of the popular Maggy Thorsen coffee house series; Don Bruns, author of the famed “Stuff” and “Caribbean” series books; and Michael Haskins, author of the Mick Murphy Key West Mystery series.

For information on attending the 3rd Annual Fest as well as complete Mystery Writers Whodunit Writing Competition guidelines and submission details, visit www.mysterywriterskeywestfest.com.