In Cold Blog - Your Home for True Crime: ICB Detective Award Winners

2007 saw a resurgence in the quality of work in the true crime field in several areas. In the world of TC literature, old favorites such as Ann Rule and Harold Schechter released outstanding works, and newer voices such as John Leake and Ron Franscell made big splashes with their detailed and impeccable writing.

Films such as Zodiac and Alpha Dog raised eyebrows, as well as pulse rates. TC on television continued to flourish with continuing classics such as AMW and COPS, while introducing fresh programming with the likes of The First 48 and 'Til Death Do Us Part.

Of course, one of the biggest areas where the quality of true crime work was displayed, was in the blogosphere. TC-specific blogs such as True Crime Weblog, Crime Rant, and, of course, In Cold Blog, provided daily reports on the world of the criminal mind.

Here's to even more outstanding work in 2008.

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The winners of the inaugural ICB Detective Awards

BEST TRUE CRIME BLOG OF 2007:

IN COLD BLOG

Sprung upon the world on June 1, 2007, In Cold Blog (or ICB as it is affectionately known by our readers) has been an outlet for those interested in more than just the "Crime of the Day." With a huge roster comprised of several best-selling true crime authors, crime victims' advocates, forensic sketch artists, deputies, attorneys, and even a death metal musician, ICB offers up a completely different perspective on a completely different true crime story almost every day.

Look for ICB to only get better in the future as our roster has been trimmed down, our focus is expanding internationally, and the opportunity to interact with professionals in the world of true crime is at your fingertips.

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BEST TRUE CRIME BLOGGER OF 2007:

DAVID LOHR

With more than 50% of the vote, Crime Library Senior Writer and ICB contributor David Lohr proved just how large a fanbase he has garnered over more than a decade of solid TC reporting. Lohr's following is well-deserved as he as the ability to root out the truth of a story, in a serious, yet sometimes humorous manner that allows his readers to dig deeper into the mind of a killer while simultaneously feeling the pain of the victim.

Lohr plans to continue his TC blogging efforts with ICB and has also been selected as the Daily Crime News blogger for the Discovery Channel's newest network, Investigation Discovery.

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BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK OF 2007:

ENTERING HADES

Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer by first-time author John Leake, tells the sordid story of little-known nomadic Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger.

Playboy said of Leake's book, "This anatomy of an antihereo describes a psychopath worthy of Patricia Highsmith's fiction--a Mr. Ripley with media savvy." ICB's own Laura James declared, "This book is dense, well researched, quite detailed, well written, and of such large scope it's bound to be regarded as the definitive book on its subject and a highly regarded entry on the shelf of serial killer literature."

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BEST FILM BASED ON A TRUE CRIME 2007:

ZODIAC

Director David Fincher (7even, Alien 3) brought author Robert Graysmith's best-selling book to the screen in a gritty, realistic way that most Hollywood serial killer films fail to do. His portrayal of the daily grind of police work resonates truth. This is no CSI where everything is nice and neatly resolved in 44 minutes. Zodiac portrays failure, incompetence, and luck as the true bellwethers of police work.

And, it's genuinely scary.

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BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY OF 2007:

VILLISCA: LIVING WITH A MYSTERY

In one of the tighest races for an ICB Detective this year, Villisca: Living with a Mystery, edged out A Christmas Family Tragedy by six percent of the vote.

Villisca vividly portrays the little-known story of the brutal axe murders of Josiah B. Moore and five others in the small town of Villisca, Iowa, on June 10, 1912.

Filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle's work has been described by some as comparable to that of famed documentarian Ken Burns.

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BEST TRUE CRIME TELEVISION PROGRAM OF 2007:

THE FIRST 48

In the closest voting of all the categories in the inaugural ICB Detective Awards, appropriately enough, a show about real detectives pulled down the badge. A&E's The First 48 beat out ICB's own Paul LaRosa's 48 Hours Mystery by two votes, and also eclipsed To Catch a Predator by eight votes and Cold Case Files by fourteen votes.

The First 48 is an intense documentary style program that focuses on detectives in different major cities across the country. Each week, a new body turns up dead and the detectives have the namesake 48 hour window of opportunity to catch a killer. Gritty, intense, funny, and poignant, The First 48 is quality TC watching all the way around.

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BEST MUSIC BASED ON A TRUE CRIME 2007:

A CHRISTMAS FAMILY TRAGEDY SOUNDTRACK

Runner-up in the Best True Crime Documentary category by only 6% of the vote, A Christmas Family Tragedy Soundtrack: Music From & Inspired By Legends of the 1929 Lawson Family Murders soundtrack cleaned up in the music category with more than 70% of the vote.

Inspired by the true story of mass murderer Charlie Lawson, who slaughtered nearly everyone in his family in North Carolina in 1929, the soundtrack features an eclectic mix of Appalachian bluegrass reminiscent of the Songcatcher, along with some gut-wrenching murder ballads.

A beautiful companion piece to a terrific documentary.

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ICB TRUE CRIME BOOK HALL OF FAME: