If there was a theme to last night’s packed Edgar Awards ceremony, it would have to be the element of surprise. Like Jason Goodwin‘s Best Novel win, so surprising editor Sarah Crichton that in her acceptance speech, she admitted she discouraged Goodwin from coming over from England to attend (though she did attempt to reach him immediately afterwards by cell phone.) Alex Berenson‘s first novel win was deemed so unexpected that the book’s editor, Mark Tavani, expressed some degree of surprise afterwards. Stephen King’s speech was sharp and eloquent and almost happened prematurely, when, after a funny intro by fellow Rock Bottom Remainders Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, King got up to speak (with standing ovation to boot) and was recalled – because Donald Westlake was supposed to speak first. Still, I rather doubt anyone in the room really minded the accidental standing O to one of the genre’s greats.

More scattershot highlights here, and Al Roker generally did a good job as emcee – and kept the ceremony moving so swiftly its 9:45 end time was likely a modern-day record…