This is the cover photo for O’neil De Noux’s recent book titled “Hold Me, Babe.” The model of the cover is Vincent De Noux son of O’neil De Noux.       
Courtesy of O'Neil De Noux

Writer University Police Department Investigator O’Neil De Noux, after years of being awarded for his works, was selected to present the Derringer Awards at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.

The Convention was held in New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 15 through Sept. 18. 

“It was a nice honor being a presenter to a national award at a national convention,” said De Noux. “I did not have a story nominated this year even though I had the home field advantage. The World Mystery Convention was set in New Orleans and I’m a New Orleans writer. I’ve won the Derringer before and was nominated for two others so I was a known entity.”

De Noux won the Derringer Award in 2009 for Best Novelette for his short story “Too Wise.” The Derringer Awards are given out by the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

“The Derringer’s are given out to recognize excellence in short mystery fiction,” said De Noux. “Anybody can join the society. Readers, writers, editors and publishers. So when you do get nominated, it’s mostly from your peers or people who read a lot of mysteries.”

De Noux presented the five Derringer Awards: Best Flash Story, Best Short Story, Best Long Story, Best Novelette and Lifetime Achievement. 

De Noux wanted to not just present the awards, but the city of New Orleans as well.

“It went surprisingly well,” said De Noux. “The people that went before me just got up and talked about their awards, but no one said, ‘Hello, welcome to New Orleans.’ So, I knew what I was going to say.”

In the introduction, De Noux talked about the city of New Orleans, what the city means to him and why it was special to be there that night.

“Welcome to New Orleans, America’s eternal city,” said De Noux. “Eleven years after the Katrina disaster, we thrive. We cannot be put asunder, not by floods or yellow fever, not by British or Yankee invaders, not by fire or hurricanes because New Orleans is more than a city. She’s an idea, well explained by the great American journalist Ernie Pyle who once wrote, ‘When you get within a hundred miles you begin to feel a little drunk on just the idea of New Orleans.’ I say New Orleans is a belief that life is good no matter what.”

After years of writing 33 novels, eight short story collections and 350 short stories, De Noux finds it hard to pick a favorite of his works.

“It’s like asking someone who is their favorite child,” said De Noux. “Every short story is a voyage into our world that we create. But, if I had to choose one that I had to save before we all got knocked out by a hurricane, it would be the one that won the Shamus Award, the ‘Heart Has Reasons.’ I’m pretty proud of that one.”

The new book in the collection of De Noux is a novel titled “Hold Me, Babe.” The story is set in 1951 in the Lower French Quarter in New Orleans and is about two cases that are brought to returning character Private Eye Lucien Caye.

“There’s three books in the series,” said De Noux. “I have several series going. I think it’s my weakness as a writer is that I’m all over the place. I write one book in a series and then I write another book. I write a lot.” 

De Noux will continue to write short stories and novels after his career as an Investigator is over.

“I’m retiring from Southeastern at the end of the year,” said De Noux. “My long journey in law enforcement will be finished. I started in 1968 as a police cadet and I have been in and out of law enforcement ever since. I’m going to retire from here and write full time.”