Sue Ann Jaffarian is associated with the mystery fiction community, specifically through her involvement with Left Coast Crime, an annual conference established in 1991. This event is dedicated to fans of mystery fiction and facilitates interaction between readers and authors. While initially focused on western North American mysteries, the conference has expanded its reach globally, being held in various international locations. Mystery Writers of America acknowledged the organization's significant impact on the mystery genre outside of direct creative writing by awarding it the 2020 Raven Award.

The conference is also known for its "Lefty Awards," which honor outstanding achievements in mystery writing. These awards cover several categories, including Best Humorous Mystery Novel (since 1996), Best Historical Mystery Novel (established in 2004 for pre-1960 events), Best Mystery Novel, and Best Debut Mystery, which has been known by various names over the years. Additionally, Left Coast Crime has presented "Wildcard Awards" that vary based on the conference's location or specific themes, such as geographical settings or character archetypes like the best sidekick or law enforcement procedural.

Left Coast Crime is a significant annual gathering for enthusiasts of mystery fiction, originating in San Francisco in 1991. The conference is designed to foster connections between mystery fans and authors, with a particular emphasis on mysteries set in western North America. While its thematic roots are regional, the conference itself has a global presence, with past events taking place in Canada, the United Kingdom, and various U.S. states. A key feature of the conference is the invitation of a prominent author of western mystery fiction to serve as a guest speaker. In recognition of its substantial contributions to the mystery genre beyond the scope of writing itself, the organization behind Left Coast Crime received the 2020 Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America in December 2019.

The Lefty Awards are a prominent feature of the Left Coast Crime conference, celebrating excellence in mystery writing. Participants vote to determine the winners in several categories. The Best Humorous Mystery Novel Award has been presented annually since 1996, recognizing comedic contributions to the genre. The Best Historical Mystery Novel Award, also known as the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award, was established in 2004 and specifically honors mystery novels set before 1960. The conference also bestows awards for Best Mystery Novel and Best Debut Mystery, the latter having been presented under different names, such as the Eureka! Award and the Rosebud Award, before settling on its current designation.

In addition to its standard awards, Left Coast Crime occasionally presents "Wildcard Awards" to acknowledge unique aspects of mystery fiction or to celebrate the host city. These awards often change names to reflect their geographical context, examples including the Otter (Monterey, 2004), Calavera (El Paso, 2005), and Rocky (Denver, 2008; Colorado Springs, 2013). Other geographically themed awards have included the Hillerman Sky for Southwest settings, the Golden Nugget for California settings, the Squid for U.S. settings, and the Calamari for non-U.S. settings. The conference has also recognized specific elements like the Watson for the best sidekick, the Hawaii Five-O for police procedurals, the Panik award for LA noir, and the Arty award for cover art.