The Crème de la crème at CrimeFest

The winners of the 16th CrimeFest awards, honoring the best crime books released in the UK last year, were revealed at a ceremonial dinner tonight as part of the annual crime fiction festival in Bristol, UK. Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees!

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award: A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham (HarperCollins)

Also nominated:

• A Good Day to Die, by Amen Alonge (Quercus)
• Bad for Good, by Graham Bartlett (Allison & Busby)
• The Maid, by Nita Prose (HarperCollins)
• Ashes in the Snow, by Oriana Rammuno, translated by Katherine Gregor (HarperCollins)
• Kalmann, by Joachim B. Schmidt, translated by Jamie Lee Searle (Bitter Lemon)
• Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivenor (Macmillan)
• The Siege, by John Sutherland (Orion)

eDunnit Award (digital books): The Book of the Most Precious Substance, by Sara Gran (Faber and Faber)

Also nominated:

• The Cliff House, by Chris Brookmyre (Abacus)
• Desert Star, by Michael Connelly (Orion)
• The Botanist, by M.W. Craven (Constable)
•  Heart Full of Headstones, by Ian Rankin (Orion)
• Nine Lives, by Peter Swanson (Faber and Faber)

H.R.F. Keating Award (biographical or critical book): The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators, by Martin Edwards (Collins Crime Club)

Also nominated:

• The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, by J.C. Bernthal and Mary Anna Evans (Bloomsbury Academic)
• A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré, 1945-2020, by John le Carré, edited by Tim Cornwell (Viking)
• Simenon: The Man, The Books, The Films, by Barry Forshaw (Oldcastle)
• Gender Roles and Political Contexts in Cold War Spy Fiction,
• by Sian MacArthur (Palgrave Macmillan)
• Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman, by Lucy Worsley (Hodder & Stoughton)

Last Laugh Award (for the best humorous crime novel): Bryant & May’s Peculiar London, by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)

Also nominated:

• The Locked Room, by Elly Griffiths (Quercus)
• Bad Actors, by Mick Herron (Baskerville)
• Hope to Die, by Cara Hunter (Viking)
• Mr. Campion’s Mosaic, by Mike Ripley (Severn House)
• The Moose Paradox, by Antti Tuomainen (Orenda)

Thalia Proctor Memorial Award for Best Adapted TV Crime Drama: Slow Horses (seasons 1 and 2), based on the books by Mick Herron. Produced by See-Saw. Shown on Apple TV+.

Also nominated:

• Babylon Berlin (series 4), based on the books by Volker Kutscher. Produced by X-Filme Creative Pool, ARD Degeto Film, Beta Film, Sky Deutschland, Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Shown on Sky Atlantic.
• Grace (series 2), based on the books by Peter James. Produced by ITV Studios. Shown on ITV.
• Karin Pirie, based on the books by Val McDermid. Produced by ITV Studios. Shown on ITV.
• Magpie Murders, based on novel by Anthony Horowitz. Produced by Britbox and Eleventh Hour Films. Shown on BritBox.
• Reacher, based on the books by Lee Child. Produced by Amazon Studios, Blackjack Films, Paramount Television, and Skydance Television. Shown on Amazon Prime.
• Shetland (season 7), based on the books by Ann Cleeves. Produced by Silverprint Pictures. Shown on BBC.
• Vienna Blood (season 3), based on the books by Frank Tallis. Produced by Endor Productions, Seven.One Studios. Shown on BBC.

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Children (aged 8-12): The Good Turn, by Sharna Jackson (Puffin)

Also nominated:

• A Girl Called Justice: The Spy at the Window, by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Children’s Books)
• Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case, by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)
• Spark, by M.G. Leonard (Walker)
• The Ministry of Unladylike Activity, by Robin Stevens (Puffin)
• Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire! A Recipe for Trouble, by Sarah
• Todd Taylor (Nosy Crow)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults (aged 12-16): Five Survive, by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

Also nominated:

• Needle, by Patrice Lawrence (Barrington Stoke)
• The Butterfly Assassin, by Finn Longman (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
• Truth or Dare, by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
• I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys (Hodder Children’s Books)
• The Notorious Scarlett and Browne, by Jonathan Stroud (Walker)