Theakston's Peculier Delights

Harrogate International Festivals announced the winners of the 2024 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the inaugural McDermid Debut Award at the opening evening of this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, England.  Martina Cole was also awarded the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution for 2024. Congrats to the winners and finalists!

Crime Novel of the Year:  In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster UK)

The other finalists:

• The Last Dance by Mark Billingham (Sphere; Little, Brown Book Group)
• The Secret Hours by Mick Herron (Baskerville; John Murray Press) 
• Killing Jericho by William Hussey (Zaffre, Bonnier) 
• None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Century; Cornerstone) 
• Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent (Sandycove; Penguin Ireland) 
  

McDermid Debut Award:  Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books)

The other finalists:

• Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley (Orenda Books) 
• Dark Island by Daniel Aubrey (Harper Collins) 
• Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin (Bantam, Transworld) 
• Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu (Harper Collins) 
• The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé (Sphere, Little Brown)
  
  

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, now in its 12th year, is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024. The Awards Academy chose the longlist, and a public vote helped to determine the shortlist. The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

The shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award was selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors, with the winner determined by a judging panel of industry experts, including literary, broadcasting and media figures, with no public voting component. All shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, with the winner receiving a £500 cash prize.