*Denotes winner
AGATHA AWARDS 2026
Best Contemporary Novel
A Grave Eeception,
Connie Berry, Cooked Lane
* At Death's Dough, Mindy Quigley, Minotaur
Murder in Fifth
Position, Lori Robins, Level Best Books
The Devil Comes
Calling, Annette Dashofy, One More Chapter
Waters of Destruction, Leslie Karst, Severn House
Best Historical Novel
Bye Bye Blackbird,
Elizabeth Crowens, Level Best
The Girl in the Green Dress, Mariah Fredericks,
Minotaur
Murder at the Moulin
Rouge, Carol Pouliot, Level Best
* The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, Kelly
Oliver, Boldwood Books
The Hindenburg Spy, I.A. Chandlar, Oliver Heber Publishers
Best First Novel
Murder in the Crazy
Mountains, K.L. Borges, Epicenter Press/Camel Press Imprint
Player Elimination,
Shelly Jones, Tule Press
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes,
Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Minotaur
Voices of the Elysian
Fields, Michael Rigg, Leveltru
* Whiskey Business, Adrian Andover, Chestnut
Avenue Press
Best Short Story
“Baby Love,” Barb
Goffman, Double Crossing Van Dine Anthology,
Crippen and Landru
“Boss Cat Fules,” Nikki Knight, Malice Domestic Mystery Most Humorous
“Lola's Last Dance,” Kerry Hammond, Celluloid Crimes, Level Best
* “Six-armed Robbery,” Ashley-Ruth Bernier, Malice
Domestic Mystery Most Humorous
“When the Iron is Hot,” Maddie Day, EQMM Mar/Apr 2025
Best Non-fiction
Bone Valley, Gilbert
King, Flat Iron Books
Story of a Murder: the Wives, the Mistress,
and Dr. Crippen, Hallie Rubenhold, Dutton
The Dinners all bow: Two
Authors, One Murder, and the Real Hester Prynne, Kate Winkler Dawson, G. P.
Putnam
* Vacations Can Be Murder: a True Crime Lover's
Travel Guide to New England, Dawn M. Barclay, Level Best
Best Children’s/YA Mystery
* Death in the Cards,
Mia P. Manansala, Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Missing Mom, Lynn Slaughter,
Fire and ice YA
Risky Pursuit, Nancy G. West, Fire
and Ice YA
Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic, Marilyn
Levinson, Level Best
Hurricane Heist, James
Ponti, Aladin Books
ANTHONY AWARDS Finalists 2026
Best Hardcover Novel:
All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Minotaur Books
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny, Minotaur Books
Crooks by Lou Berney, William Morrow & Company
Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts, Minotaur Books
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby, Flatiron Books: Pine and Cedar
Best First Novel:
Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang, Atria Books,
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove, Berkley Books
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs, William Morrow & Company
Voices of the Elysian Fields by Michael Rigg, Level Best Books
Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover, Chestnut Avenue Press
Best Paperback/E-book/Audiobook:
Crimson Thaw by Bruce Robert Coffin, Severn River Publishing
Edge by Tracy Clark, Thomas & Mercer
River of Lies by James L'Etoile, Oceanview Publishing
This Violent Heart by Heather Levy, Montlake
Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern, Bantam
Best Juvenile/Young Adult Novel:
Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala, Delacorte Press
Miles in Time by Lee Matthew Goldberg, Wise Wolf Books
Risky Pursuit by Nancy G. West, Fire & Ice Young Adult Books
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson, Quill Tree Books
Well-Behaved Children Seldom Make History by Chris Chan, Level Best Books
Best Critical/Non-fiction:
Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida by Gilbert King, Flatiron Books
L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood by Anne Soon Choi, Third State Books
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser, Penguin Press
The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy, Vintage
Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover's Travel Guide to New England by Dawn M. Barclay, Level Tru
Best Anthology/Collection:
Blood on the Bayou: Case Closed: Bouchercon Anthology, Don Bruns (ed.), Down & Out Books
Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, John Copenhaver (ed.) and Salem West (ed.), Bywater Books
Hollywood Kills: An Anthology, Adam Meyer (ed.) and Alan Orloff (ed.), Level Short
On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology, Curtis Ippolito et al., Rock and a Hard Place Press
Whatever Kills the Pain by C.W. Blackwell, Rock and a Hard Place Press
Best Short Story:
"AITA for Using My Husband's Hobby to Teach Him a Lesson", by Mindy Carlson, in Myopic Duplicity: Do the Ends Ever Justify the Means?, Kindle/Audible
"Brotherly Love", by Cheryl A. Head, in Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim, Level Short
"Finding Jimmy Baldwin", by Cheryl A. Head, in Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, Bywater Books
"Hollywood Prometheus", by Christa Faust, in Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, Bywater Books
"Six-Armed Robbery" by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, in Donna Andrews Presents Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous, Wildside Press
"The Skies Are Red", by Richie Narvaez, in On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology, Rock and a Hard Place Press
AUDIE AWARDS (for Best Audio Books) 2026
Mystery
Gray Dawn by Walter Mosley, narrated by Michael Boatman and Walter Mosley (Hachette Audio)
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict, narrated by Bessie Carter (Macmillan Audio)
Secret Sister by Sarah A. Denzil, narrated by Jessica Gunning, Sacha Dhawan, Joanne Froggatt, Nathaniel Curtis, and Hopi Grace (Audible Originals)
Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto, narrated by Eunice Wong (Penguin Ranndom House Audio)
Thriller/Suspense
* Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell, narrated by Richard Armitage, Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, and Patience Tomlinson (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza, narrated by Rachel F. Hirsch, Sarah Reny, Vas Eli and Saskia Maarleveld (Penguin Random House Audio)
Havoc by Christopher Bollen, narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed (HarperAudio)
To Die For by David Baldacci, narrated by Zach Villa, Mela Lee, Cassandra Morris, Rena Marie Villano, Christine Lakin, Will Collyer, Kiff Vandenheuvel, and Erin Bennett (Hachette Audio)
BAD SYDNEY CRIME FESTIVAL DANGER AWARDS 2025
Debut Crime Fiction
What I Would Do To You by Georgia Harper (Penguin Random House)
Gus and the Missing Boy by Troy Hunter (Wakefield Press)
* A Town Called Treachery by Mitch Jennings (Harper Collins)
All You Took From Me by Lisa Kenway (Transit Lounge)
The Crag by Claire Sutherland (Affirm Press)
Best Crime Fiction
Shadow City by Natalie Conyer (Echo Publishing)
Sanctuary by Garry Disher (Text Publishing)
* Bone Lands by Pip Fioretti (Affirm)
High Wire by Candice Fox (Penguin Random House)
Joy Moody is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne (Penguin Random House)
Highway 13 by Fiona McFarlane (Allen & Unwin)
Pheasant’s Nest by Louise Milligan (Allen & Unwin)
The Dream by Iain Ryan (Ultimo Press)
Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (Pan Macmillan)
Cutler by David Whish Wilson (Fremantle Press)
Best Crime Nonfiction
In the Dead of Night by Greg Haddrick (Allen & Unwin)
* Black Witness by Amy McQuire (UQP)
The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop by Neil Mercer (Allen & Unwin)
Dark City by John Silvester (Pan Macmillan)
The Outback Court Reporter by Jamelle Wells (Harper Collins)
People's Choice Award
* Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor
BARRY AWARDS Finalists 2026
Best Mystery
The
Impossible Thing, Belinda Bauer (Atlantic Monthly)
Crooks, Lou Berney (William Morrow)
King Of Ashes, S. A. Cosby (Flatiron
Books)
The Black Wolf, Louise Penny
(Minotaur Books)
The White Crow, Michael Robotham
(Scribner)
Presumed Guilty, Scott Turow (Grand
Central)
Best First Mystery
Leverage,
Amran Gowani (Atria Books)
All The Other Mothers Hate Me, Sarah
Harman (Putnam)
Dead Money, Jakob Kerr (Bantam)
The Vanishing Place, Zoe Rankin
(Berkley)
Stillwater, Tanya Scott (Atlantic
Monthly)
Julie Chan Is Dead, Liann Zhang
(Atria Books)
Best Paperback Original Mystery
Crimson
Thaw, Bruce Robert Coffin (Severn River)
Splintered Justice, Kim Hays (Seventh
Street Books)
Making A Killing, Cara Hunter (William
Morrow)
If Two Are Dead, Rick Mofina (MIRA)
Wolf Six, Alex Shaw (Boldwood Books)
The Dentist, Tim Sullivan (Atlantic
Crime)
Best Thriller
Witness 8,
Steve Cavanagh (Atria Books)
The Oligarch’s Daughter, Joseph
Finder (Harper)
Midnight Black, Mark Greaney
(Berkley)
Clown Town, Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
Head Cases, John McMahon (Minotaur
Books)
The Mailman, Andrew Welsh-Huggins
(Mysterious Press)
IBPA BOOK AWARD f/k/a BEN FRANKLIN AWARDS, MYSTERY/THRILLER 2026
Gold: Dying Cry: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books)
Silver: A Murder in Zion: A National Park Mystery by Nicole Maggi (Oceanview Publishing)
Silver: The Thunder Head: A Nick Drake Novel by Dwight Holing (Jackdaw Press)
BLOODY SCOTLAND/MCILVANNEY CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2025
* The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani
The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney
Paperboy by Callum McSorley
The Good Liar by Denise Mina
Midnight and Blue by Ian Rankin.
BLOODY SCOTLAND CRIME DEBUT OF THE YEAR Finalists 2026
Frances Crawford, A Bad, Bad Place (Transworld)
Linda Duncan McLaughlin, Original Sins (Into Books)
Kirsty Lockwood, We Know What You Did (Orion)
Zoë Rankin, The Vanishing Place (Viper)
May Rinaldi, Liar Thief (Black Spring)
BRITISH BOOK AWARDS Best Crime and Thriller 2026
* A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (Raven Books, Bloomsbury)
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (Penguin Michael Joseph)
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (The Borough Press, HarperCollins UK)
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (Viking, Penguin General)
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Bantam, Transworld)
The Tenant by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks)
CAPITAL CRIME FINGERPRINT AWARDS 2026
Audio Book of the Year
King of Ashes by S A Cosby
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver
True Crime Book of the Year
* Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts-Guiffre
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser
A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders by Prof. David Wilson
A Flower Travelled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland
Debut Crime Book of the Year
* Deadline by Steph McGovern
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar
This is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen
Historical Book of the Year
The Rush by Beth Lewis
Dangerous by Essie Fox
* Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Genre-Busting Book of the Year
Little Red Death by A. K. Benedict Book
Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville
Small Fires by Ronnie Turner
Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy
Thriller Book of the Year
* Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Human Remains by Jo Callaghan
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins
Overall Best Crime Book of the Year
* The Final Vow by M W Craven
Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan
The Good Father by Liam McIlveney
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
Thalia Procter Lifetime Achievement Award
* Trisha Jackson
COLORADO BOOK AWARDS Finalists 2026
Best Mystery/Thriller/Horror
A Clan Chief’s Daughter: She Who Rides Horses (Book Two) by Sarah V. Barnes (Heart Soul Horse PublicationsTime Agents: Alterations by Jodi Bowersox (Cat & Rabbit Publishing LLC)
Catching It Lovely by Laurie Marr Wasmund (Lost Ranch Books)
CRIMEFEST AWARDS 2025 (Cancelled after 2025)
Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award
Tom Baragwanath for Paper Cage (Baskerville)
Tasha Coryell for Love Letters to a Serial Killer (Orion Fiction)
C. L. Miller for The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder (Pan Macmillan)
* Akira Otani (and translator Sam Bett) for The Night of Baba Yaga (Faber & Faber)
Tracy Sierra for Nightwatching (Viking)
Claire Wilson for Five by Five (Michael Joseph)
edunnit award
Martin Edwards for Hemlock Bay (Head of Zeus)
Laurie R. King for The Lantern’s Dance (Allison & Busby)
* Jean Hanff Korelitz for The Sequel (Faber & Faber)
Bella Mackie for What A Way To Go (The Borough Press)
Liz Moore for The God of the Woods (The Borough Press)
Peter Swanson for A Talent for Murder (Faber & Faber)
Last Laugh Award
Cathy Ace for The Case of the Secretive Secretary (Four Tails Publishing Ltd.)
DG Coutinho for The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin (Harvill Secker)
Bella Mackie for What A Way To Go (The Borough Press)
Orlando Murrin for Knife Skills for Beginners (Transworld)
* Mike Ripley for Mr Campion’s Christmas (Severn House)
Antti Tuomianen (and translator David Hackston) for The Burning Stones (Orenda Books)
H.R.F. Keating award
* Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert in Wickedness (HarperCollins)
Jem Bloomfield for Allusion in Detective Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan)
Ashley Bowden for Female Detectives in Early Crime Fiction 1841-1920 (Fabula Mysterium Press)
Dan Coxon & Richard V. Hirst for Writing the Murder: Essays in Crafting Crime Fiction (Dead Ink)
Sara Lodge for The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female (Yale University Press)
Lynda La Plante for Getting Away With Murder: My Unexpected Life on Page, Stage and Screen (Zaffre)
Thalia Proctor Memorial Award For Best Adapted Tv Crime Drama
Bad Monkey, based on the book by Carl Hiaasen (Apple TV+)
Dalgliesh (series 3), based on the Inspector Dalgliesh books by P.D. James (Channel 5)
Lady in the Lake based on the book by Laura Lippman (Apple TV+)
Moonflower Murders based on the book by Anthony Horowitz (BBC)
* Slow Horses (series 4), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple TV+)
The Turkish Detective, based on the Inspector Ikmen books by Barbara Nadel (BBC)
Best Crime Novel For Children
* Sufiya Ahmed for Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker (Bloomsbury Education)
Natasha Farrant for The Secret of Golden Island (Faber & Faber)
A.M. Howell for Mysteries at Sea: The Hollywood Kidnap Case (Usborne Publishing)
M. G. Leonard for The Twitchers: Feather (Walker Books)
Beth Lincoln for The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues (Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
Nicki Thornton for The Floating Witch Mystery (Faber & Faber)
Best Crime Novel For Young Adults
H.F. Askwith for A Cruel Twist of Fate (Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
Denise Brown for It All Started With a Lie (Hashtag Press)
A.J. Clack for Lie or Die (Firefly Press)
Amie Jordan for All the Hidden Monsters (Chicken House)
* Kayvion Lewis for Heist Royale (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
Karen M. McManus for Such Charming Liars (Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA AWARDS (f/k/a ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDS) Finalists 2026
The Peter Robinson Award for Best Crime Novel
Jen Sookfong Lee, The Hunger We Pass Down, McClelland & Stewart
Tamara L. Miller, Into the Fall, Thomas and Mercer
Louise Penny, The Black Wolf, Minotaur Books
Eddy Boudel Tan, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut, Viking Canada
Best Crime First Novel
Jan Field, Yesterday’s Lies, La Cloche Publishing
Joel Nedecky, The Broken Detective, Run Amok Crime
David L. Tucker, A Painting to Die For, Otter & Osprey Press
A.L. Wahdel, Too Dark For the Light, Butterfly 80 Publishing
Best Crime Novel Set in Canada
Angela Douglas, Every Fall, Rising Action Publishing Co.
Uzma Jalaluddin, Detective Aunty, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
C.S. Porter, Salt on Her Tongue, Vagrant Press
Chevy Stevens, The Hitchhikers, St. Martin’s Press
The Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery
Mel Anastasiou, Stella Ryman and the Search for Thelma Hu, Pulp Literature Press
Alice Fitzpatrick, A Dark Death, Stonehouse Publishing
Laury Silvers, Some Justice: A Ghazi Ammar Medieval Mystery, Independently Published
Iona Whishaw, The Cost of a Hostage, TouchWood Editions
Best Crime Short Story
Madeleine Harris Callway, "The Lost Diner," Pulp Literature Press (story on p.115)
Barbara Fradkin, "Cold Shock," A Capital Mystery Anthology, Ottawa Press and Publishing
Billie Livingstone, "The Headache," Dark Yonder (story on p.31)
Sylvia Maultash Warsh, "Polly Wants a Freakin’ Cracker," Malice Domestic: Murder Most Humorous, Wildside Press
The Best French Language Crime Book (Fiction and Nonfiction)
André Jacques, Jeux d’ombres, Druide
Steve Laflamme, La mémoire du labyrinthe, Libre Expression
Maureen Martineau, Une nuit d’été à Littlebrook, Héliotrope
Martin Michaud, Delta Zéro, Libre Expression
Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book
Vicki Grant, Death by Whoopee Cushion, Tundra Books
Claire Hatcher-Smith, The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet, Tundra Books
Tanya Lloyd Kyi, The City of Lost Cats, Tundra Books
John Lekich, Bark Twice for Murder, Orca Book Publishers
The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book
John L. Hill, Acts of Darkness: Notorious Criminals, Their Defenders, Prosecutors, and Jailers, Durvile & UpRoute
Kathleen Lippa, Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada’s North, Dundurn Press
Lorna Poplak, On the Lam: Great (and Not So Great) Escapes from Prison, Dundurn Press
Julian Sher & Lisa Fitterman, Hitman: The Untold Story of Canada’s Deadliest Assassin, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Best Unpublished Crime Novel manuscript
William Hall, The Less You Know
Francis K. Lalumière, Lens Flare
Barbara Stokes, Death Scent
Isabelle Zimmermann, Blistered
CWA DAGGER AWARDS Finalists 2026
CWA KAA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of
the Year
King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
(Headline)
The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins/Hemlock Press)
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (Penguin Random House/Michael
Joseph)
The Girl in Cell A by Vaseem Khan (Hodder Fiction).
The Frozen by Ariel Lawhon (River Swift
Press)
The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Pan Macmillan/Mantle)
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the Year
The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani (Profile Books/Viper)
King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Headline)
The Big Empty by Robert Crais (Simon & Schuster UK)
A Sting in her Tale by Mark Ezra (Bedford Square Publishers/ No Exit
Press)
Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W Ihli (Pan Macmillan/ Pan)
The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney (Bonnier Books UK/Zaffre)
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter (HarperCollins Publishers)
ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction
Shadow of The Bridge: The Delphi Murders and The Dark Side of The American
Heartland by Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee (Pegasus Books/Pegasus
Crime)
The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB by Gordon
Corera (HarperCollins/ William Collins)
The Murder Game by John Curran (HarperCollins/Collins Crime Club)
Murderland by Caroline Fraser (Little, Brown Book Group/Fleet)
That Dark Spring by Susannah Stapleton (Pan Macmillan/Picador)
The Illegals by Shaun Walker (Profile Books)
Historical Dagger
A Granite Silence by Nina Allan (Quercus/riverrun)
Barvick Falls by Rob McInroy (Tippermuir Books)
The Devil's Draper by Donna Moore (Fly on the Wall Press)
Gunner by Alan Parks (John Murray Press/Baskerville)
The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Pan Macmillan/Mangle)
A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith (Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven
Books)
Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger
Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse (Faber) translated by Florian Duijsens
The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst (Penguin Random House) translated by
Anne Bruce
Red Water by Jurica Pavicic (Bitter Lemon Press) translated by Matt
Robinson
Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann (Allison & Busby) translated by Amy
Bojang
The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen (Orenda Books) translated by David
Hackston
Strange Pictures by Uketsu (Pushkin Press) translated by Jim Rion
Whodunnit Dagger for Best Traditional Mystery
The Christmas Cracker Killer by Alexandra Benedict (Simon & Schuster
UK)
Little Secrets by Victoria Goldman (Three Crowns Publishing
UK/self-published)
Etiquette for Lovers & Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy (Little,
Brown Book Group/Fleet)
A Queer Case by Robert Holtom (Titan Books)
A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant (John Murray
Press/Baskerville)
Bad Influence by CJ Wray (Orion Fiction)
Twisted Dagger for Best Psychological Suspense
What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah (HarperCollins/HQ Ficiton)
Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke (Penguin Random House UK/Harvill)
Some of Us are Liars by Fiona Cummins (Pan Macmillan/Macmillan)
Scenes From A Tragedy by Carole Hailey (Atlantic Books/Corvus)
The Bodies by Sam Lloyd (Transworld/Bantam)
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough (Orion
Fiction)
ILP John Creasey (First Novel) Dagger
The Peak by Sam Guthrie (HarperCollins Publishers)
The Lost Detective by Elspeth Latimer (Story Machine)
The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey (HarperCollins/Hemlock Press)
The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin (Profile Books/Viper)
Coram House by Bailey Seybolt (Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven Books)
Holy City by Henry Wise (Bedford Square Publishers/No Exit Press)
Short Story Dagger
"Split Your Silver Tongue" by SA Cosby in Birds, Strangers and
Psychos (No Exit Press)
"The Karpman Drama Triangle" by Denise Mina in Birds, Strangers
and Psychos (No Exit Press)
"Full Circle" by Abir Mukherjee in Playing Dead: Short Stories by
Members of the Detection Club (Severn House)
"The Apple Falls Not Far" by Ambrose Perry (Canongate)
"Strangers on a School Bus" by Peter Swanson in Birds,
Strangers and Psychos (No Exit Press)
‘Waiting" by Michael Wood in Criminal Pursuits: This Is Me (Telos
Publishing)
Emerging Author
Ill Met By Murder by Rod Cookson,
The Man Who Fit the Case by Sophia Georghiou
Just a Simple Wedding by Kate Koester
The Fixer by Lorna Mathew,
The Madam of Morningside by Rebecca McFarland
Blind Side of the Sun by Michael Nikitin
The Pattern of Absence by Melisssa Smith
Dagger in the Library for Body of Work
Paula Hawkins
JD Kirk
Clare
Mackintosh
Freida
McFadden
Abir Mukherjee
Tim Sullivan
Best Crime & Mystery Publisher
Bitter Lemon Press
Faber & Faber
No Exit Press (Bedford Square)
Pan Macmillan
Simon & Schuster
Viper (Profile Books)
DANISH CRIMINAL ACADEMY AWARDS 2025
Palle Rosenkrantz prize (best foreign crime/thriller novel)
* Carl-Johan Vallgren for Din tid kommer
Harald Mogensen award (best Danish crime/thriller novel)
* Dennis Nørmark for Harare
Debut Prize
* Kim Hundevadt for Porcus
The Lasse Holm diploma (historical crime novel of the year)
* Jacob Jonia for Troldmanden
Tage la Cour Diploma (best nonfiction)
* Ulrik Skotte for Paraplymordet
DAPHNE AWARDS (FROM RWA KISS OF DEATH) 2026
PUBLISHED CATEGORY
Overall
Winner: Rena Koontz
Cozy
Mystery/Suspense
- In$urance Blues (A John Smith Mystery) — Charlotte Stuart
- Meringues, Matrimony & Murder — Polly Holmes
- Death Upon A Star — Amy Patricia Meade
Historical
Mystery/Suspense
- A Murder Of Convenience — Kathleen Buckley
- Two Secrets To Surrender — Grace Callaway
- Shadow Of The Mill — Helena Smrcek
Long Romantic Mystery/Suspense
- Philly — Tamsen Schultz
- Perfect Vengeance — Tee O’Fallon
- Monk — Tamsen Schultz
Mainstream Mystery/Suspense
- Chasing Justice — Rena Koontz
- Shaw Connolly Lives To Tell — Gillian French
- All That Lies Beneath — D.L. Wood
Short Romantic Mystery/Suspense
- "Fighting For Berlin" — Katie Reus
- "Wyoming Double Jeopardy" — Juno Rushdan
-
"Escaping
The Wilderness" — Carrie Stuart Parks
UNPUBLISHED CATEGORY
Overall
Winner: Coby Nicole Sauce
Mainstream Mystery/Suspense
- Forever Everly — Coby Nicole Sauce
- What He Saw In The Darkness — D.S. Mori
- Blind Side Of The Sun — Michael Nikitin
Romantic Mystery/Suspense
- Veilbound — Cat St. Martin
- Mind Linkers — Michele Wyan
- Chained — Jennifer Estes
DAVID L. GOODIS AWARD NOIRCON (Biannual) 2024
* The David L. Goodis Award: Philippe Garnier (journalist, author)
* The Jay and Deen Kogan Award for Excellence: Jim Nisbet (posthumously) (author)
* The Anne Friedberg Award for Contributions to Noir and Its Preservation: UCLA Film & Television Archive
DAVITT AWARDS (Australia) Finalists 2026
Adult Fiction
Zeyneb Gamieldien, Learned Behaviours, (Ultimo Press)
Fiona Hardy, Unbury The Dead, (Affirm Press)
Sally Hepworth, Mad Mabel, (Macmillan Australia)
Joanna Jenkins, The Bluff, (Allen & Unwin)
Angie Faye Martin, Melaleuca, (HQ Fiction) Debut
Non-Fiction
Sonia Orchard, Groomed, (Simon & Schuster)Lucy Sussex & Megan Brown, Outrageous Fortunes, the biography of Mary and Geroge Fortune, (Black Inc Books)
Kate Wild, The Red House, (Allen & Unwin)
Young Adult
Amy Doak, What Have They done to Liza McLean?, (Penguin Randon House Australia)Kate Emery, A Murder Is Going Down, (Allen & Unwin)
Carla Salmon, We Saw What You Started, (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
Children's Books
Jacqueline Harvey, The Girl and the Ghost, (Penguin Randon House Australia)
Amelia Mellor, Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship, (Simon & Schuster Australia)
Gisela Ervin-Ward, True South, (Midnight Sun) Debut
DERRINGER AWARDS 2026
FLASH
"Bradycardia" by Elizabeth Dearborn (Punk Noir Magazine, 2/4/2025)"Check Rear Seat" by Carl Tait (Exquisite Death, 5/1/2025)
"It All Comes Out in the Wash" by James Patrick Focarile (Gumshoe Review, 10/31/2025)
"Just Like Old Times" by Shari Held (Yellow Mama, 2/15/2025)
* "The Man Under the Bridge" by Bern Sy Moss (Spillwords, 6/1/2025)
SHORT STORY
"Chains" by Frank Vatel (All Due Respect, 9/1/25)
"Hollywood Prometheus" by Christa Faust (Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, Bywater Books)
"The Artist" by Linda Ann Bennett (Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, Superior Shores Press)
"Wax On, Wax Off" by Nina Mansfield (Donna Andrews Presents Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous, Wildside Press)
LONG STORY
"Masterpiece" by Mark Thielman (Black Cat Mystery Magazine 16, September 2025)
"Six-Armed Robbery" by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (Donna Andrews Presents Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous, Wildside Press)
* "Whatever Kills the Pain" by C.W. Blackwell (Whatever Kills the Pain, Rock and a Hard Place Press)
"Zebra Finch" by donalee Moulton (The Most Dangerous Games, Level Best Books - Level Short)
NOVELETTE
"Loose Change from a Mini Cooper" by Frank Zafiro (Chop Shop Episode 10, Down & Out Books)
"Saint Bullethead" by Nick Kolakowski (Fighting Words: Bruisers, Brawlers, & Bad Intentions, Leonardo Audio)
"The High Priest of Low Men" by C.W. Blackwell (Myopic Duplicity: Do the Ends Ever Justify the Means?, Leonardo Audio)
* "The Temporary Murder of Thomas Monroe" by Tia Tashiro (Clarkesworld, January 2025) (audio version)
ANTHOLOGY
Gone Fishin': Crime Takes a Holiday, The Eighth Guppy Anthology edited by James M. Jackson (Wolf's Echo Press)
* (tie) Hollywood Kills: An Anthology edited by Adam Meyer & Alan Orloff (Level Best Books - Level Short)
Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense edited by Judy Penz Sheluk (Superior Shores Press)
* (tie) On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology edited by Curtis Ippolito (Rock and a Hard Place Press)
SoWest: Danger Awaits! A Desert Sleuths Anthology edited by Claire A. Murray, Eva Eldridge, Suzanne E. Flaig, Denise Galley, and Sarah Smith (DS Publishing)
The Silver Derringer for Editorial Excellence: TBA
Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement: TBA
Hall of Fame: TBA
EDGAR AWARDS 2026
"Cold Turkey" by Patricia Dusenbury, Flash Bang Mysteries ed. Brandon Bourg (Summer 2017)
"Happy Birthday" by Alan Orloff, Shotgun Honey ed. Jen Conley, Angel Luis Colón, and Nick Kolakowski (June 15, 2017)
"Final Testimony" by Travis Richardson, Flash Fiction Offensive ed, Hector Duarte Jr. and Rob Pierce (July 10, 2017)
"Fishing for an Alibi" by Earl Staggs, Flash Bang Mysteries ed. Brandon Bourg (Fall 2017)
"Flash Point" by Elizabeth Zelvin, A Twist of Noir ed. Christopher Grant (March 20, 2017)
For Best Short Story (1,001-4,000 words)
"The Kids Keep Coming" by David H. Hendrickson, Fiction River: Tavern Tales ed. Kerrie L. Hughes, WMG Publishing Inc. (January 2017)
"The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan" by Robert Lopresti, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #23, ed. Marvin Kaye, Wildside Press (October 2017)
"The New Score" by Alison McMahan, Fish Out of Water: A Guppy Anthology ed. Ramona DeFelice Long, Wildside Press (March 2017)
"The Bank Job" by Stephen D. Rogers, Trigger Warning Short Fiction with Pictures ed. Eric Lindbom and John Skewes (March 16, 2017)
"Every Picture Tells a Story" by Cathi Stoler, Where Crime Never Sleeps: Murder New York Style 4 ed. Elizabeth Zelvin, Level Best Books (September 2017)
For Best Long Story (4,001-8,000 words)
"El Asesino" by Rusty Barnes, BULL ed. Ben Drevlow (May 22, 2017)
"The #2 Pencil" by Matt Coyle, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea ed. Andrew McAleer and Paul D. Marks, Down & Out Books (January 2017)
"Death in the Serengeti" by David H. Hendrickson, Fiction River: Pulse Pounders: Andrenaline ed. Kevin J. Anderson, WMG Publishing, Inc. (July 2017)
"Matricide and Ice Cream" by William Burton McCormick, The CWA Anthology of Short Stories: Mystery Tour ed. Martin Edwards, Orenda Books (November 2017)
"The Drive-by" by Alison McMahan, Busted: Arresting Stories from the Beat ed. Verena Rose, Harriette Sackler, and Shawn Reilly Simmons, Level Best Books (April 2017)
For Best Novelette (8,001-20,000 words)
"Flowing Waters" by Brendan DuBois, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ed. Janet Hutchings, January/February 2017
"Windward" by Paul D. Marks, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea ed. Andrew McAleer and Paul D. Marks, Down & Out Books (January 2017)
"King's Quarter" by Andrew McAleer, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea ed. Andrew McAleer and Paul D. Marks, Down & Out Books (January 2017)
"Kill My Wife, Please" by Robert J. Randisi, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea ed. Andrew McAleer and Paul D. Marks, Down & Out Books (January 2017)
"Trouble Like a Freight Train Coming" by Tina Whittle, Lowcountry Crime: Four Novellas ed. James M. Jackson and Jan Rubens, Wolf's Echo Press (February 2017)
EDGAR AWARDS Finalists 2024Best Novel
* The Big Empty by Robert Crais (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (Penguin Random House – Pantheon Books)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Macmillan Publishers – Flatiron Books)
Hard Town by Adam Plantinga (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)
The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha (Penguin Random House – Pamela Dorman Books)
Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)
Best First Novel by an American Author
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
* Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (Penguin Random House – Bantam Books)
Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade (Macmillan Publishers – Celadon Books)
History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
Best Paperback Original
The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy (Amazon Publishing – Lake Union)
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
* The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
Best Fact Crime
Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
* Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser (Penguin Random House – Penguin Press)
Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home by Gregg Olsen (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold (Penguin Random House – Dutton)
Best Critical/Biographical
The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Zondervan)
* Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley (University of Virginia Press)
Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard by C.M. Kushins (HarperCollins Publishers – Mariner Books)
Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train by Stephen Rebello (Hachette Book Group – Running Press)
Best Short Story
“The One That Got Away,” by Charlaine Harris (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Orphan X: A Mysterious Profile,” by Gregg Hurwitz (Penzler Publishers – Mysterious Press)
“Lucky Heart,” by Tim Maleeny (Blood on the Bayou – Case Closed, Down & Out Books)
“The Kill Clause,” by Lisa Unger (Amazon Original Stories )
* “Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush,” by Dave Zeltserman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
Beset Juvenile
What Happened Then by Erin Soderberg Downing (Scholastic Press)
A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence (Simon & Schuster – Aladdin)
* Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic Press)
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell (Penguin Young Readers – Dial)
Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell (Random House Children’s Books – Delacorte Press)
Best Young Adult
Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Fire)
This is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Fire)
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson (HarperCollins Children’s Books – Quill Tree Books)
Codebreaker by Jay Martel (St. Martin’s Publishing Group – Wednesday Books)
Best Television Episode Teleplay
* “Pilot” – Paradise, Written by Dan Fogelman (Hulu)
“Episode 101” – The Lowdown, Written by Sterlin Harjo (FX on Hulu)
“These Girls” – Long Bright River, Written by Nikki Toscano & Liz Moore (Peacock)
“Ye’iitsoh (Big Monster)” – Dark Winds, Written by John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd (AMC)
The Robert L. Fish Memorial Award
“A Textbook Example,” by Luis Avalos (Sacramento Noir, Akashic Books)
* “How It Happened,” by Billie Kay Fern (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Baggage,” by Rick Marcou (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Bloodsurf,” by Tiffany D. Plunkett (Hollywood Kills, Level Best Books – Level Short)
“Grand Theft Auto in the Heart of Screenland,” by Robert Rotstein (Hollywood Kills, Level Best Books – Level Short)
The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
No Comfort for the Dead by R.P. O’Donnell (Crooked Lane Books)
* All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Last Dance Before Dawn by Katharine Schellman (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
The G.P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award
Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Rage: A Novel by Linda Castillo (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
* Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
The Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amandah Chapman (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
* A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio (Severn House)
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Murder Two Doors Down by Chuck Storla (Crooked Lane Books)
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Penguin Random House – Berkley)
SPECIAL AWARDS
Grand Master
- Donna Andrews
- Lee Child
Raven Award
- Book Passage, Corte Madera CA
Ellery Queen Award
John Scognamiglio, Kensington Books
FALCOLN AWARD (Japan) 2024
* Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
GERMAN MYSTERY PRIZE (Deutscher Krimipreis) 2026
German Language
First place: Andreas Pflüger for Kälter (Suhrkamp)
Second Place: Zoran Drvenkar for Asa (Suhrkamp),
Third Place: Susanne Tägder for Die Farbe des Schattens (Tropen)
Crime Fiction in Translation
First place: Lavie Tidhar for Adama (Suhrkamp), translated by Conny Lösch
Second Place: Liz Moore for Der Gott des Waldes (C.H. Beck), translated by von Cornelius Hartz
Third Place: Gustavo Faverón Patriau for Unten leben (Droschl), translated by Manfred Gmeiner
GLASS KEY AWARD (Scandinavia) 2025
*Fuglekongen (Living and Dead) by Eva Fretheim
GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS, MYSTERY & THRILLER 2025
*Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
HAMMETT PRIZE 2026
Party of Liars – by Kelsey Cox (Minotaur)
The Big Empty – by Robert Crais (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
* The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne – by Ron Currie (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
The Lizard – by Domenic Stansberry (Molotov Editions)
ICELANDIC Blóðdropan CRIME FICTION PRIZE Finalists 2026
Alfa by Lilja Sigurðardóttir
Allar litlu lygarnar (All the Little Lies) by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
Eftirför (Pursuit) by Anna Rún Frímannsdóttir
Líf (LIfe) by Reynir Finndal Grétarsson
Lokar augum blám (Closing Blue Eyes) by Margrét S. Höskuldsdóttir
AN POST IRISH INDEPENDENT CRIME FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025
Fair Play by Louise Hegarty (Pan Macmillan / Picador)
The Killing Sense by Sam Blake (Atlantic Books / Corvus)
The Secret Room by Jane Casey (Hemlock / HarperCollins)
The Stolen Child by Carmel Harrington (Headline Review)
The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy (Canelo Crime)
Two Kinds Of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh (Headline)
ITW THRILLER AWARDS 2026
* Megan Collins – Cross My Heart (Atria)
Ruth Knafo Setton – Zigzag Girl (Black Spring Press)
Gilly Macmillan – The Burning Library (William Morrow)
Sarah Pekkanen – The Locked Ward (St. Martin’s Press)
Olivia Worley – So Happy Together (Minotaur)
Best Series Novel
James Byrne – Chain Reaction (Minotaur)
* Robert Crais – The Big Empty (Penguin/Putnam)
John McMahon – Head Cases (Minotaur)
Christopher Reich – The Tourists (Thomas & Mercer)
Vincent Zandri – Terminal Moonlight (Down & Out Books)
Best First Novel
Chris Chibnall – Death At The White Hart (Pamela Dorman Books)
* Kelsey Cox – Party Of Liars (Minotaur)
Sophie Stava – Count My Lies (Gallery/Scout Press)
Zoe B. Wallbrook – History Lessons (Soho Crime)
Liann Zhang – Julie Chan Is Dead (Atria)
Best Audiobook
S. A. Cosby – King Of Ashes (Macmillan), narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
Mark Edwards – The Wasp Trap (Simon & Schuster), narrated by John Hopkins, Anna Burnett
Marisa Kashino – Best Offer Wins (Macmillan), narrated by Cia Court
Xan Kaur – When Devils Sing (Macmillan), narrated by Michael Crouch, Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson
CN Mabry, N'Dia Rae – The Cheater's Wife (Simon Maverick), narrated by Ruffin Prentiss, Machelle Williams
* Michael Robotham – The White Crow (Simon & Schuster), narrated by Katy Sobey
Best Young Adult Novel
Liz Lawson – Murder Between Friends (Delacorte Press)
Margot McGovern – This Stays Between Us (Penguin Young Readers)
Clay McLeod Chapman – Shiny Happy People (Delacorte Press)
* Diana Rodriguez Wallach – The Silenced (Delacorte Press)
Julie Soto – The Thrashers (Wednesday Books)
Best Short Story
Katrina Carrasco – “Level Up” (Bywater Books)
Scott William Carter – “The Seduction of Dr. Dimension” (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Lee Child – “Eleven Numbers” (Amazon Original Stories)
David Lagercrantz – “False Note” (Amazon Original Stories)
*Jessica Van Dessel – “The Violent Season” (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
KILLER NASHVILLE SILVER FALCHION AWARDS 2026
Best Action Adventure:
* Boiling Point by Ley EssesNo Easy Way Back by Josh Jensen
Unstoppable by Michael Maloof
The Fatal Saving Grace: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
Eight Minutes by Gregory N Whitis
Best Comedy:
* Seams Like The Perfect Crime by Lois WinstonLove At First Spark by Helen Aitken
Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens
All’s Faire In Love and Murder by Cindy Sample
In$Urance Blues (A John Smith Mystery) by Charlotte Stuart
Best Cozy:
* Seven For A Secret Never To Be Told by Derek WheelessTough Fluff - Fluff and Flowers Mystery 1 by Sheryl C.D. Ickes
Death By Mistake: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery by Abigail Keam
Murder On The Green by Christine Knapp
Airplane, Atlanta & An Assassin by Mary Seifert
Best
Historical:
No Mercy For The Innocent by Nancy Herriman
Shroud of Ice by Sharon Krasny
Needle and Bone by Tonya Mitchell
Treasures In Time by Susan Reiss
Best
Investigator (procedural, P.I., detective, noir):
After Pearl by Stephen Eoannou
Those Who Chose Evil by Kate Flora
Blood On The Wire by Candace Irving
Justice For The Forgotten by R. Weir
Best Juvenile / Y.A.:
* The Nascent Bloom by Evie Kelley
Doppelgänger Jumper by Judy Lyn Gregg
Missing Mom by Lynn Slaughter
Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias
Risky Pursuit by Nancy G. West
Best Literary:
* Women Like Us by Katia LiefThe Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
Eye of The Storm by Charles Gomez
The Fact Checker by Austin Kelley
Best Mainstream / Commercial:
* The Cold Winter: Battle of Niagara Falls by Chris UnderwoodThe Butcher and The Liar by SL Woeppel
Best Mystery:
* Damage Control by Kirsten ShufordA Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni
Rule One by Michael Lucker
Hard Town by Adam Plantinga
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer
Best Nonfiction:
* Boss Brooks: A True Story of Fraud, Family and Forgiveness From Tennessee To Texas by Kathy TurnerNether Land: High School Temptation, Insurance Haze, Stolen Resolution, and Murder by Kem Hinton
Beach Blanket Bedlam by John Lamb
Earthbound: The Obstacles To Human Space Exploration and The Promise of Artificial Intelligence by Dennis Meredith
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy:
* The Moorwitch by Jessica KhouryBroken Alliance by David E Graham
Wizard of Most Wicked Ways by Charlie N. Holmberg
The Violence of Sound by Jeff Wheeler
Best Short Story Collection / Anthology (author or collection editor):
* Shadows of Trust by Traci AbramsonWith Our Bellies Full and The Fire Dying by Debra H. Goldstein
Gone Fishin': Crime Takes A Holiday by James M. Jackson
The Conjurer's Wife by Sarah Penner
For Every Evil Under The Sun by Zoe Fay-Stindt
Best Southern Gothic:
* The Education of Asa Paxton: Coming of Age In The Heart of Dixie by Gary MinderThe Pilgrim: A Tale of The 3M Detective Agency by Thomas Burns
Unbroken Circle by C. S. Devereaux
The Battle of The Smokehouse by Ashley Thomas Sheikh
The Wretched and Undone by J. E. Weiner
Best Supernatural:
* Dead Weight by Richard RybickiA Walking Shadow by Teel James Glenn
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
A Love This Grim by Elora Morgan
Too Cursed To Kiss by J. Morgyn White
Best Suspense:
* Last Seen by JT EllisonThe Forbidden Heiress by Gledé Browne Kabongo
Wyoming Double Jeopardy by Juno Rushdan
Big Sky Slayer by Juno Rushdan
Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver
Best Thriller:
* Line of Succession by David BrunsSeraph by Cheryl Fallin
The Forbidden Strain by Brian Montross
The Butcher and The Liar by S.L. Woeppel
All That Lies Beneath by D.L. Wood
Best
True Crime:
Junior: A Son of The Gulf Cartel by Mike Chavarria
The Killing Fields of East New York by Stacy Horn
Speak Her Name: Stories From A Life In True Crime by Mary Jumbelic
Best
Western:
* The Thunder Head by Dwight Holing
Cut Them Down by T.G. Brown
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD LGBT Authors/Themes 2026
Best Mystery/Thriller
Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson (Crooked Lane Books)
Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (Flatiron Books)
Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen (Minotaur Books)
The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler (Kensington Publishing Corporation).
- Boystown 5: Murder Book, Marshall ThorntonFierce, David Lennon
- Foxed, Garry Ryan
- The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari, Sarah Black
- How to Greet Strangers: A Mystery, Joyce Thompson
- In Real Life, The 3rd Gemini & Flowers Mystery, Jonathan Gregory
- Pawn of Satan, Mark Zubro
- Pretty Boy Dead, Jon Michaelsen
- The Prisoner of the Riviera: A Francis Bacon Mystery, Janice Law
- Baton Rouge Bingo, Greg Herren, Bold Strokes Books
- Boystown 5: Murder Book, Marshall Thornton, MLR Press
- Fierce, David Lennon, Blue Spike Publishing
- Foxed, Garry Ryan, NeWest Press
- The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari, Sarah Black, Dreamspinner Press
- How to Greet Strangers: A Mystery, Joyce Thompson, Lethe Press
- In Real Life, The 3rd Gemini & Flowers Mystery, Jonathan Gregory, Amazon Digital Services Inc
- Pawn of Satan, Mark Zubro, MLR Press
- Pretty Boy Dead, Jon Michaelsen, Wilde City Press
- The Prisoner of the Riviera: A Francis Bacon Mystery, Janice Law, MysteriousPress.com/Open Road Media
- Boystown 5: Murder Book, Marshall Thornton, MLR Press
- Fierce, David Lennon, Blue Spike Publishing
- Foxed, Garry Ryan, NeWest Press
- The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari, Sarah Black, Dreamspinner Press
- How to Greet Strangers: A Mystery, Joyce Thompson, Lethe Press
- In Real Life, The 3rd Gemini & Flowers Mystery, Jonathan Gregory, Amazon Digital Services Inc
- Pawn of Satan, Mark Zubro, MLR Press
- Pretty Boy Dead, Jon Michaelsen, Wilde City Press
- The Prisoner of the Riviera: A Francis Bacon Mystery, Janice Law, MysteriousPress.com/Open Road Media
Lefty Nominees for Best Humorous Mystery Novel
Ellen Byron, Solid Gold Murder (Kensington)
Jennifer J. Chow, Star-Crossed Egg Tarts (St. Martin’s Paperbacks)
Elizabeth Crowens, Bye Bye Blackbird (Level Best Books)
* Catriona McPherson, Scot’s Eggs (Severn House)
Cindy Sample, All’s Faire in Love and Murder (Cindy Sample Books)
Lefty Nominees for Best Historical Mystery Novel
Cara Black, Huguette (Soho Crime)
Mariah Fredericks, The Girl in the Green Dress (Minotaur Books)
Dianne Freeman, A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder (Kensington)
Claire M. Johnson, City Lights (Level Best Books)
Laurie R. King, Knave of Diamonds (Bantam)
* Rob Osler, The Case of the Missing Maid (Kensington)
Lefty Nominees for Best Debut Mystery Novel
* Adrian Andover, Whiskey Business (Chestnut Avenue Press)
Kristen L. Berry, We Don’t Talk About Carol (Bantam)
Laurie L. Dove, Mask of the Deer Woman (Berkley)
Sue Hincenbergs, The Retirement Plan (William Morrow)
Marisa Kashino, Best Offer Wins (Celadon Books)
Diane Schaffer, Mortal Zin (Sibylline Press)
Lefty Nominees for Best Mystery Novel
Lou Berney, Crooks (William Morrow)
Claire Booth, Throwing Shadows (Severn House)
Tracy Clark, Edge (Thomas & Mercer)
Leslie Karst, Waters of Destruction (Severn House)
* James L’Etoile, River of Lies (Oceanview Publishing)
Gigi Pandian, The Library Game (Minotaur Books)
LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE 2026
Mystery/Thriller
* El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
The Proving Ground: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins (William Morrow)
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar)
Crooks by Lou Berney (William Morrow)
MACAVITY AWARDS 2025
Best Mystery Novel
Hall of Mirrors by John Copenhaver (Pegasus Crime)
Served Cold by James L’Etoile (Level Best Books)
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead)
* California Bear by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)
The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell (Doubleday)
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Crown)Best First Mystery
Outraged by Brian Copeland (Dutton)
A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman (Headline)
* Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita (Crooked Lane)
You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen (Dutton)
The Expat by Hansen Shi (Pegasus Crime)
Holy City by Henry Wise (Atlantic Monthly Press)Best Mystery Short Story
* “Home Game” by Craig Faustus Buck (in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July/August 2024)
“The Postman Always Flirts Twice” by Barb Goffman (in Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy)
“Curse of the Supertaster” by Leslie Karst (in Black Cat Weekly, Feb 23, 2024)
“Two for One” by Art Taylor (in Murder, Neat)
“Satan’s Spit” by Gabriel Valjan (in Tales of Music, Murder, and Mayhem)
“Reynisfjara” by Kristopher Zgorski (in Mystery Most International)Best Mystery Critical/Biographical
Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors’ Perspectives on Their Craft edited by Phyllis M. Betz (McFarland)
Some of My Best Friends Are Murderers: Critiquing the Columbo Killers by Chris Chan (Level Best Books)
Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice by Alex Hortis (Pegasus Crime)
The Infernal Machine: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern Detective by Steven Johnson (Crown)
On Edge: Gender and Genre in the Work of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Leigh Brackett by Ashley Lawson (Ohio State University Press)
* Abingdon’s Boardinghouse Murder by Greg Lilly (History Press)Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery
The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur)
An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
* Fog City by Claire Johnson (Level Best Books)
The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan (Soho Crime)
The Bootlegger’s Daughter by Nadine Nettmann (Lake Union)
A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn (Berkley)Crime Fiction
*Sara Sligar for Vantage Point
Claire Ackroyd for Body in the Blueberry Barrens
Robert T. Kelley for Raven
Kathryn Lasky for A Slant of Light.
MALTESE FALCOLN SOCIETY OF JAPAN AWARD 2025
*All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
MINNESOTA BOOK AWARDS, GENRE FICTION 2026
Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster)
Broken Fields by Marcie Rendon (Soho Press/Penguin Random House)
The Codebreaker's Daughter by Amy Lynn Green (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group)
* The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens (Mulholland Books/Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group)
NED KELLY AWARDS (Australia) Finalists 2026
Best Crime Fiction:
Liar’s Game by
Jack Beaumont
Lyrebird by Jane Caro
The Other Child by Susi Fox
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
The Ghost Walk by Karen
Herbert
Fire in the Head by Daniel
Oakman
The White Crow by Michael
Robotham
The Casino by Iain Ryan
Best Debut Crime Fiction:
In Bloom by
Liz Allan
The Butterfly Women by Madeleine
Cleary
The Peak by Sam Guthrie
Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin
The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey
The Wykehamist by Alexandra
Strnad
Best True Crime:
Saffron
Incorporated by Stuart Coupe
Duty to Warn by Charlotte
Grieve
The Mushroom Murders by
Greg Haddrick
The Postcard Bandit by
Derek Pedley
The Red House by Kate Wild
Best International Crime Fiction:
Lucky Thing by
Tom Baragwanath
Benbecula by Graeme Macrae
Burnet
The Proving Ground by
Michael Connelly
The Death of Us by Abigail
Dean
NERO WOLF AWARDS 2025
The Nero for Best Mystery
* Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Minotaur Books)
Black Orchid Novella Award
* "The Troubling Mr. Truelove" by Pete Barnstrom
NGAIO MARSH AWARD (New Zealand) 2025
Best Novel
* Return
To Blood by Michael Bennett
(Simon & Schuster)
A Divine Fury by DV Bishop (Macmillan)
Woman, Missing by Sherryl Clark (HarperCollins)
Home Truths by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)
17 Years Later by JP Pomare (Hachette)
The Call by Gavin Strawhan (Allen & Unwin)
Prey by Vanda Symon (Orenda Books)
Best First Novel
Dark
Sky by Marie Connolly (Quentin Wilson Publishing)
Lie Down With Dogs by Syd Knight (Rusty Hills)
A Fly Under The Radar by William McCartney
* The Defiance Of Frances Dickinson by Wendy Parkins (Affirm Press)
The Call by Gavin Strawhan (Allen & Unwin)
Kiss Of Death by Stephen Tester (Heritage Press)
Best Nonfiction
The
Trials Of Nurse Kerr by
Scott Bainbridge (Bateman Books)
The Survivors by Steve Braunias (HarperCollins)
* The Crewe Murders by Kirsty Johnstone & James Hollings (Massey Uni
Press)
The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen &
Unwin)
Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins)
Far North by David White & Angus Gillies (Upstart Press)
PEPE CARVLHO AWARD (BCNegra literary festival in Barcelona), 2026
* Mick Herron
PETRONA AWARD, BEST SCANDINAVIAN CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION 2025
Samuel Bjørk – Dead Island tr. Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)
Pascal Engman – The Widows tr. Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press)
Malin Persson Giolito – Deliver Me tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)
Óskar Guðmundsson – The Dancer tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
Aslak Nore – The Sea Cemetery tr. Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)
* Satu Rämö – The Clues in the Fjord tr. Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)
Gunnar Staalesen – Pursued by Death tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books).
SHAMUS AWARDS Finalists 2026
Best PI Hardcover
The Big Empty by Robert
Crais (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Photograph by Brian Freeman
(Blackstone Publishing)
Hatchet Girls by Joe R.
Lansdale (Little, Brown and Company)
Gray Dawn by Walter Mosley
(Little, Brown and Company)
Mirage City by Lev
AC Rosen (Minotaur Books)
Best Original Pi Paperback
The Hook and the Eye by Raymond Benson (Ian Fleming Publications)
Sunday or the Highway by Cindy Fazzi (Thomas & Mercer)
City Lights by Claire M. Johnson (Level Best Books)
Midnight Streets by Phil Lecomber (Titan Books)
Catch Me on a Blue Day by M.E. Proctor (Shotgun Honey Books)
Best First Pi Novel
Chase Harlem by Elise Burke Brown (Rising Action Publishing)
Miles in Time by Lee Mathew Goldberg (Wise Wolf Books)
Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski (Datura Books)
Shadow of the Eternal Watcher by Josh Mendoza (Inkshares)
The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan (Minotaur Books)
Best PI Short Story
“The Roosevelt Affair” by
Adam Meyer (Crimeucopia – Not So Frail Detective Agency, Murderous
Ink Press)
“The One Cry” by
F.H. Batacan (Accidents Happen, Soho Crime)
“Dr. Bones” by
Libby Cudmore (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June)
“Hours on the Phone” by
Gregory Fallis (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July/August)
“The Shadows” by
Charles John Harper (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June)
The Eye Lifetime Achieve Awards
*Christine Matthews
SISTERS IN CRIME ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR 2026
* Isabelle Gomez is Innocent, She Swears! by Jackie Yap
Uju Asika of London, United Kingdom
Billie Hanson-Dupree of Oakland, CA
Nina Michiko Tam of Houston, Texas
D. S. Mori of Orange County, California
DeAnna Yvette of Chicago, IL
SPEAKIES BRITISH AUDIOBOOK AWARDS 2025
Crime & Thriller Category
Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent (Zaffre), narrated by Louise Brealey
* Him by JD Kirk (Audible Originals), narrated by David Tennant, Louise Brealey
Lovers of Franz K by Burhan Sönmez (Oakhill), narrated by various
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Penguin Random House Audio), narrated by Lesley Manville, Tim McMullan
Panic by LJ Ross (WF Howes), narrated by Richard Armitage
The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer (Gallery), narrated by Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse, Sally Phillips, Julie Maisey.
SPOTTED OWL AWARD (Best Pacific NW Crime Novel) 2026
2 - Marc Cameron – Deadline
3 - Robert Dugoni – A Dead Draw
4 - Sam Wiebe – The Last Exile
5 - Elizabeth George – A Slowly Dying Cause
6 - James Bryne – Chain Reaction
7 - Daniel Kalla – The Deepest Fake
8 - J.A. Jance – Overkill
9 - Phillip Margolin – False Witness
10 - Nolan Chase – A Lonesome Place for Murder
• The Peacock and the Sparrow, by I.S. Berry (No Exit Press)
• Gabriel’s Moon, by William Boyd (Viking)
• Spy Hunter, by H.B. Lyle (Hodder Paperbacks)
• Honour Among Spies, by Merle Nygate (No Exit Press)
• Midnight in Vienna, by Jane Thynne (Quercus)
• Shadow of Poison, by Peter Tonkin (Independently published)
STRAND CRITICS AWARD Finalists 2024
Best Novel
All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron)
Everybody Knows, by Jordan Harper (Mulholland)
Small Mercies, by Dennis Lehane (Harper)
Resurrection Walk, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Prom Mom, by Laura Lippman (Morrow)
Time’s Undoing, by Cheryl A. Head (Dutton)
The Secret Hours, by Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
Best First Novel
Fadeaway Joe, by Hugh Lessig (Crooked Lane)
Mother-Daughter Murder Night, by Nina Simon (Morrow)
The House in the Pines, by Ana Reyes (Dutton)
Don’t Forget the Girl, by Rebecca McKanna (Sourcebooks Landmark)
Adrift, by Lisa Brideau (Sourcebooks Landmark)
The Peacock and the Sparrow, by I.S. Berry (Atria)
*Lifetime Achievement Awards: Kathy Reichs and Max Allan Collins.
*Publisher of the Year: Jonathan Karp of Simon and Schuster
Best Crime Novel: Sara Strömberg, Sot (Modernista)
Best Crime Novel Translated into Swedish: Sebastian Barry, Old Sins' Sake, tr. Daniel Gustafsson (Norstedts)
Best Swedish Debut: Johan Rundberg, The One Who Guards the Flock (Bokförlaget Forum)
Best Children's/YA: Martin Jern and Loka Kanarp, The First Case on the Golden Hill (Lilla Piratförlaget)
Best Nonfiction: Anders Bergman, Crime Scene 1937. The Golden Age detective novel under the microscope (Aleph's Crime Library)
The Expats, by Chris Pavone (Crown)
Disappeared, by Anthony Quinn (Mysterious Press/Open Road)
The 500, by Matthew Quirk (Hachette) - See more at: http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/strand-magazine-critics-awards-nominees.html#.dpuf
The Yard, by Alex Grecian (Putnam)
The Expats, by Chris Pavone (Crown)
Disappeared, by Anthony Quinn (Mysterious Press/Open Road)
The 500, by Matthew Quirk (Hachette) - See more at: http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/strand-magazine-critics-awards-nominees.html#.dpuf
The Yard, by Alex Grecian (Putnam)
The Expats, by Chris Pavone (Crown)
Disappeared, by Anthony Quinn (Mysterious Press/Open Road)
The 500, by Matthew Quirk (Hachette) - See more at: http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/strand-magazine-critics-awards-nominees.html#.dpuf
THEAKSTON'S OLD PECULIER AWARDS 2025
Crime Novel of the Year
* Hunted, by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill Secker)
The Cracked Mirror, by Chris Brookmyre (Sphere)
The Mercy Chair, by M.W. Craven (Constable)
The Last Word, by Elly Griffiths (Quercus)
Deadly Animals, by Marie Tierney (Zaffre)
All the Colours of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker (Orion)
McDermid Debut Award
* David Goodman’s A Reluctant Spy (Headline)
Sick to Death, by Chris Bridges (Avon)
I Died at Fallow Hall, by Bonnie Burke-Patel (Bedford Square)
Her Two Lives, by Nilesha Chauvet (Faber & Faber)
Isolation Island, by Louise Minchin (Headline)
Black Water Rising, by Sean Watkin (Canelo)
Outstanding Contribution Award
* Elly Griffiths
