*Denotes winner
AGATHA AWARDS 2021
Best Contemporary Novel
Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews (Minotaur)
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris (Kensington)
*All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day (William Morris)
Best Historical Novel
*The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)
Fate of a Flapper by Susanna Calkins (Griffin)
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell (Beyond the Page Publishing)
The Turning Tide by Catriona McPherson (Quercus)
Best First Novel
A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison (Crooked Lane Books)
Winter Witness by Tina deBelgarde (Level Best Books)
Derailed by Mary Keliikoa (Epicenter Press, Inc.)
*Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)
Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker (Kensington)
Best Short Story
*"Dear Emily Etiquette" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct)
"The Red Herrings at Killington Inn" by Shawn Reilly Simmons Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories (Level Best Books)
"The Boy Detective & The Summer of '74" by Art Taylor (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb)
"Elysian Fields" by Gabriel Valjan California Schemin': The 2020 Bouchercon Anthology (Wildside Press)
"The 25 Year Engagement" by James Ziskin In League with Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon (Pegasus Crime)
Best Non-Fiction
Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy by Leslie Brody (Seal Press)
American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson (G. P. Putnam)
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club by Martin Edwards (Collins Crime Club)
*Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press)
H. R. F. Keating: A Life of Crime by Sheila Mitchell (Level Best Books)
Best Children's/YA Mystery
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley (Viking Books for Young Readers)
Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers)
Saltwater Secrets by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (Katherine Teagen Books)
*Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richard Narvaez (Piñata Books)
ANTHONY AWARDS 2021
Best Hardcover Novel
What You Don't See - Tracy Clark
*Blacktop Wasteland - S.A. Cosby - Flatiron Books
Little Secrets - Jennifer Hillier - Minotaur Books
And Now She's Gone - Rachel Howzell Hall - Forge Books
The First to Lie - Hank Phillippi Ryan - Forge Books
Best First Novel
Derailed - Mary Keliikoa - Camel Press
Murder in Old Bombay - Nev March - Minotaur Books
Murder at the Mena House - Erica Ruth Neubauer – Kensington
The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman - Pamela Dorman Books
*Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden - Ecco Press
Best Paperback Original/E-Book/Audiobook Original Novel
The Fate of a Flapper - Susanna Calkins - Griffin
When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole - William Morrow
*Unspeakable Things - Jess Lourey - Thomas & Mercer
The Lucky One - Lori Rader-Day - William Morrow
Dirty Old Town - Gabriel Valjan - Level Best Books
Best Short Story
"Dear Emily Etiquette" - Barb Goffman - EQMM - Dell Magazines
*"90 Miles" - Alex Segura - Both Sides: Stories From the Border - Agora Books
"The Boy Detective & The Summer of '74" - Art Taylor - AHMM (Jan-Feb) - Dell Magazines
"Elysian Fields" - Gabriel Valjan - California Schemin' - Wildside Press
"The Twenty-Five Year Engagement" - James W. Ziskin - In League with Sherlock Holmes - Pegasus Crime
Best Juvenile/Young Adult
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel - Fleur Bradley - Viking Books for Young Readers
Premeditated Myrtle - Elizabeth C. Bunce - Algonquin Young Readers
From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks - Katherine Tegen Books
*Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco - Richie Narvaez - Piñata Books
Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall - Alex Segura - Disney Lucasfilm Press
Best Critical or Nonfiction Work
Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy - Leslie Brody - Seal Press
American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics and the Birth of American CSI - Kate Winkler Dawson - G.P. Putnam's Sons
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club - Martin Edwards, ed. - Collins Crime Club
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia - Emma Copley Eisenberg - Hachette Books
Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman behind Hitchcock - Christina Lane - Chicago Review Press
*Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit, and Obsession - Sarah Weinman, ed. - Ecco Press
Best Anthology or Collection
*Shattering Glass: A Nasty Woman Press Anthology - Heather Graham, ed. - Nasty Woman Press
Both Sides: Stories from the Border - Gabino Iglesias, ed. - Agora Books
Noiryorican - Richie Narvaez - Down & Out Books
The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell - Josh Pachter, ed. - Untreed Reads Publishing
California Schemin' - Art Taylor. ed. - Wildside Press
Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic - Nick Kolakowski and Steve Weddle, eds. - Polis Books
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA AWARDS (f/k/a ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDS 2021
Derrick Murdoch Award
*Marian Misters
Best Crime Novel
How a Woman Becomes a Lake, by Marjorie Celona (Hamish Hamilton Canada)
The Historians, by Cecilia Ekbäck (HarperCollins)
*The Finder, by Will Ferguson (Simon & Schuster Canada)
Obsidian, by Thomas King (HarperCollins)
Hurry Home, by Roz Nay (Simon & Schuster Canada
Best First Crime Novel
And We Shall Have Snow, by Raye Anderson (Signature Editions)
*The Transaction, by Guglielmo D’Izza (Guernica Editions)
True Patriots, by Russell Fralich (Dundurn Press)
The Woman in the Attic, by Emily Hepditch (Flanker Press)
The Nightshade Cabal, by Chris Patrick Carolan (Parliament House Press)
Best Crime Novel Set in Canada
Payback, by Randall Denley (Ottawa Press)
Rabbit Foot Bill, by Helen Humphreys (HarperCollins)
The Dogs of Winter, by Ann Lambert (Second Story Press)
Two for the Tablelands, by Kevin Major (Breakwater)
*Stay Where I Can See You, by Katrina Onstad (HarperCollins)
Best Crime Novella
The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford, by C.C. Benison (At Bay Press)
Coral Reef Views, by Vicki Delany (Orca)
“Salty Dog Blues,” by Winona Kent (from Crime Wave: A Canada West Anthology)
*Never Going Back, by Sam Wiebe (Orca)
Best Crime Short Story
*“Cold Wave,” by Marcelle Dubé (from Crime Wave: A Canada West Anthology, ed. Karen L. Abrahamson)
“Days Without Name,” by Sylvia Maultash Warsh (from A Grave Diagnosis: 35 Stories of Murder and Malaise, ed. Donna Carrick)
“Used to Be,” by Twist Phelan (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Killer Biznez,” by Zandra Renwick (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Limited Liability,” by Sarah Weinman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
Best Book in French
*La mariée de corail, by Roxanne Bouchard (Libre Expression)
Inacceptable, by Stéphanie Gauthier (Éditions Québec Amérique)
Le printemps des traîtres, by Christian Giguère (Héliotrope NOIR)
Les cachettes, by Guy Lalancette (VLB éditeur)
Les Demoiselles du Havre-Aubert, by Jean Lemieux (Éditions Québec Amérique)
Best Juvenile/YA Book
*Red Fox Road, by Frances Greenslade (Puffin Canada)
Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House, by Janet Hill (Tundra)
Fight Like a Girl, by Sheena Kamal (Penguin Teen)
Magic Dark and Strange, by Kelly Powell (Margaret K. McElderry)
Hope You’re Listening, by Tom Ryan (Albert Whitman)
Murder in the Family: How the Search for My Mother’s Killer Led to My Father, by Jeff Blackstock (Viking Press)
Horseplay: My Time Undercover on the Granville Strip, by Norm Boucher (NeWest Press)*
Blood in the Water: A True Story of Revenge in the Maritimes, by Silver Donald Cameron (Viking Press)
*Missing from the Village: The Story of Serial Killer Bruce McArthur, the Search for Justice, and the System That Failed Toronto’s Queer Community, by Justin Ling (McClelland & Stewart)
Cold Case North: The Search for James Brady and Absolom Halkett, by Michael Nest with Deanna Reder and Eric Bell (University of Regina Press)
Best Unpublished First Crime Novel
*The Future, by Raymond Bazowski
Predator and Prey, by Dianne Scott
Notes on Killing Your Wife, by Mark Thomas
A Nice Place to Die, by Joyce Woollcott
Cat with a Bone, by Susan Jane Wright
AUDIE AWARDS (for Best Audio Books) 2021
Mystery
A Bad Day for Sunshine, by Darynda Jones, narrated by Lorelei King, published by Macmillan Audio
Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa Unger, narrated by Vivienne Leheny, published by HarperAudio
*Fair Warning, by Michael Connelly, narrated by Peter Giles and Zach Villa, published by Hachette Audio
The Guest List, by Lucy Foley, narrated by Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble, Aoife McMahon, and Jot Davies, published by HarperAudio
Trouble Is What I Do, by Walter Mosley, narrated by Dion Graham, published by Hachette Audio
Thriller/Suspense
If It Bleeds, by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton, Danny Burstein, and Steven Weber, published by Simon & Schuster Audio
The Only Good Indians, by Stephen Graham Jones, narrated by Shaun Taylor-Corbett, published by Simon & Schuster Audio
The Sentinel, by Lee Child and Andrew Child, narrated by Scott Brick, published by Penguin Random House Audio
*When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole, narrated by Susan Dalian and Jay Aaseng, published by HarperAudio
Yard Work, by David Koepp, narrated by Kevin Bacon, published by Audible Originals
BARRY AWARDS 2021
Best Novel
The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben (Grand Central)
The Law of Innocence, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
*Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
And Now She’s Gone, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
Moonflower Murders, by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)
All the Devils Are Here, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
Best First Novel
Deep State, by Chris Hauty (Emily Bester)
Murder in Old Bombay, by Nev March (Minotaur)
The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman)
The Eighth Detective, by Alex Pavesi (Henry Holt)
*Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Ecco)
Darling Rose Gold, by Stephanie Wrobel (Berkley)
Best Paperback Original
When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole (Morrow)
Mongkok Station, by Jake Needham (HP)
Hide Away, by Jason Pinter (Thomas & Mercer)
Bad News Travels Fast, by James Swain (Thomas & Mercer)
Darkness for Light, by Emma Viskic (Pushkin Vertigo)
*Turn to Stone, by James W. Ziskin (Seventh Street)
Best Thriller
Double Agent, by Tom Bradby (Atlantic Monthly)
Blind Vigil, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
One Minute Out, by Mark Greaney (Berkley)
The Last Hunt, by Deon Meyer (Atlantic Monthly)
*Eddie’s Boy, by Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press)
The Wild One, by Nick Petrie (Putnam)
BEN FRANKLIN AWARDS, MYSTERY/THRILLER 2020
*GOLD MEDAL: A Veil Removed: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel by Michelle Cox (She Writes Press)
SILVER MEDAL: The Last Getaway by Clay Savage (Ocean Park Press)
BRONZE MEDAL: Bleed Through: Alex Greco, ADA Series Book 2 by Roger Canaff (Brooklyn Writers Press)
BLOODY SCOTLAND/MCILVANNEY CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR Finalists 2021
The Cut, Chris Brookmyre (Little,Brown)
The Silent Daughter, Emma Christie (Wellbeck)
Before the Storm, Alex Gray (Little, Brown)
Dead Man’s Grave, Neil Lancaster (HarperCollins, HQ)
The Coffinmaker’s Garden, Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins)
Still Life, Val McDermid (Little,Brown)
Bad Debt, William McIntyre (Sandstone)
The Less Dead, Denise Mina (Vintage)
How To Survive Everything, Ewan Morrison (Saraband)
Edge of the Grave, Robbie Morrison (Macmillan)
The April Dead, Alan Parks (Canongate)
Hyde, Craig Russell (Constable)
Waking the Tiger, Mark Wightman (Hobeck Books)
BLOODY SCOTLAND CRIME DEBUT OF THE YEAR 2020
*Deborah Masson, Hold Your Tongue (Transworld)
Stephen O’Rourke, The Crown Agent (Sandstone)
Marion Todd, See Them Run (Canelo)
Francine Toon, Pine (Doubleday)
BONY BLITHE LIGHT MYSTERY AWARD 2021
Vicki Delany, There’s a Murder Afoot (Crooked Lane Books)
Candas Jane Dorsey, The Adventures of Isabel (ECW Press)
Liz Ireland, Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Kensington Books)
Thomas King, Obsidian (Harper Collins Canada)
*Iona Wishaw, A Match Made for Murder (Touchwood Editios)
BRITISH BOOK AWARDS Best Crime and Thriller 2021 finalists
The Sentinel, by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Bantam Press)
The Patient Man, by Joy Ellis (Joffe)
The Guest List, by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins)
*Troubled Blood, by Robert Galbraith (Sphere)
The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman (Viking)
A Song for the Dark Times, by Ian Rankin (Orion)
COLORADO BOOK AWARDS Finalists 2021
Best Mystery
Death of a Car Salesman by Collin Brantmeyer (Ready Demolition Books)
*Shadow Ridge: A Jo Wyatt Mystery by M.E. Browning (Crooked Lane Books/The Quick Brown Fox & Company)
Gone to Darkness by Barbara Nickless (Thomas & Mercer)
Best Thriller
*The Burn Patient: A Vega and Middleton Novel by Sue Hinkin (Literary Wanderlust)
Winter Counts: A Novel by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Her Perfect Life: A Novel by Rebecca Taylor (Sourcebooks Landmark)
CRIMEFEST AWARDS 2021
Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award
Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir for The Creak on the Stairs (Orenda Books)
Marion Brunet for Summer of Reckoning (Bitter Lemon Press)
Robin Morgan-Bentley for The Wreckage (Trapeze)
Richard Osman for The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)
Mara Timon for City of Spies (Zaffre)
*Trevor Wood for The Man on the Street (Quercus)
Audible Sounds of Crime Award
Lee and Andrew Child for The Sentinel read by Jeff Harding (Transworld)
Lucy Foley for The Guest List read by Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Chloe Massey, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble and Jot Davies (HarperFiction)
Robert Galbraith for Troubled Blood read by Robert Glenister (Little, Brown Book Group)
Anthony Horowitz for Moonflower Murders read by Lesley Manville and Allan Corduner (Penguin Random House Audio)
Peter James for Find Them Dead read by Daniel Weyman (Pan)
Lisa Jewell for The Invisible Girl read by Rebekah Staton (Penguin Random House Audio)
Lynda La Plante for Buried read by Alex Hassell and Annie Aldington (Zaffre)
TM Logan for The Catch read by Philip Stevens (Zaffre)
*Richard Osman for The Thursday Murder Club read by Lesley Manville (Viking)
Ian Rankin for A Song for the Dark Times read by James Macpherson (Orion)
H R F Keating Award
Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (HarperCollins)
*Martin Edwards (editor) for Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club (Collins Crime Club)
Colin Larkin for Cover Me: The Vintage Art of Pan Books: 1950-1965 (Telos Publishing)
Andrew Lycett for Conan Doyle’s Wide World (Tauris Parke)
Heather Martin for The Reacher Guy (Little, Brown Book Group)
Sheila Mitchell for HRF Keating: A Life of Crime (Level Best Books)
Craig Sisterson for Southern Cross Crime: The Pocket Essential Guide to the Crime Fiction, Film & TV of Australia and New Zealand (Oldcastle Books)
Peter Temple for The Red Hand: Stories, Reflections and the Last Appearance of Jack Irish (riverrun)
Last Laugh Award
Ben Aaronovitch for False Value (Gollancz)
Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May—Oranges and Lemons (Doubleday)
Elly Griffiths for The Postscript Murders (Quercus)
*Carl Hiaasen for Squeeze Me (Little, Brown Book Group)
Richard Osman for The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)
Malcolm Pryce for The Corpse in the Garden of Perfect Brightness (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Khurrum Rahman for Ride or Die (HQ)
Olga Wojtas for Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Vampire Menace (Contraband)
eDunnit Award
Gabriel Bergmoser for The Hunted (Faber)
Sharon Bolton for The Split (Trapeze)
J P Carter for Little Boy Lost (Avon, HarperCollins)
Steve Cavanagh for Fifty-Fifty (Orion Fiction)
Michael Connelly for Fair Warning (Orion Fiction)
James Lee Burke for A Private Cathedral (Orion Fiction)
*Ian Rankin for A Song for the Dark Times (Orion Fiction)
Holly Watt for The Dead Line (Raven Books)
Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12)
Sophie Deen for Mission Shark Bytes (Walker Books)
Elly Griffiths for A Girl Called Justice—The Smugglers' Secret (Quercus Children's Books)
Anthony Horowitz for Nightshade (Walker Books)
Jack Noel for My Headteacher is an Evil Genius (Walker Books)
*Serena Patel for Anisha, Accidental Detective (Usborne Publishing)
Serena Patel for School's Cancelled (Usborne Publishing)
Onjali Q Rauf for The Night Bus Hero (Orion Children's Books)
Dave Shelton for The Pencil Case (David Fickling Books)
Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (ages 12-16)
William Hussey for Hideous Beauty (Usborne Publishing)
Lauren James for The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker (Walker Books)
Matt Killeen for Devil Darling Spy (Usborne Publishing)
*Patrice Lawrence for Eight Pieces of Silva (Hodder Children's Books)
Simon Lelic for Deadfall (Hodder Children's Books)
Robert Muchamore for Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows (Hot Key Books)
Patrick Ness for Burn (Walker Books)
Nancy Springer for The Case of the Missing Marquess (Hot Key Books)
CWA DAGGER AWARDS 2021
Diamond Dagger
*Martina Cole
CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger (for the best crime novel of the year):
S A Cosby: Blacktop Wasteland (Headline, Headline Publishing Group)
Ben Creed: City of Ghosts (Welbeck Fiction, Welbeck Publishing Group)
Nicci French: House of Correction (Simon & Schuster)
Robert Galbraith: Troubled Blood (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)
Elly Griffiths: The Postscript Murders (Quercus)
Thomas Mullen: Midnight Atlanta (Little, Brown, Little, Brown Book Group)
*Chris Whitaker: We Begin at the End (Zaffre, Bonnier)
CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger (for the best crime thriller of the year):
Robert Galbraith: Troubled Blood (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)
*Michael Robotham: When She Was Good (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)
Catherine Ryan Howard: The Nothing Man (Atlantic Books)
Stuart Turton: The Devil and the Dark Water (Raven Books, Bloomsbury Publishing)
Ruth Ware: One by One (Vintage, Harvill Secker)
Chris Whitaker: We Begin at the End (Zaffre, Bonnier Books UK)
CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger (for the best debut crime novel):
*Eva Björg Ægisdóttir: The Creak on the Stairs (Orenda), Translator: Victoria Cribb
Ben Creed: City of Ghosts (Welbeck Publishing)
Egan Hughes: The One That Got Away (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)
S W Kane: The Bone Jar (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing)
Stephen Spotswood: Fortune Favours the Dead (Wildfire, Headline)
John Vercher: Three-Fifths (Pushkin Press)
CWA SAPERE BOOKS Historical Dagger (for the best historical crime novel):
John Banville: Snow (Faber)
*Vaseem Khan: Midnight at Malabar House (Hodder & Stoughton)
Chris Lloyd: The Unwanted Dead (Orion Fiction, The Orion Publishing Group)
Michael Russell: The City Under Siege (Constable, Little, Brown Book Group)
David Stafford: Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons (Allison & Busby)
Ovidia Yu: The Mimosa Tree Mystery (Constable, Little, Brown Book Group)
CWA Non-fiction Dagger:
*Sue Black: Written in Bone (Doubleday, Penguin)
Becky Cooper: We Keep the Dead Close (William Heinemann, Penguin)
Andrew Harding: These Are Not Gentle People (MacLehose Press, Quercus)
Debora Harding: Dancing with the Octopus (Profile Books Limited)
Nick Hayes: The Book of Trespass (Bloomsbury Circus, Bloomsbury Publishing)
Ben MacIntyre: Agent Sonya (Viking, Penguin)
CWA Short Story Dagger (for a short crime story published in the UK):
Robert Scragg: ‘A Dog Is for Life, Not Just for Christmas’ in Afraid of the Christmas Lights, edited by Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds Group)
Elle Croft: ‘Deathbed’ in Afraid of the Light, edited by Robert Scragg & Various (Criminal Minds Group)
Dominic Nolan: ‘Daddy Dearest’ in Afraid of the Light, edited by Robert Scragg & Various (Criminal Minds Group)
Victoria Selman: ‘Hunted’ in Afraid of the Christmas Lights, edited by Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds Group)
*Clare Mackintosh: ‘Monsters’ in First Edition: Celebrating 21 Years of Goldsboro Books (The Dome Press)
James Delargy: ‘Planting Nan’ in Afraid of the Light, edited by Robert Scragg & Various (Criminal Minds Group)
CWA International Dagger (for crime fiction translated into English and published in the UK):
Fredrik Backman: Anxious People, translated by Neil Smith (Michael Joseph, Penguin)
Roxanne Bouchard: The Coral Bride, translated by David Warriner (Orenda Books)
*Yun Ko-eun: The Disaster Tourist, translated by Lizzie Buehler (Serpent’s Tail)
D A Mishani: Three, translated by Jessica Cohen (Riverrun, Hachette Book Group)
Mikael Niemi: To Cook a Bear, translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner (MacLehose Press, Quercus)
Agnes Ravatn: The Seven Doors, translated by Rosie Hedger (Orenda Books)
CWA Dagger in the Library (for the author of the most enjoyed collection of work in libraries):
C L Taylor
*Peter May
Lisa Jewell
James Oswald
Denise Mina
L J Ross
Debut Dagger (for the opening of a crime novel by an author with no publishing contract):
Ashley Harrison – The Looking Glass Spy
Fiona McPhillips – Underwater
Biba Pearce – Rough Justice
*Hannah Redding – Deception
Edward Regenye – Lightfoot
Jennifer Wilson O’Raghallaigh – Mandatory Reporting
Publisher of the Year
Faber & Faber
*Head of Zeus
Michael Joseph
No Exit Press
Raven
Viper
DANISH CRIMINAL ACADEMY AWARDS 2020
*Harald Mogensen Award for Best Crime Book: Jenny Lund Madsen: Tredive dages mørke
DAPHNE AWARDS 2021
Long Romantic Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: Cold & Deadly by Toni Anderson
2nd place: Jagger (Steele Shadow Investigations) by Amanda McKinney
3rd place: Bishop’s Endgame by Katie Reus
Honorable Mention: Beautiful Vengeance by Kaylea Cross
Honorable Mention: The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel
Historical Romantic Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: The Cartographer’s Secret by Tea Cooper
2nd place: A Dangerous Observer by Amanda DeWees
3rd place: Princes of the Lower East Side by Meredith Allison
Honorable Mention: Lovely Digits by Jeanine Englert
Honorable Mention: The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews
Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: Dead End by Nancy Mehl
2nd place: Danger on the Ranch by Dana Mentink
3rd place: The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Wright
Honorable Mention: Dangerous Deception by Evelyn M. Hill
Honorable Mention: Lost Down Deep by Sara Davison
Honorable Mention: Standoff (Natchez Trace Park Rangers) by Patricia Bradley
Paranormal (Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic) Romantic Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: A Killing Moon by Alexis D. Craig
2nd place: Bishop’s Gambit by McKenna Dean
3rd place: Just in Time by NJ Litz
Honorable Mention: Foolish Beliefs by M. Scott Swanson
Honorable Mention: Loving Modigliani The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne by Linda Lappin
Short Romantic Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: In His Protection by P.L. Harris
2nd place: Conflicting Evidence by Lena Diaz
3rd place: Steal My Heart by Aimee O’Brian
Honorable Mention: Dirty Daisy by Jordyn Kross
Honorable Mention: Texas Holiday Hideout by Virginia Vaughan
Mainstream Mystery/Suspense
*Winner: In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller
2nd place: Flight Risk by Cara Putman
3rd place: Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long
Honorable Mention: No One Saw by Beverly Long
Honorable Mention: The Study of Secrets (Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries #5) by Cynthia Kuhn
The overall daphne winner for the2021 published division
*Tea Cooper, for The Cartographer’s Secret
DAVID AWARD (Deadly Ink Conference) 2019
*Yesterday’s News by R.G. Belsky
Died In The Wool by Peggy Ehrhart
The Consultant by TJ O’Connor
Misty Treasure by Linda Rawlins
Second Story Man by Charles Salzberg
Feral Attraction by Eileen Watkins
DAVID L. GOODIS AWARD NOIRCON (Biannual) 2018
The David L. Goodis Award: Walter Mosley (author)
The Jay and Deen Kogan Award for Excellence: Max Rudin (publisher, The Library of America)
The Anne Friedberg Award for Contributions to Noir and Its Preservation: Dana Polan (author and professor)
DAVITT AWARDS (Australia) 2021
Adult crime novel
Death Beyond the Limit (Fiji Islands Mysteries #3) (B M Allsopp, Coconut Press)
Deadman’s Track (Calico Mountain #3) (Sarah Barrie, HQ Fiction)
Gathering Dark (Candice Fox, Penguin)
A Testament of Character (Rowland Sinclair #10) (Sulari Gentill, Pantera)
*The Good Sister (Sally Hepworth, Macmillan)
Where the Truth Lies (Karina Kilmore, S&S)
The Deceptions (Suzanne Leal, A&U)
Stone Sky Gold Mountain (Mirandi Riwoe, UQP)
Torched (Kimberley Starr, Pantera)
Young adult crime novel
The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Davina Bell, Text)
Deep Water (Sarah Epstein, A&U)
None Shall Sleep (Ellie Marney, A&U)
*Where We Begin (Christie Nieman, Pan)
The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Lisa Walker, Wakefield)
Children’s crime novel
The Ghost of Howlers Beach (Butter O’Bryan Mysteries #1) (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Amelia Mellor, Affirm)
The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Julianne Negri, Affirm)
The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle (Pamela Rushby, Walker Books)
*A Clue for Clara (Lian Tanner, A&U)
The Book of Chance (Sue Whiting, Walker Books)
Nonfiction crime book
After the Count: The death of Davey Browne (Stephanie Convery, Viking)
The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Melissa Davey, Scribe)
*Witness: An investigation into the brutal cost of seeking justice (Louise Milligan, Hachette)
Missing William Tyrrell (Caroline Overington, HarperCollins)
Snakes and Ladders: A memoir (Angela Williams, Affirm)
Debut crime books
Inheritance of Secrets (Sonya Bates, HarperCollins)
The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Davina Bell, Text)
The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Melissa Davey, Scribe)
The Safe Place (Anna Downes, Affirm)
Troubled Waters (Mary Jones, Green Olive Press)
Where the Truth Lies (Karina Kilmore, S&S)
The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Amelia Mellor, Affirm)
The Mother Fault (Kate Mildenhall, S&S)
The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Julianne Negri, Affirm)
*Sheerwater (Leah Swann, Fourth Estate)
A Clue for Clara (Lian Tanner, A&U)
The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Lisa Walker, Wakefield)
DERRINGER AWARDS 2021
Best Flash Story (up to 1,000 words)
“Outsourcing” by James Blakey
“Over Before It Started” by Robert Mangeot
Tie *“Memories of Fire” by C.W. Blackwell
Tie *“War Words” by Travis Richardson
“Quitman County Ambush” by Bobby Mathews
Best Short Story (1,001 to 4,000 words)
“That Which Is True” by Jacqueline Freimor
Tie “River” by Stacy Woodson
“The Crossing” by Kim Keeline
Tie “The Great Bedbug Incident and the Invitation of Doom” by Eleanor Cawood Jones
“The Homicidal Understudy” by Elizabeth Elwood
Best Long Story (4,001 to 8,000 words)
“Chasing Diamonds” by Joseph S. Walker
“Lord, Spare the Bottom Feeders” by Robert Mangeot
“Mary Poppins Didn't Have Tattoos” by Stacy Woodson
“Etta at the End of the World” by Joseph S. Walker
*“Hotelin'” by Sarah M. Chen
Best Novelette (8,001 to 20,000 words)
“A Murder at Morehead Mews” by G.M. Malliet
“The Wretched Strangers” by Matthew Wilson
“The Question of the Befuddled Judge” by Jeff Cohen
*“The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74” by Art Taylor
“Suicide Blond” by Brian Thornton
For Best Flash (Up to 1,000 words)
"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 2021
BEST NOVEL
*Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
These Women by Ivy Pochoda
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
The Distant Dead by Heather Young
BEST FIRST NOVEL
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
*Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
*When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
The Keeper by Jessica Moor
East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman
BEST FACT CRIME
Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg
*Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight Against the Drug Companies that Delivered the Opioid Epidemic by Eric Eyre
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch
Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus's Wifeby Ariel Sabar
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club by Martin Edwards
*Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane
Ian Rankin: A Companion to the Mystery & Fiction by Erin E. MacDonald (McFarland)
Guilt Rules All: Irish Mystery, Detective, and Crime Fiction by Elizabeth Mannion & Brian Cliff
This Time Next Year We'll be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
BEST SHORT STORY
"The Summer Uncle Cat Came to Stay," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Leslie Elman
*"Dust, Ash, Flight," Addis Ababa Noir by Maaza Mengiste
"Fearless," California Schemin' by Walter Mosley (
"Etta at the End of the World," Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Joseph S. Walker
“The Twenty-Five Year Engagement,” In League with Sherlock Holmes by James W. Ziskin
BEST JUVENILE
*Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage
Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders
BEST YOUNG ADULT
*The Companion by Katie Alender
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
They Went Left by Monica Hesse
Silence of Bones by June Hur
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
TV EPISODE/TELEPLAY
“Episode 1, The Stranger” – Harlan Coben’s The Stranger, Written by Danny Brocklehurst (Netflix)
“Episode 1, Open Water” – The Sounds, Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch (Acorn TV)
*“Episode 1, Photochemistry” – Dead Still, Written by John Morton (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1” – Des, Written by Luke Neal (Sundance Now)
“What I Know” – The Boys, Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson (Amazon)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL
"The Bite,” Tampa Bay Noir by Colette Bancroft
SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks
*The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart
The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day
The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton
G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
The Burn by Kathleen Kent
Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King
*Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery by Rosalie Knecht
Dead Land by Sara Paretsky
The Sleeping Nymph by Ilaria Tuti
Turn to Stone by James W. Ziskin
GRAND MASTER
Jeffrey Deaver
Charlaine Harris
RAVEN AWARD
Malice Domestic
ELLERY QUEEN AWARD
Reagan Arthur, Publisher – Alfred A. Knopf
FALCOLN AWARD (Japan) 2020
*Walter Mosley's Down the River Unto the Sea
FOREWORD REVIEWS INDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR Finalists 2021
Mystery
*A Child Lost by Michele Cox
All We Buried by Elena Taylor
Glass Eels, Shattered Sea by Charlene D'Avanzo
Red Canvas by Andrew Nance
The Burn Patient by Sue Hinkin
The Pinebox Vendetta by Jeff Bond
The Transaction by Guglielmo D'Izzia
Thieves by C.R. Fulton
Thriller & Suspense
Prime Impact by C.W. Saari
The Ancestor by Lee Matthew Goldberg
*The Leonardo Gulag by Kevin Doherty
The Spiderling by Marcia Preston
Tokyo Traffic by Raked Gravel Press
West of Sin by Wesley S. Lewis
GERMAN MYSTERY PRIZE (Deutscher Krimi Preis) 2019
*German-language winner: Mexikoring, by Simone Buchholz
*International category winner: Six Four by Yokoyama Hideo
GLASS KEY AWARD 2020
Dødfunden (Found Dead)by Gretelise Holm (Denmark)
Den åttonde tärnan (The Eight Bridesmaid) by Eva Frantz (Finland)
Svik (Betrayal) by Lilja sigurðardóttir (Iceland)
Kniv (Knife) by Jo Nesbø (Norway)
*Skuggjägaren (Shadow Hunter) by Camilla Grebe (Sweden)
GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS, MYSTERY & THRILLER 2020
*The Guest List by Lucy Foley
HAMMETT PRIZE 2021
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black
*When These Mountains Burn by David Joy
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
HARPER LEE PRIZE FOR LEGAL FICTION 2020
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey
*The Hallows by Victor Methos
An Equal Justice by Chad Zunker
AN POST IRISH INDEPENDENT CRIME FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
The Nothing Man – Catherine Ryan Howard (Atlantic Books)
The Cutting Place – Jane Casey (HarperFiction, HarperCollins)
Our Little Cruelties – Liz Nugent (Penguin Ireland)
*After the Silence – Louise O’Neill (Quercus)
The Guest List – Lucy Foley (HarperFiction)
Fifty Fifty – Steve Cavanagh (Orion)
ITW THRILLER AWARDS 2021
Best Hardcover Novel
*S.A. Cosby – BLACKTOP WASTELAND (Flatiron Books)
Joe Ide – HI FIVE (Mulholland Books)
Richard Osman – THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (Penguin)
Ivy Pochoda – THESE WOMEN (Ecco)
Lisa Unger – CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 (Park Row)
Best First Novel
Jasmine Aimaq – THE OPIUM PRINCE (Soho Press)
Don Bentley – WITHOUT SANCTION (Berkley)
Kyle Perry – THE BLUFFS (Michael Joseph)
Francesca Serritella – GHOSTS OF HARVARD (Random House)
*David Heska Wanbli Weiden – WINTER COUNTS (Ecco)
Best Paperback Original Novel
Alyssa Cole – WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING (William Morrow Paperbacks)
Layton Green – UNKNOWN 9: GENESIS (Reflector Entertainment)
*John Marrs – WHAT LIES BETWEEN US (Thomas & Mercer)
Andrew Mayne – THE GIRL BENEATH THE SEA (Thomas & Mercer)
Benjamin Stevenson – EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT (Penguin Random House Australia)
Best Short Story
Steve Hockensmith – "The Death and Carnage Boy" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Laura Lippman – "Slow Burner" (Amazon Original Stories)
*Alan Orloff – "Rent Due" (Down & Out Books)
Elaine Viets – "Dog Eat Dog" (Untreed Reads)
Andrew Welsh-Huggins – "The Mailman" (Down & Out Books)
Best Young Adult Novel
Demetra Brodsky – LAST GIRLS (Tor Teen)
*Andrea Contos – THROWAWAY GIRLS (Kids Can Press)
Kit Frick – I KILLED ZOE SPANOS (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Lily Sparks – TEEN KILLERS CLUB (Crooked Lane Books)
Heather Young – THE DISTANT DEAD (William Morrow)
Best E-Book Original Novel
Sean Black – AVENUE OF THIEVES (Sean Black)
*Jeff Buick – A KILLING GAME (Novel Words)
Diane Capri – FULL METAL JACK (AugustBooks)
Jake Needham – MONGKOK STATION (Half Penny)
Kirk Russell – NO HESITATION (Strawberry Creek)
*ThrillerMaster Lifetime Achievement Award recipient: Diana Gabaldon
*2020 Silver Bullet Award recipient: Michael Connelly
*2020 Thriller Legend Award recipient: Writers House (a literary agency)
KILLER NASHVILLE SILVER FALCHION AWARDS 2021
Best Action Adventure
The Medina Device / T. J. Champitto
Hot Flash Decisions / Shirley B. Garrett
Dead Men’s Silence / James Lindholm
Trojan Horse / S. Lee Manning
*The Crow’s Nest / Richard Meredith
Best Comedy
*Con Me Once / J. L. Delozier
Risky Whiskey / Lucy Lakestone
Once is Never Enough / Haris Orkin
Slightly Murderous Intent / Lida Sideris
Murder by Milk Bottle / Lynne Truss
Best Cozy
Winter Witness / Tina deBellegarde
Dead Man’s Watch / Kay DiBianca
Three Treats Too Many / Debra H. Goldstein
Family Twist / Bonita Y. McCoy
Murder in First Position / Lori Robbins
Larceny at the Library / Colleen J. Shogan
Seas the Day / Maggie Toussaint
Dr. Shine Cracks the Case / Cathy Tully
*Rose by Any Other Name / Becki Willis
A Sew Deadly Cruise / Lois Winston
Best Historical
Copy Boy / Shelley Blanton-Stroud
Dark Secrets of the Bayou / Kim Carter
A Child Lost / Michelle Cox
*The Lost Wisdom of the Magi / Susie Helme
Death on the Homefront / Frances McNamara
Best Investigator
Narco Noir / Carmen Amato
The Last Scoop / R. G. Belsky
*Within Plain Sight / Bruce Robert Coffin
The Vultures / Mark Hannon
The Garbage Man / Candace Irving
A Palette for Love and Murder / Saralyn Richard
Stardust Trail / J. R. Sanders
Facets of Death / Michael Stanley
In Twilight’s Hush / Laurie Stevens
All We Buried / Elena Taylor
Dirty Old Town / Gabriel Valjan
Best Juvenile / Y.A
The Crossingway / Lynn H. Elliott
*Irish Town / Matthew John Meagher
Kassy O’Roarke Treasure Hunter / Kelly Oliver
Astrobia / James C. Paavola
Someone is Burning My Lord, Kumbaaya / Fiza Pathan and Michaelangelo Zane
Best Mystery
Every Kind of Wicked / Lisa Black
Dark Secrets of the Bayou / Kim Carter
Travels of Quinn / Sasscer Hill
Three Houses on a Hill / Nicholas Holloway
Relative Silence / Carrie Stuart Parks
Calling for the Money / Cathy Perkins
Love Power / Martha Reed
Murder, Forgotten / Deb Richardson-Moore
*Code Gray / Benny Sims
Murder at Lolly Beach / Jane Suen
Best Nonfiction
The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands / Jon Billman
The Five Core Conversations for Couples / David and Julie Bulitt
*Words Whispered in Water / Sandy Rosenthal
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Jeremy and the Witches Medallion / Randy Gauthier
Servant of the Crown / Duncan M. Hamilton
In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon / Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington
Otaku / Chris Kluwe
*Odyssey Tale / Cody Schlegel
Best Short Story Collection / Anthology
Crossing Borders / Lisa Brackmann & Matt Coyle
Judge Lu’s Case Files, Stories of Crime & Mystery in Imperial China / P.A. De Voe
Minnesota Not So Nice: Eighteen Tales of Bad Behavior / Barbara Merritt Deese, Pat Dennis, Michael Allan Mallory, and Timya Owen
*Couch Detective Book 2 / James Glass
Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies / John Langan
Best Supernatural
Slipping into Darkness / D. M. Bourgeois
Borrowings of the Shan Van Vocht / Catherine Moore
Wonderland / Zoje Stage
Sisters of the Moon / Alexandrea Weis
*Borrowed Memories / Christine Mager Wevik
Inn the Spirit of Competition / Becki Willis
Best Suspense
Inherent Fate / Alicia Anthony
Purgatory, A Progeny’s Quest / T.M. Brown
The Stepdaughter / Georgina Cross
Athena’s Dilemma / Donna Del Oro
A Thousand Miles from Spokane / S. D. Goldman
*Ring of Conspiracy / J. Robert Kinney
Trojan Horse / S. Lee Manning
The Golden Girl / Dana Perry
Last Call / Cathi Stoler
Let the Guilty Pay / Rick Treon
Best Thriller
Collateral / Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson
Bakersfield Boys Club / Anne Da Vigo
Blind Edge / Candace Irving
The Venezuelan / Bill King
Fall / Leslie McCauley
Percentages of Guilt / Michael Niemann
Ripple in the Sea / Charley Pearson
Hot Ice, Cold Blood / Holly Spofford
*The Divine Devils / R. Weir
Scorpion Scheme / Melissa Yi
KILLER NASHVILLE CLAYMORE AWARDS 2021
Choosing Guilt by Frances Aylor
IoTa by Christopher Bates
*Crooked by Mary Bush
Spooked by Dara Carr
NISEI Rookie by Ray Collins
Blackwood by Claire Dowley
Murdered and Missing by Ardis Eckel
Androcide in Paradise by James Graham
Corniced to Death by Margaret S. Hamilton
Curse of Darkness by Nicholas Knight
Stolen Diary by Kathryn Lane
Cornerstone by Grace Lawler
The Forget-Me-Knot by Richard McGonegal
Dying to Live Here by Shelley Spence
A Bad Week in Wampo by Patricia Stoltey
Zebra by Jill Wallace
Infinity is Not Forever by Michael Wheeler
Unraveling by Judy White
A Star in Her Crown by Darryl Wimberley
Mr. Perfect? By Kelly Woll
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD LGBT Authors/Themes Finalists 2021
Best Mystery
Death Before Dessert, A.E. Radley, Heartsome Publishing
Find Me When I’m Lost, Cheryl A. Head, Bywater Books
Fortune Favors the Dead, Stephen Spotswood, Doubleday
*I Hope You’re Listening, Tom Ryan, Albert Whitman & Company
Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery, Rosalie Knecht, Tin House Books
- 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 for Best Humorous Mystery Novel
*Ellen Byron, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard (Crooked Lane Books)
Jennifer J. Chow, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Berkley Prime Crime)
Carl Hiaasen, Squeeze Me (Alfred A. Knopf)
Cynthia Kuhn, The Study of Secrets (Henery Press)
Michael Orenduff, The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing (Aakenbaaken & Kent)
Sung J. Woo, Skin Deep (Agora Books)
Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel
Susanna Calkins, The Fate of a Flapper (Minotaur Books)
Dianne Freeman, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (Kensington Books)
Laurie R. King, Riviera Gold (Bantam Books)
*Catriona McPherson, The Turning Tide (Quercus)
Ann Parker, Mortal Music (Poisoned Pen Press)
James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)
Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel
Daisy Bateman, Murder Goes to Market (Seventh Street Books)
Mary Keliikoa, Derailed (Camel Press)
Erica Ruth Neubauer, Murder at the Mena House (Kensington Books)
Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)
Halley Sutton, The Lady Upstairs (Putnam)
*David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts (Ecco)
Lefty for Best Mystery Novel
Tracy Clark, What You Don’t See (Kensington Books)
S.A. Cosby, Blacktop Wasteland (Flatiron Books)
Matt Coyle, Blind Vigil (Oceanview Publishing)
Rachel Howzell Hall, And Now She’s Gone (Forge)
*Louise Penny, All the Devils Are Here (Minotaur Books)
LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE Finalists 2021
Mystery/Thriller
A Beautiful Crime, by Christopher Bollen (Harper)
*Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron)
And Now She’s Gone, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
Little Secrets, by Jennifer Hillier (Minotaur)
These Women, by Ivy Pochoda (Ecco)
MACAVITY AWARDS 2021
Best Mystery Novel
Before She Was Helen, by Caroline B. Cooney (Ecco Press)
*Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
Blind Vigil, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview Publishing)
All the Devils Are Here, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
These Women, by Ivy Pochoda (Poisoned Pen Press)
When She Was Good, by Michael Robotham (Scribner)
Best First Mystery Novel
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, by Deepa Anappara (Random House)
Murder in Old Bombay, by Nev March (Minotaur)
The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books)
*Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weider (Ecco Press)
Darling Rose Gold, by Stephanie Wrobel (Berkley)
Best Critical-Biographical
Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy, by Leslie Brody (Seal Press)
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club, edited by Martin Edwards (HarperCollins)
Ian Rankin: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction by Erin E. MacDonald (McFarland)
*H R.F. Keating: A Life of Crime, by Sheila Mitchell (Level Best Books)
Southern Cross Crime: The Pocket Essential Guide to the Crime Fiction, Film & TV of Australia and New Zealand by Craig Sisterson (Oldcastle Books)
Best Mystery Short Story
“Dear Emily Etiquette" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Sept/Oct 2020)
“The Boy Detective & The Summer of ‘74” by Art Taylor (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Jan/Feb 2020)
*"Elysian Fields" by Gabriel Valjan (California Schemin’: The 2020 Bouchercon Anthology, edited by Art Taylor; Wildside Press)
“Dog Eat Dog” by Elaine Viets (The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell, edited by Josh Pachter; Untreed Reads Publishing)
“The Twenty-Five Year Engagement,” by James W. Ziskin (In League with Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon, edited by Laurie R. King; Pegasus Crime)
Sue Feder Memorial Award: Best Historical Mystery
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)
The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart (Minotaur)
The Turning Tide by Catriona McPherson (Quercus)
Mortal Music by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press)
The Mimosa Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu (Constable)
*Turn to Stone by James Ziskin (Seventh Street Books)
Crime Fiction:
*Gerry Boyle, Random Act
Katherine Hall Page, The Body in the Wake
Joseph Souza, Pray for the Girl
NED KELLY AWARDS (Australia) 2021
Best Crime Fiction
*Consolation (Garry Disher, Text)
Gathering Dark (Candice Fox, Penguin)
A Testament of Character (Sulari Gentill, Pantera)
The Survivors (Jane Harper, Pan)
The Good Turn (Dervla McTiernan, HarperCollins)
Tell Me Lies (J P Pomare, Hachette)
When She Was Good (Michael Robotham, Hachette)
White Throat (Sarah Thornton, Text)
Best Debut Crime Fiction
The Good Mother (Rae Cairns, Bandrui Publishing)
*The Second Son (Lorraine Peck, Text)
The Bluffs (Kyle Perry, PRH)
The Night Whistler (Greg Woodlands, Text)
Best True Crime
The Husband Poisoner (Tanya Bretherton, Hachette)
*Stalking Claremont: Inside the hunt for a serial killer (Bret Christian, HarperCollins)
Public Enemies (Mark Dapin, A&U)
Hazelwood (Tom Doig, Viking)
Witness (Louise Milligan, Hachette)
Best International Crime Fiction
The Guest List (Lucy Foley, HarperCollins)
The Secrets of Strangers (Charity Norman, A&U)
Take Me Apart (Sara Sligar, Text)
*We Begin at the End (Chris Whittaker, A&U)
Broken (Don Winslow, HarperCollins)
NERO WOLF AWARDS 2020
The Nero for Best Mystery
*One Good Deed by David Baldacci
Black Orchid Novella Award
*"El Cuerpo en el Barril" ("The Body in the Barrel") by Tom Larsen
NGAIO MARSH AWARD Finalists 2021
Best Novel
he Stone Wētā (Olivia Cade, Paper Road Press)
The Girl in the Mirror (Rose Carlyle, A&U)
The Snow Thief (C J Carver, Right Nuisance)
Shakti (Rajorshi Chakraborti, Penguin)
Dance Prone (David Coventry, VUP)
The Murder Club (Nikki Crutchley, Oak House Press)
Sprigs (Brannavan Gnanalingam, Lawrence and Gibson)
Caught Between (Jeannie McLean)
The Tally Stick (Carl Nixon, RHNZ Vintage)
The Secrets of Strangers (Charity Norman, A&U)
Tell Me Lies (J P Pomare, Hachette)
Soldiers (Tom Remiger, Text)
Best First Novel
Bush Sick Land (Julian Barrett)
The Girl in the Mirror (Rose Carlyle, A&U)
Puzzle Me Dead (Kathy Childs, Jamuna Press)
A Kind of Catharsis (Ann Chapman, Gallica Print)
Dark Empire (John Horrocks, Steele Roberts Aotearoa)
The Beautiful Dead (Kim Hunt)
Where the Truth Lies (Karina Kilmore, S&S)
The Hunted (Jo McCready)
Bull by the Horns (Bruce Miller)
Toto Among the Murderers (Sally J Morgan, Hachette)
Soldiers (Tom Remiger, Text)
Neands (Dan Salmon, OneTree House)
For Reasons of Their Own (Chris Stuart, Original Sin)
While the Fantail Lives (Alan Titchall, Devon Media)
Best Nonfiction
Ripiro Beach: A Memoir of Life after Near Death (Caroline Barron, Bateman Books)
Weed: A New Zealand story (James Borrowdale, Penguin)
Rock College: An unofficial history of Mount Eden Prison (Mark Derby, Massey University Press)
Ngaio Marsh: A companion to the mystery fiction (Bruce Harding, McFarland and Co Inc)
From Dog Collar to Dog Collar (Bruce Howat)
Memories of a Community Cop (Caroline Lawson, Worldly Press)
Gangland (Jared Savage, HarperCollins NZ)
The Quick and the Dead (Cynric Temple-Camp, HarperCollins NZ)
White Moko: Stories from my life (Tim Tipene, One Tree House)
Black Hands: Inside the Bain family murders (Martin Van Beynen, PRHNZ)
Best Kids/YA
Katipo Joe (Brian Falkner, Scholastic NZ)
Red Edge (Des Hunt, Scholastic NZ)
A Trio of Sophies (Eileen Merriman, Penguin)
Deadhead (Glenn Wood, OneTree House)
PETRONA AWARD FOR BEST SCANDINAVIAN CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION 2020
The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl, tr. Don Bartlett (Orenda Books; Norway)
Inborn by Thomas Enger, tr. Kari Dickson (Orenda Books; Norway)
The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst, tr. Anne Bruce (Michael Joseph; Norway)
The Silver Road by Stina Jackson, tr. Susan Beard (Corvus; Sweden)
The Absolution by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, tr. Victoria Cribb (Hodder & Stoughton; Iceland)
*Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen, tr. David Hackston (Orenda Books; Finland)
PINCKLEY PRIZES FOR CRIME FICTION 2021
*Lifetime Achievement: C.S. Harris
*Debut Novel: Angie Kim
* Nonfiction: Emma Copley Eisenberg
SARA PARETSKY AWARD (Best Midwest Crime Writer) 2020
*Scott Turow
SHAMUS AWARDS 2021
Best PI Hardcover
What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark / Kensington
Do No Harm by Max Allan Collins / Tor Forge
*Blind Vigil by Matt Coyle / Oceanview
House on Fire by Joseph Finder / Dutton
And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall / Tor Forge
Best Original Private Eye Paperback
Farewell Las Vegas by Grant Bywaters / Wild Rose Press
All Kinds of Ugly by Ralph Dennis / Brash Books
*Brittle Karma by Richard Helms / Black Arch Books
Remember My Face by John Lantigua / Arte Publico
Damaged Goods by Debbi Mack / Renegade Press
Best Private Eye Short Story
“A Dreamboat Gambol” by O’Neil De Noux in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
*“Mustang Sally” by John M. Floyd in Black Cat Mystery Magazine
“Setting the Pick” by April Kelly in Mystery Weekly Magazine
“Show and Zeller” by Gordon Linzer in Black Cat Mystery Magazine
“Nashua River Floater” by Tom MacDonald in Coast to Coast Noir
Best First Private Eye Novel
Squatter’s Rights by Kevin R. Doyle / Camel Press
Derailed by Mary Keliikoa / Epicenter Press
I Know Where You Sleep by Alan Orloff / Down & Out Books
*The Missing American by Kwei Quartey / Soho
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden / Ecco
SPOTTED OWL AWARD (Best Pacific NW Crime Novel) 2021
*1.The Last Agent, by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer)
2. (tied). A Cold Trail, by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer)
2. (tied). Percentages of Guilt, by Michael Niemann (Coffeetown Press)
3. House Privilege, by Mike Lawson (Atlantic Monthly Press)
4. Stone Cross, by Marc Cameron (Kensington)
5. The Last High, by Daniel Kalla (Simon & Schuster)
6. No Fixed Line, by Dana Stabenow (Head of Zeus)
7. Shadows of the Dead, by Spencer Kope (Minotaur)
8. The Missing Sister, by Elle Marr (Thomas & Mercer)
9. Shadow of the Dragon, by Marc Cameron (Putnam)
SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD 2020
Shamed by Linda Castillo (Minotaur Books)
*Borrowed Time: A Chicago Mystery, by Tracy Clark ( Kensington)
The Missing Ones: A Hester Thursby Mystery, by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
The Satapur Moonstone: A Perveen Mistry Novel, by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
The Alchemist's Illusion: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery, by Gigi Pandian (Midnight Ink)
Girl Gone Missing: A Cash Blackbear Mystery, by Marcie R. Rendon (Cincos Puntos Press)
THE STRAND CRITICS AWARD Finalists 2021
Best Novel
Snow by John Banville (Hanover Square Press)
You Again by Debra Jo Immergut (Ecco)
Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley (Mulholland Books)
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey (Soho Crime)
A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown and Company)
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay (William Morrow)
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (Park Row)
Best First Novel
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga (Scribner)
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco)
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (William Morrow)
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline (William Morrow)
A Burning by Megha Majumdar (Knopf)
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers (The Unnamed Press)
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (Custom House)
*Lifetime Achievement Awards: Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alexander McCall Smith
*Publisher of the Year Award: Josh Stanton of Blackstone Publishing
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
THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2021
The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (Penguin Random House UK, Viking)
The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)
Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)
*We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre)
The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)
