GUILT RULES ALL!

Some of you may have noticed my lack of posting for a wee while. It's hasn't been because I've disappeared off the planet, more a twist and turn of life, so please forgive me.

However, today I'm delighted to share this Irish Crime Fiction gem with you. Edited by Elizabeth Mannion and Brian Cliff 'GUILT RULES ALL 'explores and celebrates Irish Crime Fiction. I feel honoured to be one of the writers featured in this work which conveys the breadth of the genre.

Within a piece by Rosemary Erickson Johnson on the Kate Pearson series, she says, "Phillips's series offers insight into contemporary Irish society, with a particular reference to women's lives and feminist issues, and helps us to define the parameters of domestic noir in the face of sometimes-competing demands of series fiction." 

Well, that will do me!

Hope you are all surviving these rather testing times!

IRISH WRITER ADRIAN MCKINTY WINS CRIME WRITING’S PREMIERE AWARD FOR HIS ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ THRILLER THE CHAIN

Adrian McKinty, winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020 for The Chain said:

“I am gobsmacked and delig!!hted to win this award. Two years ago, I had given up on writing altogether and was working in a bar and driving an uber, and so to go from that to this is just amazing. People think that you write a book and it will be an immediate bestseller. For twelve books, my experience was quite the opposite, but then I started this one. It was deliberately high concept, deliberately different to everything else I had written - and I was still convinced it wouldn’t go anywhere… but now look at this. It has been completely life changing.”

Harrogate, Thursday 23 July: Belfast born Adrian McKinty has been awarded the UK’s most prestigious accolade in crime writing, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, for his best-selling thriller, The Chain, that sees parents forced to abduct children to save the lives of their own.

This phenomenal success comes after Adrian’s family were evicted from their home, forcing him to put down his pen and find work as an Uber driver and bar tender to make ends meet. Persuaded to give his dream one last go, Adrian began writing what would become his smash hit sensation The Chain, now a bestseller in over 20 countries with move rights snapped up by Universal in a seven figure deal to bring this chilling masterpiece to life on screen.

Described by Don Winslow as ‘nothing short of Jaws for parents’, The Chain was chosen by public vote and the prize Judges, triumphing against a tremendously strong shortlist – including books from Oyinkan Braithwaite, Helen Fitzgerald, Jane Harper, Mick Herron and Abir Mukherjee – at a time when the UK is experiencing a boom in crime fiction, with the genre exploding in popularity during lockdown and sales soaring since bookshops have reopened.

The news was revealed in a virtual awards ceremony on what would have been the opening night of Harrogate’s legendary Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead, the announcement of this coveted trophy has marked the launch of the HIF Weekender, Harrogate International Festival’s free virtual festival bringing world-class culture to everyone at home, featuring performances and interviews with internationally acclaimed musicians, best-selling authors and innovative thinkers.

Adrian McKinty – who was previously nominated in 2011, 2014 and 2016 for his Sean Duffy series – will now receive £3,000 and an engraved oak beer cask, hand-carved by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakstons Brewery.

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “Looking at the titles in contention for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020, it is clear to see why crime fiction remains the UK’s genre of choice. Adrian McKinty is a writer of astonishing talent and tenacity, and we could not be more grateful that he was persuaded to give his literary career one last shot because The Chain is a truly deserving winner. Whilst we might be awarding this year’s trophy in slightly different, digital circumstances, we raise a virtual glass of Theakston Old Peculier to Adrian’s success – with the hope that we can do so in person before too long, and welcome everyone back to Harrogate next year for a crime writing celebration like no other.”

NEW BLOOD 2020 – VAL MCDERMID TIPS CRIME FICTION’S RISING STARS!

DEEPA ANAPPARA | ELIZABETH KAY | JESSICA MOOR | TREVOR WOOD

The undisputed ‘Queen of Crime’ Val McDermid has unveiled the hotly tipped ‘New Blood’ authors for 2020, showcasing the year’s best breakout crime writing talent:

-          Deepa Anappara – Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (Chatto & Windus)
-          Elizabeth Kay – Seven Lies (Sphere)
-          Jessica Moor – Keeper (Penguin)
-          Trevor Wood – The Man on the Street (Quercus)

Since 2004, the best-selling Scottish author of the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series has curated an annual celebration of the most formidable debuts taking the crime and thriller genre by storm, with an invitation to join the line-up of the world’s largest and most prestigious crime fiction festival: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
This year, Deepa Anappara has been selected for her part coming-of-age, part detective mystery Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, a heart-breaking and thought-provoking social commentary of modern India’s slums that has been recognised for the Women’s Prize. Elizabeth Kay is on the list for her explosive Seven Lies, taking domestic noir to a whole new level in a deliciously dark blurring of truth and lies, and Jessica Moore is recognised for her brutal and beautiful Keeper, the addictive literary thriller that has had everyone talking. Concluding this year’s New Blood contingent is Trevor Wood and his debut The Man on the Street, a gritty thriller set on the streets of Newcastle.
Val McDermid said: “I have been hosting the New Blood showcase since the festival began in 2003 and, in my book, discovering and sharing new talent with an eager audience is the best job in crime fiction. I know exactly what I’m looking for on my quest: fresh and distinctive voices, a well-told, convincing story and the almost indefinable sense that these authors all have much more to say. Deepa, Elizabeth, Jessica and Trevor tick all of these boxes and more, and if this year’s debuts share a theme, it is the irresistible and devastating way in which crime fiction shines a light on our times: homelessness, domestic violence, child trafficking and mental health are all dissected with an unflinching gaze. Whilst we can’t gather en masse at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate this year, I hope that readers will enjoy our virtual introduction to these brilliant new writers.”
The unveiling of McDermid’s selection has become one of the most anticipated moments of the publishing calendar, with readers on the lookout to uncover their new favourite author and add the ‘next big thing’ to their bookshelves.
Former ‘New Blood’ alumni include Clare Mackintosh, SJ Watson, Stuart MacBride, Liam McIlvanney and Belinda Bauer, as well as three authors on this year’s shortlist for the UK’s most prestigious crime writing award – Theakston Old Peculier: Abir Mukherjee, Jane Harper and Oyinkan Braithwaite, who was chosen just last year for her Booker longlisted My Sister, the Serial Killer.

Trevor Wood said: “As a kid I dreamt of playing in the cup final. I’m a fraction older now but being chosen for Harrogate’s New Blood panel feels exactly like that did.”
Jessica Moor said: "To have been chosen for this panel, which has included some of my favourite new authors of the last decade, and to have been chosen by the legendary Val McDermid, is a such an honour."
Deepa Anappara said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be picked for the New Blood panel, and grateful to Val McDermid for her immense generosity and support of debut novelists.”
Elizabeth Kay said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected for such a prestigious event. The ‘New Blood’ panel has an incredible history, and I’m delighted to be participating this year alongside three really exciting other authors.”

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
In a basti on the outskirts of a sprawling Indian city, nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows in the house he shares with his family. Jai thinks he’s smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than his hardworking friend Faiz (even though he has a job). When their classmate from school goes missing, the Djinn Patrol ventures out, wielding their detective skills into the bustling city to investigate; through the rattle-tattle energy and mouth-watering smells of the bazaar, to the dangerous rubbish ground and as far as the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But children continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an unsympathetic police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will be altered forever.

Deepa Anappara grew up in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in cities including Mumbai and Delhi. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt fellowship in Journalism. A partial of her debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport/Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, and is currently studying for a PhD on a CHASE doctoral fellowship. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line will be publised in America, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden. deepa-anappara.com

Seven Lies
Only you know the truth: Jane and Marnie have been inseparable since they were eleven years old. In their twenties, they both married handsome young men. Years later, Jane and Marnie are still best friends – and both men are dead. But if Jane had been honest from the start – if she hadn’t told that first little white lie – then perhaps the person she loves most would still love her too. Perhaps everything would be different. This is Jane’s opportunity to tell the real story – if you can believe her. As Jane narrates hers and Marnie’s shared history and unpicks each of seven increasingly catastrophic lies, she reveals the pockets of darkness that have infiltrated their friendship; the toxic secrets still bubbling beneath; and a tale of obsession, of grief, and the real meaning of truth.
Elizabeth Kay (@AnyOtherLizzy) started her career as an assistant at Penguin Random House. She is now a commissioning editor and is simultaneously pursuing her passion for writing. Her debut novel, Seven Lies, will be published in 2020. Elizabeth lives in London with her husband. @AnyOtherLizzy

Keeper
He's been looking in the windows again. Messing with cameras. Leaving notes. Supposed to be a refuge. But death got inside. When Katie Straw's body is pulled from the waters of the local suicide spot, the police decide it's an open-and-shut case. A standard-issue female suicide. But the residents of Widringham women's refuge where Katie worked don't agree. They say it's murder. Will you listen to them?
Jessica Moor (@jessicammoor) studied English at Cambridge before completing a Creative Writing MA at Manchester University. Prior to this she spent a year working in the violence against women and girls’ sector and this experience inspired her first novel, KEEPER.

The Man on the Street
It started with a splash. Jimmy, a homeless veteran grappling with PTSD, did his best to pretend he hadn’t heard it – the sound of something heavy falling into the Tyne at the height of an argument between two men on the riverbank. Not his fight. Maybe it was another of his vivid nightmares? Since he found himself living on the streets, avoiding other people’s fights has helped him to survive. Trouble finds him easily enough without looking for it. Then a newspaper headline catches his eye: GIRL IN MISSING DAD PLEA. The girl, Carrie, reminds him of someone he lost.  This makes his mind up: it’s time to stop hiding from his past. But telling Carrie, what he heard - or thought he heard - turns out to be just the beginning of the story. The police don’t believe him. Who believes a homeless man? But Carrie is adamant that something awful has happened to her dad and Jimmy agrees to help her, putting himself at risk from enemies old and new. But Jimmy has one big advantage: when you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. 
Trevor Wood (@TrevorWoodWrite) has lived in Newcastle for twenty-five years and considers himself an adopted Geordie. He’s a successful playwright who has also worked as a journalist and spin-doctor for the City Council. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years. Trevor holds an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from UEA. The Man on the Street is his first novel.

About Harrogate International Festivals
‘Harrogate International Festivals’ is a charitable organisation with a mission to present a diverse year-long programme of live events that bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible. Delivering artistic work of national importance, the Festival curates and produces over 300 unique and surprising performances each year, celebrating world-renowned artists and championing new and up-coming talent across music, literature, science, philosophy and psychology. The HIF+ ongoing education outreach programme engages schools, young people and the local community with workshops, talks, projects and inspiring activities, ensuring everyone can experience the Festival’s world class programme and the transformative power of the arts.
Established in 1966, Harrogate International Festivals are an artistic force to be reckoned with and a key cultural provider for the North of England.
Find out more at: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com | Facebook: @HarrogateInternationalFestivals | Twitter: @HarrogateFest | Instagram: @harrogatefestivals

Small Paperback of THE HIDING GAME about to hit the shelves!!

I've been very quiet of late, but the last couple of months have been awash with two bouts of shingles for myself, a family member with Covid, and a hubby with a double dose of vertigo! (I'm just saying!)

Anyhow, we have all survived and the small paperback version of THE HIDING GAME will be hitting the shelves next week!

Ahem....a perfect lockdown read!!!

ABOUT: THE HIDING GAME

In a small town south-east of Boston, a young nanny awaits trial for murder.

The evidence - and the media - is against her, but Abby Jones swears she is innocent.

Defence attorney Heather Baxter believes Abby is telling the truth, but convincing a jury will not be easy. And she knows that in a place like Corham, where her own mother's murder remains unsolved, justice isn't always served.

As the lawyer starts to dig deeper into Abby's case, Heather soon realises there may be a link to the shadows of her own past -- and those involved will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried ...

'Intriguing and compelling ... will enthral you to the end' Liz Nugent

'Absolutely gripping ... an addictive page turner.' Patricia Gibney

'Riveting legal thriller, beset with dark secrets and murky lies.' Catherine Ryan Howard

'A gripping courtroom drama with a courageous new heroine in Heather Baxter. Pacy, tightly plotted and full of suspense.' Andrea Carter

'Riveting, thought provoking and compulsive.' Arlene Hunt

CrimeFest has announced the shortlists for its annual awards!

The awards were due to be presented at a Gala Dinner during the convention at the Bristol Grand Mercure Hotel this June, but in light of Covid-19, the winners will be announced online at www.crimefest.com and via its social media pages on Tuesday 7 July.
CrimeFest was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established over ten years ago in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all authors and readers alike.
The convention has grown to become not only one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, but also one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

The Shortlists

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
- Fiona Erskine for The Chemical Detective (Point Blank)
- Katja Ivar for Evil Things (Bitter Lemon Press)
- Carolyn Kirby for The Conviction of Cora Burns (No Exit Press)
- Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient (Orion Fiction)
- Laura Shepherd-Robinson for Blood & Sugar (Mantle)
- Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
- Kate Atkinson for Big Sky narrated by Jason Isaacs (Penguin Random House Audio)
- Oyinkan Braithwaite for My Sister, the Serial Killer narrated by Weruche Opia (W F Howes)
- Alex Callister for Winter Dark narrated by Ell Potter (Audible Studios)
- Lee Child for Blue Moon narrated by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)
- Lisa Jewell for The Family Upstairs narrated by Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland, Dominic Thorburn (Penguin Random House Audio)
- T.M. Logan for The Holiday narrated by Laura Kirman (Zaffre)
- Peter May for The Man with No Face narrated by Peter Forbes (Quercus, Fiction)
- Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient narrated by Louise Brealey, Jack Hawkins (Orion)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
- Ursula Buchan for Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps (Bloomsbury Publishing)
- John Curran for The Hooded Gunman (HarperCollins Crime Club)
- Barry Forshaw for Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide (No Exit Press)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
- William Boyle for A Friend is a Gift you Give Yourself (No Exit Press)
- Hannah Dennison for Tidings of Death at Honeychurch Hall (Constable)
- Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
- Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May - The Lonely Hour (Transworld)
- Antti Tuomainen for Little Siberia (Orenda Books)
- L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)


eDUNNIT AWARD
- Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
- Sarah Hilary for Never Be Broken (Headline)
- Andrew Taylor for The King's Evil (HarperFiction)
- L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)
- Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)
- Don Winslow for The Border (HarperFiction)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (ages 8-12)
- P.G. Bell for The Great Brain Robbery (Usborne Publishing)
- Vivian French for The Steam Whistle Theatre Company (Walker Books)
- Sophie Green for Potkin and Stubbs (Bonnier Books)
- A.M. Howell for The Garden of Lost Secrets (Usborne Publishing)
- Simon Lelic for The Haven (Hodder Children's Books)
- Thomas Taylor for Malamander (Walker Books)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (ages 12-16)
- Kathryn Evans for Beauty Sleep (Usborne Publishing)
- John Grisham for Theodore Boone: The Accomplice (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Samuel J. Halpin for The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods (Usborne Publishing)
- Simon Mason for Hey Sherlock! (David Fickling Books)
- Tom Pollock for Heartstream (Walker Books)
- Nikesh Shukla for The Boxer (Hodder Children's Books)

LONGLIST REVEALED FOR THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2020!

  

The longlist of the UK and Ireland’s prestigious crime novel award is unveiled with literary legends and dynamic debuts in contention for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year…

Now in its 16^th year, the most coveted prize in crime fiction, presented by Harrogate International Festivals, received a record number of submissions and this highly anticipated longlist of 18 titles – 10 of which by women – represents crime writing at its best: celebrating four former winners, a Booker Prize contender, and the fresh new voices taking the genre by storm.

The line-up of returning champions is led by Scottish supernova Denise Mina, vying to become the first author to complete a hat trick with the deeply unsettling thriller Conviction. Mina is joined by fellow Glaswegian bestseller Chris Brookmyre and his psychological suspense Fallen Angel, ‘Queen of Crime’ Val McDermid’s latest masterful Tony Hill and Carol Jordan investigation, How the Dead Speak, and Lee Child CBE, with the final Jack Reacher, Blue Moon, before sharing authorship with his brother Andrew.

The longlist also features several previously nominated authors hoping to go one step further and claim the trophy with Mick Herron securing a fifth pick for his much-lauded Slough House series with Joe Country and a nod for Abir Mukherjee’s new Wyndham & Banerjee instalment, Smoke and Ashes, and fan favourite Vera and Shetland author Ann Cleeves returns with The Long Call, marking the launch of a new North Devon series. Further Theakston alumni in the running include Adrian McKinty with his electrifying thriller The Chain, Helen Fitzgerald and the darkly comic Worst Case Scenario, and outback noir from Jane Harper in The Lost Man.

          

Rising stars of the genre are celebrated with three debuts on the list. Oyinkan Braithwaite, who was spotlighted in the Festival’s highly respected ‘New Blood’ panel in 2019, has been recognised for her Booker longlisted My Sister the Serial Killer. Harriet Tyce is in contention for her electrifying domestic noir Blood Orange that draws on her own experience as a criminal barrister, and Laura Shepherd-Robinson for the deeply atmospheric Blood & Sugar, bringing the 1780s Deptford Docks to life.

Established voices joining the Theakston ranks for the first time include Jane Casey and her latest Maeve Kerrigan instalment Cruel Acts, Alex North with his chilling police procedural The Whisper Man, Louise Doughty, who is longlisted for the eerily unnerving Platform Seven, Will Carver with the mesmerising thriller Nothing Important Happened Today; and Val McDermid’s 2018 New Blood selection: Will Dean and his eagerly awaited follow-up to Dark Pines, the stunning Scandi noir Red Snow.

The full longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020 is:

-          My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic Books)

-          Fallen Angel by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group, Abacus)

-          Nothing Important Happened Today by Will Carver (Orenda Books)

-          Cruel Acts by Jane Casey (HarperCollins, Harper Fiction)

-          Blue Moon by Lee Child (Transworld, Bantam)

-          The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan/Pan)

-          Red Snow by Will Dean (Oneworld, Point Blank)

-          Platform Seven by Louise Doughty (Faber & Faber)

-          Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books)

-          The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

-          Joe Country by Mick Herron (John Murray Press)

-          How the Dead Speak by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

-          The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

-          Conviction by Denise Mina (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

-          Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

-          The Whisper Man by Alex North (Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph)

-          Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Headline Publishing Group, Wildfire)

-          Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce (Pan Macmillan, Mantle/Pan)

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “Year on year, I’m astounded and delighted by how this exceptional genre continues to excel – we were deluged with record submissions and these 18 impressive titles demonstrate the quality and power of contemporary crime fiction. From the familiar faces to the new voices, we are immensely proud of this year's longlist and raise a virtual glass of Old Peculier to all the authors, and what will be another fierce contest for this much-wanted award.”

The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 by UK and Irish authors.

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.

The 18 titles will be promoted in a dedicated online campaign from WHSmith, digital promotional materials will be made available for independent bookstores, and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s online community – You’re Booked – will raise a virtual glass to the titles and authors through interviews, features and a variety of further interactive content, as well as giving the opportunity to see a selection of events from the Festival’s extensive archive. This forms part of the Harrogate International Festival virtual season of events, which presents a raft of live music, specially commissioned performances, literary events and interviews to bring a free festival experience to your own digital doorstep. 

The public are now invited to vote for a shortlist of six titles on www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com, which will be announced on 8 June.

Announcing the 2020 Edgar Winners!

This year marks the 74th anniversary of the Mystery Writers of America’s gala celebrating the Edgar Awards—one of the crime fiction world’s highest honours. Under normal circumstances, the mystery community would be convening for a black-tie affair at a midtown Manhattan hotel, but this year—with a deadly pandemic still spreading and countries around the world on lockdown—the event has gone virtual. The winners have been announced on social media, and we’re following all the action here. Let’s take the day to celebrate these authors—and the weeks and months ahead to read their work.
Here are your 2020 Edgar Award winners.
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BEST NOVEL

Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland (Grand Central Publishing)
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The River by Peter Heller (Alfred A. Knopf)
Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (Pegasus Books)
Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham (Scribner)

WINNER: THE STRANGER DIARIES, by Elly Griffiths

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (Berkley)
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (Farrar Straus and Giroux)
The Good Detective by John McMahon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (Alfred A. Knopf)
Three-Fifths by John Vercher (Agora Books)
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)

WINNER: MIRACLE CREEK, BY ANGIE KIM

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Dread of Winter by Susan Alice Bickford (Kensington Publishing)
Freedom Road by William Lashner (Thomas & Mercer)
Blood Relations by Jonathan Moore (Mariner Books)
February’s Son by Alan Parks (Europa Editions)
The Hotel Neversink by Adam O’Fallon Price (Tin House Books)
The Bird Boys by Lisa Sandlin (Cinco Puntos Press)

WINNER: THE HOTEL NEVERSINK, by Adam O’Fallon Price

BEST FACT CRIME

The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America by Karen Abbott (Crown)
The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Grand Central Publishing)
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan (Viking)
Norco ’80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan (Counterpoint Press)
Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall by James Polchin (Counterpoint Press)

WINNER: THE LESS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT US, by Axton Betz-Hamilton

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Hitchcock and the Censors by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky)
Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan by Ursula Buchan (Bloomsbury Publishing)
The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of Collins Crime Club by John Curran (Collins Crime Club)
Medieval Crime Fiction: A Critical Overview by Anne McKendry (McFarland)
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)

WINNER: HITCHCOCK AND THE CENSORS, by John Billheimer

BEST SHORT STORY
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“Turistas,” from Paque Tu Lo Sepas by Hector Acosta (Down & Out Books)
“One of These Nights,” from Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers by Livia Llewellyn (Akashic Books)
“The Passenger,” from Sydney Noir by Kirsten Tranter (Akashic Books)
“Home at Last,” from Die Behind the Wheel: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan by Sam Wiebe (Down & Out Books)
“Brother’s Keeper,” from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Dave Zeltserman (Dell Magazine)
WINNER: “ONE OF THESE NIGHTS,” by Livia Llewllyn
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BEST JUVENILE
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The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster by Cary Fagan (Tundra Books)
Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu (Katherine Tegen Books)
The Whispers by Greg Howard (G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR)
All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker (Viking BFYR)
Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught (Paula Wiseman Books)
WINNER: ME AND SAM-SAM HANDLE THE APOCALYPSE, by Susan Vaught
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BEST YOUNG ADULT
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Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
Killing November by Adriana Mather (Alfred A. Knopf BFYR)
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (Kokila)
The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen)
Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas (Bloomsbury Publishing)
WINNER: CATFISHING ON CATNET, by Naomi Kritzer
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
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BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
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“Season 5, Episode 3” – Line of Duty, Teleplay by Jed Mercurio (Acorn TV)
“Season 5, Episode 4” – Line of Duty, Teleplay by Jed Mercurio (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1” – Dublin Murders, Teleplay by Sarah Phelps (STARZ)
“Episode 1” – Manhunt, Teleplay by Ed Whitmore (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1” – The Wisting, Teleplay by Katherine Valen Zeiner & Trygve Allister Diesen (Sundance Now)
WINNER: “Season 5, Episode 4” 

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ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD
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“There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” from Milwaukee Noir by Derrick Harriell (Akashic Books)
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THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
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The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman (William Morrow)
One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House)
Strangers at the Gate by Catriona McPherson (Minotaur Books)
Where the Missing Go by Emma Rowley (Kensington Publishing)
The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge Books)
WINNER: THE NIGHT VISITORS, by Carol Goodman

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THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
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Shamed by Linda Castillo (Minotaur Books)
Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark (Kensington Publishing)
The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill (Kensington Publishing)
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian (Midnight Ink)
Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon (Cincos Puntos Press)
WINNER: BORROWED TIME, by Tracy Clark