AWARD WINNERS 2025-2026

CONTENTS






Robert Crais Wins Edgar

Mystery Writers of America has announced the winners for the 2026 Edgar Awards as follows:

Best Novel: THE BIG EMPTY, by Robert Crais (Putnam)
Best First Novel: DEAD MONEY, by Jakob Kerr (Bantam Books)
Best Paperback Original: THE BACKWATER, by Vikki Wakefield (Poisoned Pen Press)
Best Fact Crime: MURDERLAND, by Caroline Fraser (Penguin Press)
Best Critical/Biographical: EDGAR ALLAN POE: A LIFE, by Richard Kopley (Univ. of Virginia Press)
Best Short Story: "Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush," by Dave Zeltserman (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2025)
Best Juvenile: BLOOD IN THE WATER, by Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic Press)
Best Young Adult: UNDER THE SAME STARS, by Libba Bray (Farrar, Strause and Giroux)
Best Televisiton Episode Teleplay: "Pilot," written by Dan Fogelman (in Paradise; Hulu)
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: "How It Happened," by Billie Kay Fem (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July/Aug 2025)
Mary Higgins Clark Award: ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS, by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Minotaur Books)
Sue Grafton Memorial Award: GONE IN THE NIGHT, by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books)
Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award: A SENIOR CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO LIFE ON THE RUN, by Gwen Florio (Severn House)
TWQ Grand Master Award Recipients: Donna Andrews and Lee Child
Raven Award Recipient: Book Passage, Bookstore & Cafe, in Corte Madera, California
Ellery Queen Award Recipient: John Scognamiglio, Editor-in-Chief at Kensington Books
The President's Award Recipient: Margery Flax, Executive Director of Mystery Writers of America

The Edgar Award winners were announced at the Edgar Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday, April 29 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City. (April 30, 2026)


Mindy Quigley Wins Agatha

Malice Domestic has announced the winners for the 2026 Agatha Awards as follows:

Best Contemporary Mystery Novel: AT DEATH'S DOUGH, by Mindy Quigley (Minotaur) Best Historical Mystery Novel: THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE CONSPIRACY, by Kelly Oliver (Boldwood Books) Best Non-fiction: VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER, by Dawn M. Barclay (Level Best) Best First Mystery Novel: WHISKEY BUSINESS, by Adrian Andover (Chestnut Avenue Press) Best Children's/ Young Adult Mystery Novel: DEATH IN THE CARDS:by Mia P. Manansala (Delacorte Books) Best Mystery Short Story: "Six-Armed Robbery," by Ashley Ruth-Bernier (in MYSTERY MOST HUMOROUS; Wildside Press) Lifetime Achievment Recipient: Jacqueline Winspear
Poirot Award Recipient: Jim Huang

The winners were announced on Saturday, April 25 at the Malice Banquet during Malice Domestic 38 held in Bethesda, Maryland. (April 27, 2026)


Megan Abbott Wins LAT Book Prize

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has announced the winners for the LAT Book Prizes, and the winner in the mystery/thriller category is:

EL DORADO DRIVE, by Megan Abbott (Putnam)

The other finalists in the same category are as follows:
EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD, by Ace Atkins (Morrow)
CROOKS, by Lou Berney (Morrow)
THE PRIVING GROUND, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
KING OF ASHES, by S.A. Cosby

To see all the winners in all the categories, click here. The winners was announced at the Bovard Auditorium on USC Campus on Friday, April 17. (April 19, 2026)



James L'Etoile Wins Lefty

Left Coast Crime 2026 has announced the winners for its 2026 Lefty Awards as follows:

Best Mystery Novel: RIVER OF LIES, by James L'Etoile (Oceanview Publishing)
Best Debut Mystery Novel: WHISKEY BUSINESS, by Adrian Andover (Chestnut Avenue Press)
Best Historical Mystery Novel: THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID, by Rob Oster (Kensington)
Best Humorous Mystery Novel: SCOT'S EGGS, by Catriona McPherson (Severn House)

The winners were announced at an awards banquet on Saturday, February 28 during Left Coast Crime Convention held in San Francisco, California. (January 08, 2026)


Sarah Stewart Taylor Wins Nero

The Wolfe Pack, the Official Nero Wolfe Literary Society, announced that Sarah Stewart Taylor won the 2025 Nero Wolfe Award for AGONY HILL (Minotaur Books, 2024), featuring detective Franklin Warrena Taylor, as "the best American mystery novel written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories," at Arno Ristorante in Manhattan, New York on Saturday, December 06, 2025

At the Black Orchid Banquet held at Arno Ristorante, "The Troubling Mr. Truelove" by Pete Barnstrom won the Black Orchid Novella Award. The winning stories will be published in the July 2026 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine). And the Black Orchid Novella honorable mentions were Paul A. Barra's "Beauty and Buford," Craig H. Bowlsby's "Last Train to Medicine Hat," Libby Cudmore's "Piano Man," Josh Pachter's "Melancholia," and Daniel Peyton's "A Noir Satyr: Follow That MacGuffin." (January 08, 2026)


Duane Swierczynski Wins Macavity

The Mystery Readers International has finally announced the winners for the 2025 Macavity Awards as follows:

Best Mystery Novel: CALIFORNIA BEAR, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)
Best First Mystery: GHOSTS OF WAIKIKI, by Jennifer K. Moritai (Crooked Lane)
Best Mystery Short Story: "Home Game," by Craig Faustus Bucki (in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2024)
Best Historical Mystery: FOG CITY, by Claire Johnson (Level Best Books)
Best Nonfiction/Critical: ABINGDON'S BOARDINGHOUSE MURDER, by Gred Lilly (History Press)

The winners were announced on October 07 online. (October 08, 2025)


Liz Moore Wins Hammett

The International Association of Crime Writers/North America (IACW/NA) announced that THE GOD OF THE WOODS, by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books) is the winner for the 2025 Dashiell Hammett Award (for literary excellence in crime writing).

The 2025 Hammett winner will receive a bronze statuette depicting Hammett. (October 04, 2025)



Tariq Ashkanani Wins McIlvanney

Bloody Scotland has announced the winners for the 2025 McIlvanney Prize (formerly known as the Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing) and the Debut Prize as follows:

McIlvanney Prize: THE MIDNIGHT KING, by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper)
Bloody Scotland Debut Prize: A RELUCTANT SPY, by David Goodman (Headline)

The winners of the both prizes were announced and presented on Friday, September 12 during the Bloody Scotland Festival held in Stirling, Scotland. (September 13, 2024)


Liz Moore Wins Anthony

Bouchercon 2025 announced the winners for the 2025 Anthony awards as follows:

Best Hardcover Novel: THE GOD OF THE WOODS, by Liz Moore (Riverhead)
Best First Novel: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, by K.T. Nguyen (Dutton)
Best Paperback Novel: ECHO, by Tracy ClarkThomas & Mercer)
Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: WHEN MIMI WENT MISSING, by Suja Sukimar (Soho Teen)
Best Critical/Non-fiction Book: THE SERIAL KILLER'S APPRENTICE, by Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman (Crime Ink)
Best Anthology/Collections: TALES OF MUSIC, MURDER, AND MAYHEM, edited by Heather Graham (Down & Out)
Best Short Story: "Something to Hold Onto," by Curtis Ippolito (in DARK YONDER, Issue 6; Thalia Press)
Best Historical Novel: THEMURDER OF MR. MA, by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan (Soho Crime)
Best Paranormal Novel: A NEW LEASE ON DEATH, by Olivia Blacke (Minotaur)
Best Cozy/Humorous Novel: CIRQUE DU SLAY, by Rob Osler (Crooked Lane)
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Craig Johnson
David Thomas Memorial Special Service Award Recipient: Lucinda Surber and Stan Ulrich, for their extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field

The winners were announced on Saturday, September 06 during Bouchercon 2025 held in New Orlean, Louisiana. (September 07, 2025)


Michael Connelly Wins Barry

Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine has announced the winners for the 2025 Barry Awards as follows:

Best Mystery Novel: THE WAITING, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Best First Mystery Novel: ORDINARY BEAR, by C.B. Bernard (Blackstone)
Best Paperback Original Novel: DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF, by Lou Berney (Morrow Paperbacks)
Best Action Thriller: HERO, by Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press)

The winners were voted by Deadly Pleasures readers and announced on Thursday, September 04 during the opening ceremonies of 2025 Bouchercon held in New Orleans, Louisiana (September 06, 2025)


Delia Pitts Wins Shamus

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) has announced the winners for the 2025 Shamus Awards as follows:

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel: TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN, by Delia Pitts (Minotaur Books), featuring Vandy Myrick
Best Original Paperback P.I. Novel: CALL OF THE VOID, by J.T. Siemens (NeWest Press9, featuring Sloan Donovan
Best First P.I. Novel: TWICE THE TROUBLE, by Ash Clifton (Crooked Lane Books), introducing Noland Twice
Best P.I. Short Story: "Deadhead," by Tom Andes (Cowboy Jamboree Magazine, Issue 10.1, Fall 2024), featuring Mr.Genest
The Eye Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Christine Matthews

The winners were announced on Thursday, September 04, 2025 at the Bouchercon Opening Ceremonies held at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. (September 06, 2025)


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