Award Winner Archives -

2023 – Macavity Awards

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The Macavity Awards are nominated by members and friends of Mystery Readers International, and subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red)!
Mystery Readers International, Mystery Readers Journal, and the Macavity Awards, were created by Anthony Award winner, Janet Rudolph.

Best Mystery Novel:
Laurie R. King: Back to the Garden
Chris Pavone: Two Nights in Lisbon
Louise Penny: A World of Curiosities
Ian Rankin: A Heart Full of Headstones
Deanna Raybourn: Killers of a Certain Age
Alex Segura: Secret Identity

Best First Mystery:
Jacqueline Bublitz: Before You Knew My Name
A.J. Devlin: Five Moves of Doom
Ramona Emerson: Shutter
Rob Osler: Devil’s Chew Toy
Jane Pek: The Verifiers
Nita Prose: The Maid

Best Mystery Short Story:
Brendan DuBois: “The Landscaper’s Wife” (Mystery Tribune, Aug/Sep 2022)
Barb Goffman: “Beauty and the Beyotch” (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Jan 2022)
Donna Moore: “First You Dream, Then You Die” (Black is the Night, Titan Books)
Anna Scotti: “Schrödinger, Cat” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Mar/Apr 2022)
Catherine Steadman: “Stockholm” (Amazon Original Stories)
Jess Walter: “The Angel of Rome” (in The Angel of Rome and Other Stories, Harper)
Melissa Yi: “My Two-Legs” (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2022)

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery:
Mariah Fredericks: The Lindbergh Nanny
Catriona McPherson: In Place of Fear
Wanda M. Morris: Anywhere You Run
Ann Parker: The Secret in the Wall
Gary Phillips: One-Shot Harry
Lev A.C. Rosen: Lavender House

2023 Goodreads Choice Awards

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Thanks to “Publishers Lunch,” a daily publication for the book business, we have a list of the winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards. This is one of the few book awards chosen and voted upon by the readers themselves, with hundreds of thousands participating each year. Here is the winning list, in order of number of votes received.

Romantasy: Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros (397,565 votes)
Fiction: Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang (200,722 votes)
Romance: Happy Place, by Emily Henry (157,687 votes)
Memoir & Autobiography: The Woman in Me, by Britney Spears (132,867 votes)
YA Fantasy: Divine Rivals, by Rebecca Ross (117,671 votes)
Mystery & Thriller: The Housemaid’s Secret, by Freida McFadden (86,468 votes)
Horror: Holly, by Stephen King (77,993 votes)
Fantasy: Hell Bent, by Leigh Bardugo (75,800 votes)
Young Adult Fiction: Check & Mate, by Ali Hazelwood (68,736 votes)
Historical Fiction: Weyward, by Emilia Hart (62,211 votes)
Science Fiction: In the Lives of Puppets, by T.J. Klune (57,535 votes)
Debut Novel: Weyward, by Emilia Hart (45,420 votes)
History & Biography: The Wager, by David Grann (40,132 votes)
Humor: Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond, by Henry Winkler (36,770 votes)
Nonfiction: Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond (25,910 votes)

Congratulations to all!

Book List: Author Ellen Byron

Leave a Comment / Award Winner, Bestselling Author, Book List, Cozy, Holidays, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Reviews

Ellen Byron’s writing is like her: clever, funny, deeply sincere, and thoughtful. Her books are full of diverse, quirky characters – just like the people you know in your own neighborhood or at work. When I read the dialogue, I feel as if I’m joining a real conversation. When her characters are cooking, I’m there in the kitchen as well and the aromas waft right off the pages. It’s no wonder that her work has won so many awards.

Take a look at her current book list and click on the titles to learn more about the books. Click on the ‘review here’ links to read what I thought about specific titles.

Cajun Country Mystery Series – Agatha and Lefty Award winning series, set primarily in New Orleans

“Plantation Shudders”

“Body on the Bayou”

“A Cajun Christmas Killing”

“Mardi Gras Murder” – review here

“Fatal Cajun Festival”

“Murder in the Bayou Boneyard”

“Cajun Kiss of Death”

Series review here

Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico) Set in Queens, a borough of NYC, with all the food and Long Island feel that a Queens cozy should have!

“Here Comes the Body”

“Long Island Iced Tina”

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder”

“Four Parties and a Funeral”

“The Witless Protection Program” (coming in March, 2024)

Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series A new amateur sleuth is in town (New Orleans)

“Bayou Book Thief”

“Wined and Died in New Orleans”

Enjoy each of the series from this engaging, talented author, found at https://www.ellenbyron.com/ and on Facebook as well as other social media.

You’re welcome! 🙂

(Photo and art work courtesy of Ellen Byron)

2023 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year

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From the Barnes & Noble site:
“We are pleased to announce the 12 finalists for our 2023 Book of the Year. The program, now in its fifth year, asks B&N booksellers across the country to nominate a title they find truly outstanding and in which they have felt the most pride in recommending to readers over the previous year. This year, the list features six novels, four nonfiction books, one middle-grade title and one picture book. The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year is voted on by booksellers and announced the week of November 13th.”
The winner is indicated in red.

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiMillo

The Wager by David Grann

The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Zilot & Other Important Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk

Chili Crisp by James Park

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Congratulations to all the finalists and the winner!

2023 Barry Awards (Crime Fiction)

4 Comments / Award Winner, Bestselling Author, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Suspense, Thriller

Established in 1997, the Barry Awards are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, to be held this year in San Diego. The winners were announced at the Opening Ceremonies on August 31^st. Voted on by readers of the Deadly Pleasures mystery magazine, the award was named in honor of Barry Gardner, an American critic and lover of great crime fiction. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red)!

Best Mystery or Crime Novel
THE ACCOMPLICE, Steve Cavanagh
DESERT STAR, Michael Connelly
THE DARK FLOOD, Deon Meyer
SHIFTY’S BOYS, Chris Offutt
SECRET IDENTITY, Alex Segura
CITY ON FIRE, Don Winslow

Best First Mystery or Crime Novel
BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME, Jacqueline Bublitz
DON’T KNOW TOUGH, Eli Cranor
SHUTTER, Ramona Emerson
THE MAID, Nita Prose
BLOOD SUGAR, Sascha Rothchild
DIRT CREEK, Hayley Scrivenor

Best Thriller
IN THE BLOOD, Jack Carr
WINTER WORK, Dan Fesperman
SIERRA SIX, Mark Greaney
BAD ACTORS, Mick Herron
KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, Deanna Raybourn
GOERING’S GOLD, Richard O’Rawe

2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards

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The 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards honor the Best Books of 2022. Congratulations to the finalists and winners (indicated in red)!

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE
Victor Acquista / Revelation
A. M. Adair / Shadow War
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. / Sister! A Natalie McMasters Mystery
Angela Greenman / The Child Riddler
Eric S. Hoffman / The Ballad of Clay Moore
Timothy S. Johnston / The Shadow of War
J.B. Manning / Richter The Mighty
S. Lee Manning / Bloody Soil
Johan Rosenlind / Franco’s Lost Gold

BEST COMEDY
SL Calder / A Dusty Demise
Mindy Carlson / Her Dying Day
A.J. Devlin / Five Moves of Doom
Lucy Lakestone / Jiggered by Gin
J. B. Manning / Richter the Mighty
Haris Orkin / Goldhammer
Cindy Sample / Birthdays are Murder
Lida Sideris / Gambling with Murder
Gabrielle St. George / How to Kill a Kingpin
Susan Wingate / Gag Me: A Friday Harbor Novel

BEST COZY
M.K. Dean / The Dog Days of Murder
Debra H Goldstein / Five Belles Too Many
Sasscer Hill / Murder at the Willcotts Hotel
Polly Holmes / Black Magic Murder
Christine Knapp / Murder at the Wedding
Judy L Murray / Killer in the Kitchen – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery
Lori Robbins / Murder in Third Position
Peggy Rothschild / A Deadly Bone to Pick
Nancy Raven Smith / Bushwhacked in the Outback
C.B. Wilson / Doodled to Death

BEST HISTORICAL
Joy Allyson / Whiskey Love
Carmen Amato / Murder at the Galliano Club
Mally Becker / The Counterfeit Wife
Katherine Cowley / The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception
Michelle Cox / A Spying Eye
Richard Helms / A Kind and Savage Place
Joy Jordan-Lake / A Bend of Light
Laurie Loewenstein / Funeral Train
Kelly Oliver / Chaos at Carnegie Hall
Nina Wachsman / The Gallery of Beauties

BEST INVESTIGATOR
J. L. Delozier / The Photo Thief
Mary Keliikoa / Hidden Pieces
Thomas Holland / Grind Slowly, Grind Small
Colin Holmes / Thunder Road
James L’Etoile / Dead Drop
Emilya Naymark / Behind the Lie
D.R. Ransdell / Party Wine
Saralyn Richard / Crystal Blue Murder
Drew Strickland / Abducted in Appalachia
Joyce Woollcott / A Nice Place To Die

BEST MAINSTREAM / COMMERCIAL
Katherine Faulkner / Greenwich Park
S.E. Greco / A Patient Enemy
Vinnie Hansen / One Gun

BEST MYSTERY
Hope Clark / Badge of Edisto
Trish Esden / The Art of the Decoy
Leonard Getz / Innocent Spouse
Kim Hays / Pesticide
K. L. Murphy / Her Sister’s Death
Ann Parker / The Secret in the Wall
Michael Stanley / A Deadly Covenant
Ruth Ware / The It Girl
Marla A. White / Cause for Elimination
Rich Zahradnik / The Bone Records

BEST SCI-FI / FANTASY
Esteban Corio / The Future of Humanity
David Cornish / 2003: The Time-Loop Device
Frank Gratton / Nula
Elle Hartford / Beauty and the Alchemist
Jeanne Hull Godfroy / Midgard
Bryan Johnston / Death Warrant
Madison Lawson / The Registration
Nola Nash / Traveler
Palmer Pickering / Heliotrope
Jordan Reed / The Wizard’s Brew: A Zane Vrexon Mystery
Janet Raye Stevens / It’s Been A Long, Long Time
Joss Walker and R.L. Perez / Master of Shadows

BEST SUSPENSE & BOOK OF THE YEAR
Traci Hunter Abramson and Sian Ann Bessey / The Danger with Diamonds
Georgina Cross / The Niece
Tracey Devlyn / Flash Point
Kathleen Donnelly / Chasing Justice
Kelly Irvin / Trust Me
Lynessa Layne / Target Acquired
Kiersten Modglin / The Dinner Guests
Kiersten Modglin / A Quiet Retreat
Carrie Stuart Parks / Fallout
Iain Reid / We Spread

BEST THRILLER
Traci Hunter Abramson / Not Dead Yet
Yasmin Angoe / They Come At Knight
Terry Barnett / Foregone Revenge
Erica Ferencik / Girl in Ice
Erin Flanagan / Blackout
Angela Greenman / The Child Riddler
Kevin Kuhens / Terror’s Sword, A Kyle McEwan Novel
Jodé Millman / Hooker Avenue
Jeneva Rose / One of Us is Dead
Michael Stockham / Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer

Winners in each category and best overall winner were announced on August 19, 2023.

2023 Edgar Awards

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Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2022. Awards were given in person on April 27, 2023, in New York City. The winners are indicated in red.

BEST NOVEL
Devil House by John Darnielle
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
Gangland by Chuck Hogan
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
The Maid by Nita Prose

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Jackal by Erin E. Adams
Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Quarry’s Blood by Max Allan Collins
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass
Or Else by Joe Hart
Cleopatra’s Dagger by Carole Lawrence
A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torre

BEST FACT CRIME
Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale
Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse
Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles
American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, D.C. by Shahan Mufti
American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashower

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“One Mighty and Strong” – Under the Banner of Heaven, Written by Brandon Boyce (Hulu)
“Episode 1” – Magpie Murders, Written by Anthony Horowitz (Masterpiece/PBS)
“Episode 1″ – Karen Pirie, Written by Emer Kenny (BritBox)
“When Harry Met Fergus” – Harry Wild, Written by David Logan (Acorn TV)
“The Reagan Way” – Blue Bloods, Written by Siobhan Byrne O’Connor (CBS)
“Eighteen Wheels A Predator” – Law & Order: SVU, Written by Brianna Yellen & Monet Hurst-Mendoza (NBC Universal)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman
A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers
Never Name the Dead by D.M. Rowell

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
Secret Lives by Mark de Castrique
An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells
Hideout by Louisa Luna
Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymark
Secrets Typed in Blood by Stephen Spotswood

THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD
The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette
Desert Getaway by Michael Craft
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Nominees for Best Juvenile, Best Critical/Biographical, Best Short Story can be found on the Edgar website: Edgarawards.com