Thriller

2024 Barry Awards – Crime Fiction

Leave a Comment / Award Winner, Bestselling Author, Book List, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Fiction, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Suspense, Thriller

Established in 1997, the Barry Awards are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, held this year in Nashville. The winners were announced at the Opening Ceremonies in August. 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
Lou Berney, DARK RIDE
S. A. Cosby, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED
Eli Cranor, OZARK DOGS
Jordan Harper, EVERYBODY KNOWS
Dennis Lehane, SMALL MERCIES
Adrian McKinty, THE DETECTIVE UP LATE

Best First Mystery or Crime Novel
Michael Bennett, BETTER THE BLOOD
I.S. Berry, THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW
Bruce Borgos, THE BITTER PAST
Amy Chua, THE GOLDEN GATE
Deepti Kapoor, AGE OF VICE
Nina Simon, MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT
Iris Yamashita, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF

Best Paperback Original
Mystery or Crime Novel
Mia P. Manansala, MURDER AND MAMON
Rick Mofina, EVERY THING SHE FEARED
Jake Needham, WHO THE HELL IS HARRY BLACK?
Jesse Sutanto, VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS
Vanda Symon, EXPECTANT
Scott Von Doviak, LOWDOWN ROAD

Best Thriller
Mark Greaney, BURNER
Mick Herron, THE SECRET HOURS
John Lawton, MOSCOW EXILE
Anthony McCarten, GOING ZERO
T. J. Newman, DROWNING

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2024 Killer Nashville – Silver Falchion Awards

1 Comment / Bestselling Author, Book List, Cozy, Crime, Featured, Historical, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Paranormal, Suspense, Thriller, Western, Young Adult/Teen

The 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Finalists represent the best books published in 2023, as determined by the judges. Full disclosure, I was a judge this year and one of my choices won! The winners in each category (indicated in  red) were announced on August 24, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, at Killer Nashville.

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE
A New Game / A.M. Adair
Siphon / Ley Esses
A Blanket of Steel / Timothy S. Johnston
Hanging the Devil / Tim Maleeny
Splinter / Paul McHugh
The Warmaker: A Black Spear Novel / Benjamin Spada

BEST COMEDY
Downsized or Dead / S.E. Greco
Shocked by Champagne / Lucy Lakestone
Cultured / DP Lyle
Citizen Orlov / Jonathan Payne
Model Suspect / TK Sheffield
A Crafty Collage of Crime / Lois Winston

BEST COZY
Under the Cocoon Moon / Kathleen Bailey
Dumpster Dying / Michelle Bennington
Puppy Love / Mike Faricy
Naked Came the Detective / Glendall Jackson
Karma Comes in Red, A Beyond Mystery / Morgan James
Trust the Terrier: A Coral Shores Veterinary Mystery / DL Mitchell

BEST HISTORICAL
Revenge at the Galliano Club / Carmen Amato
Red Flags: A Novel / Rebecca McQueen
Arsenic at Ascot, A Fiona Figg & Kitty Lane Mystery / Kelly Oliver
The Sorrowful Girl / Keenan Powell
The Last Drop of Hemlock / Katharine Schellman
A Courtesan’s Secret / Nina Wachsman

BEST INVESTIGATOR
When Things Fall Apart / Alan Brenham
Reflections in a Dragon’s Eye / Bradley Harper MD
Vessels of Wrath / Thomas Holland
These Still Black Waters / Christina McDonald
Standing Dead: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery / Margaret Mizushima
Splintered Loyalty / Mark Troy

BEST JUVENILE / Y.A.
Where Echoes Die / Courtney Gould
The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary / K.B. Jackson
A Place of Vengeance / David Lafferty 
A Tall Dark Trouble / Vanessa Montalban
Immortality: A Love Story / Dana Schwartz
Stateless / Elizabeth Wein

BEST MYSTERY
Mouse in the Box / Lewis Allan
Indigo Road / Reed Bunzel
Beautiful Death / John Deal
Secrets Don’t Sink / Kate B. Jackson
BeatNikki’s Café / Renee James
The Empty Kayak / Jode Millman

BEST SUPERNATURAL
Monstera / EL Block
Personal Demons / L.R. Braden
The Paleontologist / Luke Dumas
Downpour / Christopher Hawkins
A Mother’s Torment / Xavier Poe Kane
Ghost Tamer / Meredith R. Lyons

BEST SUSPENSE
Don’t Close Your Eyes / Mary Alford
Deep Fake Double Down / Debbie Burke
Deadly Tides / Mary Keliikoa
Perspectives / Matthew Minson
Dead West / Linda L. Richards
The Rule of Thirds / Jeannee Sacken

BEST THRILLER
Checkout Time / John Bukowski
The Followers / Bradeigh Godfrey
The Trap / Catherine Ryan Howard
Implied Consent / Keenan Powell
Breaking Apart / Wanda Venters, MD and Mary Rae, MD
Kyd’s Game / Marc Rosenberg

BEST WESTERN
Reckoning / Baron Birtcher
Bladestay / Jackie Johnson
Sting of Lies / Carol Potenza

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!

 

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2024 Edgar Awards

Leave a Comment / Amish, Bestselling Author, Cozy, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Non-fiction, Suspense, Thriller, True Crime, Young Adult/Teen

The MWA (Mystery Writers of America) nominees for the 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards honor the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced in 2023. The 78th Annual Edgar® Awards were bestowed on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in New York City. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red).

BEST NOVEL
Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
An Honest Man by Michael Koryta
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

BEST FIRST NOVEL
The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry
The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski
The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Boomtown by A.F. Carter
Hide by Tracy Clark
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Lowdown Road by Scott Von Doviak

BEST FACT CRIME
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America’s Child by Kim Cross
Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux
Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glatt
Crooked: The Roaring ’20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal by Nathan Masters
I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter
The Lost Sons of Omaha: Two Young Men in an American Tragedy by Joe Sexton

BEST YOUNG ADULT
Girl Forgotten by April Henry
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby
The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon
Just Do This One Thing for Me by Laura Zimmerman

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE SCREENPLAY
“Time of the Monkey” – Poker Face, Written by Wyatt Cain & Charlie Peppers (Peacock)

“I’m a Pretty Observant Guy” – Will Trent, Written by Liz Heldens (ABC)

“Dead Man’s Hand” – Poker Face, Written by Rian Johnson (Peacock)

“Hózhó Náhásdlii (Beauty is Restore)” – Dark Winds, Written by Graham Roland & John Wirth (AMC)

“Escape from Shit Mountain” – Poker Face, Written by Nora Zuckerman & Lilla Zuckerman


The Lilian Jackon Braun Memorial Award
Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow
Murder of an Amish Bridegroom by Patricia Johns
The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell


Additional Award Nominees (Best Juvenile, Best Critical/Biographical, Best Short Story, Mary Higgins Clark Award, Sue Grafton Memorial Award) can be found at  EdgarAwards.com

 

 

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2024 ThrillerFest Awards

Leave a Comment / Bestselling Author, Book List, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Legal, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult/Teen

Thriller writers bring us thrills and chills and keep us turning the pages long into the wee hours of the morning. We love those stay-awake reads! Check out the 2024 International Thriller Writer ThrillerFest Awards finalists. The winners will be announced in NYC on June 3rd. Congratulations to all!

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
S.A. Cosby – ALL THE SINNERS BLEED
Robert Dugoni – HER DEADLY GAME
J.T. Ellison – IT’S ONE OF US
Mick Herron – THE SECRET HOURS
Joe Ide – FIXIT
C.J. Tudor – THE DRIFT

BEST FIRST NOVEL
I.S. Berry – THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW
Amy Chua – THE GOLDEN GATE
Margot Douaihy – SCORCHED GRACE
Kerryn Mayne – LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER
Steve Urszenyi – PERFECT SHOT: A THRILLER

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Tracy Clark – HIDE
Luke Dumas – THE PALEONTOLOGIST
Tess Gerritsen – THE SPY COAST
Lisa Gray – TO DIE FOR
Jonathan Maberry – CAVE 13: A JOE LEDGER AND ROGUE TEAM INTERNATIONAL NOVEL
J. Todd Scott – CALL THE DARK

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Sorboni Banerjee, Dominique Richardson – RED AS BLOOD
Darcy Coates – WHERE HE CAN’T FIND YOU
Courtney Gould – WHERE ECHOES DIE
Andrea Hannah – WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS
Elizabeth Wein – STATELESS

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Jeff Buick – THE VULTURE FUND
Rona Halsall – THE BIGAMIST
Matt Phillips – A GOOD RUSH OF BLOOD
Lisa Regan – CLOSE HER EYES
Robert Swartwood – THE KILLING ROOM
Laura Wolfe – THE IN-LAWS

From the ITW site: “With more than 5,000 members in 49 countries, representing over 3.2 billion book sales, ITW is the world’s leading organization for thriller writers. ITW helps authors hone their craft, learn about the business aspects of publishing, and helps connect writers with readers.”

 

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2023 Anthony Awards

Leave a Comment / Bestselling Author, Book List, Cozy, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Short Stories/Collection, Suspense, Thriller

Bouchercon is an annual conference named after Anthony Boucher, a mystery author and critic who helped found the Mystery Writers of America. This event honors various segments of the mystery and crime fiction community. Take a look at the nominees and winners of the coveted Anthony Award, announced in San Diego during BoucherCon in September, with the winners indicated in red.

BEST HARDCOVER
Kellye Garrett “Like a Sister”
Gabino Iglesias  “The Devil Takes You Home”
Richard Osman  “The Bullet That Missed”
Louise Penny “A World of Curiosities”
Nita Prose  “The Maid”
Alex Segura  “Secret Identity”

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Eli Cranor  “Don’t Know Tough”
Ramona Emerson  “Shutter”
Harini Nagendra  “The Bangalore Detectives Club”
Rob Osler  “Devil’s Chew Toy”
Nita Prose  “The Maid”

BEST HUMOROUS
Ellen Byron  “Bayou Book Thief”
Jennifer J. Chow “Death by Bubble Tea”
T.G. Herren  “A Streetcar Named Murder”
Catriona McPherson  “Scot in a Trap”
Raquel V. Reyes  “Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking”

BEST PAPERBACK/Ebook/Audiobook
Kelly J. Ford  “Real Bad Things”
James L’Etoile  “Dead Drop”
Jess Lourey  “The Quarry Girls”
Gabriel Valjan  “Hush Hush”
Sandra SG Wong  “In the Dark We Forget”

BEST SHORT STORY
E.A. Aymar “Still Crazy After All These Years” (Paranoia Blues)
Bruce Robert Coffin  “The Impediment” (Deadly Nightshade)
Barb Goffman “Beauty and the Beyotch” (Sherlock Holmes MM)
Curtis Ippolito  “The Estate Sale”  (Vautrin Magazine)
Gabriel Valjan  “C.O.D.” (Low Down Dirty Vote, Vol. 3)

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

 

2023 Anthony Awards Read More »

2023 ThrillerFest Awards

2 Comments / Bestselling Author, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Short Stories/Collection, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult/Teen

Thriller writers bring us thrills and chills and keep us turning the pages long into the wee hours of the morning. We love those stay-awake reads! Check out the 2023 International Thriller Writer ThrillerFest Awards finalists and winners. The winners were  announced in NYC on June 3rd. (indicated in red) Congratulations to all!

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
Delilah S. Dawson – THE VIOLENCE
Jennifer Hillier – THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK
Alma Katsu – THE FERVOR
Jennifer McMahon – THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL
Chris Pavone – TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON
Catriona Ward – SUNDIAL

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Lauren Nossett – THE RESEMBLANCE
Sascha Rothchild – BLOOD SUGAR
Hayley Scrivenor – DIRT TOWN
Stacy Willingham – A FLICKER IN THE DARK
Erin Young – THE FIELDS

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Mary Burton – THE LIES I TOLD
Mark Edwards – NO PLACE TO RUN
Minka Kent – UNMISSING
Freida McFadden – THE HOUSEMAID
Wanda Morris – ANYWHERE YOU RUN
Holly Wainwright – THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS
Loreth Anne White – THE PATIENT’S SECRET

BEST SHORT STORY
Dominique Bibeau – RUSSIAN FOR BEGINNERS (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Barb Goffman – THE GIFT (Down & Out Books)
Smita Harish Jain – PUBLISH OR PERISH (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Joyce Carol Oates – 33 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Anna Scotti – SCHRÖDINGER, CAT (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Catherine Steadman – STOCKHOLM (Amazon Original Stories)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Melissa Albert – OUR CROOKED HEARTS
Gillian French – SUGARING OFF
Kate McLaughlin – DAUGHTER
Francesca Padilla – WHAT’S COMING TO ME
Courtney Summers – I’M THE GIRL

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Bill Byrnes – EVASIVE SPECIES (Self-published)
Diane Jeffrey – THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE (HarperCollins)
Grant McKenzie – THE SEVEN TRUTHS OF HANNAH BAXTER (Self-published)
Rick Mofina – THE HOLLOW PLACE (Self-published)
Carrie Rubin – FATAL ROUNDS (Self-published)

 

2023 ThrillerFest Awards Read More »

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 31st. 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 Barry Awards (Crime Fiction) Read More »

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