CrimeFest

2023 CrimeFest Awards

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

CrimeFest celebrates the best of crime fiction first published in the UK. In general, the titles are sent in by the publishers for consideration, then read and reduced to the list of finalists you see below. A group of British crime fiction reviewers selects both the finalists and the winners. The awards were presented on May 13. The category winners are indicated in red.

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award

  • A Good Day to Die, by Amen Alonge
  • Bad for Good, by Graham Bartlett
  • The Maid, by Nita Prose
  • Ashes in the Snow, by Oriana Rammuno, translated by Katherine Gregor
  • Kalmann, by Joachim B. Schmidt, translated by Jamie Lee Searle
  • Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivenor
  • The Siege, by John Sutherland
  • A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham

eDunnit Award

  • The Cliff House, by Chris Brookmyre
  • Desert Star, by Michael Connelly
  • The Botanist, by M.W. Craven
  • The Book of the Most Precious Substance, by Sara Gran
  • A Heart Full of Headstones, by Ian Rankin
  • Nine Lives, by Peter Swanson

Last Laugh Award (for the best humorous crime novel)

  • Bryant & May’s Peculiar London, by Christopher Fowler
  • The Locked Room, by Elly Griffiths
  • Bad Actors, by Mick Herron
  • Hope to Die, by Cara Hunter
  • Mr. Campion’s Mosaic, by Mike Ripley
  • The Moose Paradox, by Antti Tuomainen

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! 

2023 CrimeFest Awards Read More »

2022 – CrimeFest

Leave a Comment / Bestselling Author, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Fiction, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Readers Under 12, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult/Teen

CrimeFest celebrates the best of crime fiction first published in the UK. In general, the titles are sent in by the publishers for consideration, then read and reduced to the list of finalists you see below. A group of British crime fiction reviewers selects both the finalists and the winners.

 

The 2022 in-person convention was held May 12-15, 2022, in Bristol. The awards for titles published in 2021 were announced at the Gala that weekend. Each winner received a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award. Some winning authors also received one thousand pounds. The winners are indicated in red.

Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award nominees:
– Abigail Dean for Girl A 
– Janice Hallett for The Appeal 
– Saima Mir for The Khan 
– Rahul Raina for How to Kidnap the Rich 
– Lara Thompson for One Night, New York
– David Heska Wanbli Weiden for Winter Counts

 

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the United Kingdom in 2021 in both printed and audio formats. The winning author and audiobook reader(s) share the £1,000 prize equally.

– Lee and Andrew Child for Better Off Dead, reader Jeff Harding
– Abigail Dean for Girl A, reader Holliday Grainger
– Paula Hawkins for Slow Fire Burning, reader Rosamund Pike
– Lisa Jewell for The Night She Disappeared, reader Joanna Froggatt
– Liane Moriarty  for Apples Never Fall, reader Caroline Lee
– Richard Osman for The Man Who Died Twice, reader Lesley Manville
– K.L. Slater for The Marriage, reader Lucy Price-Lewis
– Karin Slaughter for False Witness, reader Kathleen Early

 

eDUNNIT AWARD
The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the United Kingdom in 2021.

– Megan Abbott for The Turnout
– Gianrico Carofiglio for The Measure of Time
– Michael Connelly for The Dark Hours
– Abigail Dean for Girl A
– Cath Staincliffe for Running Out of Road
– Andrew Taylor for The Royal Secret


LAST LAUGH AWARD
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom in 2021.

– Simon Brett for An Untidy Death
– Andrea Camilleri for Riccardino
– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down
– Janice Hallett for The Appeal
– Mick Herron for Slough House
– Antti Tuomainen for The Rabbit Factor


Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12):
– Frank Cottrell-Boyce for Noah’s Gold
– Maz Evans for VI Spy: Licence to Chill
– Anthony Horowitz for Nightshade
– Anthony Kessel for The Five Clues
– Jennifer Killick for Crater Lake Evolution
– M.G. Leonard for Twitch
– Alexandra Page (illustrator: Penny Neville-Lee) for Wishyouwas
– Ella Risbridger for The Secret Detectives


Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (ages 12-16):
– Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé for Ace of Spades
– Angeline Boulley for Firekeeper’s Daughter
– Andreina Cordani for The Girl Who…
– William Hussey for The Outrage
– Holly Jackson for As Good As Dead
– Patrice Lawrence for Splinters of Sunshine
– Jonathan Stroud for The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne
– C.L. Taylor for The Island

 

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!                

 

2022 – CrimeFest Read More »

2021 – CrimeFest

Bestselling Author, Book List, Crime, Debut Author, Featured, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Non-fiction, Readers Under 12, Suspense, Thriller

Now in its 14th year, the awards honor the best crime books released in 2020 in the UK. From their site: “CRIMEFEST is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics.” In most cases, eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlists.

Affected by Covid as so many other events have, the 2021 winners were announced online in May.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (Indicated in red)!

 

DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir  “The Creak on the Stairs”

Marion Brunet “Summer of Reckoning”

Robin Morgan-Bentley “The Wreckage”

Richard Osman “The Thursday Murder Club”

Mara Timon “City of Spies”

Trevor Wood “The Man on the Street”

 

LAST LAUGH AWARD  (humorous crime fiction)

Ben Aaronovitch “False Value”

ChristopherFowler “Bryant & May-Oranges and Lemons”

Elly Griffiths “The Postscript Murders”

Carl Hiaasen “Squeeze Me”

RichardOsman “The Thursday Murder Club”

Malcolm Pryce “The Corpse in the Garden of Perfect Brightness”

Khurrum Rahman “Ride or Die”

OlgaWojtas “Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace”

 

eDUNNIT AWARD (ebooks)

Gabriel Bergmoser “The Hunted”

Sharon Bolton “The Split”

P. Carter “Little Boy Lost”

Steve Cavanagh “Fifty-Fifty”

Michael Connelly “Fair Warning”

James Lee Burke “A Private Cathedral”

Ian Rankin “A Song for the Dark Times”

Holly Watt “The Dead Line”

 

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD (critical or biography)

Mark Aldridge “Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World”

MartinEdwards (editor) “Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club”

Colin Larkin “Cover Me: The Vintage Art of Pan Books: 1950-1965”

Andrew Lycett “Conan Doyle’s Wide World”

Heather Martin “The Reacher Guy”

Sheila Mitchell “HRF Keating: A Life of Crime”

Craig Sisterson “Southern Cross Crime: The Pocket Essential Guide to the Crime Fiction, Film & TV of Australia and New Zealand”

Peter Temple “The Red Hand: Stories, reflections and the last appearance of Jack Irish”

 

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (ages 8-12)

Sophie Deen “Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes”

Elly Griffiths “A Girl Called Justice -The Smugglers’ Secret”

Anthony Horowitz “Nightshade”

Jack Noel “My Headteacher is an Evil Genius”

Serena Patel “Anisha, Accidental Detective”

Serena Patel “School’s Cancelled”

Onjali Q. Rauf “The Night Bus Hero”

Dave Shelton “The Pencil Case”

 

 

2021 – CrimeFest Read More »

CrimeFest 2020

Leave a Comment / Debut Author, Featured, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult/Teen

Covid19 has struck down yet another crime fiction convention, this time CrimeFest, held in Bristol, UK, each year. In most cases, eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlists and the winning titles. The winners were announced on July 6th. The authors and their books are innocent bystanders in this pandemic, and deserve to have your attention and support. Click on the links to take a look at the nominated titles. The winners are indicated in red.

 

CRIMEFEST has a new sponsor and they have instituted a new award for a crime novel by a debut author first published in the British Isles in 2019. The winning author receives a £1,000 prize as well as a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award nominees:
– Fiona Erskine for The Chemical Detective
– Katja Ivar for Evil Things
– Carolyn Kirby for The Conviction of Cora Burns
– Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient
– Laura Shepherd-Robinson for Blood & Sugar
– Holly Watt for To The Lions


AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the United Kingdom in 2019 in both printed and audio formats.

Audible Sounds of Crime Award nominees:
– Kate Atkinson for Big Sky, read by Jason Isaacs
– Oyinkan Braithwaite for My Sister, the Serial Killer, read by Weruche Opia
– Alex Callister for Winter Dark, read by Ell Potter
– Lee Child for Blue Moon, read by Jeff Harding
– Lisa Jewell for The Family Upstairs, read by Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland & Dominic Thorburn
– T.M. Logan for The Holiday, read by Laura Kirman
– Peter May for The Man with No Face, read by Peter Forbes
– Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient, read by Louise Brealey & Jack Hawkins


eDUNNIT AWARD The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the United Kingdom in 2019.

eDunnit Award nominees:
– Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario
– Sarah Hilary for Never Be Broken
– Andrew Taylor for The King’s Evil
– L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring
– Holly Watt for To The Lions
– Don Winslow for The Border


LAST LAUGH AWARD The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom in 2019.

Last Laugh Award nominees:
– William Boyle for A Friend is a Gift you Give Yourself
– Hannah Dennison for Tidings of Death at Honeychurch Hall
– Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario
– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May – The Lonely Hour
– Antti Tuomainen for Little Siberia
– L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring


H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction first published in the United Kingdom in 2019.

H.R.F. Keating Award nominees:
– Ursula Buchan for Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps
– John Curran for The Hooded Gunman
– Barry Forshaw for Crime Fiction: A Reader’s Guide


BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN This award is for the best crime novel for children (aged 8-12) first published in the United Kingdom in 2019.

Nominees for the CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12):
– P.G. Bell for The Great Brain Robbery
– Vivian French for The Steam Whistle Theatre Company
– Sophie Green for Potkin and Stubbs
– A.M. Howell for The Garden of Lost Secrets
– Simon Lelic for The Haven
– Thomas Taylor for Malamander


BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS This award is for the best crime novel for young adults (aged 12-16) first published in the United Kingdom in 2019.

Nominees for the CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (ages 12-16):
– Kathryn Evans for Beauty Sleep
– John Grisham for Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
– Samuel J. Halpin for The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods
– Simon Mason for Hey Sherlock!
– Tom Pollock for Heartstream
– Nikesh Shukla for The Boxer

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

 

CrimeFest 2020 Read More »

CrimeFest 2019

Leave a Comment / Award Winner, Bestselling Author, Book List, Crime, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Non-fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult/Teen

 

CrimeFest Awards began as a variation of the USA’s Left Coast Crime Awards and has become one of the best crime fiction conferences in Europe. In most cases, eligible titles for the various awards were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title. The 2019 awards for 2018 books/titles were presented at a dinner held on Saturday, May 11th.


Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red). Click on the book titles to discover more about the nominees and winners.


The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the UK in 2018 in both printed and audio formats.
– Ben Aaronovitch for Lies Sleeping, read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
– Louise Candlish for Our House, read by Deni Francis & Paul Panting
– Bill Clinton & James Patterson for The President Is Missing, read by Dennis Quaid, January LaVoy, Peter Ganim, Jeremy Davidson, Mozhan Marnò and Bill Clinton
– Robert Galbraith for Lethal White, read by Robert Glenister
– Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen for The Wife Between Us, read by Julia Whelan
– Stephen King for The Outsider, read by Will Patton
– Clare Mackintosh for Let Me Lie, read by Gemma Whelan & Clare Mackintosh
– Peter May for I’ll Keep You Safe, read by Anna Murray & Peter Forbes
– Ian Rankin for In a House of Lies, read by James MacPherson
– Sarah Vaughan for Anatomy of a Scandal, read by Julie Teal, Luke Thompson, Esther Wane and Sarah Feathers


eDUNNIT AWARD is for the best crime fiction ebook published in both hardcopy and in electronic format.
– Leye Adenle for When Trouble Sleeps
– Steve Cavanagh for Thirteen
– Martin Edwards for Gallows Court
– Laura Lippman for Sunburn
– Khurrum Rahman for Homegrown Hero
– Andrew Taylor for The Fire Court
– Sarah Ward for The Shrouded Path


LAST LAUGH AWARD is for the best humorous crime novel.
– Simon Brett for A Deadly Habit
– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May – Hall of Mirrors
– Mario Giordano for Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord
– Mick Herron for London Rules
– Khurrum Rahman for Homegrown Hero
– Lynne Truss for A Shot in the Dark
– Antti Tuomainen for Palm Beach Finland
– Olga Wojtas for Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar


H.R.F. KEATING AWARD is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction.
– Nils Clausson for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Art of Fiction
– Brian Cliff for Irish Crime Fiction
– Glen S. Close for Female Corpses in Crime Fiction
– Laura Joyce & Henry Sutton for Domestic Noir
– Barry Forshaw for Historical Noir
– Steven Powell for The Big Somewhere: Essays on James Ellroy’s Noir World
– James Sallis for Difficult Lives – Hitching Rides


BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN nominees:
– P.G. Bell for The Train to Impossible Places
– Fleur Hitchcock for Murder At Twilight
– S.A. Patrick for A Darkness of Dragons
– Dave Shelton for The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery
– Lauren St. John for Kat Wolfe Investigates
– Nicki Thornton for The Last Chance Hotel


BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS nominees:
– David Almond for The Colour of the Sun
– Mel Darbon for Rosie Loves Jack
– Julia Gray for Little Liar
– Tom Pollock for White Rabbit, Red Wolf
– Nikesh Shukla for Run, Riot
– Neal & Jarrod Shusterman for Dry


THE PETRONA AWARD celebrates the best of Scandinavian crime fiction. The winner this year is Norwegian writer, Jorn Lier Horst, for “The Katharina Code.”
 

Happy Reading!

 

 

CrimeFest 2019 Read More »

CrimeFest 2018

Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

 

The 10th anniversary of CrimeFest was held in Bristol, England. Attended by over 500 fans, writers, agents, and publishers this year, the CrimeFest Awards began as a variation of the USA’s Left Coast Crime Awards and has become one of the best crime fiction conferences in Europe.
 

In most cases, eligible titles for the various awards were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red). Click on the book titles to discover more about the nominees and winners.


CRIMEFEST AWARDS

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the British Isles in 2017.

– Chris Brookmyre, Want You Gone 
– Ken Bruen, The Ghosts of Galway 
– Michael Connelly, The Late Show
– Joe Ide, IQ 
– Dennis Lehane, Since We Fell 
– Steve Mosby, You Can Run 
– Gunnar Staalesen, Wolves in the Dark 
– Sarah Stovell, Exquisite 


LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the British Isles in 2017.

– Simon Brett, Blotto, Twinks and the Stars of the Silver Screen 
– Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May – Wild Chamber 
– Mick Herron, Spook Street 
– Vaseem Khan, The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star 
– Khurrum Rahman, East of Hounslow 
– C.J. Skuse, Sweetpea 
– Antti Tuomainen, The Man Who Died 
– L.C. Tyler, Herring in the Smoke 

 
BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (12 – 16)

CRIMEFEST presents this award to celebrate the burgeoning interest in fiction for young adults as a whole. Eligible titles are crime novels for children (ages 12-16) first published in the British Isles in 2017. 

– Cat Clarke, Girlhood 
– Zana Fraillon, The Ones That Disappeared 
– Will Hill, After the Fire 
– Patrice Lawrence, Indigo Donut
– E. Lockhart, Genuine Fraud 
– Sophie McKenzie, SweetFreak 
– Teri Terry, Dark Matter: Contagion 
– Teresa Toten, Beware That Girl 


Please visit http://www.crimefest.com/awards-cf/ for nominees and winners in the AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME, the BEST CRIME NOVEL for CHILDREN 8-12, the H.R.F. KEATING AWARD, and the PETRONA AWARD.

 

CrimeFest 2018 Read More »

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