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Shamus Awards – 2022

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

The 2022 Shamus Award Winners, for private eye novels and short stories first published in the United States in 2021, have been announced. PWA’s (Private Eye Writers of America) definition of a Private Eye: a person paid to investigate crimes who is not employed by a government agency. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (noted in red).

BEST PI HARDCOVER
RUNNER by Tracy Clark
LAST REDEMPTION by Matt Coyle
PAY OR PLAY by Howard Michael Gould
FAMILY BUSINESS by S. J. Rozan
HEAD CASE by Michael Wiley

BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
EVERY CITY IS EVERY OTHER CITY by John McFetridge
THE BURDEN OF INNOCENCE by John Nardizzi
ANGELS IN THE WIND by Manuel Ramos
FROG IN A BUCKET by Clive Rosengren
AN EMPTY GRAVE by Andrew Welsh-Huggins

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
PORNO VALLEY by Philip Elliot
A DEAD MAN’S EYES by Lori Duffy Foster
SUBURBAN DICKS by Fabian Nicieza
THE ARRANGEMENT by M. Ravenel
LOST LITTLE GIRL by Gregory Stout

BEST PI SHORT STORY
DISPOSABLE WOMEN by Michael Bracken (ToughCrime.com)
SIXTEEN LIES by Matt Goldman (EQMM September/October)
SWEEPS WEEK by Richard Helms (EQMM July/August)
ORO DE TONTOS (FOOL’S GOLD) by Tom Larsen (AHMM November/December)
THE HIDDEN PLACES by Linda Stansberry (EQMM May/June)

Shamus Awards – 2021

Bestselling Author, Crime, Debut Author, Fiction, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Short Stories/Collection, Suspense

The Private Eye Writers of America was founded in 1981 by Robert J. Randisi, who also created the Shamus Award. From the website: “A Private Eye is defined as a private citizen (not a member of the military, federal agency, or civic or state police force) who is paid to investigate crimes. A Private Investigator can be a traditional private eye, a TV or newspaper reporter, an insurance investigator, an employee of an investigative service or agency (think Pinkertons), or similar character.” Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red)

BEST PI HARDCOVER
“What You Don’t See” by Tracy Clark
“Do No Harm” by Max Allan Collins
“Blind Vigil” by Matt Coyle
“House on Fire” by Joseph Finder
“And Now She’s Gone” by Rachel Howzell Hall

          BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
          “Farewell Las Vegas” by Grant Bywaters
          “All Kinds of Ugly” by Ralph Dennis
          “Brittle Karma” by Richard Helms
          “Remember My Face” by John Lantigua
          “Damaged Goods” by Debbi Mack

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“A Dreamboat Gambol” by O’Neil De Noux in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
“Mustang Sally” by John M. Floyd in Black Cat Mystery Magazine
“Setting the Pick” by April Kelly in Mystery Weekly Magazine
“Show and Zeller” by Gordon Linzer in Black Cat Mystery Magazine
“Nashua River Floater” by Tom MacDonald in Coast to Coast Noir

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
“Squatter’s Rights” by Kevin R. Doyle
“Derailed” by Mary Keliikoa
“I Know Where You Sleep” by Alan Orloff
“The Missing American” by Kwei Quartey
“Winter Counts” by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Shamus Awards 2020

Leave a Comment / Bestselling Author, Crime, Debut Author, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Short Stories/Collection, Suspense

The PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA (PWA) is an organization devoted to Private Eye fiction. A Private Eye is defined as “a private citizen (not a member of the military, federal agency, or civic or state police force) who is paid to investigate crimes. A Private Investigator can be a traditional private eye, a TV or newspaper reporter, an insurance investigator, an employee of an investigative service or agency, or similar character.”

The SHAMUS AWARDS 2020 are for works published in 2019. Winners are indicated in red.

Best Original Private Eye (Paperback)

The Skin Game by JD Allen

Behind the Wall of Sleep by James DF Hannah

Paid in Spades by Richard Helms

Ration of Lies by M. Ruth Myers

The Bird Boys by Lisa Sandlin

Best Private Eye Short Story

“The Smoking Bandit of Lakeside Terrace” by Chad Baker in EQMM May/June

“Sac-A-Lait Man” by O’Neil De Noux in EQMM Sept/Oct

“The Dunes of Saulkrasti” by William Burton McCormick in EQMM Sept/Oct

“The Fourteenth Floor” by Adam Meyer in Crime Travel anthology from Wildside Press

“Weathering the Storm” by Michael Pool in The Eyes of Texas anthology from Down & Out Books

Best Private Eye Novel (Hardcover)

The Tower of Songs by Casey Barrett

Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle

The Shadows by Matt Goldman

Below the Line by Michael Gould

Cold Way by Julia Keller

Congratulations to all!