Book Notes — A Krueger Sweep of 2014 Awards, And Best Crime Writers Of The 21ST Century?

Winning Mystery

It is award season for crime writers.  Each year there are hundreds of awards given for mystery-related writing. To give you an idea of what company the current winners keep, the list that follows is a list for the top awards since the new century began, including this year’s choices. 

William Kent Krueger

This list includes only “best novel” of the year awards as determined by the genre’s most established award givers — Mystery Writers of America (The Edgar and Anthony),  Private Eye Writers of America (The Shamus), Mystery Readers International (The Macavity) and the comprehensive mystery review quarterly, Deadly Pleasures (The Barry).

In an unusual turn of events, one author, William Kent Krueger, won all of the above-mentioned awards for “Best Novel,” except the Shamus, for which it was not eligible*.

Congratulations to all the 2014 winners (published in 2013) and to all of the nominees. Check the organizations’ web sites for best first novels, best short stories and other outstanding accomplishments by today’s crime writers. 

2000   Jan Burke, Bones, Edgar

 Don Winslow, California Fire and Life, Shamus

           Peter Robinson, In a Dry Season, Anthony

           Sujata Massey, The Flower Master, Macavity

           Peter Robinson, In a Dry Season, Barry

2001   Joe R. Lansdale, The Bottoms, Edgar

           Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Havana Heat, Shamus

           Val McDermid, A Place of Execution, Anthony

 Val McDermid, A Place of Execution, Macavity

 Nevada Barr Deep South, Barry

2002   T. Jefferson Parker, California Girl, Edgar

           S. J. Rozan, Reflecting the Sky, Shamus

           Dennis Lehane, Mystic River, Anthony

           Laurie R. King, Folly, Macavity

           Dennis Lehane, Mystic River, Barry

2003   S. J. Rozan, Winter and Night, Edgar

           James W. Hall, Blackwater Sound, Shamus

           Michael Connelly, City of Bones, Anthony

           S.J. Rozan, Winter and Night, Macavity

           Michael Connelly, City of Bones, Barry

2004   Ian Rankin, Resurrection Men, Edgar

           Ken Bruen, The Guards, Shamus

           Laura Lippman, Every Secret Thing, Anthony

           Peter Lovesey, The House Sitter, Macavity

           Laura Lippman, Every Secret Thing, Barry

2005   T. Jefferson Parker, California Girl, Edgar

           Ed Wright, While I Disappear, Shamus

           William Kent Krueger, Blood Hollow, Anthony

           Ken Bruen, The Killing of the Tinkers, Macavity

           Lee Child, The Enemy, Barry

2006   Jess Walter, Citizen Vince, Edgar

           Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer, Shamus

           William Kent Krueger, Mercy Falls, Anthony

           Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer, Macavity

           Thomas H. Cook, Red Leaves, Barry

2007   Jason Goodwin, The Janissary Tree, Edgar

           Ken Bruen, The Dramatist, Shamus

           Laura Lippman, No Good Deeds, Anthony

           Nancy Pickard, The Virgin of Small Plains, Macavity

           George Pelecanos, The Night Gardener, Barry

2008   John Hart, Down River, Edgar

           Reed Farrel Coleman, Soul Patch, Shamus

           Laura Lippman, What the Dead Know, Anthony

           Laura Lippman, What the Dead Know, Macavity

           Laura Lippman, What the Dead Know, Barry

2009   C. J. Box, Blue Heaven, Edgar

           Reed Farrel Coleman, Empty Ever After, Shamus

           Michael Connelly, The Brass Verdict, Anthony

           Deborah Crombie, Where Memories Lie, Macavity

           Arnaldur Indridason, The Draining Lake, Barry

2010   John Hart, The Last Child, Edgar

           Marcia Muller, Locked In, Shamus

           Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling, Anthony

           John Hart, The Last Child, Macavity

           John Hart, The Last Child, Barry

2011   Steve Hamilton, The Lock Artist, Edgar

           Lori Armstrong, No Merci, Shamus

           Louise Penny, Bury Your Dead, Anthony

           Louise Penny, Bury Your Dead, Macavity

           Steve Hamilton, The Lock Artist, Barry

2012   Mo Hayder, Gone, Edgar

           Michael Wiley, A Bad Night's Sleep, Shamus

           Louise Penny, A Trick of the Light, Anthony

           Susan Gran, Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, Macavity

           Jussi Adler Olsen, The Keeper of Lost Causes, Barry

   

2013   Dennis Lehane, Live By Night, Edgar

           Robert Crais, Taken, Shamus

 Louise Penny, The Beautiful Mystery, Anthony

Brad Parks

           Louise Penny, The Beautiful Mystery, Macavity

 Peter May, The Blackhouse, Barry

2014 

William Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace, Edgar, Macavity, Barry & Anthony

Brad Parks, The Good Cop, Shamus

           

*The Shamus Awards are reserved for work featuring ptivate eyes. In general, the PWA defines a "private eye" as any mystery protagonist who is a professional investigator, but not a police officer or government agent.