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| Edgar & Hammett 2915 |
Each
year there are hundreds of awards given for mystery-related writing. What
follows is a list of awards for the top award (“best novel” of the year)
in this new century 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).
Some
years, a single author dominates. Last
year William Kent Krueger nearly swept the board. This year, the honors were more widely
spread.
Congratulations
to all the 2015 winners 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
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| Anthony 2915 |
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
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| Macavity 2015 |
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
 |
| Shamus 2015 |
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
Steven
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
 |
| Barry 2015 |
2013
Dennis
Lehane, Live By Night, Edgar
Robert
Crais, Taken, Shamus
Louise
Penny, The Beautiful Mystery, Anthony
Louise
Penny, The Beautiful Mystery, Macavity
Peter
May, The Blackhouse, Barry
2014
William
Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace, Edgar
Brad
Parks, The Good Cop, Shamus
William
Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace, Anthony
William
Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace,
Macavity
William
Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace, Barry
2015
Stephen King, Mr.
Mercedes, Edgar
David Rosenfelt, Hounded,
Shamus
Laura Lippman, After
I’m Gone, Anthony
Alex Marwood, The
Killer Next Door, Macavity
Greg Isles, Natchez Burning, Barry
Other recent Awards:
The Hammett Prize, from The International Association of Crime Writers (North
American Branch) went to Stephen King for his novel, Mr. Mercedes. Paul Cleave’s Five
Minutes Alone picked up the 2015 Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel.
Another note: The Shamus for best Indie P.I. novel (a rare, but timely
category) was awarded to Trace Conger for The
Shadow Broker, which I reviewed here earlier this year. In the cozy world, this year’s Agatha was
given to Hank Phillippi Ryan for Truth Be
Told.
*Note To qualify for the Shamus, the main character must be
a private investigator or a non-cop who is paid for his or her services.
