AGATHA AWARDS: MALICE DOMESTIC 2026

The 2026 Agatha Award winners were announced during Malice Domestic 38 on April 25, 2026. The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. Congratulations to all.  

The Agatha Award Winners (for works published in 2025)

Best Contemporary Mystery Novel

• At Death’s Dough, by Mindy Quigley (Minotaur)

Best Historical Mystery Novel

• The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, by Kelly Oliver (Boldwood)

Best Non-fiction

• Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States, by Dawn M. Barclay (Level Best)

Best First Mystery Novel

• Whiskey Business, by Adrian Andover (Chestnut Avenue Press)

Best Children’s/Young Adult Mystery Novel

• Death in the Cards, by Mia P. Manansala (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

Best Mystery Short Story

•  “Six-Armed Robbery,” by Ashley Ruth-Bernier (from Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous)

AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES: Malice Domestic 38

The Agatha Award nominees: Malice Domestic. Awards will be announced at Malice Domestic 38, April 24-26, 2026 in Bethesda, MD. Congratulations to all. 

AGATHA AWARD WINNERS 2025: Malice Domestic

The Agatha Awards were presented last night at Malice Domestic. Congratulations to all.

Best Contemporary Novel: Gigi Pandian for A Midnight Puzzle

Best First Novel: K.T. Nguyen for You Know What You Did 

Best Non-Fiction: Phyllis M. Betz for Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors' Perspectives on Their Craft

Best Children's/YA: K.A. Jackson for Sasquatch of Harriman Lake

Best Historical Novel: Amanda Flower for To Slip the Bonds of Earth

Best Short Story: Barb Goffman for "The Postman Always Flirts Twice" in Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy

AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES: Malice Domestic 2025

Malice Domestic 2025 announced the Nominees for the Agatha Awards. Congratulations to all! 

AGATHA AWARDS: Malice Domestic

The Agatha Award Winners were announced at Malice Domestic tonight. Congratulations to all.

Best Contemporary Novel

A World of Curiosities, Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best Historical Novel

Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Amanda Flower (Berkley)

Best First Novel

Cheddar Off Dead, Korina Moss (St. Martin’s)

Best Short Story

"Beauty and the Beyotch," Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Magazine, Feb. 2022)

Best Non-Fiction 

 Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane Vallere Ed. (Sisters in Crime)

Best Children's/YA Mystery

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

AGATHA AWARD NOMINATIONS: Malice Domestic

MALICE DOMESTIC announced the Agatha Award Nominees. Congratulations to all. The Agatha Awards will be presented Saturday, April 29, 2023, during Malice Domestic 35.

Best Contemporary Novel

Bayou Book Thief, Ellen Byron (Berkley Prime Crime)
Death By Bubble Tea, Jennifer J. Chow (Berkley)
Fatal Reunion, Annette Dashofy (Level Best Books)
Dead Man's Leap, Tina de Bellegarde (Level Best Books)
A World of Curiosities, Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best Historical Novel

The Counterfeit Wife, Mally Becker (Level Best Books)
Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Amanda Flower (Berkley)
The Lindbergh Nanny, Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur)
In Place of Fear, Catriona McPherson (Mobius)
Under a Veiled Moon, Karen Odden (Crooked Lane Books)

Best First Novel

Cheddar Off Dead, Korina Moss (St. Martin’s)
Death in the Aegean, M. A. Monnin (Level Best Books)
The Bangalore Detectives Club, Harini Nagendra (Constable)
Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob Osler (Crooked Lane Books)
The Finalist, Joan Long (Level Best Books)
The Gallery of Beauties, Nina Wachsman (Level Best Books)

Best Short Story

"Beauty and the Beyotch," Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Magazine, Feb. 2022)
"There Comes a Time," Cynthia Kuhn, Malice Domestic Murder Most Diabolical (Wildside Press)
"Fly Me to the Morgue," Lisa Q Mathews, Malice Domestic Mystery Most Diabolical (Wildside Press)
"The Minnesota Twins Meet Bigfoot," Richie Narvaez, Land of 10,000 Thrills, Bouchercon Anthology (Down & Out Books)
"The Invisible Band," Art Taylor, Edgar & Shamus Go Golden (Down & Out Books)

Best Non-Fiction

The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators, Martin Edwards (HarperCollins)
The Handbook to Agatha Christie: The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, Mary Anna Evans and J. C. Bernthal (Bloomsbury Academic)
The Science of Murder: The Forensics of Agatha Christie, Carla Valentine (Sourcebooks)
Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane Vallere Ed. (Sisters in Crime)
Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman, Lucy Worsley (Pegasus Crime)

Best Children's/YA Mystery

Daybreak on Raven Island, Fleur Bradley (Viking Books for Young People)
In Myrtle Peril, Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers)
#shedeservedit, Greg Herren (Bold Strokes Books)
Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer, Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Publishers)
Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

Agatha Awards: Malice Domestic 2022

Agatha Awards: Malice Domestic 2022 Congratulations to all! Best Contemporary Novel Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books) Best Historical Novel Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins) Best First Novel Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley) Best Short Story "Bay of Reckoning" by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders) Best Non-Fiction How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by MWA with editors Lee Child and Laurie R. King (Simon & Schuster)   Best Children's/YA Mystery I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff (Down & Out Books)

 

AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES: Malice Domestic

Agatha Award Nominations: Malice Domestic 2022 Best Contemporary Novel Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books) Watch Her by Edwin Hill (Kensington) The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (Minotaur) Her Perfect Life by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge) Symphony Road by Gabriel Valjan (Level Best Books) Best Historical Novel Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (Kensington) Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara (Soho Crime) The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime) Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins) The Devil's Music by Gabriel Valjan (Winter Goose Publishing) Best First Novel The Turncoat's Widow by Mally Becker (Level Best Books) A Dead Man's Eyes by Lori Duffy Foster (Level Best Books) Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley) Murder in the Master by Judy L. Murray (Level Best Books) Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (Crooked Lane Books) Best Short Story "A Family Matter" by Barb Goffman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb 2021) "A Tale of Two Sisters" by Barb Goffman in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders) "Doc's at Midnight" by Richie Narvaez in Midnight Hour (Crooked Lane Books) "The Locked Room Library" by Gigi Pandian (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July/Aug 2021) "Bay of Reckoning" by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders) Best Non-Fiction The Combat Zone: Murder, Race, and Boston's Struggle for Justice by Jan Brogan (Bright Leaf Press) Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter by Chris Chan (Level Best Books) The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge, and the Phoenix Park Murders that Stunned Victorian England by Julie Kavanaugh (Atlantic Monthly Press) How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by MWA with editors Lee Child and Laurie R. King (Simon & Schuster) Best Children's/YA Mystery Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers) The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Fiewel and Friends/Macmillan) I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff (Down & Out Books) Leisha's Song by Lynn Slaughter (Fire and Ice/Melange Books) Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

The Agatha Awards will be presented Saturday, April 23, 2022, during Malice Domestic 32.33.34. Malice Registrations and Agatha Banquet Tickets are available on our website.

 

2021 AGATHA AWARD WINNERS: More Than Malice!

The 2021 MALICE DOMESTIC AGATHA AWARDS WINNERS were announced tonight at More Than Malice, the Virtual Malice Domestic Festival this year.

Best Contemporary Novel

All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best Historical Novel 

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)

Best First Novel

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)

Best Short Story 

"Dear Emily Etiquette" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct)

Best Non-Fiction

Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press)

Best Children's/YA

Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richard Narvaez (Piñata Books) 

Congratulations to all of the winners! 

The Agatha Awards were presented during MORE THAN MALICE, an online virtual crime festival this weekend. All the panels and special events have been recorded and will be available to registered participants for a few weeks. You can still register to view the great panels!

Register Now for MORE THAN MALICE

AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES 2020

The 2020 MALICE DOMESTIC AGATHA AWARDS NOMINEES

Best Contemporary Novel 

Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews (Minotaur) 

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books) 

From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris (Kensington) 

All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny (Minotaur) 

The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day (William Morris)

Best Historical Novel 

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley) 

Fate of a Flapper by Susanna Calkins (Griffin) 

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington) 

Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell (Beyond the Page Publishing) 

The Turning Tide by Catriona McPherson (Quercus)

Best First Novel 

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison (Crooked Lane Books) 

Winter Witness by Tina deBelgarde (Level Best Books) 

Derailed by Mary Keliikoa (Epicenter Press, Inc.) 

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington) 

Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker (Kensington)

Best Short Story 

"Dear Emily Etiquette" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct) 

"The Red Herrings at Killington Inn" by Shawn Reilly Simmons Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories (Level Best Books) 

"The Boy Detective & The Summer of ‘74" by Art Taylor (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb) 

"Elysian Fields" by Gabriel Valjan California Schemin’: The 2020 Bouchercon Anthology (Wildside Press) 

"The 25 Year Engagement" by James Ziskin In League with Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon (Pegasus Crime) 

Best Non-Fiction 

Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, 

Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy by Leslie Brody (Seal Press) 

American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson (G. P. Putnam) 

Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club by Martin Edwards (Collins Crime Club) 

Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press) 

H. R. F. Keating: A Life of Crime by Sheila Mitchell (Level Best Books) 

Best Children's/YA 

Mystery Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley (Viking Books for Young Readers) 

Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers) 

Saltwater Secrets by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin) 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (Katherine Teagen Books) Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richard Narvaez (Piñata Books) 

Congratulations to all of the nominees! 

The Agatha Awards will be presented during MORE THAN MALICE, an online virtual crime festival coming this July. Registration is now open! Join us for unique panels and presentations, and of course The Agatha Awards! 

Register Now for MORE THAN MALICE

AGATHA AWARD WINNERS: MALICE DOMESTIC

Malice Domestic just announced the 2019 Agatha Award Winners tonight!
Watch the Zoom Awards Ceremony here.

Best Contemporary Novel
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur)

Best First Mystery Novel
One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House, a division of Harlequin)

Best Historical Mystery
Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)

Best Nonfiction
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)

Best Children/Young Adult
The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Press)

Best Short Story
"The Last Word" by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)

AGATHA NOMINEES: Malice Domestic

Malice Domestic announced the 2019 Agatha Award Nominees. Winners will be announced at Malice Domestic 32 (May 1-3)

Best Contemporary Novel
Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur)
Fair Game by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
A Better Man by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
The Murder List by Hank Philippi Ryan (Forge)

Best First Mystery Novel
A Dream of Death by Connie Berry (Crooked Lane Books)
One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House, a division of Harlequin)
Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins (Minotaur)
When It’s Time for Leaving by Ang Pompano (Encircle Publications)
Staging for Murder by Grace Topping (Henery Press)

Best Historical Mystery 

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen (Penquin)
Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins (Minotaur)
The Pearl Dagger by L. A. Chandlar (Kensington)
Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)
The Naming Game by Gabriel Valjan (Winter Goose Publishing)

Best Nonfiction
Frederic Dannay, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and the Art of the Detective Short Story by Laird R. Blackwell (McFarland)
Blonde Rattlesnake: Burmah Adams, Tom White, and the 1933 Crime Spree that Terrified Los Angeles by Julia Bricklin (Lyons Press)
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (Knopf)
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt)

Best Children/Young Adult
Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak (Disney Hyperion)
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen MacManus (Delacorte Press)
The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Press)
Top Marks for Murder (A Most Unladylike Mystery)
by Robin Stevens (Puffin)
Jada Sly, Artist and Spy by Sherri Winston (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Best Short Story
"Grist for the Mill" by Kaye George in A Murder of Crows (Darkhouse Books)
"Alex’s Choice" by Barb Goffman in Crime Travel (Wildside Press)
"The Blue Ribbon" by Cynthia Kuhn in Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)
"The Last Word" by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)
"Better Days" by Art Taylor in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

AGATHA AWARD WINNERS: Malice Domestic

MALICE DOMESTIC announced the winners the Agatha Awards last night! Congratulations to all!

Best Contemporary Novel 
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)

Best Historical Novel
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)

Best First Novel 
Tie: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall (St. Martin's)

Best Short Story 
Tie: "All God's Sparrows" by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
"The Case of the Vanishing Professor" by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery 
Potion Problems (Just Add Magic) by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)

Best Nonfiction 
Mastering Plot Twists: How to Use Suspense, Targeted Storytelling Strategies, and Structure to Captivate Your Readers by Jane Cleland (Writer's Digest Books)

Links to Agatha Short Story Nominees: Malice Domestic

I love when I can read all the short story nominations for awards, even if I am not voting. Thanks to Art Taylor for the links to the Malice Domestic Agatha Award nominated Short Stories. Some of the links are PDFS, so copy the links and place them in your browser. Congrats to all.

AGATHA SHORT STORY NOMINEES: 

"All God's Sparrows"by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine):
http://www.lesliebudewitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/AllGodsSparrows.pdf

"A Postcard for the Dead"by Susanna Calkins in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press): http://www.susannacalkins.com/uploads/8/6/7/1/8671494/calkins_a_postcard_for_the_dead[1].pdf 

"Bug Appetit" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine): http://www.barbgoffman.com/whose-wine-is-it-anyway-.html

"The Case of the Vanishing Professor"by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine): http://taralaskowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Laskowski_Case_of_the_Vanishing_Professor.pdf

"English 398: Fiction Workshop"by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine): http://www.arttaylorwriter.com/arttaylor/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Taylor_English398.pdf

AGATHA AWARD NOMINEES 2018

MALICE DOMESTIC announced the nominees for the Agatha Awards! The Agatha Awards will be presented on May 4, 2019 during Malice Domestic 31. Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Best Contemporary Novel 
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
Beyond the Truth by Bruce Robert Coffin (Witness Impulse)
Cry Wolf by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
Trust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)

Best Historical Novel 
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen (Berkley)
The Gold Pawn by LA Chandlar (Kensington)
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
Turning the Tide by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)
Murder on Union Square by Victoria Thompson (Berkley)

Best First Novel 
A Ladies Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
Little Comfort by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
What Doesn't Kill You by Aimee Hix (Midnight Ink)
Deadly Solution by Keenan Powell (Level Best Books)
Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall (St. Martin's)

Best Short Story 
"All God's Sparrows" by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
"A Postcard for the Dead" by Susanna Calkins in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)
"Bug Appetit" by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
"The Case of the Vanishing Professor" by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine) "English 398: Fiction Workshop" by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

Best Young Adult Mystery 
Potion Problems (Just Add Magic) by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson (Henry Holt)
A Side of Sabotage by C.M. Surrisi (Carolrhoda Books)

Best Nonfiction 
Mastering Plot Twists by Jane Cleland (Writer's Digest Books)
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J Cohen (Orange Grove Press)
Conan Doyle for the Defense by Margalit Fox (Random House)
Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson (Pegasus Books)
Wicked Women of Ohio by Jane Ann Turzillo (History Press)

AGATHA AWARD WINNERS: Malice Domestic

MALICE DOMESTIC announced the AGATHA AWARD WINNERS tonight in Bethesda, MD. Congratulations to all! For all the nominees, go here.

Best Contemporary Novel
Glass Houses: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

Best Historical Novel 
In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen (Lake Union Publishing)

Best First Novel
Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery by Kellye Garrett (Midnight Ink)

Best Nonfiction 
From Holmes to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon by Mattias Boström (Mysterious Press)

Best Short Story
“The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn” by Gigi Pandian (Henery Press)

Best Children’s/Young Adult
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)

Lifetime Achievement: Nancy Pickard

Amelia Award: David Suchet

Poirot Award: Brenda Blethyn, who stars as DCI Vera Stanhope in the Vera series (based on the books by Ann Cleeves)

Special Amelia Award: Joan Hess

Links to All the Nominated Agatha Award Short Stories

I love when I can read all the short story nominations for awards, even if I am not voting. Thanks to the Malice Domestic folks, here are the links to all 5 short stories that are nominated for the Agatha Award. Congratulations to all!

Agatha Best Short Story Nominees

"Double Deck the Halls" by Gretchen Archer (Henery Press)
“Whose Wine is it Anyway” by Barb Goffman in 50 Shades of Cabernet (Koehler Books)
“The Night They Burned Miss Dixie’s Place” by Debra Goldstein in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017)
“The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn” by Gigi Pandian (Henery Press)
“A Necessary Ingredient” by Art Taylor in Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Seat (Down & Out Books)

***

Here's a link to the Agatha Nominees in all categories.

2017 AGATHA NOMINATIONS

MALICE DOMESTIC announces the 2017 Agatha Nominations. Award ceremonies will be held at Malice Domestic on April 29, 2018 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel, Bethesda, MD. Congratulations to all!

Best Contemporary Novel 
Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook (Crooked Lane Books)
A Cajun Christmas Killing: A Cajun Country Mystery by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
No Way Home: A Zoe Chambers Mystery by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
Take Out by Margaret Maron (Grand Central Publishing)
Glass Houses: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

Best Historical Novel 
In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen (Lake Union Publishing)
Murder in an English Village: A Beryl and Edwina Mystery by Jessica Ellicott (Kensington)
Called to Justice: A Quaker Midwife Mystery by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)
The Paris Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery by Susan Elia MacNeal (Bantam)
Dangerous to Know: A Lillian Frost and Edith Head Novel by Renee Patrick (Forge)

Best First Novel 
Adrift: A Mer Cavallo Mystery by Micki Browning (Alibi-Random House)
The Plot is Murder: Mystery Bookshop by V.M. Burns (Kensington)
Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery by Kellye Garrett (Midnight Ink)
Daughters of Bad Men by Laura Oles (Red Adept Publishing)
Protocol: A Maggie O'Malley Mystery by Kathleen Valenti (Henery Press)

Best Nonfiction 
From Holmes to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon by Mattias Boström (Mysterious Press)
The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards (Poisoned Pen Press)
American Fire: Love, Arson and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse (Liveright Publishing Corp.)
Rewrite Your Life: Discover Your Truth Through the Healing Power of Fiction by Jess Lourey (Conari Press) Manderley
Forever: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier by Tatiana de Rosnay (St. Martin’s Press)

Best Short Story 
Double Deck the Halls by Gretchen Archer (Henery Press)
“Whose Wine is it Anyway” by Barb Goffman in 50 Shades of Cabernet (Koehler Books)
“The Night They Burned Miss Dixie’s Place” by Debra Goldstein in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017)
“The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn” by Gigi Pandian (Henery Press)
“A Necessary Ingredient” by Art Taylor in Cost to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Seat (Down & Out Books)

Best Children’s/Young Adult 
City of Angels by Kristi Belcamino (Polis Books)
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)
The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson (HarperCollins)
Audacity Jones Steals the Show by Kirby Larson (Scholastic Press)
The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley (Scholastic Press)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Agatha Award Winners: Malice Domestic

The Agatha Awards were presented tonight at the Malice Domestic Banquet. Winners in each category were decided by the attendees of Malice Domestic 29. Wish I could have been there. Congratulations to All!

Best Contemporary Novel
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

Best Historical Novel
The Reek of Red Herrings by Catriona McPherson (Minotaur Books)

Best First Novel
The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn (Henery Press)

Best Nonfiction
Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories that Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats by Jane K. Cleland (Writer's Digest Books)

Best Short Story
"Parallel Play" by Art Taylor in Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning (Wildside Press)

Best Children/Young Adult
The Secret of the Puzzle Box: The Code Busters Club by Penny Warner (Darby Creek)

Lifetime Achievement: Charlaine Harris

Poirot Award: Martin Edwards

Agatha Award Nominees

2016 Agatha Nominees. Congratulations to all of the nominees. The Agatha Awards will be presented on April 29, 2017, at the Malice Banquet. Winners in each category will be decided via onsite ballot by the attendees of Malice Domestic 29.

Best Contemporary Novel
Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson (Midnight Ink)
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
Fogged Inn by Barbara Ross (Kensington)
Say No More by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge Books)

Best Historical Novel
Whispers Beyond the Veil by Jessica Estevao (Berkley)
Get Me to the Grave on Time by D.E. Ireland (Grainger Press)
Delivering the Truth by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)
The Reek of Red Herrings by Catriona McPherson (Minotaur Books)
Murder in Morningside Heights by Victoria Thompson (Berkley)

Best First Novel
Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper (Minotaur)
Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon (Henery Press)
The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn (Henery Press)
Decanting a Murder by Nadine Nettmann (Midnight Ink)
Design for Dying by Renee Patrick (Forge Books)

Best Nonfiction
Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories that Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats by Jane K. Cleland (Writer's Digest Books)
A Good Man with a Dog: A Game Warden's 25 Years in the Maine Woods by Roger Guay with Kate Clark Flora (Skyhorse Publishing)
Sara Paretsky: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction by Margaret Kinsman (McFarland Books)

Best Short Story
"Double Jinx: A Bellissimo Casino Crime Caper Short Story" by Gretchen Archer (Henery Press)
"The Best-Laid Plans" by Barb Goffman in Malice Domestic 11: Murder Most Conventional (Wildside Press)
"The Mayor and the Midwife" by Edith Maxwell in Blood on the Bayou: Bouchercon Anthology 2016 (Down & Out Books)
"The Last Blue Glass" by B.K. Stevens in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
"Parallel Play" by Art Taylor in Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning (Wildside Press)

Best Children/Young Adult
Trapped: A Mei-hua Adventure by P.A. DeVoe (Drum Tower Press)
Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster)
Tag, You're Dead by J C Lane (Poisoned Pen Press)
The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos (Balzer & Bray)
The Secret of the Puzzle Box: The Code Busters Club by Penny Warner (Darby Creek)