CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS 2025

Crimefest announced their Award Winners tonight at CrimeFest in Bristol, U.K.  Congratulations to All! 

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

Akira Otani (and translator Sam Bett) for The Night of Baba Yaga (Faber & Faber)

eDUNNIT AWARD 

Jean Hanff Korelitz for The Sequel (Faber & Faber)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert in Wickedness (HarperCollins)

LAST LAUGH AWARD

Mike Ripley for Mr Campion's Christmas (Severn House)

Best Crime Fiction Novel For Children

Sufiya Ahmed for Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker (Bloomsbury Education)

Best Crime Fiction Novel For Young Adults

Kayvion Lewis for Heist Royale (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)

THALIA PROCTOR MEMORIAL AWARD for BEST ADAPTED TV CRIME DRAMA

 Slow Horses (series 4), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple TV+)

CRIMEFEST AWARDS SHORTLISTS 2025

Crimefest announced their Award Shortlists. Winners will be announced at CrimeFest. Stay tuned!

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title. All winners will receive a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass Award. Congratulations to All! 

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for debut authors first published in the United Kingdom in 2024. The winning author receives a £1,000 prize.

The nominees:

- Tom Baragwanath for Paper Cage (Baskerville)

- Tasha Coryell for Love Letters to a Serial Killer (Orion Fiction)

- C. L. Miller for The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder (Pan Macmillan)

- Akira Otani (and translator Sam Bett) for The Night of Baba Yaga (Faber & Faber)

- Tracy Sierra for Nightwatching (Viking)

- Claire Wilson for Five by Five (Michael Joseph)

eDUNNIT AWARD 
For the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the United Kingdom in 2024.
 

The nominees are:

- Martin Edwards for Hemlock Bay (Head of Zeus)

- Laurie R. King for The Lantern's Dance (Allison & Busby)

- Jean Hanff Korelitz for The Sequel (Faber & Faber)

- Bella Mackie for What A Way To Go (The Borough Press)

- Liz Moore for The God of the Woods (The Borough Press)

- Peter Swanson for A Talent for Murder (Faber & Faber)

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 2024. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists, crime reviewers and writer of books about crime fiction.
 

The nominees are:

- Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert in Wickedness (HarperCollins)

- Jem Bloomfield for Allusion in Detective Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan)

- Ashley Bowden for Female Detectives in Early Crime Fiction 1841-1920 (Fabula Mysterium Press)

- Dan Coxon & Richard V. Hirst for Writing the Murder: Essays in Crafting Crime Fiction (Dead Ink)

- Sara Lodge for The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female (Yale University Press)

- Lynda La Plante for Getting Away With Murder: My Unexpected Life on Page, Stage and Screen (Zaffre)


LAST LAUGH AWARD
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom in 2024.

The nominees are:

- Cathy Ace for The Case of the Secretive Secretary (Four Tails Publishing Ltd.)

- DG Coutinho for The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin (Harvill Secker)

- Bella Mackie for What A Way To Go (The Borough Press)

- Orlando Murrin for Knife Skills for Beginners (Transworld)

- Mike Ripley for Mr Campion's Christmas (Severn House)

- Antti Tuomianen (and translator David Hackston) for The Burning Stones (Orenda Books)

 

CRIMEFEST AWARDS FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults voted alongside volunteering members of the School Library Association (SLA) to establish the shortlist and the winning title.

Best Crime Fiction Novel For Children
This award is for the best crime novel for children (aged 8-12) first published in the United Kingdom in 2024.

The nominees are:

- Sufiya Ahmed for Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker (Bloomsbury Education)

- Natasha Farrant for The Secret of Golden Island (Faber & Faber)

- A.M. Howell for Mysteries at Sea: The Hollywood Kidnap Case (Usborne Publishing)

- M. G. Leonard for The Twitchers: Feather (Walker Books)

- Beth Lincoln for The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues (Penguin Random House Children's UK)

- Nicki Thornton for The Floating Witch Mystery (Faber & Faber)

Best Crime Fiction 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 2024.

The nominees are:

- H.F. Askwith for A Cruel Twist of Fate (Penguin Random House Children's UK)

- Denise Brown for It All Started With a Lie (Hashtag Press)

- A.J. Clack for Lie or Die (Firefly Press)

- Amie  Jordan for All the Hidden Monsters (Chicken House)

- Kayvion Lewis for Heist Royale (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)

- Karen M. McManus for Such Charming Liars (Penguin Random House Children's UK)

 

THALIA PROCTOR MEMORIAL AWARD for BEST ADAPTED TV CRIME DRAMA
This award is for the best television crime drama based on a book and first screened in the UK in 2024.

Eligible titles were collated from the Radio Times and CrimeFest newsletter readers established the shortlist and the winning title. The winning author and production company each receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

The award is named after Thalia Proctor, a true fan of crime fiction and drama. Thalia worked in specialist bookshops, and went on to work with many crime writers in publishing. She was a much loved and valued member of the CrimeFest team, and known and loved by many members of the crime writing community.

The nominees are:

- Bad Monkey, based on the book by Carl Hiaasen (Apple TV+)

- Dalgliesh (series 3), based on the Inspector Dalgliesh books by P.D. James (Channel 5)

- Lady in the Lake based on the book by Laura Lippman (Apple TV+)

- Moonflower Murders based on the book by Anthony Horowitz (BBC)

- Slow Horses (series 4), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple TV+)

- The Turkish Detective, based on the Inspector Ikmen books by Barbara Nadel (BBC)

Visit the website for a list of all the submitted entries for the CrimeFest Awards.

crimes

CRIMEFEST AWARDS 2024

THE 2024 CRIMEFEST AWARDS were presented this evening in Bristol, UK
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist.

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for debut authors first published in the United Kingdom in 2023. The winning author receives a £1,000 prize. 
 
Stig Abell for Death Under a Little Sky (Hemlock Press/HarperCollins)


eDUNNIT AWARD
For the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the United Kingdom in 2023.
 
Laura Lippman for Prom Mom (Faber & Faber)


LAST LAUGH AWARD
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom in 2023.
 
Mick Herron for The Secret Hours (Baskerville)


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 2023. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists, crime reviewers and writer of books about crime fiction.
 
Adam Sisman for The Secret Life of John Le Carré (Profile Books)

THALIA PROCTOR MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED TV CRIME DRAMA
This award is for the best television crime drama based on a book, and first screened in the UK in 2023. 
Eligible titles were collated from the Radio Times, and CrimeFest newsletter readers established the
shortlist and the winning title. The winning author and production company each receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Slow Horses (series 3), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple)

Best Crime Fiction Novel For Children
This award is for the best crime novel for children (aged 8-12) first published in the United Kingdom in 2023.
 
 J.T. Williams for The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison, illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore)

Best Crime Fiction 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 2023.
 
Elizabeth Wein for Stateless (Bloomsbury YA) 

CRIMEFEST AWARDS 2022

CRIMEFEST announced the winners of their Awards this evening at the banquet. Congratulations to All!

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May. 

CRIMEFEST has had to postpone its 2020 and 2021 conventions, due to Covid restrictions. Hosted in Bristol, it is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days. CrimeFest is taking place in Bristol, U.K. as I write.

CRIMEFEST 2022 AWARDS

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for crime novels by previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre.

David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts
(Simon & Schuster)

 

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks.

Richard Osman, The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio) 

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction eBook

Abigail Dean, Girl A (HarperCollins)

 

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists.

Patricia Highsmith, Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

 

LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel.

Mick Herron, Slough House (Baskerville, John Murray Press)

 

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12)

M.G. Leonard, Twitch (Walker Books)

 

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16).

Angeline Boulley, Firekeeper's Daughter (Rock the Boat)

BEST ADAPTED TV CRIME DRAMA AWARD

Shetland (season 6), based on the books by Ann Cleeves. Produced by Silverprint Pictures, part of ITV Studios. Shown on BBC1. 

https://www.crimefest.com/

CRIMEFEST AWARDS SHORTLISTS 2022

CRIMEFEST has announced the shortlists for its annual awards.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May. These shortlists show how valuable books have been to all ages, particularly in times of isolation, as sources of escapism, entertainment and enrichment. We’d like to thank Audible and Specsavers for their on-going support of these awards.”

CRIMEFEST has had to postpone its 2020 and 2021 conventions, due to Covid restrictions. Hosted in Bristol, it is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days. CrimeFest will take place in Bristol, U.K. from May 12 -15.

CRIMEFEST 2022 Shortlists

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for crime novels by previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre.

Abigail Dean, Girl A (HarperCollins)

Janice Hallett, The Appeal (Viper)

Saima Mir, The Khan (Point Blank)

Rahul Raina, How to Kidnap the Rich
(Abacus/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Lara Thompson, One Night, New York
 (Virago/Little, Brown Book Group)

David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts
(Simon & Schuster)

 

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks.

Lee and Andrew Child, Better Off Dead read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)

Abigail Dean, Girl A read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction)

Paula Hawkins, Slow Fire Burning read by Rosamund Pike (Penguin Random House Audio)

Lisa Jewell, The Night She Disappeared read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio)

Liane Moriarty, Apples Never Fall read by Caroline Lee (Penguin Random House Audio)

Richard Osman, The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio)

K.L. Slater, The Marriage read by Lucy Price-Lewis (Audible Studios / Bookouture)

Karin Slaughter, False Witness read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins)

 

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction eBook

Megan Abbott, The Turnout (Virago/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Gianrico Carofiglio, The Measure of Time (Bitter Lemon Press)

Michael Connelly, The Dark Hours (Orion Fiction)

Abigail Dean, Girl A (HarperCollins)

Cath Staincliffe, Running Out of Road (Constable/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Andrew Taylor, The Royal Secret (HarperCollins)

 

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists.

Lucy Andrews, The Detective's Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks (Palgrave Macmillan)

Richard Bradford, Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith (Bloomsbury, Caravel)

James Fleming, Bond Behind the Iron Curtain (The Book Collector)

Patricia Highsmith, Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Carla Valentine, Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie (Sphere/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Stephen James Walker, Hank Janson Under Cover (Telos Publishing Ltd)

 

LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel.

Simon Brett, An Untidy Death (Severn House)

Andrea Camilleri, Riccardino (Mantle)

Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down (Doubleday)

Janice Hallet, The Appeal (Viper)

Mick Herron, Slough House (Baskerville, John Murray Press)

Antti Tuomainen, The Rabbit Factor (Orenda Books)

 

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12)

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Noah's Gold (Macmillan Children's Books)

Maz Evans, Vi Spy: Licence to Chill (Chicken House)

Anthony Horowitz, Nightshade (Walker Books)

Anthony Kessel, The Five Clues (Crown House Publishing)

Jennifer Killick Crater, Lake Evolution (Firefly Press)

M.G. Leonard, Twitch (Walker Books)

Alexandra Page, Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Ella Risbridger, The Secret Detectives (Nosy Crow)

 

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16).

Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé, Ace of Spades (Usborne Publishing)

Angeline Boulley, Firekeeper's Daughter (Rock the Boat)

Andreina Cordani, The Girl Who … (Atom/ Little, Brown Book Group)

William Hussey, The Outrage (Usborne Publishing)

Holly Jackson, As Good As Dead (Electric Monkey)

Patrice Lawrence, Splinters of Sunshine (Hodder Children's Books)

Jonathan Stroud, The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne (Walker Books)

C.L. Taylor, The Island (HQ)

https://www.crimefest.com/

2021 CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS AND GIVEAWAYS!

THE 2021 CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS

CRIMEFEST presented its 2021 awards today. With Agatha Raisin star Matt McCooey returning as host, you can view the full award video ceremony on the CRIMEFEST HOME or VIDEO pages.

For those who haven't watched Agatha Raisin on television or would like to watch it again, CrimeFest has a DVD boxset of the Pilot and series one signed by Matt, as well as scriptwriter Julia Gilbert, and its star Ashley Jensen – yes, Agatha herself! To win, email competition@crimefest.com with ‘Agatha’ in the subject line, and your name and postal address in the body of the message. The deadline is 7 June.

Best Crime Novel For Children (aged 8-12)
– Serena Patel for Anisha, Accidental Detective (Usborne Publishing)

 

Best Crime Novel For Young Adults (aged 12-16)

– Patrice Lawrence for Eight Pieces of Silva (Hodder Children’s Group)

(In our continued mission to engage and support the local community, CRIMEFEST has once more distributed sets of all the books entered for both the Children and Young Adult Awards – total value at just under £1,100 – to schools in Bristol.
 

With heartfelt thanks to the participating publishers, and Max Minerva's Marvellous Books for their help.)


H.R.F. Keating Award
for best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction

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

eDunnit Award
for best crime fiction ebook published in both hardcopy and in electronic format

– Ian Rankin for A Song for the Dark Times (Orion Fiction)

Last Laugh Award
for the best humorous crime novel

– Carl Hiaasen for Squeeze Me (Sphere)

Audible Sounds Of Crime Award

for the best unabridged crime audiobook

– Richard Osman for The Thursday Murder Club, reader Lesley Manville (Viking)

Courtesy of sponsor Audible, Richard Osman and Lesley Manville share a £1,000 prize equally.

 

With thanks to Audible, there is a digital set of all the nominated titles to give away to one lucky newsletter reader. (Accessing the audiobooks will require the winner to have an Audible account, or to sign up for a free one.) To enter, send an email to competition@crimefest.com with ‘Audible’ in the subject line and your name and email address in the body of the message. The deadline to enter is 7 June.

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award

for a crime novel by a debut author

– Trevor Wood for The Man on the Street (Quercus)

Courtesy of headline and award sponsor, Specsavers, Trevor Wood receives a £1,000 prize.

(You can view last month’s Zoom panel with five of the nominees of this year’s Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award on the VIDEO page.)

With thanks to Specsavers and the participating publishers, there is one set of all the nominated titles to give away to one lucky newsletter reader. To enter, send an email to competition@crimefest.com with ‘Specsavers’ in the subject line and your name and email address in the body of the message. The deadline to enter is 7 June.

 
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! For full details of all the entered titles visit the CRIMEFEST AWARDS page.
 

CRIMEFEST AWARDS 2020

CrimeFest AWARDS! Congrats to all! Be sure to scroll down for the fabulous Awards Ceremony Video. Well done!

The 2020 CRIMEFEST Awards were due to be presented at a Gala Dinner during the convention at the Bristol Mercure Grand Hotel this June. In light of Covid-19, the winners were announced online and on social media.

Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award
Laura Shepherd-Robinson for Blood & Sugar (Mantle)

Audible Sounds of Crime Award
Lee Child for Blue Moon, read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)

eDunnit Award
Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)

H.R.F. Keating Award
John Curran for The Hooded Gunman (HarperCollins Crime Club)

Last Laugh Award
Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)

Best Crime Novel for Children Award (ages 8-12):
Thomas Taylor for Malamander (Walker Books)

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults Award (ages 12-16):
Kathryn Evans for Beauty Sleep (Usborne Publishing)

CRIMEFEST AWARDS

The 10th anniversary of CrimeFest this year is in full swing, and the CrimeFest Awards were just announced at the Banquet this evening in Bristol, England.  CrimeFest 'feted' close to 500 attendees, including more than 150 authors, agents, publishers and crime fans from across the globe, who participated in four days of over 60 speaking events and panel discussions. Thanks to Sue Trowbridge for sending me the winning list! Congratulations to all!

CRIMEFEST AWARD SHORTLISTS

Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
J.P. Delaney, The Girl Before, (Quercus), read by Emilia Fox, Finty Williams & Lise Aagaard Knudsen

eDUNNIT AWARD
Michael Connelly, The Late Show (Orion)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
Mick Herron, Spook Street (John Murray)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
Mike Ripley, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (HarperCollins)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (8 – 12)
Helena Duggan, A Place Called Perfect (Usborne Publishing)
 
BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (12 – 16)
Patrice Lawrence, Indigo Donut (Hodder Children's Books)

CrimeFest Shortlists Announced

And the award shortlists keep coming!

CrimeFest co-director Adrian Muller said: “CrimeFest announces the shortlist for the tenth CrimeFest Awards. Over the past decade the awards have highlighted breakthrough debut novelists as well as a number of established crime fiction authors delving into children’s fiction and nonfiction. We are also pleased to continue showcasing audiobooks which have undergone a meteoric rise since we began presenting our awards. We are all extremely proud and excited to present the 10th annual CrimeFest awards, and find out who wins on 19th May.”

The 10th anniversary of CrimeFest this year will host crime fiction royalty Martina Cole, Lee Child and Peter James as some of the top names set to speak at this year’s convention. Close to 500 attendees, including more than 150 authors, agents, publishers and crime fans from across the globe, will descend on the city for a jam-packed four days of over 60 speaking events and panel discussions.

CRIMEFEST AWARD SHORTLISTS

Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
Fiona Barton, The Child (Audible Studios), read by Clare Corbett, Adjoa Andoh, Finty Williams, Fenella Woolgar & Steven Pacey
Lee Child, The Midnight Lane (Transworld), read by Jeff Harding
J.P. Delaney, The Girl Before, (Quercus), read by Emilia Fox, Finty Williams & Lise Aagaard Knudsen
Sarah A. Denzil, Silent Child (Audible Studios), read by Joanne Froggatt
Alice Feeney, Something I Lie (HQ – Harper Collins), read by Stephanie Racine
Michelle Frances, The Girlfriend (Pan Macmillan Audio), read by Antonia Beamish
Anthony Horowitz, The Word is Murder (Penguin Random House Audio), read by Rory Kinnear
David Lagercrantz, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (Quercus), read by Sail Reichlin

eDUNNIT AWARD
Chris Brookmyre, Want You Gone (Little, Brown Book Group)
Ken Bruen, The Ghost of Galway (Head of Zeus)
Michael Connelly, The Late Show (Orion)
Joe Ide, IQ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Dennis Lehane, Since We Fell (Little, Brown Book Group)
Steve Mosby, You Can Run (Orion)
Gunnar Staalesen, Wolves in the Dark (Orenda Books)
Sarah Stovell, Exquisite (Orenda Books)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
Simon Brett, Blotto, Twinks and the Stars of the Silver Screen (Little, Brown Book Group)
Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May - Wild Chamber (Doubleday)
Mick Herron, Spook Street (John Murray)
Vaseem Khan, The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star (Mullholland Books)
Khurrum Rahman, East of Hounslow (HQ – HarperCollns)
C.J. Skuse, Sweetpea (HQ – HarperCollins)
Antti Tuomainen, The Man Who Died (Orenda Books)
L.C. Tyler, Herring in the Smoke (Allison & Busby Ltd)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
Martin Edwards, The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books (British Library)
Barry Forshaw, America Noir (No Exit Press)
Sam Naidu, Sherlock Holmes in Context (Palgrave Macmillan)
Benjamin Poore, Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage (Palgrave Macmillan)
Mike Ripley, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (HarperCollins)
Christopher Sandford, The Man Who Would Be Sherlock (The History Press)
Michael Sims, Arthur & Sherlock (Bloomsbury)
Nick Triplow, Getting Carter (No Exit Press)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (08 – 12)
Linwood Barclay, Chase (Orion Children's Books)
Kieran Crowley, The Misfits Club (Macmillan Children's Books)
Helena Duggan, A Place Called Perfect (Usborne Publishing)
Santa & Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Royal Rabbits of London: Escape from the Tower (Simon & Schuster)
Dermot O'Leary, Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape (Hodder Children's Books)
Alex T. Smith, Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure (Hodder Children's Books)
Harriet Whitehorn, Violet and the Mummy Mystery (Simon & Schuster)
 
BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (12 – 16)
Cat Clarke, Girlhood (Quercus Children's Books)
Zana Fraillon, The Ones That Disappeared (Orion Children's Books)
Will Hill, After the Fire (Usborne Publishing)
Patrice Lawrence, Indigo Donut (Hodder Children's Books)
E. Lockhart, Genuine Fraud (Hot Key Books)
Sophie McKenzie, SweetFreak (Simon & Schuster)
Teri Terry, Dark Matter: Contagion (Orchard Books)
Teresa Toten, Beware That Girl (Hot Key Books)

Crimefest Awards Shortlist

CRIMEFEST AWARDS SHORTLISTS
Winners will be announced at the CRIMEFEST Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday, May 21. Congratulations to all!

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the UK in 2016 in both printed and audio formats, and available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks. Courtesy of sponsor Audible UK, the winning author and audiobook reader(s) share the £1,000 prize equally and each receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Nominees for Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
– Rachel Abbott for Kill Me Again, read by Lisa Coleman (Bolinda / Audible)
– Fiona Barton for The Widow, read by Clare Corbett (Bolinda / Audible)
– Clare Mackintosh for I See You, read by Rachel Atkins (Sphere)
– Holly Seddon for Try Not to Breath, read by Jot Davies, Lucy Middleweek & Katy Sobey (Bolinda)
– Ben Aaronovitch for The Hanging Tree, read by Kobna Holdbrook– Smith (Orion Publishing Group)
– Lee Child for Night School, read by Jeff Harding (Transworld Digital)
– Anthony Horowitz for Magpie Murders, read by Allan Corduner & Samantha Bond (Orion Publishing Group)
– Peter May for Coffin Road, read by Peter Forbes (Riverrun)

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and Audible UK listeners established the shortlist and the winning title.

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 2016.

Nominees for the eDunnit Award:
– Linwood Barclay for The Twenty– Three (Orion Publishing Group)
– Steph Broadribb for Deep Down Dead (Orenda Books)
– Michael Connelly for The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Orion Publishing Group)
– Ragnar Jonasson for Blackout (Orenda Books)
– Laura Lippman for Wilde Lake (Faber & Faber)
– Ian Rankin for Rather Be the Devil (Orion Publishing Group)
– Andrew Taylor for The Ashes of London (HarperFiction)
– L.C. Tyler for Cat Among the Herrings (Allison & Busby)

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.

LAST LAUGH AWARD
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the British Isles in 2016. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Nominees for the Last Laugh Award:
– Ken Bruen & Jason Starr for PIMP (Hardcase Crime)
– John Dufresne for I Don’t Like Where This Is Going (Serpent’s Tail)
– Judith Flanders for A Cast of Vultures (Allison & Busby)
– Mick Herron for Real Tigers (John Murray)
– Carl Hiaasen for Razor Girl (Little, Brown Book Group)
– Vaseem Khan for The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown (Hodder & Stoughton)
– L.C. Tyler for Cat Among the Herrings (Allison & Busby)
– Chris Whitaker for Tall Oaks (Twenty7)

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.

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 British Isles in 2016. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists, crime reviewers and writer of books about crime fiction. The winning author receives a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass award.

Nominees for the H.R.F. Keating Award:
– Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie on Screen (Palgrave Macmillan)
– J.C. Berthnal for Queering Agatha Christie (Palgrave Macmillan)
– Barry Forshaw for Brit Noir (No Exit Press)
– Rachel Franks & Alistair Rolls for Crime Uncovered: Private investigator (Intellect)
– Katharina Hall for Crime Fiction in German: Der Krimi (University of Wales Press)
– Megan Hoffman for Gender and Representation in British ‘Golden Age’ Crime Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan)
– Elizabeth Mannion for The Contemporary Irish Detective Novel (Palgrave Macmillan)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (08 – 12)

– Lyn Gardner for Rose Campion and The Stolen Secret (Nosy Crow)
– Fleur Hitchcock for Murder In Midwinter (Nosy Crow)
– Gareth P. Jones for The Thornthwaite Betrayal (Piccadilly Press)
– Tom McLaughlin for The Accidental Secret Agent (Oxford University Press)
– Robin Stevens for Murder Most Unladylike: Jolly Foul Play (Puffin)
– Robin Stevens for Murder Most Unladylike: Mistletoe and Murder (Puffin)
– Harriet Whitehorn for Violet and the Smugglers (Simon & Schuster)
– Katherine Woodfine for The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth (Egmont)

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (12 – 16)
– Leigh Bardugo for Crooked Kingdom (Hachette Children’s Group)
– Kerry Drewery for Cell 7 (Hot Key Books)
– John Grisham for Theodore Boone: The Scandal (Hodder & Stoughton)
– Erin Lange for Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah (Faber & Faber)
– Patrice Lawrence for Orangeboy (Hachette Children’s Group)
– Simon Mason for Kid Got Shot (David Fickling Books)
– Simon Mayo for Blame (Penguin)
– Eliza Wass for In The Dark, In The Woods (Hachette Children’s Group)

Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.