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 Award Nominees 2023

CrimeFest announced its 2023 Awards nominees. The 2023 CrimeFest Awards will be presented at the CrimeFest Awards Dinner on May 13. Congratulations to all!

 Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award nominees:

– Amen Alonge for A Good Day to Die (Quercus)
– Graham Bartlett for Bad for Good (Allison & Busby)
– Nita Prose for The Maid (HarperCollins)
– Oriana Rammuno (translator: Katherine Gregor) for Ashes in the Snow (HarperCollins)
– Joachim B. Schmidt (translator: Jamie Lee Searle) for Kalmann (Bitter Lemon)
– Hayley Scrivenor for Dirt Town (Macmillan)
– John Sutherland for The Siege (Orion Fiction)
– Stacy Willingham for A Flicker in the Dark (HarperCollins)

Dunnit Award nominees:
– Chris Brookmyre for The Cliff House (Abacus)
– Michael Connelly for Desert Star (Orion Fiction)
– M.W. Craven for The Botanist (Constable)
– Sara Gran for The Book of the Most Precious Substance (Faber & Faber)
– Ian Rankin for A Heart Full of Headstones (Orion Fiction)
– Peter Swanson for Nine Lives (Faber & Faber)

H.R.F. Keating Award nominees:
– J.C. Bernthal & Mary Anna Evans for The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie (Bloomsbury Academic)
– John le Carré (edited by Tim Cornwell) for A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré 1945-2020 (Viking)
– Martin Edwards for The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and their Creators (Collins Crime Club)
– Barry Forshaw for Simenon: The Man, The Books, The Films (Oldcastle Books)
– Sian MacArthur for Gender Roles and Political Contexts in Cold War Spy Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan)
– Lucy Worsley for Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman (Hodder & Stoughton)

Last Laugh Award nominees:
– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May’s Peculiar London (Doubleday)
– Elly Griffiths for The Locked Room (Quercus)
– Mick Herron for Bad Actors (Baskerville)
– Cara Hunter for Hope to Die (Viking)
– Mike Ripley for Mr Campion’s Mosaic (Severn House)
– Antti Tuomainen for The Moose Paradox (Orenda Books)

Nominees for the CRIMEFEST Award for Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12):
– Elly Griffiths for A Girl Called Justice: The Spy at the Window (Quercus Children’s Books)
– Anthony Horowitz for Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case (Walker Books)
– Sharna Jackson for The Good Turn (Puffin)
– M.G. Leonard for Spark (Walker Books)
– Robin Stevens for The Ministry of Unladylike Activity (Puffin)
– Sarah Todd Taylor for Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire! A Recipe for Trouble (Nosy Crow)

Nominees for the CRIMEFEST Award for Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (ages 12-16):
– Holly Jackson for Five Survive (Electric Monkey)
– Patrice Lawrence for Needle (Barrington Stoke)
– Finn Longman for The Butterfly Assassin (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
– Sophie McKenzie for Truth or Dare (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
– Ruta Sepetys for I Must Betray You (Hodder Children’s Books)
– Jonathan Stroud for The Notorious Scarlett and Browne (Walker Books)

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 2020 NOMINATIONS!

CrimeFest announced their Awards Nominations! Congrats to all!

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 will be announced online at crimefest.com and via its social media pages on Tuesday 7 July.

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
In association with our new headline sponsor, CRIMEFEST is honoured to announce a new award for a crime novel by debut author first published in the British Isles in 2019. Previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre, and CRIMEFEST and Specsavers aim to highlight that contribution with this award.

The winning author receives a £1,000 prize (courtesy of headline sponsor Specsavers) as well as a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award nominees:
– Fiona Erskine for The Chemical Detective (Point Blank)
– Katja Ivar for Evil Things (Bitter Lemon Press)
– Carolyn Kirby for The Conviction of Cora Burns (No Exit Press)
– Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient (Orion Fiction)
– Laura Shepherd-Robinson for Blood & Sugar (Mantle)
– Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the United Kingdom in 2019 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.

Audible Sounds of Crime Award nominees:
– Kate Atkinson for Big Sky, read by Jason Isaacs (Penguin Random House Audio)
– Oyinkan Braithwaite for My Sister, the Serial Killer, read by Weruche Opia (W.F. Howes)
– Alex Callister for Winter Dark, read by Ell Potter (Audibe Studios)
– Lee Child for Blue Moon, read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)
– Lisa Jewell for The Family Upstairs, read by Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland & Dominic Thorburn (Penguin Random House Audio)
– T.M. Logan for The Holiday, read by Laura Kirman (Zaffre)
– Peter May for The Man with No Face, read by Peter Forbes (Quercus, Fiction)
– Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient, read by Louise Brealey & Jack Hawkins (Orion)

eDUNNIT AWARD
The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the United Kingdom in 2019. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

eDunnit Award nominees:
– Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
– Sarah Hilary for Never Be Broken (Headline)
– Andrew Taylor for The King’s Evil (HarperFiction)
– L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)
– Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)
– Don Winslow for The Border (HarperFiction)

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 2019. 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.

H.R.F. Keating Award nominees:
– Ursula Buchan for Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps (Bloomsbury Publishing)
– John Curran for The Hooded Gunman (HarperCollins Crime Club)
– Barry Forshaw for Crime Fiction: A Reader’s Guide (No Exit Press)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom in 2019. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Last Laugh Award nominees:
– William Boyle for A Friend is a Gift you Give Yourself (No Exit Press)
– Hannah Dennison for Tidings of Death at Honeychurch Hall (Constable)
– Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May – The Lonely Hour (Transworld)
– Antti Tuomainen for Little Siberia (Orenda Books)
– L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN
This award is for the best crime novel for children (aged 8-12) first published in the United Kingdom in 2019. The winner receives a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass award.

Nominees for the CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12):
– P.G. Bell for The Great Brain Robbery (Usborne Publishing)
– Vivian French for The Steam Whistle Theatre Company (Walker Books)
– Sophie Green for Potkin and Stubbs (Bonnier Books)
– A.M. Howell for The Garden of Lost Secrets (Usborne Publishing)
– Simon Lelic for The Haven (Hodder Children’s Books)
– Thomas Taylor for Malamander (Walker Books)

BEST CRIME 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 2019. The winner receives a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass award.

Nominees for the CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (ages 12-16):
– Kathryn Evans for Beauty Sleep (Usborne Publishing)
– John Grisham for Theodore Boone: The Accomplice (Hodder & Stoughton)
– Samuel J. Halpin for The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods (Usborne Publishing)
– Simon Mason for Hey Sherlock! (David Fickling Books)
– Tom Pollock for Heartstream (Walker Books)
– Nikesh Shukla for The Boxer (Hodder Children’s Books)