2026 DAGGER AWARDS PRESENTED
The Dagger Awards, awarded by The Crime Writer’s Association to celebrate the best in crime and thriller writing, were presented on July 2, 2026 in London. Our congratulations to the winners (listed first in each category) and to all of the nominees.
| Diamond Dagger * | Mark Billingham |
| Gold Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | The Death of Us by Abigail Dean [review] |
| ° | King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby |
| ° | Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson [review] |
| ° | The Girl in Cell A by Vaseem Khan |
| ° | The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon [review] |
| ° | The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson [review] |
| Whodunnit Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant |
| ° | Little Secrets by Victoria Goldman |
| ° | Etiquette for Lovers & Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy |
| ° | A Queer Case by Robert Holtom |
| ° | Bad Influence by CJ Wray |
| Twisted Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough |
| ° | What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah |
| ° | Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke |
| ° | Some of Us are Liars by Fiona Cummins |
| ° | Scenes From a Tragedy by Carole Hailey |
| ° | The Bodies by Sam Lloyd |
| Steel Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby |
| ° | The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani |
| ° | The Big Empty by Robert Crais |
| ° | A Sting in her Tale by Mark Ezra |
| ° | Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W Ihli |
| ° | The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney |
| ° | We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter [review] |
| First Novel Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey [review] |
| ° | The Peak by Sam Guthrie |
| ° | The Lost Detective by Elspeth Latimer |
| ° | The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin [review] |
| ° | Coram House by Bailey Seybolt [review] |
| ° | Holy City by Henry Wise [review] |
| Historical Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | A Granite Silence by Nina Allan |
| ° | Barvick Falls by Rob McInroy |
| ° | The Devil’s Draper by Donna Moore |
| ° | Gunner by Alan Parks |
| ° | The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson [review] |
| ° | A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith [review] |
| Non-Fiction Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | That Dark Spring by Susannah Stapleton |
| ° | Shadow of the Bridge: The Delphi Murders and the Dark Side of the American Heartland by Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee |
| ° | The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried To Kill the KGB by Gordon Corera |
| ° | The Murder Game by John Curran |
| ° | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser |
| ° | The Illegals by Shaun Walker |
| Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger | |
|---|---|
| * | The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen |
| ° | Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse [review] |
| ° | The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst |
| ° | Red Water by Jurica Pavičić |
| ° | Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann [review] |
| ° | Strange Pictures by Uketsu |
| Short Story Dagger | |
| * | “The Apple Falls Not Far” by Ambrose Parry |
| ° | “Split Your Silver Tongue” by S.A. Cosby Birds, Strangers and Psychos |
| ° | “The Karpman Drama Triangle” by Denise Mina Birds, Strangers and Psychos |
| ° | “Full Circle” by Abir Mukherjee Playing Dead: Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club |
| ° | “Strangers on a School Bus” by Peter Swanson Birds, Strangers and Psychos |
| ° | “Waiting” by Michael Wood Criminal Pursuits: This Is Me |
2026 SHAMUS AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
The Shamus Awards are given annually by the Private Eye Writers of America to honor excellent work in the Private Eye genre. The winners will be announced at the Opening Ceremonies of Bouchercon Calgary on October 22, 2026.
| Best P.I. Novel | |
| ° | The Big Empty by Robert Crais |
| ° | Photograph by Brian Freeman |
| ° | Hatchet Girls by Joe R. Lansdale |
| ° | Gray Dawn by Walter Mosley |
| ° | Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen |
| Best P.I. Paperback Original | |
| ° | The Hook and the Eye by Raymond Benson |
| ° | Sunday or the Highway by Cindy Fazzi |
| ° | City Lights by Claire M. Johnson |
| ° | Midnight Streets by Phil Lecomber |
| ° | Catch Me on a Blue Day by M.E. Proctor |
| Best First P.I. Novel | |
| ° | Chase Harlem by Elise Burke Brown |
| ° | Miles in Time by Lee Mathew Goldberg |
| ° | Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski |
| ° | Shadow of the Eternal Watcher by Josh Mendoza |
| ° | The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan |
| Best P.I. Short Story | |
| ° | “The Roosevelt Affair” by Adam Meyer Crimeucopia – Not So Frail Detective Agency |
| ° | “The One Cry” by F.H. Batacan Accidents Happene |
| ° | “Dr. Bones” by Libby Cudmore Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June 2025 |
| ° | “Hours on the Phone” by Gregory Fallis Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July/August 2025 |
| ° | “The Shadows” by Charles John Harper Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June 2025 |
2026 MACAVITY AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
The Macavity Award is named for Macavity: The Mystery Cat by T.S. Eliot. The Macavity Awards are nominated by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends of MRI. The Macavity Awards will be presented this fall.
| Best Mystery Novel | |
| ° | Crooks by Lou Berney [review] |
| ° | King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby |
| ° | Clown Town by Mick Herron |
| ° | River of Lies by James L’Etoile |
| ° | The White Crow by Michael Robotham [review] |
| ° | All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan |
| Best First Mystery Novel | |
| ° | Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku [review] |
| ° | Dead Money by Jakob Kerr [review] |
| ° | Voices of the Elysian Fields by Michael Rigg |
| ° | Stillwater by Tanya Scott [review] |
| ° | History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook [review] |
| Best Mystery Nonfiction | |
| ° | Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England by Dawn M. Barclay |
| ° | Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell |
| ° | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser |
| ° | V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death by Kathryn Harkup |
| ° | Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley |
| ° | Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard by C.M. Kushins |
| Best Mystery Short Story | |
| ° | “Six-Armed Robbery” by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous |
| ° | “Hollywood Prometheus” by Christa Faust Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons |
| ° | “Finding Jimmy Baldwin” by Cheryl Head Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons |
| ° | “The Devil Himself” by Vaseem Khan Double Crossing Van Dine |
| ° | “The Skies Are Red” by Richie Narvaez On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology |
| ° | “Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush” by Dave Zeltserman Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, September/October 2025 |
| Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery | |
| ° | Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens |
| ° | A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman |
| ° | City Lights by Claire M. Johnson |
| ° | The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver |
| ° | The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler [review] |
| ° | No. 10 Doyers Street by Radha Vatsal |
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 