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Anthony Awards 2025

The 2025 Anthony Awards went to Tales of Music, Murder, and Mayhem: Bouchercon Anthology 2024 by Heather Graham (Best Anthology or Collection), When Mimi Went Missing by Suja Sukumar (Best Children's/Young Adult) and The Serial Killer’s Apprentice by Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman (Best Critical/Nonfiction Work), with winners in 6 more categories. 46 books were nominated across 9 categories.

Winners

Best Anthology or Collection

  1. Tales of Music, Murder, and Mayhem: Bouchercon Anthology 2024 by Heather Grahamsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Children's/Young Adult

  1. When Mimi Went Missing by Suja Sukumarsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. The Serial Killer’s Apprentice by Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullmansource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyensource (opens in a new tab)

Best Historical Novel

  1. The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozansource (opens in a new tab)

Best Humorous Novel

  1. Cirque du Slay by Rob Oslersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. The God of the Woods by Liz Mooresource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Echo by Tracy Clarksource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paranormal Novel

  1. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blackesource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Anthology or Collection

  1. Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir by Tod Goldbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Friend of the Devil: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Grateful Dead by Josh Pachtersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Murder, Neat: A Sleuthslayer’s Anthology by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Children's/Young Adult

  1. First Week Free at the Roomy Toilet by Josh Proctorsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sasquatch of Harriman Lake by K.B. Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Big Grey Man of Ben Macdhui by K.B. Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Sherlock Society by James Pontisource (opens in a new tab)

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. Abingdon’s Boardinghouse Murder by Greg Lillysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. On Edge: Gender and Genre in the Work of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Leigh Brackett by Ashley Lawsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Some of My Best Friends Are Murderers: Critiquing the Columbo Killers by Chris Chansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors’ Perspectives on Their Craft by Phyllis M. Betzsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Ghosts of Waikīkī by Jennifer K. Moritasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Good-Looking Ugly by Rob D. Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Holy City by Henry Wisesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Leesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Historical Novel

  1. The Bootlegger’s Daughter by Nadine Nettmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Courtesan’s Pirate by Nina Wachsmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Lantern’s Dance by Laurie R. Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Witching Hour by Catriona McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Humorous Novel

  1. A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death by Valerie Burnssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byronsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Dominoes, Danzón, and Death by Raquel V. Reyessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chowsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Scotzilla by Catriona McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Alter Ego by Alex Segurasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. California Bear by Duane Swierczynskisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrettsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Grey Wolf by Louise Pennysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Late Checkout by Alan Orloffsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Served Cold by James L’Etoilesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Last Few Miles of Road by Eric Beetnersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paranormal Novel

  1. Death in Ghostly Hue by Susan Van Kirksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Exposure by Ramona Emersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Five Furry Familiars by Lynn Cahoonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Lights, Camera, Bone by Carolyn Hainessource (opens in a new tab)

About the Anthony Awards

Book categories only; short story, novella, cover art, audiobook narration, TV, website, fan and service awards are skipped. Year is the Bouchercon year. Sources: Bouchercon's own winners-and-nominees pages for 2006-2019, 2023 and 2024; bouchercon.com has no pages for 2020-2022 or 2025, so those years come from Stop, You're Killing Me! (stopyourekillingme.com), with winners checked against Wikipedia and 2025 press reports. Three official cells are wrong or short and cite Stop, You're Killing Me! instead: 2009 Paperback Original (official page repeats Scot & Soda, a 2020 nominee), 2023 Best Novel (official page omits finalist The Maid), and 2024 Anthology (official page omits Happiness Is a Warm Gun). Stable category names: Best Novel was Best Hardcover Novel in 2021 and 2023-2025; Best Paperback Original became Paperback/E-book/Audiobook Original from 2021; Best Children's/Young Adult covers the Children's/YA, Young Adult (2016, 2020) and Juvenile/YA labels; Best Humorous Novel was Cozy/Humorous in 2025. Categories that did not run in a year have count 0. The 2015 Critical/Nonfiction nominee Dru's Book Musings is a website but is listed as the organization named it.

Organization: Bouchercon. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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