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Crime Writers' Association · award year

CWA Daggers 2020

The 2020 CWA Daggers went to Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction), The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre, translated by Stephanie Smee (Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger) and Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham (Gold Dagger), with winners in 3 more categories. 1 book was an Honor Book and 34 books made the shortlist across 6 categories.

Winners

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

  1. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cepsource (opens in a new tab)

Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger

  1. The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre, translated by Stephanie Smeesource (opens in a new tab)

Gold Dagger

  1. Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robothamsource (opens in a new tab)

Historical Dagger

  1. Death in the East by Abir Mukherjeesource (opens in a new tab)

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

  1. November Road by Lou Berneysource (opens in a new tab)

John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

  1. The Man on the Street by Trevor Woodsource (opens in a new tab)

Honor Book

Gold Dagger

  1. November Road by Lou Berneysource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

  1. Corrupt Bodies by Peter Everettsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Honour: Achieving Justice for Banaz Mahmod by Caroline Goodesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective by Susannah Stapletonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Fatal Passion of Alma Rattenbury by Sean O’Connorsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Professor & The Parson by Adam Sismansource (opens in a new tab)

Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger

  1. Like Flies From Afar by K. Ferrari, translated by Adrian Nathan Westsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. November by Jorge Galán, translated by Jason Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Summer of Reckoning by Marion Brunet, translated by Katherine Gregorsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Fragility of Bodies by Sergio Olguín, translated by Miranda Francesource (opens in a new tab)

Gold Dagger

  1. Death in the East by Abir Mukherjeesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Forced Confessions by John Fairfaxsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Joe Country by Mick Herronsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What You Pay For by Claire Askewsource (opens in a new tab)

Historical Dagger

  1. In Two Minds by Alis Hawkinssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Metropolis by Philip Kerrsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Anarchists’ Club by Alex Reevesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Bear Pit by S.G. MacLeansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Paper Bark Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yusource (opens in a new tab)

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

  1. Between Two Evils by Eva Dolansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cold Storage by David Koeppsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. One Way Out by AA Dhandsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Whisper Man by Alex Northsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. This is Gomorrah by Tom Chatfieldsource (opens in a new tab)

John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

  1. Little White Lies by Philippa Eastsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downingsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentleysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Your House Will Pay by Steph Chasource (opens in a new tab)

About the CWA Daggers

Book daggers only, from the CWA past-winners database (thecwa.co.uk/past-winners), queried per dagger and year. Includes every tier the database records: winners, highly commended (as Honor), shortlists, and the 2010-2015 longlists (longlist rows list only books that missed the shortlist). The 2006-2007 John Creasey (New Blood) shortlists are filed in the database as "New Blood Fiction". The Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction was biennial 2006-2010, so 2007 and 2009 are zero. The Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger was the (Duncan Lawrie) International Dagger before 2016; the database uses the current name. The ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger, Twisted Dagger, and Whodunnit Dagger start in 2025. Skipped: Diamond Dagger, Dagger in the Library, Short Story, Debut/Emerging Author (unpublished), and Publishers' daggers. Author names the database truncates at non-ASCII characters are restored.

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

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