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Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2019

The 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Awards went to Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s by Leslie S. Klinger (Best Critical/Biographical), Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation by Robert W. Fieseler (Best Fact Crime) and Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin (Best First Novel), with winners in 6 more categories. 45 books were nominated across 9 categories.

Winners

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s by Leslie S. Klingersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation by Robert W. Fieselersource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Bearskin by James A. McLaughlinsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Otherwood by Pete Hautmansource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosleysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylinsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. Sadie by Courtney Summerssource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. The Widows of Malabar by Sujata Masseysource (opens in a new tab)

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

  1. Shell Game by Sara Paretskysource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession by Alice Bolinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Mark X: Who Killed Huck Finn’s Father? by Yasuhiro Takeuchisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Metaphysical Mysteries of G.K. Chesterson: A Critical Study of the Father Brown Stories and Other Detective Fiction by Laird R. Blackwellsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamarasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal by Jonathan Greensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Good Mothers: The True Story of the Women Who Took on the World's Most Powerful Mafia by Alex Perrysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Last Wild Men of Borneo: A True Story of Death and Treasure by Carl Hoffmansource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harpersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Captives by Debra Jo Immergutsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owenssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Charlie & Frog: A Mystery by Karen Kanesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Denis Ever After by Tony Abbottsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective by A.B. Greenfieldsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Winterhouse by Ben Gutersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Zap! by Martha Freemansource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Zora & Me: The Cursed Ground by T.R. Simonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. A Gambler's Jury by Victor Methossource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybournsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. House Witness by Mike Lawsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Only to Sleep by Lawrence Osbornesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Liar's Girl by Catherine Ryan Howardsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Hiroshima Boy by Naomi Hiraharasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimanisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Under My Skin by Lisa Ungersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Under a Dark Sky by Lori Rader-Daysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. A Room Away from the Wolves by Nova Ren Sumasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. After the Fire by Will Hillsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Blink by Sasha Dawnsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Contagion by Erin Bowmansource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Muniersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Death of No Importance by Mariah Frederickssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freemansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Bone on Bone by Julia Kellersource (opens in a new tab)

About the Edgar Allan Poe Awards

Book categories only, from MWA's official Edgar database category lists (edgarawards.com). Sue Grafton Memorial Award starts 2019 and Lilian Jackson Braun Award starts 2023; earlier years are zero. The database lists 2 Best Critical/Biographical nominees for 2007, 3 Mary Higgins Clark nominees for 2006, 1 for 2007, and only the winner for the 2019 Sue Grafton award; counts follow the database. Co-authors listed as separate rows are merged into one entry.

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

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