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Mystery Writers of America · award year

Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2023

The 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards went to The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwards (Best Critical/Biographical), Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse (Best Fact Crime) and Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor (Best First Novel), with winners in 7 more categories. 51 books were nominated across 10 categories.

Winners

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwardssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krousesource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranorsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelynsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafkasource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Or Else by Joe Hartsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. The Red Palace by June Hursource (opens in a new tab)

Lilian Jackson Braun Award

  1. Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berrysource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myerssource (opens in a new tab)

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

  1. Hideout by Louisa Lunasource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsleysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie by Mary Anna Evans and J.C. Bernthalsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Crime World of Michael Connelly: A Study of His Works and Their Adaptations by David Geherinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story by Andrew Neidermansource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, D.C. by Shahan Muftisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashowersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Halesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Milessource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Jackal by Erin E. Adamssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. More Than You'll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrezsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Lisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Shutter by Ramona Emersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Adventures on Trains: Murder on the Safari Star by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgmansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Chester Keene Cracks the Code by Kekla Magoonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Area 51 Files by Julie Buxbaumsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada's Reef by Michael D. Beilsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Devil House by John Darniellesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gangland by Chuck Hogansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Like a Sister by Kellye Garrettsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesiassource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Maid by Nita Prosesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torresource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrencesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glasssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Quarry's Blood by Max Allan Collinssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. Frightmares by Eva V. Gibsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Lock the Doors by Vincent Ralphsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donnesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)

Lilian Jackson Braun Award

  1. Desert Getaway by Michael Craftsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessettesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berrysource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flowersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Never Name the Dead by D.M. Rowellsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentillsource (opens in a new tab)

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

  1. An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kellssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymarksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Secret Lives by Mark de Castriquesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Secrets Typed in Blood by Stephen Spotswoodsource (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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