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Mystery Writers of America · award year

Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2024

The 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards went to Love Me Fierce In Danger - The Life of James Ellroy by Steven Powell (Best Critical/Biographical), Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal by Nathan Masters (Best Fact Crime) and The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Best First Novel), with winners in 7 more categories. 53 books were nominated across 10 categories.

Winners

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. Love Me Fierce In Danger - The Life of James Ellroy by Steven Powellsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal by Nathan Masterssource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berrysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevassource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burkesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutantosource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. Girl Forgotten by April Henrysource (opens in a new tab)

Lilian Jackson Braun Award

  1. Glory Be by Danielle Arceneauxsource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. Play the Fool by Lina Chernsource (opens in a new tab)

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

  1. An Evil Heart by Linda Castillosource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziaksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Robert Morgansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Perplexing Plots: Popular Storytelling and the Poetics of Murder by David Bordwellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction by Max Allan Collins and James L. Traylorsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. I Know Who You Are: How An Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Ventersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child by Kim Crosssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Fauxsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glattsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Lost Sons of Omaha: Two Young Men in an American Tragedy by Joe Sextonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerjisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowskisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Golden Gate by Amy Chuasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loeschsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Epic Ellison: Cosmos Camp by Lamar Gilessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Buncesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Jules Verne Prophecy by Larry Schwarz and Iva-Marie Palmersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarskisource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosbysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. An Honest Man by Michael Korytasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knollsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Crook Manifesto by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The River We Remember by William Kent Kruegersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Boomtown by A.F. Cartersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Hide by Tracy Clarksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lowdown Road by Scott Von Doviaksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Taken Ones by Jess Loureysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. Just Do This One Thing for Me by Laura Zimmermannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirbysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblumsource (opens in a new tab)

Lilian Jackson Braun Award

  1. Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chowsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chiensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Murder of an Amish Bridegroom by Patricia Johnssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddellsource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. Murder in Postscript by Mary Winterssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastingssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard by Kate Robardssource (opens in a new tab)

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

  1. A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bad, Bad Seymour Brown by Susan Isaacssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Hard Rain by Samantha Jayne Allensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Past Lying by Val McDermidsource (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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