In Quest of Thrillers

This year’s ThrillerFest, previously scheduled for early July, has been cancelled as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, the race for the 2020 Thriller Awards is still on! Today brings an announcement of the nominees in six categories.

Best Hardcover Novel:
• One Good Deed, by David Baldacci (Grand Central)
• Rag and Bone, by Joe Clifford (Oceanview)
• Recursion, by Blake Crouch (Crown)
• They All Fall Down, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
• The Chain, by Adrian McKinty (Mulholland)
• Conviction, by Denise Mina (Mulholland)

Best First Novel:
• My Lovely Wife, by Samantha Downing (Berkley)
• Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• The Good Detective, by John McMahon (Putnam)
• The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides (Celadon)
• American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)

Best Paperback Original Novel:
• Girl Most Likely, by Max Allan Collins (Thomas & Mercer)
• Never Look Back, by Alison Gaylin (Morrow)
• Jihadi Bride, by Alistair Luft (Black Rose Writing)
• The Scholar, by Dervla McTiernan (Penguin)
• The Bird Boys, by Lisa Sandlin (Cinco Puntos Press)
• Such a Perfect Wife, by Kate White (Harper)

Best E-Book Original Novel:
• Night Man, by Brett Battles (Brett Battles)
• The Deep Abiding, by Sean Black (Sean Black)
• Murder Board, by Brian Shea (Severn River)
• Leave No Stone, by LynDee Walker (Severn River)
• Close to You, by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture)

Best Short Story:
• “Turistas,” by Hector Acosta (from ¡Pa’Que Tu Lo Sepas!,
edited by Angel Luis Colón; Down & Out)
• “Call Me Chuckles,” by Michael Cowgill (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine [EQMM], March/April 2019)
• “The Long-Term Tenant,” by Tara Laskowski (EQMM,
July/August 2019)
• “Snow Job,” by Lia Matera (EQMM, January/February 2019)
• “Fathers-in-Law,” by Twist Phelan (EQMM, November/
December 2019)

Best Young Adult Novel:
• Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry, by Jen Conley (Down & Out)
• Catfishing on Catnet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
• We Speak in Storms, by Natalie Lund (Philomel)
• Patron Saints of Nothing, by Randy Ribay (Kokila)
• Keep This to Yourself, by Tom Ryan (Albert Whitman)

2020 ThrillerMaster Lifetime Achievement Award recipient:
Diana Gabaldon

2020 Silver Bullet Award recipient:
Michael Connelly

2020 Thriller Legend Award recipient:
Writers House (a literary agency)

The winners of the contested commendations were to have been declared on July 11, during a Thriller Awards Banquet. Now it’s not absolutely clear when the announcement will be made. ThrillerFest organizers are supposed to hold a “virtual conference” in July, including the prize presentations, but details of that event—and how to register for it—have yet to be released.

UPDATE: The Gumshoe Site says, “Thriller Award winners will be announced in a special presentation on July 11 during ‘Virtual’ ThrillerFest, hosted by the International Thriller Writers Facebook page.” So stay tuned.