CrimeFest Readies Its Rewards

In advance of this year’s CrimeFest—scheduled to take place in Bristol, England, from May 12 to 15—organizers have announced the shortlists of nominees for awards in seven different categories of crime, mystery, and thriller fiction.

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award:
• Girl A, by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)
• The Appeal, by Janice Hallett (Viper)
• The Khan, by Saima Mir (Point Blank)
• How to Kidnap the Rich, by Rahul Raina (Abacus)
• One Night, New York, by Lara Thompson (Virago)
• Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Simon & Schuster)

Audible Sounds of Crime Award:
• Better Off Dead, by Lee and Andrew Child, read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)
• Girl A, by Abigail Dean, read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction)
• Slow Fire Burning, by Paula Hawkins, read by Rosamund Pike
(Penguin Random House Audio)
• The Night She Disappeared, by Lisa Jewell, read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio)
• Apples Never Fall, by Liane Moriarty, read by Caroline Lee
(Penguin Random House Audio)
• The Man Who Died Twice, by Richard Osman, read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio)
• The Marriage, by K.L. Slater, read by Lucy Price-Lewis
(Audible Studios/Bookouture)
• False Witness, by Karin Slaughter, read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins)

eDunnit Award:
• The Turnout, by Megan Abbott, (Virago)
• The Measure of Time, by Gianrico Carofiglio (Bitter Lemon Press)
• The Dark Hours, by Michael Connelly (Orion Fiction)
• Girl A, by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)
• Running Out of Road, by Cath Staincliffe (Constable)
• The Royal Secret, by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)

H.R.F. Keating Award (for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction):
• The Detective’s Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks, by Lucy Andrews (Palgrave Macmillan)
• Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith, by Richard Bradford (Bloomsbury, Caravel)
• Bond Behind the Iron Curtain, by James Fleming (The Book Collector)
• Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks, by Patricia Highsmith (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
• Murder Isn’t Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie, by Carla Valentine (Sphere)
• Hank Janson Under Cover, by Stephen James Walker (Telos)

Last Laugh Award (for the best humorous crime novel):
• An Untidy Death, by Simon Brett (Severn House)
• Riccardino, by Andrea Camilleri (Mantle)
• Bryant & May: London Bridge Is Falling Down, by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)
• The Appeal, by Janice Hallet (Viper)
• Slough House, by Mick Herron, (Baskerville)
• The Rabbit Factor, by Antti Tuomainen (Orenda)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Children (aged 8-12):
• Noah’s Gold, by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• Vi Spy: Licence to Chill, by Maz Evans (Chicken House)
• Nightshade, by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)
• The Five Clues, by Anthony Kessel (Crown House)
• Lake Evolution, by Jennifer Killick Crater (Firefly Press)
• Twitch, by M.G. Leonard (Walker)
• Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters, by Alexandra Page (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
• The Secret Detectives, by Ella Risbridger (Nosy Crow)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults (aged 12-16):
• Ace of Spades, by Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé (Usborne)
• Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley (Rock the Boat)
• The Girl Who …, by Andreina Cordani (Atom)
• The Outrage, by William Hussey (Usborne)
• As Good As Dead, by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)
• Splinters of Sunshine, by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children’s Books)
• The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne, by Jonathan Stroud (Walker)
• The Island, by C.L. Taylor (HQ)

According to a press release, the winner of this year’s Specsavers Debut Crime Novel will receive a £1,000 prize. “A further £1,000 prize fund is also awarded to the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, sponsored by Audible. All category winners will receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.”

This year’s CrimeFest commendations will be presented during a “Gala Awards Dinner” on Saturday, May 14.

CrimeFest is now in its 15th year. The 2022 convention will be its first in-person gathering since 2019; the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of both intervening conferences.