Send in Your Barry Bests

George Easter, the editor of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, has declared which books are vying for the 2021 Barry Awards. They are:

Best Novel:
• The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben (Grand Central)
• The Law of Innocence, by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
• Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
• And Now She’s Gone, by Rachel Howzell Hall (Forge)
• Moonflower Murders, by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)
• All the Devils Are Here, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best First Novel:
• Deep State, by Chris Hauty (Emily Bester)
• Murder in Old Bombay, by Nev March (Minotaur)
• The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman)
• The Eighth Detective, by Alex Pavesi (Henry Holt)
• Winter Counts, by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Ecco)
• Darling Rose Gold, by Stephanie Wrobel (Berkley)

Best Paperback Original:
• When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole (Morrow)
• Mongkok Station, by Jake Needham (HP)
• Hide Away, by Jason Pinter (Thomas & Mercer)
• Bad News Travels Fast, by James Swain (Thomas & Mercer)
• Darkness for Light, by Emma Viskic (Pushkin Vertigo)
• Turn to Stone, by James W. Ziskin (Seventh Street)

Best Thriller:
• Double Agent, by Tom Bradby (Atlantic Monthly)
• Blind Vigil, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
• One Minute Out, by Mark Greaney (Berkley)
• The Last Hunt, by Deon Meyer (Atlantic Monthly)
• Eddie’s Boy, by Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press)
• The Wild One, by Nick Petrie (Putnam)

All Deadly Pleasures readers are deemed eligible to vote for their favorites in each category. Easter asks that they submit their choices to him at george@deadlypleasures.com by July 15. Winners of this year’s Barrys will be declared on August 26, during the opening ceremonies at Bouchercon in New Orleans.