Edgar Allan Poe Award - First Novel (Awarded by Mystery Writers of America)

Awards List

2022

Deer Season
(Winner)
Erin Flanagan

What Comes After
(Nominee)
JoAnne Tompkins

The Damage
(Nominee)
Caitlin Wahrer

Suburban Dicks
(Nominee)
Fabian Nicieza

Never Saw Me Coming
(Nominee)
Vera Kurian

2021

Please See Us
(Winner)
Caitlin Mullen

Darling Rose Gold
(Nominee)
Stephanie Wrobel

Catherine House
(Nominee)
Elisabeth Thomas

Winter Counts
(Nominee)
David Heska; Wanbli Weiden

Murder in Old Bombay
(Nominee)
Nev March

2020

Miracle Creek
(Winner)
Angie Kim

American Spy
(Nominee)
Lauren Wilkinson

The Good Detective
(Nominee)
John McMahon

My Lovely Wife
(Nominee)
Samantha Downing

The Secrets We Kept
(Nominee)
Lara Prescott

Three-Fifths
(Nominee)
John Vercher

2019

Bearskin
(Winner)
James A. McLaughlin

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy
(Nominee)
Nova Jacobs

The Captives
(Nominee)
Debra Jo Immergut

Where the Crawdads Sing
(Nominee)
Delia Owens

A Knife in the Fog
(Nominee)
Bradley Harper

2018

She Rides Shotgun
(Winner)
Jordan Harper

Idaho
(Nominee)
Emily Ruskovich

Tornado Weather
(Nominee)
Deborah Elaine Kennedy

Dark Chapter
(Nominee)
Winnie M. Li

Lola
(Nominee)
Melissa Scrivner Love

2017

Under the Harrow
(Winner)
Flynn Berry

The Drifter
(Nominee)
Nick Petrie

Dodgers
(Nominee)
Bill Beverly

Dancing with the Tiger
(Nominee)
Lili Wright

The Lost Girls
(Nominee)
Heather Young

IQ
(Nominee)
Joe Ide

2016

The Sympathizer
(Winner)
Viet Thanh Nguyen

Unbecoming
(Nominee)
Rebecca Scherm

Past Crimes
(Nominee)
Glen Erik Hamilton

Where All Light Tends to Go
(Nominee)
David Joy

Luckiest Girl Alive
(Nominee)
Jessica Knoll

2015

Dry Bones in the Valley
(Winner)
Tom Bouman

The Life We Bury
(Nominee)
Allen Eskens

Shovel Ready
(Nominee)
Adam Sternbergh

Invisible City
(Nominee)
Julia Dahl

Murder at the Brightwell
(Nominee)
Ashley Weaver

Bad Country
(Nominee)
C.B. McKenzie

2014

Red Sparrow
(Winner)
Jason Matthews

Ghostman
(Nominee)
Roger Hobbs

Rage Against the Dying
(Nominee)
Becky Masterman

Reconstructing Amelia
(Nominee)
Kimberly McCreight

The Resurrectionist
(Nominee)
Matthew Guinn

2013

The Expats
(Winner)
Chris Pavone

Mr. Churchill's Secretary
(Nominee)
Susan Elia MacNeal

Don't Ever Get Old
(Nominee)
Daniel Friedman

The Map of Lost Memories
(Nominee)
Kim Fay

Black Fridays
(Nominee)
Michael Sears

2012

Bent Road
(Winner)
Lori Roy

All Cry Chaos
(Nominee)
Leonard Rosen

Last to Fold
(Nominee)
David Duffy

Red on Red
(Nominee)
Edward Conlon

Purgatory Chasm
(Nominee)
Steve Ulfelder

2011

Rogue Island
(Winner)
Bruce DeSilva

Snow Angels
(Nominee)
James Thompson

The Serialist
(Nominee)
David Gordon

The Poacher's Son
(Nominee)
Paul Doiron

Galveston
(Nominee)
Nic Pizzolatto

2010

In the Shadow of Gotham
(Winner)
Stefanie Pintoff

The Girl She Used to Be
(Nominee)
David Cristofano

Starvation Lake
(Nominee)
Bryan Gruley

Black Water Rising
(Nominee)
Attica Locke

A Bad Day for Sorry
(Nominee)
Sophie Littlefield

The Weight of Silence
(Nominee)
Heather Gudenkauf

2009

The Foreigner
(Winner)
Francie Lin

The Kind One
(Nominee)
Tom Epperson

Calumet City
(Nominee)
Charlie Newton

A Cure for Night
(Nominee)
Justin Peacock

Sweetsmoke
(Nominee)
David Fuller

2008

In the Woods
(Winner)
Tana French

Head Games
(Nominee)
Craig McDonald

Snitch Jacket
(Nominee)
Christopher Goffard

Missing Witness
(Nominee)
Gordon Campbell

Pyres
(Nominee)
Derek Nikitas

2007

The Faithful Spy
(Winner)
Alex Berenson

Holmes on the Range
(Nominee)
Steve Hockensmith

A Field of Darkness
(Nominee)
Cornelia Read

The King of Lies
(Nominee)
John Hart

Sharp Objects
(Nominee)
Gillian Flynn

2006

Officer Down
(Winner)
Theresa Schwegel

Run The Risk
(Nominee)
Scott Frost

Die a Little
(Nominee)
Megan Abbott

Hide Your Eyes
(Nominee)
Alison Gaylin

Immoral
(Nominee)
Brian Freeman

2005

Country of Origin
(Winner)
Don Lee

Little Girl Lost
(Nominee)
Richard Aleas

The Cloud Atlas
(Nominee)
Liam Callanan

Relative Danger
(Nominee)
Charles Benoit

Tonight I Said Goodbye
(Nominee)
Michael Koryta

Bahamarama
(Nominee)
Bob Morris

2004

Death of a Nationalist
(Winner)
Rebecca Pawel

The Bridge of Sighs
(Nominee)
Olen Steinhauer

The Night of the Dance
(Nominee)
James Hime

12 Bliss Street
(Nominee)
Martha Conway

Offer of Proof
(Nominee)
Robert Heilbrun

2003

The Blue Edge of Midnight
(Winner)
Jonathon King

High Wire
(Nominee)
Kam Majd

Open and Shut
(Nominee)
David Rosenfelt

Buck Fever
(Nominee)
Ben Rehder

Southern Latitudes
(Nominee)
Stephen J. Clark

2002

Line of Vision
(Winner)
David Ellis

The Jasmine Trade
(Nominee)
Denise Hamilton

Open Season
(Nominee)
C.J. Box

Red Hook
(Nominee)
Gabriel Cohen

Gun Monkeys
(Nominee)
Victor Gischler

The 500
(Nominee)
Matthew Quirk

2001

A Conspiracy of Paper
(Winner)
David Liss

Crow in Stolen Colors
(Nominee)
Marcia Simpson

Death of a Red Heroine
(Nominee)
Qiu Xiaolong

Raveling
(Nominee)
Peter Moore Smith

The Ice Harvest
(Nominee)
Scott Phillips

2000

The Skull Mantra
(Winner)
Eliot Pattison

Inner City Blues
(Nominee)
Paula L. Woods

Certifiably Insane
(Nominee)
Arthur W. Bahr

God Is a Bullet
(Nominee)
Boston Teran

Big Trouble
(Nominee)
Dave Barry

1999

A Cold Day in Paradise
(Winner)
Steve Hamilton

Numbered Account
(Nominee)
Christopher Reich

A Criminal Appeal
(Nominee)
D.R. Schanker

Nice
(Nominee)
Jen Sacks

Reckless Homicide
(Nominee)
Ira Genberg

1998

Los Alamos
(Winner)
Joseph Kanon

A Crime in the Neighborhood
(Nominee)
Suzanne Berne

Bird Dog
(Nominee)
Philip Reed

23 Shades of Black
(Nominee)
K.J.A. Wishnia / Ken Wishnia

Flower Net
(Nominee)
Lisa See

1997

Simple Justice
(Winner)
John Morgan Wilson

A Test of Wills
(Nominee)
Charles Todd

A Brother's Blood
(Nominee)
Michael C. White

The Queen's Man
(Nominee)
Sharon Kay Penman

Bonita Faye
(Nominee)
Margaret Moseley

1996

Penance
(Winner)
David Housewright

Tight Shot
(Nominee)
Kevin Allman

Fixed in His Folly
(Nominee)
David J. Walker

The Harry Chronicles
(Nominee)
Allan Pedrazas

Murder in Scorpio
(Nominee)
Martha C. Lawrence

1995

The Caveman's Valentine
(Winner)
George Dawes Green

Suspicion of Innocence
(Nominee)
Barbara Parker

Big Town
(Nominee)
Doug J. Swanson

Mallory's Oracle
(Nominee)
Carol O'Connell

One for the Money
(Nominee)
Janet Evanovich

1994

A Grave Talent
(Winner)
Laurie R. King

The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz
(Nominee)
Manuel Ramos

Zaddik
(Nominee)
David Rosenbaum

Criminal Seduction
(Nominee)
Darian North

The List of 7
(Nominee)
Mark Frost

1993

The Black Echo
(Winner)
Michael Connelly

Ladystinger
(Nominee)
Craig Smith

Trick of the Eye
(Nominee)
Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Trail of Murder
(Nominee)
Christine Andreae

1992

Slow Motion Riot
(Winner)
Peter Blauner

Deadline
(Nominee)
Marcy Heidish

Deadstick
(Nominee)
Terence Faherty

Zero at the Bone
(Nominee)
Mary Willis Walker

1991

Postmortem
(Winner)
Patricia Cornwell

Nobody Lives Forever
(Nominee)
Edna Buchanan

Come Nightfall
(Nominee)
Gary Amo

Devil in a Blue Dress
(Nominee)
Walter Mosley

Passion Play
(Nominee)
W. Edward Blain

1990

The Last Billable Hour
(Winner)
Susan Wolfe

Blood Under the Bridge
(Nominee)
Bruce Zimmerman

Hide and Seek
(Nominee)
Barry Berg

The Mother Shadow
(Nominee)
Melodie Johnson Howe

The Story of Annie D.
(Nominee)
Susan Taylor Chehak

1989

Carolina Skeletons
(Winner)
David Stout

Murder Once Done
(Nominee)
Mary Lou Bennett

The Murder of Frau Schutz
(Nominee)
J. Madison Davis

Julian Solo
(Nominee)
Shelly Reuben

A Great Deliverance
(Nominee)
Elizabeth George

1988

Death Among Strangers
(Winner)
Deidre S. Laiken

Detective
(Nominee)
Parnell Hall

Lover Man
(Nominee)
Dallas Murphy

The Spoiler
(Nominee)
Domenic Stansberry

Heat Lightning
(Nominee)
John Lantigua

1987

No One Rides for Free
(Winner)
Larry Beinhart

Dead Air
(Nominee)
Mike Lupica

Riceburner
(Nominee)
Richard Hyer

Floater
(Nominee)
Joseph Koenig

Lost
(Nominee)
Gary Devon

1986

When the Bough Breaks // Shrunken Heads
(Winner)
Jonathan Kellerman

The Adventure of the Ectoplasmic Man
(Nominee)
Daniel Stashower

Sleeping Dog
(Nominee)
Dick Lochte

The Glory Hole Murders
(Nominee)
Tony Fennelly

1985

Strike Three, You're Dead
(Winner)
Richard Rosen / R.D. Rosen

Sweet, Savage Death
(Nominee)
Orania Papazoglou

Creative Kind of Killer
(Nominee)
Jack Early

Someone Else's Grave
(Nominee)
Alison Smith

Foul Shot
(Nominee)
Doug Hornig

1984

The Bay Psalm Book Murder
(Winner)
Will Harriss

Caroline Minuscule
(Nominee)
Andrew Taylor

Red Diamond: Private Eye
(Nominee)
Mark Schorr

Dead Man's Thoughts
(Nominee)
Carolyn Wheat

The Gold Solution
(Nominee)
Herbert Resnicow

1983

The Butcher's Boy
(Winner)
Thomas Perry

By Frequent Anguish
(Nominee)
S.F.X. Dean

Unholy Communion
(Nominee)
Richard Hughes

In the Heat of the Summer
(Nominee)
John Katzenbach

Two If by Sea
(Nominee)
Ernest Savage

1982

Chiefs
(Winner)
Stuart Woods

The Black Glove
(Nominee)
Geoffrey Miller

Giant Killer
(Nominee)
Vernon Tom Hyman

Not a Through Street
(Nominee)
Ernest Larsen

Murder at the Red October
(Nominee)
Anthony Olcott

1981

The Watcher
(Winner)
Kay Nolte Smith

The Rembrandt Panel
(Nominee)
Oliver T. Banks

Double Negative
(Nominee)
David Carkeet

The Other Anne Fletcher
(Nominee)
Susanne Jaffe

Winds of the Old Days
(Nominee)
Betsy Aswad

1980

The Lasko Tangent
(Winner)
Richard North Patterson
  • / Legal Thriller
  • Buy Buy

Follow the Leader
(Nominee)
John Logue
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

1979

Killed in the Ratings
(Winner)
William L. Deandrea
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

Blood Secrets
(Nominee)
Craig Jones

Falling Angel
(Nominee)
William Hjortsberg

The Memory of Eva Ryker
(Nominee)
Donald Stanwood

1978

A French Finish
(Winner)
Robert Ross

The Fan
(Nominee)
Bob Randall
  • / General Fiction
  • Buy Buy

Dewey Decimated
(Nominee)
Charles A. Goodrum

1977

The Thomas Berryman Number
(Winner)
James Patterson

The Big Payoff
(Nominee)
Janice Law
  • / Law Enforcement
  • Buy Buy

Final Proof
(Nominee)
Marie R. Reno
  • / Historical Romance
  • Buy Buy

Your Day in the Barrel
(Nominee)
Alan Furst

1976

The Alvarez Journal
(Winner)
Rex Burns
  • / Law Enforcement
  • Buy Buy

Waltz Across Texas
(Nominee)
Max Crawford

Paperback Thriller
(Nominee)
Lynn Meyer

1975

Fletch
(Winner)
Gregory McDonald
  • / Private Investigator
  • Buy Buy

Kreutzman Formula
(Nominee)
Dominic Koski; Virgil Scot

1974

The Billion Dollar Sure Thing
(Winner)
Paul E. Erdman

1973

Squaw Point
(Winner)
R.H. Shimer

A Person Shouldn't Die Like That
(Nominee)
Arthur D. Goldstein

1972

Finding Maubee
(Winner)
Albert H.Z. Carr

Ask the Right Question
(Nominee)
Michael Z. Lewin
  • / Private Investigator
  • Buy Buy

Gypsy in Amber
(Nominee)
Martin Cruz Smith
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

To Spite Her Face
(Nominee)
Hildegarde Dolson
  • / Law Enforcement
  • Buy Buy

Stalker
(Nominee)
Bill Pronzini

1971

The Anderson Tapes
(Winner)
Lawrence Sanders

The Blessing Way
(Nominee)
Tony Hillerman

The Naked Face
(Nominee)
Sidney Sheldon

Taking Gary Feldman
(Nominee)
Stanley Cohen

1970

A Time for Predators
(Winner)
Joe Gores

1969

The Bait
(Winner)
Dorothy Uhnak
  • / Law Enforcement
  • Buy Buy

Silver Street
(Winner)
E. Richard Johnson

1968

Act of Fear
(Winner)
Michael Collins
  • / Private Investigator
  • Buy Buy

1967

The Cold War Swap
(Winner)
Ross Thomas

1966

In the Heat of the Night
(Winner)
John Dudley Ball

The Expendable Spy
(Nominee)
Jack D. Hunter

1965

Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
(Winner)
Harry Kemelman
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

In the Last Analysis
(Nominee)
Amanda Cross
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

1964

Florentine Finish
(Winner)
Cornelius Hirschberg

The Prowler
(Nominee)
Frances Rickett

1963

The Fugitive
(Winner)
Robert L. Fish

1962

The Green Stone
(Winner)
Suzanne Blanc

Close His Eyes
(Nominee)
Olivia Dwight

Felony Tank
(Nominee)
Malcolm Braly

1961

The Man in the Cage
(Winner)
John Holbrooke Vance

Case Pending
(Nominee)
Dell Shannon
  • / Police Procedural
  • Buy Buy

The Mercenaries
(Nominee)
Donald E. Westlake

1960

The Grey Flannel Shroud
(Winner)
Henry Slesar

1959

The Bright Road to Fear
(Winner)
Richard Martin Stern

1958

Knock and Wait a While
(Winner)
William Rawle Weeks

1957

Rebecca's Pride
(Winner)
Donald McNutt Douglas

1956

The Perfectionist
(Winner)
Lane Kauffman

In His Blood
(Nominee)
Harold R. Daniels

1955

Go, Lovely Rose
(Winner)
Jean Potts
  • / General Fiction
  • Buy Buy

1954

A Kiss Before Dying
(Winner)
Ira Levin

1953

Don't Cry for Me
(Winner)
William Campbell Gault

1952

Strangle Hold
(Winner)
Mary McMullen
  • / Amateur Sleuth
  • Buy Buy

1951

Nightmare in Manhattan
(Winner)
Thomas Walsh

Strangers on a Train
(Nominee)
Patricia Highsmith

1950

What a Body
(Winner)
Alan Green

Walk the Dark Streets
(Nominee)
William Krasner

The Innocent
(Nominee)
Evelyn Piper

1949

The Room Upstairs
(Winner)
Mildred Davis

Wilders Walk Away
(Nominee)
Herbert Brean

1948

The Fabulous Clipjoint
(Winner)
Fredric Brown

1947

The Horizontal Man
(Winner)
Helen Eustis

1946

Watchful at Night
(Winner)
Julius Fast

Award Categories

Critical/Biographical

First Novel

Juvenile

Mary Higgins Clark Award

Motion Picture

Novel

Paperback Original

Short Story

Sue Grafton Memorial Award

The Robert L Fish Memorial Award

Young Adult

Award Years

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998