And the Winners Are:

Looking at award winners for last year is a good way of finding some of the best mysteries being written today and possibly finding some great books you may have missed from last year. The Edgar award winners were recently announced and include best novel “Let Me Die in His Footsteps” by Lori Roy and best first novel “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Other nominees in the best novel category included: “The Strangler Vine” by M. J. Carter, “The Lady from Zagreb” by Philip Kerr, “Life or Death” by Michael Robotham, “Canary” by Duane Swierczynski,” and “Night Life” by David C. Taylor.

The Agatha winners recently announced included best contemporary novel “Long Upon the Land” by Margaret Maron. The other nominees in that category were “Bridges Burned” by Annette Dashofy, “The Child Garden” by Catriona McPherson, Louise Penny’s “The Nature of the Beast,” and “What You See” by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Winning in the best historical novel category was “Dreaming Spies” by Laurie R. King. Best first novel winner was “On the Road with Del and Louise” by Art Taylor.

Anthony winners will be announced later this year, but the nominees include for best novel: Matt Coyle’s “Night Tremors,” “The Killing Kind” by Chris Holm, “The Child Garden” by Catriona McPherson, “The Nature of the Beast” by Louise Penny, and “What You See” by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Best first novel nominees are: “Concrete Angel” by Patricia Abbott, “Past Crimes’ by Glen Erik Hamilton, “New Yorked” by Rob Hart, “Bull Mountain” by Brian Panowich, and “On the Road with Del & Louise” by Art Taylor.

The Barry awards are also presented later in the year and this year’s nominees for best novel include: “Badlands” by C. J. Box, “A Song of Shadows” by John Connolly, “The Stolen Ones” by Owen Laukkanen, “Life or Death” by Michael Robotham, “Devil of Delphi” by Jeffrey Siger, and “The Cartel” by Don Wilslow. Best first novel nominees include: “Ruins of War” by John A Connell, “Past Crimes” by Glen Erik Hamilton, “Jade Dragon Mountain” by Elsa Hart, “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins, “The Unquiet Dead” by Ausma Zehanat Khan, and “Bull Mountain” by Brian Panowich.