Edgar Award for Best Novel

1. 2026
   The Big Empty Robert Crais

   

   Winner

   The Big Empty

   Robert Crais

   The other nominees

   • Fagin the Thief Allison Epstein

     
     Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein
   • Hard Town Adam Plantinga

     
     Hard Town by Adam Plantinga
   • Presumed Guilty Scott Turow

     
     Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow
   • The Dream Hotel Laila Lalami

     
     The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
   • The Inheritance Trisha Sakhlecha

     
     The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha
   • Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy

     
     Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

   All 7 books from 2026

2. 2025
   The In Crowd Charlotte Vassell

   

   Winner

   The In Crowd

   Charlotte Vassell

   The other nominees

   • Listen for the Lie Amy Tintera

     
     Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
   • My Favorite Scar Nicolás Ferraro

     
     My Favorite Scar by Nicolás Ferraro
   • Rough Trade Katrina Carrasco

     
     Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco
   • The God of the Woods Liz Moore

     
     The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
   • The Tainted Cup Robert Jackson Bennett

     
     The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
   • Things Don’t Break on Their Own Sarah Easter Collins

     
     Things Don’t Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins

   All 7 books from 2025

3. 2024
   Flags on the Bayou James Lee Burke

   

   Winner

   Flags on the Bayou

   James Lee Burke

   The other nominees

   • All the Sinners Bleed S. A. Cosby

     
     All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
   • An Honest Man Michael Koryta

     
     An Honest Man by Michael Koryta
   • Bright Young Women Jessica Knoll

     
     Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
   • Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead

     
     Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
   • The River We Remember William Kent Krueger

     
     The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
   • The Mad Women of Paris Jennifer Cody Epstein
     The Mad Women of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

   All 7 books from 2024

4. 2023
   Notes on an Execution Danya Kukafka

   

   Winner

   Notes on an Execution

   Danya Kukafka

   The other nominees

   • Devil House John Darnielle

     
     Devil House by John Darnielle
   • Gangland Chuck Hogan

     
     Gangland by Chuck Hogan
   • Like a Sister Kellye Garrett

     
     Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
   • The Devil Takes You Home Gabino Iglesias

     
     The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
   • The Maid Nita Prose

     
     The Maid by Nita Prose

   All 6 books from 2023

5. 2022
   Five Decembers James Kestrel

   

   Winner

   Five Decembers

   James Kestrel

   The other nominees

   • How Lucky Will Leitch

     
     How Lucky by Will Leitch
   • No One Will Miss Her Kat Rosenfield

     
     No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield
   • Razorblade Tears S. A. Cosby

     
     Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
   • The Venice Sketchbook Rhys Bowen

     
     The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

   All 5 books from 2022

6. 2021
   Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line Deepa Anappara

   

   Winner

   Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

   Deepa Anappara

   The other nominees

   • Before She Was Helen Caroline B. Cooney

     
     Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
   • The Distant Dead Heather Young

     
     The Distant Dead by Heather Young
   • The Missing American Kwei Quartey

     
     The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
   • The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman

     
     The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
   • These Women Ivy Pochoda

     
     These Women by Ivy Pochoda

   All 6 books from 2021

7. 2020
   The Stranger Diaries Elly Griffiths

   

   Winner

   The Stranger Diaries

   Elly Griffiths

   The other nominees

   • Fake Like Me Barbara Bourland

     
     Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland
   • Good Girl, Bad Girl Michael Robotham

     
     Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham
   • Smoke and Ashes Abir Mukherjee

     
     Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee
   • The River Peter Heller

     
     The River by Peter Heller

   All 5 books from 2020

8. 2019
   Down the River unto the Sea Walter Mosley

   

   Winner

   Down the River unto the Sea

   Walter Mosley

   The other nominees

   • A Gambler’s Jury Victor Methos

     
     A Gambler’s Jury by Victor Methos
   • A Treacherous Curse Deanna Raybourn

     
     A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
   • House Witness Mike Lawson

     
     House Witness by Mike Lawson
   • Only to Sleep Lawrence Osborne

     
     Only to Sleep by Lawrence Osborne
   • The Liar’s Girl Catherine Ryan Howard

     
     The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard

   All 6 books from 2019

9. 2018
   Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke

   

   Winner

   Bluebird, Bluebird

   Attica Locke

   The other nominees

   • A Rising Man Abir Mukherjee

     
     A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
   • Prussian Blue Philip Kerr

     
     Prussian Blue by Philip Kerr
   • The Dime Kathleen Kent

     
     The Dime by Kathleen Kent
   • The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley Hannah Tinti

     
     The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

   All 5 books from 2018

10. 2017
    Before the Fall Noah Hawley

    

    Winner

    Before the Fall

    Noah Hawley

    The other nominees

    • Jane Steele Lyndsay Faye

      
      Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
    • The Ex Alafair Burke

      
      The Ex by Alafair Burke
    • What Remains of Me Alison Gaylin

      
      What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin
    • Where It Hurts Reed Farrel Coleman

      
      Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman

    All 5 books from 2017

11. 2016
    Let Me Die in His Footsteps Lori Roy

    

    Winner

    Let Me Die in His Footsteps

    Lori Roy

    The other nominees

    • Life or Death Michael Robotham

      
      Life or Death by Michael Robotham
    • Night Life David C. Taylor

      
      Night Life by David C. Taylor
    • The Lady from Zagreb Philip Kerr

      
      The Lady from Zagreb by Philip Kerr
    • The Strangler Vine M. J. Carter

      
      The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter
    • Canary Duane Swierczynski
      Canary by Duane Swierczynski

    All 6 books from 2016

12. 2015
    Mr. Mercedes Stephen King

    

    Winner

    Mr. Mercedes

    Stephen King

    The other nominees

    • Saints of the Shadow Bible Ian Rankin

      
      Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin
    • The Final Silence Stuart Neville

      
      The Final Silence by Stuart Neville
    • This Dark Road to Mercy Wiley Cash

      
      This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
    • Wolf Mo Hayder

      
      Wolf by Mo Hayder
    • Coptown Karin Slaughter
      Coptown by Karin Slaughter

    All 6 books from 2015

13. 2014
    Ordinary Grace William Kent Krueger

    

    Winner

    Ordinary Grace

    William Kent Krueger

    The other nominees

    • How the Light Gets In Louise Penny

      
      How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
    • Sandrine’s Case Thomas H. Cook

      
      Sandrine’s Case by Thomas H. Cook
    • Standing in Another Man’s Grave Ian Rankin

      
      Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin
    • The Humans Matt Haig

      
      The Humans by Matt Haig
    • Until She Comes Home Lori Roy

      
      Until She Comes Home by Lori Roy

    All 6 books from 2014

14. 2013
    Live by Night Dennis Lehane

    

    Winner

    Live by Night

    Dennis Lehane

    The other nominees

    • All I Did Was Shoot My Man Walter Mosley

      
      All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley
    • Gone Girl Gillian Flynn

      
      Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
    • Potboiler Jesse Kellerman

      
      Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman
    • Sunset Al Lamanda

      
      Sunset by Al Lamanda
    • The Gods of Gotham Lyndsay Faye

      
      The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
    • The Lost Ones Ace Atkins

      
      The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins

    All 7 books from 2013

15. 2012
    Gone Mo Hayder

    

    Winner

    Gone

    Mo Hayder

    The other nominees

    • 1222 Anne Holt

      
      1222 by Anne Holt
    • Field Gray Philip Kerr

      
      Field Gray by Philip Kerr
    • The Devotion of Suspect X Keigo Higashino

      
      The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
    • The Ranger Ace Atkins

      
      The Ranger by Ace Atkins

    All 5 books from 2012

16. 2011
    The Lock Artist Steve Hamilton

    

    Winner

    The Lock Artist

    Steve Hamilton

    The other nominees

    • Caught Harlan Coben

      
      Caught by Harlan Coben
    • Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Tom Franklin

      
      Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
    • Faithful Place Tana French

      
      Faithful Place by Tana French
    • I’d Know You Anywhere Laura Lippman

      
      I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
    • The Queen of Patpong Timothy Hallinan
      The Queen of Patpong by Timothy Hallinan

    All 6 books from 2011

17. 2010
    The Last Child John Hart

    

    Winner

    The Last Child

    John Hart

    The other nominees

    • A Beautiful Place to Die Malla Nunn

      
      A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn
    • Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death Charlie Huston

      
      Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
    • Nemesis Jo Nesbø

      
      Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
    • The Missing Tim Gautreaux

      
      The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
    • The Odds Kathleen George

      
      The Odds by Kathleen George

    All 6 books from 2010

18. 2009
    Blue Heaven C. J. Box

    

    Blue Heaven

    C. J. Box

    The other nominees: Curse of the Spellmans; Missing; Sins of the Assassin; The Night Following; The Price of Blood.

    All 6 books from 2009

19. 2008
    Down River John Hart

    

    Down River

    John Hart

    The other nominees: Christine Falls; Priest; Soul Patch; The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.

    All 5 books from 2008

20. 2007
    The Janissary Tree Jason Goodwin

    

    The Janissary Tree

    Jason Goodwin

    The other nominees: Gentlemen & Players; Liberation Movements; The Dead Hour; The Pale Blue Eye; The Virgin of Small Plains.

    All 6 books from 2007

21. 2006
    Citizen Vince Jess Walter

    

    Citizen Vince

    Jess Walter

    The other nominees: Drama City; Red Leaves; The Lincoln Lawyer; Vanish.

    All 5 books from 2006

22. 2005
    California Girl T. Jefferson Parker

    

    California Girl

    T. Jefferson Parker

    The other nominees: By a Spider’s Thread; Out of the Deep I Cry; Remembering Sarah; Evan’s Gate.

    All 5 books from 2005

23. 2004
    Resurrection Men Ian Rankin

    

    Resurrection Men

    Ian Rankin

    The other nominees: Lost Light; Maisie Dobbs; Out; The Guards.

    All 5 books from 2004

24. 2003
    Winter and Night S. J. Rozan

    

    Winter and Night

    S. J. Rozan

    The other nominees: City of Bones; Jolie Blon’s Bounce; No Good Deed; Savannah Blues.

    All 5 books from 2003

25. 2002
    Silent Joe T. Jefferson Parker

    

    Silent Joe

    T. Jefferson Parker

    The other nominees: Money, Money, Money; Reflecting the Sky; Tell No One; The Judgment.

    All 5 books from 2002

26. 2001
    The Bottoms Joe R. Lansdale

    

    The Bottoms

    Joe R. Lansdale

    The other nominees: A Place of Execution; Red Light; The Whole Truth; A Dangerous Road.

    All 5 books from 2001

27. 2000
    Bones Jan Burke

    

    Bones

    Jan Burke

    The other nominees: In a Dry Season; L.A. Requiem; River of Darkness; Strawberry Sunday.

    All 5 books from 2000

28. 1999
    Mr. White’s Confession Robert Clark

    

    Mr. White’s Confession

    Robert Clark

    The other nominees: A Likeness in Stone; Beyond Recall; Blood Work; The Last Days of Il Duce.

    All 5 books from 1999

29. 1998
    Cimarron Rose James Lee Burke

    

    Cimarron Rose

    James Lee Burke

    The other nominees: A Wasteland of Strangers; Black and Blue; Dreaming of the Bones; The Purification Ceremony.

    All 5 books from 1998

30. 1997
    The Chatham School Affair Thomas H. Cook

    

    The Chatham School Affair

    Thomas H. Cook

    The other nominees: Hearts and Bones; Mean Streak; Pentecost Alley; With Child.

    All 5 books from 1997

31. 1996
    Come to Grief Dick Francis

    

    Come to Grief

    Dick Francis

    The other nominees: The Bookman’s Wake; The Shadow Man; The Summons; The Roaring Boy.

    All 5 books from 1996

32. 1995
    The Red Scream Mary Willis Walker

    

    The Red Scream

    Mary Willis Walker

    The other nominees: A Long Line of Dead Men; Lights Out; Miami, It’s Murder; Wednesday’s Child.

    All 5 books from 1995

33. 1994
    The Sculptress Minette Walters

    

    The Sculptress

    Minette Walters

    The other nominees: Free Fall; The Journeyman Tailor; Wolf in the Shadows; Smilla’s Sense of Snow.

    All 5 books from 1994

34. 1993
    Bootlegger’s Daughter Margaret Maron

    

    Bootlegger’s Daughter

    Margaret Maron

    The other nominees: 32 Cadillacs; Backhand; Pomona Queen; White Butterfly.

    All 5 books from 1993

35. 1992
    A Dance at the Slaughterhouse Lawrence Block

    

    A Dance at the Slaughterhouse

    Lawrence Block

    The other nominees: Don’t Say a Word; I.O.U.; Palindrome; Prior Convictions.

    All 5 books from 1992

36. 1991
    New Orleans Mourning Julie Smith

    

    New Orleans Mourning

    Julie Smith

    The other nominees: Bones and Silence; Deadfall in Berlin; Fade the Heat; Whiskey River.

    All 5 books from 1991

37. 1990
    Black Cherry Blues James Lee Burke

    Black Cherry Blues

    James Lee Burke

    The other nominees: A Question of Guilt; Death of a Joyce Scholar; Goldilocks; The Booster.

    All 5 books from 1990

38. 1989
    A Cold Red Sunrise Stuart M. Kaminsky

    A Cold Red Sunrise

    Stuart M. Kaminsky

    The other nominees: A Thief of Time; In the Lake of the Moon; Joey’s Case; Sacrificial Ground.

    All 5 books from 1989

39. 1988
    Old Bones Aaron Elkins

    Old Bones

    Aaron Elkins

    The other nominees: A Trouble of Fools; Nursery Crimes; Rough Cider; The Corpse in Oozak’s Pond.

    All 5 books from 1988

40. 1987
    A Dark-Adapted Eye Barbara Vine

    A Dark-Adapted Eye

    Barbara Vine

    The other nominees: A Taste for Death; Come Morning; The Blind Run; The Straight Man.

    All 5 books from 1987

41. 1986
    The Suspect L. R. Wright

    The Suspect

    L. R. Wright

    The other nominees: A Shock to the System; An Unkindness of Ravens; City of Glass; The Tree of Hands.

    All 5 books from 1986

42. 1985
    Briarpatch Ross Thomas

    Briarpatch

    Ross Thomas

    The other nominees: Chessplayer; Emily Dickinson Is Dead; The Black Seraphim; The Twelfth Juror.

    All 5 books from 1985

43. 1984
    La Brava Elmore Leonard

    La Brava

    Elmore Leonard

    The other nominees: Texas Station; The Little Drummer Girl; The Name of the Rose; The Papers of Tony Veitch.

    All 5 books from 1984

44. 1983
    Billingsgate Shoal Rick Boyer

    Billingsgate Shoal

    Rick Boyer

    The other nominees: Eight Million Ways to Die; Kahawa; Split Images; The Captain.

    All 5 books from 1983

45. 1982
    Peregrine William Bayer

    Peregrine

    William Bayer

    The other nominees: Bogmail; Death in a Cold Climate; Dupe; The Amateur; The Other Side of Silence.

    All 6 books from 1982

46. 1981
    Whip Hand Dick Francis

    Whip Hand

    Dick Francis

    The other nominees: Death Drop; Death of a Literary Widow; Man on Fire; The Spy’s Wife.

    All 5 books from 1981

47. 1980
    The Rheingold Route Arthur Maling

    The Rheingold Route

    Arthur Maling

    The other nominees: A Coat of Varnish; Death of a Mystery Writer; Fire in the Barley; Make Death Love Me.

    All 5 books from 1980

48. 1979
    Eye of the Needle Ken Follett

    Eye of the Needle

    Ken Follett

    The other nominees: A Sleeping Life; Listening Woman; The Shallow Grave; The Snake.

    All 5 books from 1979

49. 1978
    Catch Me William H. Hallahan

    Catch Me

    William H. Hallahan

    The other nominees: Laidlaw; Nightwing.

    All 3 books from 1978

50. 1977
    Promised Land Robert B. Parker

    Promised Land

    Robert B. Parker

    The other nominees: A Madness of the Heart; The Cavanaugh Quest; The Glory Boys; The Main.

    All 5 books from 1977

51. 1976
    Hopscotch Brian Garfield

    Hopscotch

    Brian Garfield

    The other nominees: Harry’s Game; Operation Alcestic; The Gargoyle Conspiracy; The Money Harvest.

    All 5 books from 1976

52. 1975
    Peter’s Pence Jon Cleary

    Peter’s Pence

    Jon Cleary

    The other nominees: Goodbye and Amen; The Lester Affair; The Man Who Loved Zoos; The Silver Bears.

    All 5 books from 1975

53. 1974
    Dance Hall of the Dead Tony Hillerman

    Dance Hall of the Dead

    Tony Hillerman

    The other nominees: Amigo, Amigo; An Unsuitable Job for a Woman; Dear Laura; The Rainbird Pattern.

    All 5 books from 1974

54. 1973
    The Lingala Code Warren Kiefer

    The Lingala Code

    Warren Kiefer

    The other nominees: Canto for a Gypsy; Five Pieces of Jade; The Shooting Gallery; Tied Up in Tinsel.

    All 5 books from 1973

55. 1972
    The Day of the Jackal Frederick Forsyth

    The Day of the Jackal

    Frederick Forsyth

    The other nominees: Shroud for a Nightingale; Sir, You Bastard; The Fly on the Wall; Who Killed Enoch Powell?.

    All 5 books from 1972

56. 1971
    The Laughing Policeman Maj Sjöwall

    The Laughing Policeman

    Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

    The other nominees: Autumn of a Hunter; Beyond This Point Are Monsters; Many Deadly Returns; The Hot Rock; The Hound and the Fox and the Harper.

    All 6 books from 1971

57. 1970
    Forfeit Dick Francis

    Forfeit

    Dick Francis

    The other nominees: Blind Man with a Pistol; Miro; The Old English Peep Show; When in Greece; Where the Dark Streets Go.

    All 6 books from 1970

58. 1969
    A Case of Need Michael Crichton

    A Case of Need

    Michael Crichton

    The other nominees: A Glass-Sided Ants’ Nest; Blood Sport; God Speed the Night; Picture Miss Seeton; The Valentine Estate.

    All 6 books from 1969

59. 1968
    God Save the Mark Donald E. Westlake

    God Save the Mark

    Donald E. Westlake

    The other nominees: A Parade of Cockeyed Creatures; A Private Disgrace; Flying Finish; Lemon in the Basket; Rosemary’s Baby; The Gift Shop.

    All 7 books from 1968

60. 1967
    King of the Rainy Country Nicolas Freeling

    King of the Rainy Country

    Nicolas Freeling

    The other nominees: Killer Dolphin; Odds Against; The Busy Body.

    All 4 books from 1967

61. 1966
    The Quiller Memorandum Adam Hall

    The Quiller Memorandum

    Adam Hall

    The other nominees: Airs Above the Ground; Funeral in Berlin; The Far Side of the Dollar; The Pale Betrayer; The Perfect Murder.

    All 6 books from 1966

62. 1965
    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold John le Carré

    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

    John le Carré

    The other nominees: The Fiend; The Night of the Generals; This Rough Magic.

    All 4 books from 1965

63. 1964
    The Light of Day Eric Ambler

    The Light of Day

    Eric Ambler

    The other nominees: Grieve for the Past; The Expendable Man; The Make-Believe Man; The Player on the Other Side.

    All 5 books from 1964

64. 1963
    Death and the Joyful Woman Ellis Peters

    Death and the Joyful Woman

    Ellis Peters

    The other nominees: Knave of Hearts; Seance; The Ballad of the Running Man; The Evil Wish; The Zebra-Striped Hearse.

    All 6 books from 1963

65. 1962
    Gideon’s Fire J. J. Marric

    Gideon’s Fire

    J. J. Marric

    The other nominees: Nightmare; The Green Stone; The Night of Wenceslas; The Wycherly Woman.

    All 5 books from 1962

66. 1961
    The Progress of a Crime Julian Symons

    The Progress of a Crime

    Julian Symons

    The other nominees: The Devil’s Own; The Traces of Brillhart; Watcher in the Shadows.

    All 4 books from 1961

67. 1960
    The Hours Before Dawn Celia Fremlin

    The Hours Before Dawn

    Celia Fremlin

    The other nominees: The List of Adrian Messenger.

    All 2 books from 1960

68. 1959
    The Eighth Circle Stanley Ellin

    The Eighth Circle

    Stanley Ellin

    The other nominees: A Gentleman Called; The Madhouse in Washington Square; The Woman in the Woods.

    All 4 books from 1959

69. 1958
    Room to Swing Ed Lacy

    Room to Swing

    Ed Lacy

    The other nominees: The Bushman Who Came Back; The Longest Second; The Night of the Good Children.

    All 4 books from 1958

70. 1957
    A Dram of Poison Charlotte Armstrong

    A Dram of Poison

    Charlotte Armstrong

    The other nominees: Night Fell on Georgia; The Man Who Didn’t Fly.

    All 3 books from 1957

71. 1956
    Beast in View Margaret Millar

    Beast in View

    Margaret Millar

    The other nominees: The Case of the Talking Bug; The Talented Mr. Ripley.

    All 3 books from 1956

72. 1955
    The Long Goodbye Raymond Chandler

    The Long Goodbye

    Raymond Chandler

73. 1954
    Beat Not the Bones Charlotte Jay

    Beat Not the Bones

    Charlotte Jay

Earlier years list the winner only.