Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel explained

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel was established in 1954. Only hardcover novels written by a published American author are eligible. Paperback original novels are eligible for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original. Debut novels by American novels are eligible for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel.^[1]

Winners for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel are listed below.

Recipients

1950s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
1954		Beat Not the Bones	Winner
1955			Winner
1956		Beast in View	Winner
			Shortlist
1957			Winner
			Shortlist
	and Louise Samuels	Night Fell on Georgia
1958		Room to Swing	Winner
			Shortlist
1959			Winner
			Shortlist
		(Miss Fenny as Charity Blackstock)

1960s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
1960			Winner
			Shortlist
1961			Winner
			Shortlist
		Watcher in the Shadows
1962		Gideon's Fire	Winner
		Nightmare	Shortlist
1963		Death and the Joyful Woman	Winner
			Shortlist
		Seance
		Knave of Hearts
1964			Winner
			Shortlist
		Grieve for the Past
1965			Winner
			Shortlist
		This Rough Magic
1966			Winner
			Shortlist
		Funeral in Berlin
		Airs Above the Ground
1967		King of the Rainy Country	Winner
		Odds Against	Shortlist
		Killer Dolphin
1968		God Save the Mark	Winner
			Shortlist
		Lemon in the Basket
		Flying Finish
1969			Winner
		Picture Miss Seeton	Shortlist
	and Jerome Ross	God Speed the Night
		Blood Sport

1970s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
1970		Forfeit	Winner
		Where the Dark Streets Go	Shortlist
		Miro
		Blind Man with a Pistol
		When in Greece
1971	and Per Wahlöö		Winner
			Shortlist
		Beyond this Point Are Monsters
		Many Deadly Returns
		Autumn of a Hunter
1972			Winner
		Sir, You Bastard	Shortlist
		Shroud for a Nightingale
		Who Killed Enoch Powell?
1973			Winner
		Five Pieces of Jade	Shortlist
		Tied Up in Tinsel
		Canto for a Gypsy
1974		Dance Hall of the Dead	Winner
			Shortlist
		Amigo, Amigo
		Dear Laura
1975		Peter's Pence	Winner
			Shortlist
		Goodbye and Amen
1976		Hopscotch	Winner
			Shortlist
		Operation Alcestic
		Harry's Game
1977		Promised Land	Winner
			Shortlist
	Trevanian
1978		Catch Me: Kill Me	Winner
		Laidlaw	Shortlist
		Nightwing
1979		Eye of the Needle	Winner
			Shortlist
		Listening Woman

1980s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
1980			Winner
		Death of a Mystery Writer	Shortlist
		Fire in the Barley
		Make Death Love Me
1981		Whip Hand	Winner
		Death of a Literary Widow	Shortlist
		Death Drop
		Man on Fire
1982		Peregrine	Winner
			Shortlist
		Death in a Cold Climate
		Dupe
		Bogmail
1983		Billingsgate Shoal	Winner
		Eight Million Ways To Die	Shortlist
		Split Images
		Kahawa
1984		La Brava	Winner
			Shortlist
		Texas Station
1985		Briarpatch	Winner
			Shortlist
		Emily Dickinson Is Dead
		Chessplayer
1986			Winner
		City of Glass: The New York Trilogy	Shortlist
1987			Winner
			Shortlist
		Come Morning
1988		Old Bones	Winner
			Shortlist
		Nursery Crimes
		Rough Cider
1989			Winner
		Joey's Case	Shortlist
		Sacrificial Ground
		In the Lake of the Moon

1990s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
1990		Black Cherry Blues	Winner
			Shortlist
		Death of a Joyce Scholar
		Goldilocks
1991		New Orleans Mourning	Winner
		Bones and Silence	Shortlist
		Deadfall In Berlin
		Fade the Heat
		Whiskey River
1992			Winner
		Don't Say a Word	Shortlist
		I.O.U.
		Palindrome
		Prior Convictions
1993		Bootlegger's Daughter	Winner
		32 Cadillacs	Shortlist
		Backhand
		Pomona Queen
		White Butterfly
1994			Winner
		Free Fall	Shortlist
		Smilla's Sense Of Snow
		Wolf in the Shadows
1995			Winner
			Shortlist
		Lights Out
		Miami, It's Murder
		Wednesday's Child
1996		Come to Grief	Winner
			Shortlist
1997			Winner
		Hearts and Bones	Shortlist
		Mean Streak
		Pentecost Alley
		With Child
1998		Cimarron Rose	Winner
			Shortlist
		Black and Blue
		Dreaming of the Bones
1999		Mr. White's Confession	Winner
			Shortlist
		Beyond Recall
		Blood Work

2000s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
2000		Bones	Winner
		River of Darkness	Shortlist
		L.A. Requiem
		Strawberry Sunday
		In a Dry Season
2001			Winner
			Shortlist
		Red Light
2002		Silent Joe	Winner
			Shortlist
		Tell No One
		Money, Money, Money
		Reflecting the Sky
2003		Winter and Night	Winner
		Savannah Blues	Shortlist
		Jolie Blon's Bounce
		City of Bones
		No Good Deed
2004		Resurrection Men	Winner
			Shortlist
		Lost Light
		Out
		Maisie Dobbs
2005		California Girl	Winner
		By a Spider's Thread	Shortlist
		Remembering Sarah
		Evan's Gate
		Out of the Deep I Cry
2006		Citizen Vince	Winner
			Shortlist
		Red Leaves
		Vanish
		Drama City
2007			Winner
			Shortlist	^[2]
		Gentlemen & Players
		Liberation Movements
2008		Down River	Winner	^[3]
		Christine Falls	Shortlist	^[4]
		Priest
		Soul Patch
2009		Blue Heaven	Winner	^[5]
		Missing	Shortlist	^[6]
		Sins of the Assassin
		Curse of the Spellmans

2010s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
2010			Winner	^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]
		Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death	Shortlist
		Nemesis
2011			Winner	^[11] ^[12] ^[13] ^[14]
		Caught	Shortlist
		Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
		Faithful Place
		I'd Know You Anywhere
2012		Gone	Winner	^[15] ^[16] ^[17] ^[18]
			Shortlist
		1222
		Field Gray
2013		Live by Night	Winner	^[19] ^[20] ^[21] ^[22]
		All I Did Was Shoot My Man	Shortlist
		Gone Girl: A Novel
		Potboiler
		Sunset
2014		Ordinary Grace	Winner	^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[26]
		Sandrine’s Case	Shortlist	^[27]
		How the Light Gets In
		Standing in Another Man’s Grave
		Until She Comes Home
2015		Mr. Mercedes	Winner	^[28] ^[29] ^[30]
		This Dark Road to Mercy	Shortlist
		Wolf
		Saints of the Shadow Bible
		Coptown
2016		Let Me Die in His Footsteps	Winner	^[31] ^[32]
			Shortlist
		Life or Death
		Canary
		Night Life
2017		Before the Fall	Winner	^[33] ^[34] ^[35]
			Shortlist
		Where It Hurts
		Jane Steele
		What Remains of Me
2018		Bluebird, Bluebird	Winner	^[36] ^[37] ^[38]
			Shortlist
		Prussian Blue
2019		Down the River Unto the Sea	Winner	^[39] ^[40] ^[41]
			Shortlist	^[42]
		House Witness
		Only to Sleep

2020s

Year! scope="col" width="30%"

Author	Title	Result
2020			Winner	^[43] ^[44] ^[45]
		Fake Like Me	Shortlist	^[46]
		Smoke and Ashes
		Good Girl, Bad Girl
2021		Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line	Winner	^[47] ^[48] ^[49]
		Before She Was Helen	Shortlist	^[50]
		These Women
2022		Five Decembers	Winner	^[51] ^[52] ^[53]
			Shortlist	^[54]
		Razorblade Tears
		How Lucky
		No One Will Miss Her
2023		Notes on an Execution	Winner	^[55]
		Devil House	Shortlist	^[56]
		Like a Sister
		Gangland
2024	James Lee Burke	Flags on the Bayou	Winner	^[57] ^[58]
		All the Sinners Bleed	Shortlist	^[59]
		Bright Young Women
		Crook Manifesto

Notes and References

1. Web site: Edgar Award Category Information . 2022-12-14 . . en . 2022-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221214170201/https://mysterywriters.org/edgars/edgar-award-category-information/ . live .
2. Web site: 2007 Nominees and Winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070824164638/http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html . 2007-08-24 . Edgar Awards.
3. Web site: May 2, 2008 . Awards: The Edgars; Arthur C. Clarke Prize . 2022-12-10 . . 2022-09-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163103/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=668 . live .
4. Web site: 2008 Nominees and Winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081018213017/http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html . 2008-10-18 . Edgar Awards.
5. Web site: May 1, 2009 . Awards: Edgars; Arthur C. Clarke . 2022-12-10 . . 2023-06-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603051613/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=913 . live .
6. Web site: 2009 Nominees and Winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091217134506/http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html . 2009-12-17 . Edgar Awards.
7. Web site: America . Mystery Writers of . Mystery Writers of America Announces Winners for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards . 2022-07-12 . www.prnewswire.com . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211002/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mystery-writers-of-america-announces-winners-for-the-2010-edgar-allan-poe-awards-92494204.html . live .
8. Web site: 2010 Edgar Award Winners Announced . 2022-07-12 . www.adweek.com . en-US . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712210918/https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/2010-edgar-award-winners-announced/12632 . live .
9. Web site: 2020-01-31 . Revisiting the 2010 Edgar Awards: The Last Child by John Hart . 2022-07-12 . Criminal Element . en-US . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211001/https://www.criminalelement.com/the-edgar-awards-revisited-the-last-child/ . live .
10. Web site: Edgar Award Winners 2010 . 2022-07-12 . mysteryscenemag.com . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211000/https://mysteryscenemag.com/18-news/latest/1372-edgar-award-winners-2010 . live .
11. Web site: America . Mystery Writers of . Mystery Writers of America Announces 2011 Edgar Winners . 2022-07-12 . www.prnewswire.com . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211000/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mystery-writers-of-america-announces-2011-edgar-winners-120952749.html . live .
12. Web site: The 2011 Edgar Award-Winners! Macmillan Library . 2022-07-12 . macmillanlibrary.com . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210042407/https://macmillanlibrary.com/2011/04/29/the-2011-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
13. Web site: 2011 Edgar Award Winners Revealed . 2022-07-12 . www.adweek.com . en-US . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210042409/https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/2011-edgar-award-winners-revealed/29938 . live .
14. Web site: Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2011 . 2022-07-12 . www.bookreporter.com . 2017-12-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171201081730/https://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/edgar-allan-poe-awards-2011 . live .
15. Web site: Dilworth . Dianna . 2012-04-27 . 2012 Edgar Award Winners Revealed . 2022-07-12 . Galley Cat . en-US . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712210918/https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/2012-edgar-award-winners-revealed/51833 . live .
16. Web site: Mystery Writers of America . 2012-04-27 . Mystery Writers of America Announces 2012 Edgar® Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . PR Newswire . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211001/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mystery-writers-of-america-announces-2012-edgar-award-winners-149220395.html . live .
17. Web site: Gilbert Elman . Leslie . 2012-04-27 . 2012 Edgar Awards: The Glamorous Side of Crime . 2022-07-12 . Criminal Element . en-US . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211000/https://www.criminalelement.com/2012-edgar-awards-the-glamorous-side-of-crime-leslie-gilbert-elman-true-detective-police-traditional-cozy-thrillers-noir-historical-westerns-nonfiction-mystery-writers-of-america-mo-hayder-martha-grim/ . live .
18. Web site: Cogdill . Oline . 2012 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . www.mysteryscenemag.com . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712211000/https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/blog-article/2559-2012-edgar-award-winners . live .
19. Web site: 2013-05-03 . Big Names Win Edgars . 2022-07-12 . HuffPost . en . 2021-10-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211019195007/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/edgar-awards-2013-dennis-_n_3208870 . live .
20. Web site: America . Mystery Writers of . Mystery Writers of America Announce 2013 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . www.prnewswire.com . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712210917/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mystery-writers-of-america-announce-2013-edgar-award-winners-205947581.html . live .
21. Web site: May 03 . Stephan Lee Updated . EDT . 2013 at 03:31 PM . 2013 Edgar Awards honor best mystery writers . 2022-07-12 . EW.com . en . 2022-05-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511233623/https://ew.com/article/2013/05/03/2013-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
22. Web site: 2013 Edgar Award Winners - Dennis Lehane takes top honors... Library Blog Pollard Memorial Library . 2022-07-12 . lowelllibrary.org . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712210917/https://lowelllibrary.org/blog/2013-edgar-award-winners-dennis-lehane-takes-top-honors/ . live .
23. Web site: Cogdill . Oline . 2014 Edgar Winners Announced . 2022-07-12 . Mystery Scene Magazine . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712205558/https://mysteryscenemag.com/blog-article/3589-2014-edgar-winners-announced . live .
24. Web site: Flax . Margery . Mystery Writers of America Nominees for 2014 Edgar Allan Poe Awards . 2022-12-10 . Mystery Writers of America . 2022-12-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221209190017/https://mysterywriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014-Edgar-Nominations-Press-Release.pdf . live .
25. Web site: The 2014 Edgar Award Nominations and Winners . 2022-07-12 . Heights Libraries . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210043916/https://heightslibrary.org/the-2014-edgar-award-nominations/ . live .
26. Web site: Mutter . Alex . May 2, 2014 . Edgar Awards: 'Stories Are Your Power' . 2022-12-10 . . 2023-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230119203544/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2243#m24091 . live .
27. Web site: The 2014 Edgar Award Nominations and Winners . 2022-12-14 . Heights Libraries . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210043916/https://heightslibrary.org/the-2014-edgar-award-nominations/ . live .
28. Web site: 2015 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2021-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219113231/https://mysterywriters.org/2015-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
29. Web site: 2015 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . Mystery Scene Magazine . 2024-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240506001032/https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/blog-article/4874-2015-edgar-award-winners . live .
30. Web site: May 1, 2015 . Awards: Edgar Winners; Ridenhour Book . 2022-12-10 . . 2022-09-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220921232035/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2498 . live .
31. Web site: MWA Announces the 2016 Edgar® Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712204038/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-the-2016-edgar-awards-winners/ . live .
32. Web site: 2016 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . . 2022-11-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108223438/https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/blog-article/5303-2016-edgar-award-winners . live .
33. Web site: Cassani . eddie . 2017-05-03 . 2017 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . Criminal Element . en-US . 2022-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517103059/https://www.criminalelement.com/2017-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
34. Web site: MWA Announces the 2017 Edgar Nominations . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-06-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220625103456/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-the-2017-edgar-nominations/ . live .
35. Web site: 2017-04-28 . 2017 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712204052/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2017-edgar-awards . live .
36. Web site: MWA Announces 2018 Edgar Award Nominations . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712212419/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-2018-edgar-award-nominations/ . live .
37. Web site: 2018-01-25 . 2018 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712204038/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2018-edgar-awards . live .
38. Web site: 2018-04-27 . The 2018 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . CrimeReads . en-US . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705063559/https://crimereads.com/the-2018-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
39. Web site: 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712210917/https://mysterywriters.org/2019-edgar-allan-poe-award-winners/ . live .
40. Web site: 2019-01-30 . 2019 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712204050/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2019-edgar-awards . live .
41. Web site: 2019-04-26 . Announcing the 2019 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . CrimeReads . en-US . 2023-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230607062558/https://crimereads.com/announcing-the-2019-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
42. Web site: MWA Announces the 2019 Edgar Nominations . 2024-04-05 . . en . 2023-09-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925224906/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-the-2019-edgar-nominations/ . live .
43. Web site: 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712185208/https://mysterywriters.org/2020-edgar-allan-poe-award-winners/ . live .
44. Web site: 2020-04-30 . Announcing the 2020 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . CrimeReads . en-US . 2022-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517200858/https://crimereads.com/announcing-the-2020-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
45. Web site: 2020-01-24 . 2020 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210042407/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2020-edgar-awards . live .
46. Web site: MWA Announces the 2020 Edgar Nominations . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210050913/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-the-2020-edgar-nominations/ . live .
47. Web site: 2021 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners – Mystery Writers of America . 2022-07-12 . en . 2021-04-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429182947/https://mysterywriters.org/2021-edgar-allan-poe-award-winners/ . live .
48. Web site: 2021-04-29 . Congratulations to the Winners of the 2021 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . CrimeReads . en-US . 2021-06-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210621044205/https://crimereads.com/congratulations-to-the-winners-of-the-2021-edgar-awards/ . live .
49. Web site: 2021-01-27 . 2021 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712185153/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2021-edgar-awards . live .
50. Web site: MWA Announces 2021 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2021-12-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202194730/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-2021-edgar-allan-poe-award-nominations/ . live .
51. Web site: 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners Announced . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-05-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220527174707/https://mysterywriters.org/2022-edgar-allan-poe-award-winners-announced/ . live .
52. Web site: 2022-04-29 . MWA Announces the 2022 Edgar Award Winners . 2022-07-12 . CrimeReads . en-US . 2022-07-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706234944/https://crimereads.com/mwa-announces-the-2022-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
53. Web site: 2022-05-02 . 2022 Edgar Awards . 2022-07-12 . Brilliant Books . 2022-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712185154/https://www.brilliant-books.net/2022-edgar-awards . live .
54. Web site: MWA Announces the 2022 Edgar Award Nominations . 2022-07-12 . . en . 2022-12-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222120152/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announce-the-2022-edgar-award-nominations/ . live .
55. Web site: Schaub . Michael . 2023-04-28 . Edgar Award Winners Are Revealed . 2023-05-01 . . en . 2023-04-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230430164733/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/edgar-award-winners-are-revealed/ . live .
56. Web site: Schaub . Michael . 2023-01-19 . Edgar Award Nominations for 2023 Are Revealed . 2023-01-21 . . en . 2023-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230120034737/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/edgar-award-nominations-for-2023-are-revealed/ . live .
57. Web site: MWA Announces the 2024 Edgar Award Winners – Mystery Writers of America . 2024-05-04 . en-US . 2024-05-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502200704/https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-announces-the-2024-edgar-award-winners/ . live .
58. Web site: Schaub . Michael . 2024-05-02 . Winners of the 2024 Edgar Awards Are Revealed . 2024-05-05 . . en . 2024-05-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502180017/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/winners-of-the-2024-edgar-awards-are-revealed/ . live .
59. Web site: May 4, 2024 . 2024 Edgar Winners . Edgar Awards . May 4, 2024 . May 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502174228/https://mysterywriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/EdWinners2024.pdf . live .