2021 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Longlist

The longlist for the 2021 Theakston old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year has been announced.

The prize was created to celebrate “excellence, originality, and the very best in crime fiction from UK and Irish authors” whose novels were published in paperback during the eligibility period.

 The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier. 

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith. 

The public are now invited to vote for a shortlist of six titles here, which will be announced in June.

The Longlist in Full:

  • Cry Baby by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)
  • The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (Simon & Schuster)
  • The Cutting Place by Jane Casey (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)
  • Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh (The Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)
  • Black River by Will Dean (Oneworld Publications, Point Blank)
  • Between Two Evils by Eva Dolan (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)
  • The Guest List by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)
  • The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)
  • The Big Chill by Doug Johnstone (Orenda Books)
  • Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (Penguin Random House UK, Viking)
  • Still Life by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)
  • The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)
  • Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)
  • Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent (Penguin, Sandycove)
  • A Song For The Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Orion, Orion Fiction)
  • Remain Silent by Susie Steiner (HarperCollins Publishers, The Borough Press)
  • We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre)
  • The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)

2 thoughts on “2021 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Longlist

  1. I haven’t read any of these and may not, as I’m a slow reader and there’s lots of mystery and science novels from years-to-decades past that I’m finally getting around to.

    But I have enjoyed a pint of Theakston Old Peculiar and I can absolutely recommend it to all of the beer and ale connoisseurs out there. It’s really good!

  2. @ Rich Lynch — No you haven’t! You’ve enjoyed a pint of Theakston Old Peculier. (And I’m an old Real Ale Pedant.)

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