Malice Domestic announced the 2024 Agatha Award nominees on February 5.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

A ballot listing each category’s nominees will be given to all members of Malice Domestic 36, which will be held April 26-28, 2024 in Bethesda, MD.

The Agatha Award Nominees (for works published in 2023)

BEST CONTEMPORARY MYSTERY NOVEL

• Ellen Byron. Wined and Died in New Orleans
• Annette Dashofy. Helpless
• Tara Laskowski. The Weekend Retreat
• Korina Moss. Case of the Bleus
• Gigi Pandian. The Raven Thief

BEST HISTORICAL MYSTERY NOVEL

• Susanna Calkins. Death Among the Ruins
• Celeste Connally. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord
• Amanda Flower. I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died
• Cheryl Head. Time’s Undoing
• Sujata Massey. The Mistress of Bhatia House

DEBUT

• Danielle Arceneaux. Glory Be
• Kristin Kisska. The Hint of Light
• Josh Pachter. Dutch Threat
• Daphne Silver. Crime and Parchment
• Nina Simon. Mother-Daughter Murder Night

NONFICTION

• Anjili Babbar. Finders: Justice, Faith, and Identity in Irish Crime Fiction
• David Bordwell. Perplexing Plots: Popular Storytelling and the Poetics of Murder
• Mark Dawidziak. A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe
• Robert Morgan. Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe

CHILDREN | YOUNG ADULT

• Elizabeth C. Bunce. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity
• Kate Jackson. The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary
• Alex Segura. Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
• Nancy Springer. Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose
• Taryn Souders. The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle

SHORT STORY

• Shelley Costa, “The Knife Sharpener” in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jul/Aug 2023
• Tina deBellegarde. “A Good Judge of Character” in Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Traditional
• Barb Goffman. “Real Courage” in Black Cat Mystery Magazine issue 14
• Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski. “Ticket to Ride” in Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Beatles
• Richie Narvaez. “Shamu, World’s Greatest Detective” in Killin’ Time in San Diego: Bouchercon 2023

Malice Domestic announced the 2022 Agatha Award winners on April 29.

BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL

• A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL

• Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower (Berkley)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss (St. Martin’s)

BEST SHORT STORY

• “Beauty and the Beyotch,” by Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Magazine, Feb. 2022)

BEST NON-FICTION

• Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane Vallere Ed.(Sisters in Crime)

BEST CHILDREN’S/YA MYSTERY

• Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

Malice Domestic announced the 2022 Agatha Award nominees on January 28.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

A ballot listing each category’s nominees will be given to all members of Malice Domestic 35, which will be held April 28-30, 2023. The winners will be announced April 29.

The Agatha Award Nominees (for works published in 2022)

BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL

• Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Death By Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow (Berkley)
• Fatal Reunion by Annette Dashofy (Level Best Books)
• Dead Man’s Leap by Tina de Bellegarde (Level Best Books)
• A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL

• The Counterfeit Wife by Mally Becker (Level Best Books)
• Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower (Berkley)
• The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur)
• In Place of Fear by Catriona McPherson (Mobius)
• Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden (Crooked Lane Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss (St. Martin’s)
• Death in the Aegean by M. A. Monnin (Level Best Books)
• The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra (Constable)
• Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler (Crooked Lane Books)
• The Finalist by Joan Long (Level Best Books)
• The Gallery of Beauties by Nina Wachsman (Level Best Books)

BEST SHORT STORY

• “Beauty and the Beyotch,” by Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Magazine, Feb. 2022)
• “There Comes a Time,” by Cynthia Kuhn (Malice Domestic Murder Most Diabolical) Wildside Press
• “Fly Me to the Morgue,” by Lisa Q Mathews,( Malice Domestic Mystery Most Diabolical) Wildside Press
• “The Minnesota Twins Meet Bigfoot,” by Richie Narvaez, (Land of 10,000 Thrills, Bouchercon Anthology) Down & Out Books
• “The Invisible Band,” by Art Taylor (Edgar & Shamus Go Golden) Down & Out Books

BEST NON-FICTION

• The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwards (HarperCollins)
• The Handbook to Agatha Christie: The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie by Mary Anna Evans and J. C. Bernthal (Bloomsbury Academic)
• The Science of Murder: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine (Sourcebooks)
• Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane Vallere Ed.(Sisters in Crime)
• Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman, by Lucy Worsley (Pegasus Crime)

BEST CHILDREN’S/YA MYSTERY

• Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley (Viking Books for Young People)
• In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers)
• #shedeservedit by Greg Herren (Bold Strokes Books)
• Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Publishers)
• Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

The 2021 Agatha Awards were presented April 23 during Malice Domestic in Bethesda, MD.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

THE AGATHA AWARDS (for works published in 2021)

BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL

• Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)

BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL

• Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley)

BEST SHORT STORY

• “Bay of Reckoning” by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders)

BEST NON-FICTION

• How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by MWA with editors Lee Child and Laurie R. King (Simon & Schuster)

BEST CHILDREN’S/YA MYSTERY

• I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff (Down & Out Books)

Malice Domestic announced the 2020 Agatha Award winners on July 17.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

THE AGATHA AWARDS (for works published in 2020)

BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL

• All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL

• The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)

BEST SHORT STORY

• “Dear Emily Etiquette” by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct)

BEST NON-FICTION

• Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press)

BEST CHILDREN’S/YA MYSTERY

• Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richard Narvaez (Piñata Books)

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]

Malice Domestic announced the 2019 Agatha Awards on May 2.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

Since the COVID-19 outbreak prevented fans from gathering for Malice Domestic 32 this weekend, the awards were revealed during a ceremony streamed on Zoom.

The Agatha Awards (for works published in 2019)

Best Contemporary Novel

• The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur)

Best First Mystery Novel

• One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House, a division of Harlequin)

Best Historical Mystery

• Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink) 

Best Nonfiction

• The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)

Best Children/Young Adult

• The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Press)

Best Short Story 

• “The Last Word” by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)

Malice Domestic announced the 2019 Agatha Award nominees on January 21.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

A ballot listing each category’s nominees will be given to all attendees of Malice Domestic 32, which will be held May 1-3, 2020. Attendees will vote by secret ballot and the winners will be announced at the Agatha Awards Banquet.

The Agatha Award Nominees (for works published in 2019)

Best Contemporary Novel

• Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
• The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur)
• Fair Game by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
• The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
• A Better Man by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
• The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)

Best First Mystery Novel

• A Dream of Death by Connie Berry (Crooked Lane Books)
• One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House, a division of Harlequin)
• Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins (Minotaur)
• When It’s Time for Leaving by Ang Pompano (Encircle Publications)
• Staging for Murder by Grace Topping (Henery Press)

Best Historical Mystery

• Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen (Penquin)
• Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins (Minotaur)
• The Pearl Dagger by L. A. Chandlar (Kensington)
• Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink) 
• The Naming Game by Gabriel Valjan (Winter Goose Publishing)

Best Nonfiction

• Frederic Dannay, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and the Art of the Detective Short Story by Laird R. Blackwell (McFarland)
• Blonde Rattlesnake: Burmah Adams, Tom White, and the 1933 Crime Spree that Terrified Los Angeles by Julia Bricklin (Lyons Press)
• Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (Knopf)
• The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)
• The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt)

Best Children/Young Adult

• Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak (Disney Hyperion)
• Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen MacManus (Delacorte Press)
• The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Press)
• Top Marks for Murder (A Most Unladylike Mystery)
• by Robin Stevens (Puffin)
• Jada Sly, Artist and Spy by Sherri Winston (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Best Short Story 

• “Grist for the Mill” by Kaye George in A Murder of Crows (Darkhouse Books)
• “Alex’s Choice” by Barb Goffman in Crime Travel (Wildside Press)
• “The Blue Ribbon” by Cynthia Kuhn in Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)
• “The Last Word” by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)
• “Better Days” by Art Taylor in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Malice Domestic announced the 2018 Agatha Award winners on May 4.

The Agatha Awards honor the “traditional mystery,” books typified by the works of Agatha Christie and others. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, and are not classified as “hard-boiled.” 

The winners were selected by a vote of the attendees at Malice Domestic 31, held May 3-5, 2019.

Best Contemporary Novel

• Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)

Best Historical Novel  

•  The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)

Best First Novel

(tie)

• A Ladies Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
•  Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall (St. Martin’s)

Best Short Story

(tie)

• “All God’s Sparrows” by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
• “The Case of the Vanishing Professor” by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)

Best Young Adult Mystery

• Potion Problems(Just Add Magic) by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin) 

Best Non-fiction

• Mastering Plot Twists by Jane Cleland (Writer’s Digest Books)