2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards

The 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award winners were announced on November 24 at this year’s WORD Christchurch Festival.

The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. 

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Better the Blood, by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster)

BEST NOVEL

  • Remember Me, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)

BEST NON-FICTION (a biennial prize)

  • Missing Persons, by Steve Braunias (HarperCollins)
Michael Bennett, Charity Norman, and Steven Braunias.

Sizzling Summer Crime Fiction Awards News

The Ned Kelly and Ngaio Marsh award shortlists, and the Petrona Award longlist have been announced in recent weeks.

NED KELLY AWARDS

The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has unveiled the shortlist for the 2023 Ned Kelly Awards.

The Ned Kelly Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious prizes for crime fiction and true crime writing, established in 1995.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

BEST TRUE CRIME

  • Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! by Officer A
  • Death Row at Truro by Geoff Plunkett
  • Rattled by Ellis Gunn
  • Betrayed by Sandi Logan
  • Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris

BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION

(Published in Australia)

  • The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton
  • Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath
  • The Favour by Nicci French
  • The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf

BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION

  • Wake by Shelley Burr
  • No Country for Girls by Emma Styles
  • Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
  • Black River by Matthew Spencer
  • How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins
  • The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon
  • Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
  • Denizen by James McKenzie Watson

BEST CRIME FICTION

  • Soulmate by Sally Hepworth 
  • When The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland
  • Exiles by Jane Harper
  • When We Fall by Aoife Clifford
  • The Tilt by Chris Hammer
  • Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic
  • Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic
  • Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

NGAIO MARSH AWARD

The shortlist for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, was announced on August 5.

BEST NON-FICTION (a biennial prize)

A New Dawn, by Emeli Sione (Mila’s Books)
The Devil You Know, by Dr. Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne (Faber)
Downfall: The Destruction of Charles Mackay, by Paul Diamond (Massey University Press)
The Fix, by Scott Bainbridge (Bateman)
Missing Persons, by Steve Braunias (HarperCollins)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

One Heart One Spade, by Alistair Luke (Your Books)
Too Far from Antibes, by Bede Scott (Penguin SEA)
Better the Blood, by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster)
Surveillance, by Riley Chance (CopyPress)
The Slow Roll, by Simon Lendrum (Upstart Press)
Paper Cage, by Tom Baragwanath (Text)

BEST NOVEL

Exit .45, by Ben Sanders (Allen & Unwin)
Blue Hotel, by Chad Taylor (Brio)
Remember Me, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)
The Doctor’s Wife, by Fiona Sussman (Bateman)
Better the Blood, by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster)
Blood Matters, by Renée (The Cuba Press)
The Slow Roll, by Simon Lendrum (Upstart Press)

THE PETRONA AWARD

Twelve crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have made the longlist for the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

  • Jussi Adler-Olsen — The Shadow Murders. Translated by William Frost (Denmark, Quercus)
  • Lina Areklew — Death in Summer. Translated by Tara F Chace (Sweden, Canelo Crime)
  • Kjell Ola Dahl — Little Drummer. Translated by Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
  • Pascal Engman – Femicide. Translated by Michael Gallagher (Sweden, Legend Press)
  • Anne Mette Hancock — The Corpse Flower. Translated by Tara F Chace (Denmark, Swift Press)
  • Susanne Jansson — Winter Water. Translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Hodder & Stoughton)
  • Håkan Nesser — The Axe Woman. Translated by Sarah Death (Sweden, Mantle)
  • Petra Rautiainen — Land of Snow and Ashes. Translated by David Hackston (Finland, Pushkin Press)
  • Joachim B Schmidt – Kalmann. Translated by Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, Bitter Lemon Press)
  • Lilja Sigurðardóttir — Red as Blood. Translated by Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)
  • Gustaf Skördeman — Codename Faust. Translated by Ian Giles (Sweden, Zaffre)
  • Gunnar Staalesen — Bitter Flowers. Translated by Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

Mid-Year Crime Fiction Awards Roundup

Three more crime fiction awards announced their winners or longlists in June.


2023 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND EMERGING CRIME FICTION WRITER OF COLOR AWARD

The winner of the 2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award was announced by Sisters in Crime on June 20.

  • Nicole Prewitt

The winner of the 2023 Award is Nicole Prewitt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her winning submission, “Harts Divided”, follows Neema Hart, a black, bisexual thief-turned-P.I., who owns a detective agency and therapy office with her estranged wife, Genie Hart. When what should be a bread-and-butter infidelity case results in unsuspecting women getting burned, in more ways than one. The Harts are pushed to prove their commitment to their clients, their community, and each other.

The winner receives a $2,000 grant intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The grant may be used for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work.

 Prewitt’s story was selected from over 60 submissions by 2023 judges Shizuka Otake — winner of the award in 2022 — plus novelists R. Franklin James and Andrea J. Johnson.

Sisters in Crime also awarded five runners-up a year-long membership to the organization:

  • Josette Covington (Wilmington, Delaware)
  • Ann Harris (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Kathryn Harrison (Bingham Farms, Michigan)
  • Karabi Mitra (Toronto, Ontario)
  • Deena Short (Stonecrest, Georgia).

THE NGAIO MARSH AWARDS 2023 LONGLIST

The 14 books up for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, were announced June 29.

  • Too Far From Antibes by Bede Scott
  • Exit .45 by Ben Sanders
  • Blue Hotel by Chad Taylor
  • Remember Me by Charity Norman
  • The Darkest Sin by D. V. Bishop
  • Poor People With Money by Dominic Hoey
  • The Doctor’s Wife by Fiona Sussman
  • Miracle by Jennifer Lane
  • Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
  • In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley
  • The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave
  • Blood Matters by Renée
  • The Slow Roll by Simon Lendrum
  • Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath

DASHIELL HAMMETT AWARD

The winner of the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing was named by the International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) on June 24. The award is given to a book, originally published in the English language in the United States or Canada, “that best represents the conception of literary excellence in crime writing.”

  • Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

2022 Ngaio Marsh Awards

Jacqueline Bublitz swept the field when the winners of the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Awards for best novel were announced on September 15.

The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. The results were revealed at this year’s WORD Christchurch Festival.

BEST NOVEL

 Before You Knew My Name, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

 Before You Knew My Name, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)

Lindisfarne, Ngaio Marsh, and Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards News

LINDISFARNE PRIZE FOR CRIME FICTION

The Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction is a literary prize which recognizes outstanding writing in the genre of crime or thriller fiction. The 2022 winner has been announced.

  • The Children of Gaia by Jacqueline Auld

The winning entry is awarded a prize of £2500 to support the completion of their work and funding towards a year’s membership of both the Society of Authors (SoA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). 

 NGAIO MARSH AWARDS

The finalists for the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, have been named.

The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. The winners will be announced as part of a special event at this year’s WORD Christchurch Festival, held from August 31-September 4.

BEST NOVEL

 The Devils You Know, by Ben Sanders (Allen & Unwin)
 Before You Knew My Name, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)
 She’s a Killer, by Kirsten McDougall (Te Herenga Waka
University Press)
 Quiet in Her Bones, by Nalini Singh (Hachette)
 The Quiet People, by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press)
 Nancy Business, by R.W.R. McDonald (Allen & Unwin)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

 Isobar Precinct, by Angelique Kasmara (Cuba Press)
 Before You Knew My Name, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)
 Waking the Tiger, by Mark Wightman (Hobeck)
 Small Mouth Demon, by Matt Zwartz (Poetry in Motion)
 Shadow Over Edmund Street, by Suzanne Frankham (Journeys
to Words)

CAPITAL CRIME FINGERPRINT AWARDS

Capital Crime, a crime fiction con in London, has announced the finalists for The Fingerprint Awards 2022. The public can vote for the winners at the link.  The winners will be announced September 29.

CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
  • 1979 by Val McDermid
  • The Appeal by Janice Hallett
  • Girls Who Lie by Eva Björg Ægisdottir
  • Slough House by Mick Herron

THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
  • Dead Ground by M W Craven
  • The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
  • Razorblade Tears by S A Cosby
  • Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

HISTORICAL CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago
  • The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
  • Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robinson
  • Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee
  • A Comedy of Terrors by Lindsay Davis

DEBUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • Girl A by Abigail Dean
  • Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
  • Welcome to Cooper by Tariq Ashkanani
  • How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina
  • Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison

GENRE-BUSTING BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
  • How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
  • The Burning Girls by C J Tudor
  • Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi
  • What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

  • People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
  • The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson
  • True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
  • A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
  • I know what I Saw by Imran Mahmood

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for these stories.]

Hammett and Ngaio Marsh Crime Fiction Awards News

DASHIELL HAMMETT AWARD

The winner of the 2021 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing was named by the International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) on June 17. The award is given to a book, originally published in the English language in the United States or Canada, “that best represents the conception of literary excellence in crime writing.”

  • Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, Flatiron Books

The award judges were Mae Woods (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), Meta Carstarphen (Editor at Communication Booknotes Quarterly), and Jennifer Fremlin (writer and professor, Huntingdon College, Alabama).

2022 NGAIO MARSH AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL LONGLIST

The 12 books up for the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, were announced June 23.

The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010.  The finalists for both the Best Novel category and Best First Novel will be announced in early August.  The winners will be announced as part of a special event at this year’s WORD Christchurch Festival, held from August 31-September 4.

The longlist for this year’s Best Novel prize is: 

  • City of Vengeance by DV Bishop (Macmillan) 
  • Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin) 
  • The Quiet People by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press) 
  • To The Sea by Nikki Crutchley (HarperCollins) 
  • Polaroid Nights by Lizzie Harwood (The Cuba Press) 
  • Isobar Precinct by Angelique Kasmara (The Cuba Press) 
  • Nancy Business by RWR McDonald (Allen & Unwin) 
  • She’s A Killer by Kirsten McDougall (Te Herenga Waka University Press) 
  • The Last Guests by JP Pomare 
  • The Devils You Know by Ben Sanders (Allen & Unwin) 
  • Quiet In Her Bones by Nalini Singh (Hachette) 
  • Waking The Tiger by Mark Wightman (Hobeck Books) 

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the links.]

2021 Ngaio Marsh Awards

The winners of the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Awards for best novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, were announced October 30.

BEST NOVEL

  • Sprigs (Brannavan Gnanalingam, Lawrence and Gibson)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • For Reasons of Their Own (Chris Stuart, Original Sin)

BEST NONFICTION (BIENNIAL)

  • Black Hands: Inside the Bain family murders (Martin Van Beynen, PRHNZ).

INAUGURAL PRIZE FOR NOVEL FOR YOUNGER READERS

  • Katipo Joe (Brian Falkner, Scholastic NZ)

2021 Ngaio Marsh Award Shortlist

The shortlist for the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, was announced September 15.

BEST NOVEL

  • The Murder Club (Nikki Crutchley, Oak House Press)
  • Sprigs (Brannavan Gnanalingam, Lawrence and Gibson)
  • The Tally Stick (Carl Nixon, RHNZ Vintage)
  • The Secrets of Strangers (Charity Norman, A&U)
  • Tell Me Lies (J P Pomare, Hachette)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • The Girl in the Mirror (Rose Carlyle, A&U)
  • The Beautiful Dead (Kim Hunt)
  • Where the Truth Lies (Karina Kilmore, S&S)
  • For Reasons of Their Own (Chris Stuart, Original Sin)
  • While the Fantail Lives (Alan Titchall, Devon Media)

BEST NONFICTION (BIENNIAL)

  • Weed: A New Zealand story (James Borrowdale, Penguin)
  • Rock College: An unofficial history of Mount Eden Prison (Mark Derby, Massey University Press)
  • From Dog Collar to Dog Collar (Bruce Howat)
  • Gangland (Jared Savage, HarperCollins NZ)
  • Black Hands: Inside the Bain family murders (Martin Van Beynen, PRHNZ).

INAUGURAL PRIZE FOR NOVEL FOR YOUNGER READERS

  • Katipo Joe (Brian Falkner, Scholastic NZ)
  • Red Edge (Des Hunt, Scholastic NZ)
  • A Trio of Sophies (Eileen Merriman, Penguin)
  • Deadhead (Glenn Wood, OneTree House).

The winners will be revealed during an online event in association with WORD Christchurch on October 30.

2021 Ngaio Marsh Awards Longlist

The 12 books up for the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the New Zealand crime fiction award, were announced July 14.

2021 BEST NOVEL

 The Stone Weta, by Octavia Cade (Paper Road Press)
 The Girl in the Middle, by Rose Carlyle (Allen & Unwin)
 The Snow Thief, by C.J. Carver (Right Nuisance)
 Shakti, by Rajorshi Chakraborti (Penguin)
 Dance Prone, by David Coventry (Pan Macmillan)
 The Murder Club, by Nikki Crutchley (Oak House Press)
 Sprigs, by Brannavan Gnanalingam (Lawrence & Gibson)
 Caught Between, by Jeannie McLean (Self-published)
 The Tally Stick, by Carl Nixon (Random House)
 The Secrets of Strangers, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)
 Tell Me Lies, by J.P. Pomare (Hachette)
 Soldiers, by Tom Remiger (Text)

INAUGURAL PRIZE FOR NOVEL FOR YOUNGER READERS. Also, for the first time, a commendation will be presented to a novel written specifically for younger readers. The finalists are:

 Katipo Joe: Blitzkrieg, by Brian Falkner (Scholastic New Zealand)
 Red Edge, by Des Hunt (Scholastic New Zealand)
 A Trio of Sophies, by Eileen Merriman (Penguin)
 Deadhead, by Glenn Wood (OneTree House)

The Ngaio Marsh finalists for Best Novel, Best First Novel, and Best Non-fiction will be announced on August 28. The winners will be unveiled in October.

2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards

The winners of the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards for the New Zealand crime fiction were announced at the WORD Christchurch Spring Festival on October 30.

BEST NOVEL

  • AUE by Becky Manawatu. [Note: WordPress does not support the proper E with a macron.]

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • The Nancys by RWR McDonald

Both were debut books.

The judges called The Nancys —

“Hilarious and inventive, the dynamic between the young protagonist and the adult characters is unusual and special. A clever hat-tip to one of the most indelible female characters in the genre, and a story that blends crime and humour in unexpected ways. A book with standout, oddball characters.”

The judges said about AUE:

“A breathtaking expose of lives lived on the margins, and the fight for redemption and absolution … takes technical chances without being overbearing, and it’s affecting without being schmaltzy … Utterly devastating and some of the finest prose I have come across in the genre or in any recent Kiwi literature … Manawatu doesn’t use crime as a plot device but shows it woven into the fabric of her characters’ lives, defining them, sometimes destroying them, and serving as a perverse unifier.”

It was the award’s tenth anniversary season.