The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) of the United Kingdom announced the shortlist for the 2020 Dagger Awards on August 6.

The winners of the 2020 Daggers will be named at an awards ceremony on October 22.

GOLD DAGGER

This award is for the best crime novel by an author of any nationality.

• Claire Askew: What You Pay For (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Lou Berney: November Road (Harper Fiction)
• John Fairfax: Forced Confessions (Little, Brown)
• Mick Herron: Joe Country (John Murray)
• Abir Mukherjee: Death in the East (Harvill Secker)
• Michael Robotham: Good Girl, Bad Girl (Sphere)

IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

Eligible books in this category are thrillers set in any period and include, but are not limited to, spy fiction, psychological thrillers and action/adventure stories.

• Lou Berney: November Road (Harper Fiction)
• Tom Chatfield: This is Gomorrah (Hodder & Stoughton)
• AA Dhand: One Way Out (Bantam Press)
• Eva Dolan: Between Two Evils (Raven Books)
• David Koepp: Cold Storage (HQ)
• Alex North: The Whisper Man (Michael Joseph)

JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

This award is for the best crime novel by a first-time author of any nationality.

• Steph Cha: Your House Will Pay (Faber & Faber)
• Samantha Downing: My Lovely Wife (Michael Joseph)
• Philippa East: Little White Lies (HQ)
• Robin Morgan-Bentley: The Wreckage (Trapeze)
• Trevor Wood: The Man on the Street (Quercus Fiction)

SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER

This award is for the best historical crime novel, set in any period up to 50 years prior to the year in which the award will be made.

• Alis Hawkins: In Two Minds (The Dome Press)
• Philip Kerr: Metropolis (Quercus Fiction)
• SG MacLean: The Bear Pit (Quercus Fiction)
• Abir Mukherjee: Death in the East (Harvill Secker)
• Alex Reeve: The Anarchists’ Club (Raven Books)
• Ovidia Yu: The Paper Bark Tree Mystery (Constable)

CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER

This award is for a crime novel not originally written in English and which has been translated into English for UK publication.

• Marion Brunet: Summer of Reckoning, translated by Katherine Gregor (Bitter Lemon Press)
• Hannelore Cayre: The Godmother, translated by Stephanie Smee (Old Street Publishing)
• K Ferrari: Like Flies from Afar, translated by Adrian Nathan West (Canongate Books)
• Jorge Galán: November, translated by Jason Wilson (Constable)
• Sergio Olguín: The Fragility of Bodies, translated by Miranda France (Bitter Lemon Press)
• Antti Tuomainen: Little Siberia, translated by David Hackston (Orenda Books)

SHORT STORY DAGGER

This award is for any crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment.

• Jeffery Deaver: The Bully in Exit Wounds, edited by Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan (Titan Books)
• Paul Finch: The New Lad in Exit Wounds, edited by Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan (Titan Books)
• Christopher Fowler: The Washing in Invisible Blood, edited by Maxim Jakubowski (Titan Books)
• Lauren Henderson: #Me Too in Invisible Blood, edited by Maxim Jakubowski (Titan Books)
• Louise Jensen: The Recipe in Exit Wounds, edited by Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan (Titan Books)
• Syd Moore: Easily Made in 12 Strange Days of Christmas (Point Blank Press)

ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

This award is for any non-fiction work on a crime-related theme by an author of any nationality.

• Casey Cep: Furious Hours (William Heinemann)
• Peter Everett: Corrupt Bodies (Icon Books)
• Caroline Goode: Honour: Achieving Justice for Banaz Mahmod (Oneworld Publications)
• Sean O’Connor: The Fatal Passion of Alma Rattenbury (Simon & Schuster)
• Adam Sisman: The Professor and the Parson: A Story of Desire, Deceit and Defrocking (Profile Books)
• Susannah Stapleton: The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective (Picador)

DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established crime writer who has long been popular with borrowers from libraries, and who has supported libraries and their users.

• Christopher Brookmyre
• Jane Casey
• Alex Gray
• Quintin Jardine

DEBUT DAGGER

A competition for the opening of a crime novel and synopsis, chosen by judges: bestselling author Leigh Russell, editor Stephanie Glencross (of Gregory and Company), Editorial Director at Bonnier Zaffre Katherine Armstrong and director of literary agency A.M. Heath and Co. Oli Munson.

• Anna Caig: The Spae-Wife
• Leanne Fry: Whipstick
• Kim Hays: Pesticide
• Nicholas Morrish: Emergency Drill
• Josephine Moulds: Revolution Never Lies
• Michael Munro: Bitter Lake

PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

This prestigious Dagger is awarded annually to the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year.

• Bitter Lemon Press
• Harvill Secker
• Head of Zeus
• HQ
• Michael Joseph
• Orenda
• Raven Books
• Severn House