The 2021 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year is Chris Whitaker’s We Begin At The End.

We Begin At The End, a New York Times bestseller, has been optioned for film and is currently in development. Whitaker was interviewed here when his book made the shortlist.

Whitaker’s earlier book Tall Oaks was honored with the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.

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 Theakstons Brewery.