The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) of the United Kingdom announced the shortlist for the 2022 Dagger Awards on May 13.

The Daggers were first given in 1955, but for the first five years CWA called its top honor the Crossed Red Herring Award.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on June 29.

GOLD DAGGER

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

• BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME by JACQUELINE BUBLITZ (Little, Brown • Sphere)
• SUNSET SWING by RAY CELESTIN (Pan Macmillan • Mantle)
• RAZORBLADE TEARS by SA COSBY (Headline Publishing Group • Headline)
• THE UNWILLING by JOHN HART (Bonnier Books UK • Zaffre)
• THE SHADOWS OF MEN by ABIR MUKHERJEE (Penguin Random House • Harvill Secker)
• THE TRAWLERMAN by WILLIAM SHAW (Quercus • riverrun)

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.

• FIND YOU FIRST by LINWOOD BARCLAY (HarperCollins • HQ)
• THE PACT by SHARON BOLTON (Orion Publishing Group)
• THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE by STEVE CAVANAGH (Orion Publishing Group)
• RAZORBLADE TEARS by SA COSBY (Headline Publishing Group)
• DEAD GROUND by MW CRAVEN (Little, Brown • Constable)
• DREAM GIRL by LAURA LIPPMAN (Faber)

JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

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

• WELCOME TO COOPER by TARIQ ASHKANANI (Thomas & Mercer)
• REPENTANCE by ELOÍSA DÍAZ (Orion Publishing Group • Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
• THE MASH HOUSE by ALAN GILLESPIE (Unbound • Unbound Digital)
• THE APPEAL by JANICE HALLETT (Profile Books • Viper Books)
• WHERE RAVENS ROOST by KARIN NORDIN (HarperCollins • HQ)
• HOW TO KIDNAP THE RICH by RAHUL RAINA (Little, Brown)
• WAKING THE TIGER by MARK WIGHTMAN (Hobeck Books)

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.

• HOTEL CARTAGENA by SIMONE BUCHHOLZ Translated by RACHEL WARD (Orenda Books)
• BULLET TRAIN by KŌTARŌ ISAKA Translated by SAM MALISSA (Penguin Random House • Harvill Secker)
• OXYGEN by SACHA NASPINI Translated by CLARISSA BOTSFORD (Europa Editions UK)
• PEOPLE LIKE THEM by SAMIRA SEDIRA Translated by LARA VERGNAUD (Bloomsbury Publishing • Raven Books)
• THE RABBIT FACTOR by ANTTI TUOMAINEN Translated by DAVID HACKSTON (Orenda Books)

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.

• THE DEVIL YOU KNOW: STORIES OF HUMAN CRUELTY AND COMPASSION by DR GWEN ADSHEAD & EILEEN HORNE (Faber)
• THE DUBLIN RAILWAY MURDER by THOMAS MORRIS (Penguin Random House • Harvill Secker)
• THE UNUSUAL SUSPECT by BEN MACHELL (Canongate Books)
• THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LYDIA HARVEY: A TRUE STORY OF SEX, CRIME AND THE MEANING OF JUSTICE by JULIA LAITE (Profile Books)
• EMPIRE OF PAIN by PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE (Pan Macmillan • Picador)
• THE IRISH ASSASSINS: CONSPIRACY, REVENGE AND THE MURDERS THAT STUNNED AN EMPIRE by JULIE KAVANAGH (Atlantic Books • Grove Press UK)

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.

• APRIL IN SPAIN by JOHN BANVILLE (Faber)
• SUNSET SWING by RAY CELESTIN (Pan Macmillan • Mantle)
• CROW COURT by ANDY CHARMAN (Unbound)
• NOT ONE OF US by ALIS HAWKINS (Canelo)
• EDGE OF THE GRAVE by ROBBIE MORRISON (Pan Macmillan • Macmillan)
• A CORRUPTION OF BLOOD by AMBROSE PARRY (Canongate 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.

• BLINDSIDED by CAROLINE ENGLAND in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time; Editor: Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)
• WITH THE OTHERS by TM LOGAN in Afraid of the Shadows; Editor: Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds)
• FLESH OF A FANCY WOMAN by PAUL MAGRS in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time; Editor: Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)
• LONDON by JO NESBØ in The Jealousy Man and other stories; Editor: Robert Ferguson (Penguin Random House • Harvill Secker)
• CHANGELING by BRYONY PEARCE in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time; Editor: Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)
• WHEN I GROW UP by ROBERT SCRAGG in Afraid of the Shadows; Editor: Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds)

PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

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

• FABER & FABER
• HARPER FICTION (HARPERCOLLINS imprint)
• MICHAEL JOSEPH (PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE imprint)
• TITAN BOOKS
• VIPER (PROFILE BOOKS imprint)
• PUSHKIN VERTIGO (PUSHKIN PRESS imprint)

DEBUT DAGGER

A competition for the opening of a crime novel and synopsis.

• HENRY’S BOMB by KEVIN BARTLETT
• HOLLOWAY CASTLE by LAURA ASTON HILL
• THE 10:12 by ANNA MALONEY
• THE DEAD OF EGYPT by DAVID SMITH
• THE DIEPPE LETTERS by LIZ RACHEL WALKER

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.

• LIN ANDERSON
• MARK BILLINGHAM
• SUSAN HILL
• EDWARD MARSTON
• CATH STAINCLIFFE