Two crime fiction awards have announced their 2025 finalists.

INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARDS 2025 FINALISTS

The finalists for the 2025 International Thriller Writers Awards were revealed on March 3. The award is given by the International Thriller Writers. ITW will announce the winners at ThrillerFest on June 21.

BEST STANDALONE THRILLER NOVEL

• Kimberly S. Belle, THE PARIS WIDOW
• Will Dean, THE CHAMBER
• L.J. Newman, WORST CASE SCENARIO
• Jason Rekulak, THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING
• Lisa Scottoline, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS

BEST STANDALONE MYSTERY NOVEL

• Libby Cudmore, NEGATIVE GIRL
• Laura Dave, THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM
• Kellye Garrett, MISSING WHITE WOMAN
• Harry Hunsicker, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSE DOUCETTE
• Dervla McTiernan, WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?
• Lori Roy, LAKE COUNTY

BEST SERIES NOVEL

• David Baldacci, TO DIE FOR
• Eric Beetner, THE LAST FEW MILES OF ROAD
• Ann Cleeves, THE DARK WIVES
• Meg Gardiner, SHADOWHEART
• Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen, FLASHBACK
• Isabella Maldonado, A FORGOTTEN KILL

 BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Kate Brody, RABBIT HOLE
• Jaime deBlanc, AFTER IMAGE
• Carinn Jade, THE ASTROLOGY HOUSE
• Alejandro Nodarse, BLOOD IN THE CUT
• Marie Tierney, DEADLY ANIMALS

BEST AUDIOBOOK

• Sally Hepworth, DARLING GIRLS, Narrated by Jessica Clarke
• Jon Lindstrom, HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE, Narrated by Jon Lindstrom
• Kate Alice Marshall, NO ONE CAN KNOW, Narrated by Karissa Vacker
• Hilton Reed, BEYOND ALL DOUBT, Narrated by George Newbern
• Amy Tintera, LISTEN FOR THE LIE, Narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

• Adam Cesare, INFLUENCER
• Ripley Jones, THE OTHER LOLA
• Marisha Pessl, DARKLY
• Natalie D. Richards, 49 MILES ALONE
• Melanie Sumrow, GIRLS LIKE HER

BEST SHORT STORY

• Stefanie Leder, NOT A DINNER PARTY PERSON
• Twist Phelan, DOUBLE PARKED
• Ivy Pochoda, JACKRABBIT SKIN
• Lisa Unger, THE DOLL’S HOUSE
• Joseph S. Walker, AND NOW, AN INSPIRING STORY OF TRAGEDY OVERCOME

BARRY AWARDS

The nominees for the 2025 Barry Awards were announced on March 4. Voting is now open to subscribers and readers of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine.

The Barry Awards will be presented at this year’s Bouchercon in New Orleans during its Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

BEST MYSTERY NOVEL

• THE WAITING, Michael Connelly
• SPIRIT CROSSING, William Kent Krueger
• THE GOD OF THE WOODS, Liz Moore
• MIDNIGHT AND BLUE, Ian Rankin
• CALIFORNIA BEAR, Duane Swierczynski
• ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, Chris Whitaker

BEST FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL

• THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES, Kat Ailes
• PAPER CAGE, Tom Baragwanath
• ORDINARY BEAR, C. B. Bernard
• IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, Jo Callaghan
• FIRST LIE WINS, Ashley Elston
• LISTEN FOR THE LIE, Amy Tintera

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL MYSTERY NOVEL

• DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF, Lou Berney
• ALL THE RAGE, Cara Hunter
• SMOKE KINGS, Jahmal Mayfield
• SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING, Rick Mofina
• WORDHUNTER, Stella Sands
• SIN CITY, James Swain

BEST ACTION THRILLER

• ASSASSIN EIGHTEEN, John Brownlow
• FIRST STRIKE, Stephen Leather
• THE SEVENTH FLOOR, David McCloskey
• HUNTED, Abir Mukherjee
• HERO, Thomas Perry
• THE PRICE YOU PAY, Nick Petrie

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]