Edgar Award Winners 2022

Best Novel

FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel – Winner

THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK, Rhys Bowen
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
HOW LUCKY, Will Leach
NO ONE WILL MISS HER, Kat Rosenfeld

Best First Novel by an American Author

DEER SEASON, Erin Flanagan – Winner

NEVER SAW ME COMING, Vera Kurian
SUBURBAN DICKS, Fabian Nicieza
WHAT COMES AFTER, JoAnne Tompkins
THE DAMAGE, Caitlin Wahrer

Best Paperback Original

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, Alan Parks – Winner

KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS, David Bell
THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES, C. J. Cooke
THE ALBUM OF DR. MOREAU, Darvi Gregory
STARR SIGN, C. S. O’Cinneide
THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS, Laura Purcell

The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award

CLARK AND DIVISION, Naomi Hirahara – Winner

THE SECRET LIFE OF MISS MARY BENNET, Katherine Cowley
RUBY RED HERRING, Tracy Gardner
THE SIGN OF DEATH, Callie Hutton
CHAPTER AND CURSE, Elizabeth Penney

The G. P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award

RUNNER, Tracy Clark – Winner

DOUBLE TAKE, Elizabeth Breck
SHADOW HILL, Thomas Kies
SLEEP WELL, MY LADY, Kwei Quartey
FAMILY BUSINESS, S. J. Rozan

Editor’s comments: I really thought that RAZORBLADE TEARS would win the best novel award. I tell anyone who will listen that I thought RAZORBLADE TEARS was the best crime novel I read last year — but FIVE DECEMBERS (also very well written) was my favorite crime novel of 2021. So, I’m very excited for it to win the Best Novel Edgar Award. It is not very often that my own personal opinions about crime novels are validated by Edgar Award winners.

I also admired CLARK & DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara, which won the Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Larry Gandle (who reviews the Edgar nominees for Best Novel and Best First Novel each year) thought that DEER SEASON by Erin Flanagan was a worthy pick for Best First Novel.

Congratulations to all the winners — and all of the nominees!