Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Nominees

The award, now in its 18th year, is presented Harrogate International Festivals and recognizes the best crime novels published in the UK and Ireland in paperback over the past year. Readers can vote online for their favorite book among the listed titles, with voting closing on [Thursday] May 26.

GIRL A, Abigail Dean
THE HERON’S CRY, Ann Cleeves
TALL BONES, Anna Bailey
BLOOD TIES, Brian McGilloway
THE CUT, Chris Brookmyre
THE LESS DEAD, Denise Mina
THE NIGHT HAWKS, Elly Griffiths
WATCH HER FALL, Erin Kelly
I KNOW WHAT I SAW, Imran Mahmood
TRUE CRIME STORY, Joseph Knox
DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT, Laura Shepherd-Robinson
DEAD GROUND, M.W. Craven
RABBIT HOLE, Mark Billingham
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron
THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER, Stuart Turton
MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE, Vaseem Khan
THE LAST THING TO BURN, Will Dean
THE TRAWLERMAN, William Shaw

The winner among these 18 books will be declared during this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, to be held in Harrogate, England, from July 21 to 24. He or she will receive a check for £3,000, plus an engraved oak beer cask, reportedly “hand-carved by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakstons Brewery.”

Editor’s note: I’ve voted online for DEAD GROUND by M.W. Craven.