I’ve always considered the British CWA Dagger Awards to be the second most influential crime fiction awards after the Edgar Awards here in the U.S. It should be pointed out that the winners are not always British crime writers. Categories for Best Traditional/Cozy Mystery and Best Psychological Suspense have been added due to recent popularity of such novels.

Here are this year’s winners of these prestigious awards:

Gold Dagger For Best Crime Novel
THE DEATH OF US, Abigail Dean – Winner

KING OF ASHES, S. A. Cosby
NOT QUITE DEAD YET, Holly Jackson
THE GIRL IN CELL A, Vaseem Khan
THE FROZEN RIVER, Ariel Lawhon
THE ART OF A LIE, Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller
KING OF ASHES, S. A. Cosby – Winner

THE MIDNIGHT KING, Tariq Ashkanani
THE BIG EMPTY, Robert Crais
A STING IN HER TALE, Mark Ezra
SUCH QUIET GIRLS, Noelle W. Ihli
THE GOOD FATHER, Liam McIlvanney
WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE, Karin Slaughter

Historical Dagger
A GRANITE SILENCE, Nina Allan – Winner

BARVICK FALLS, Rob McInroy
THE DEVIL’S DRAPER, Donna Moore
GUNNER, Alan Parks
THE ART OF A LIE, Laura Shepherd-Robinson
A CASE OF LIFE AND LIMB, Sally Smith

Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger
THE WINTER JOB, Antti Tuomainen – Winner

MURDER MINDFILLY, Karsten Dusse
THE LAKE, Jorn Lier Horst
RED WATER, Jurica Pavicic
BIG BAD WOOL, Leonie Swann
STRANGE PICTURES, Uketsu

Whodunnit Dagger (Traditional/Cosy)
A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE, Mel Pennant – Winner

THE CHRISTMAS CRACKER KILLER, Alexandra Benedict
LITTLE SECRETS, Victoria Goldman
ETIQUETTE FOR LOVERS & KILLERS, Anna Fitzgerald Healy
A QUEER CASE, Robert Holtom
BAD INFLUENCE, C. J. Wray

Twisted Dagger (Psychological/Domestic Suspense)
WE LIVE HERE NOW, Sarah Pinborough – Winner

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARK, Kia Abdullah
HER MANY FACES, Nicci Cloke
SOME OF US ARE LIARS, Fiona Cummins
SCENES FROM A TRAGEDY, Carole Hailey
THE BODIES, Sam Lloyd

ILP John Creasey (First Novel) Dagger
THE WOLF TREE, Laura McCluskey – Winner

THE PEAK, Sam Guthrie
THE LOST DETECTIVE, Elspeth Latimer
THE VANISHING PLACE, Zoe Rankin
CORAM HOUSE, Bailey Seybolt
HOLY CITY, Henry Wise

Dagger in the Library

Tim Sullivan

Diamond Dagger (Lifetime Achievement)

Mark Billingham