Cover image of "The Big Empty," one of the top mystery and thriller award winners

Most citations of awards in the mystery, thriller, and suspense field mention the Edgar, Gold Dagger, Anthony, and International Thriller Writer Awards. But the categories used by these four awards don’t match. And as you’ll see, the awards themselves don’t often, either.

For example, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) grant Edgar Allen Poe Awards each year in seven categories for books. (There are others for publishers, bookstores, short stories, and Best Episode in a TV Series.) Included are: Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Fact Crime, Best Critical/Biographical Work, Best Juvenile, Best Young Adult, and Best Paperback Original.

Variety in a far-flung and diverse field

By contrast, the UK-based Crime Writers’ Association grants 13 Dagger awards in multiple categories. But they’re different from those of the MWA. Among them are the best of Crime Fiction in Translation, Whodunnits, Emerging Authors, First Novel, Short Story, and Historical as well as the Gold Dagger for the best crime novel of the year.

There is a similar range of categories for the attendees of the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, who select the Anthony Awards, and the International Thriller Writers.

Below I’ve listed the last five years’ awards for each of the organizations in their top category, Best Novel or the equivalent. Where I’ve reviewed a title, I’ve linked it to my review. And as you’ll realize, that’s not many. In fact, of the 18 different titles among the 20 award-winners listed below, there are only four I’ve read and reviewed: two by S. A. Cosby, plus one by Mick Herron and one by an Indian author.

Mystery, thriller, and suspense writing is an enormous field, with an estimated output of between 10,000 and 20,000 new titles each year. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that so many different titles crop up on what otherwise seem to be very similar award categories.

Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Novel

  • 2026: The Big Empty by Robert Crais
  • 2025: The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell
  • 2024: Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
  • 2023: Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
  • 2022: Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Cover image of "The Death of Us," one of the top mystery and thriller award winners

CWA Gold Dagger Award

  • 2026: The Death of Us by Abigail Dean
  • 2025: The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola
  • 2024: Tell Me What I Am by Una Mannion
  • 2023: The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green
  • 2022: Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin
Cover image of "The God of the Woods"

Anthony Award for Best Novel

Cover image of "Cross My Heart," one of the top mystery and thriller award winners

International Thriller Writers Awards for Best Standalone Adult Thriller

For my taste, you can find a far better source of great reading at “50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century.” (Unfortunately, you’ll probably need a New York Times subscription to access it.) I’ve read and reviewed 26 of the 50 books on this extraordinary list.

You’ll find other great reading at:

And you can always find the most popular of my 2,500 reviews, and the most recent ones, on the Home Page.