What To Read

Last night, the biggest names in mystery writing converged on Manhattan's Marriott Marquis hotel to celebrate the 77th annual Edgar Awards presented by the Mystery Writers of America. Legendary detective novelist Michael Connelly and cozy mystery powerhouse Joanne Fluke served as Grand Masters for the event, which is named in honor of Edgar Allan Poe and honors the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and TV. (Unsurprisingly, Anthony Horowitz took home the best TV episode award for the premiere of the popular Magpie Murders series on PBS based on his novel of the same name.)

Here is a list of this year's Edgar Award book winners, including a long-anticipated history of crime fiction, an unconventional novel about a serial killer on death row and a memoir that probes into the dark secrets of a college football program. 

Peruse the full list of finalists here.

Best Novel

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Critics raved about this unique take on a serial killer narrative, some calling the book a "contemporary masterpiece" and "career-defining novel." 

Novelist Erin Hildebrand gave an ecstatic plug for the book on Instagram: "ABSOLUTELY RIVETING. I’ll state the obvious: This isn’t a beach book. Not even close. But if you like psychological thrillers and/or brilliantly written literary fiction then move NOTES ON AN EXECUTION to the top of your pile...TRUST ME!! Sooooooo darn good!!"

Best First Novel

Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor

The book follows Billy Lowe, a troubled star high school running back, and the team’s born-again Christian coach who’s just moved to the town from California. When Billy's mother's abusive boyfriend is found murdered, all evidence points to Billy. 

The New York Times’ Sarah Weinman was full of praise for a debut she named as one of the best of 2022, writing: “Cranor’s top-shelf debut, is unmistakably noir in the Southern tradition, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes... There is a raw ferocity to Cranor’s prose, perfectly in keeping with the novel’s examination of curdling masculinity.”

Best Paperback Original

Or Else by Joe Hart

Bestselling author Joe Hart delivers a suspenseful novel about a secret love affair that turns deadly. Writer Andy Drake's return to his hometown reignites a forbidden romance with his childhood friend Rachel, who's trapped in an abusive marriage. When Rachel vanishes, and her husband is found murdered, it's up to Andy to piece together the clues. As he investigates, the writer discovers a web of secrets in his seemingly quiet neighborhood. With twists at every turn, and even more lives on the line, no one can be trusted.

Best Fact Crime

Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse

Blending memoir and true crime, the book follows Erika Krouse, a private investigator hired to investigate a sexual assault case involving college football players. Despite her own history with sexual violence, Erika accepts the job and becomes consumed with uncovering the truth about the university's culture of assault and harassment. 

In her review of the book, Slate culture columnist Laura Miller wrote: “A startlingly fresh book that proves the memoir can do much, much more than just describe what really happened... Tell Me Everything isn’t a testimony of suffering. It’s the evidence of what Krouse has made from it: an artist, and a formidable one.”

Best Critical / Biographical

The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwards

From award-winning crime novelist Martin Edwards comes a long awaited tome that distills more than two centuries of crime fiction, from E.T.A. Hoffmann to Patricia Cornwell, into one coherent and compelling history. 

Writing for the Washington Post, Pulitzer-winner Michael Dirda said: “Start reading this history of the detective story — from Poe to P.D. James — and you’ll soon find it hard to follow my heartfelt advice: Slow down and space out the book’s 724 pages so that you can enjoy it for more than a few days... A magisterial work.”

Best Young Adult

The Red Palace by June Hur

From an author previously nominated for the Edgar several times, comes a thrilling historical mystery set in 18th-century Korea. Eighteen-year-old Hyeon, a palace nurse, is drawn into the treacherous world of court politics when her mentor is accused of murdering four women.

NPR’s Caitlyn Paxson wrote: "The Red Palace is an expertly choreographed mystery with a touch of romance and an emotionally satisfying conclusion that beautifully binds fiction to historical fact."

Best Juvenile

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelyn

In the fourth installment of the Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series, young detective Aggie and her friend Hector are thrilled to stay at a seaside camp to watch real paleontologists at work. But when a body washes ashore and tensions rise among collectors vying for a fossilized ichthyosaur, Aggie and Hector become embroiled in a dangerous mystery. 12 year-old ‘BookTuber,’ E Train called it “the perfect #mystery read for #Halloween!” on Twitter.