Past Nominees and Winners

2023 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2023 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Delilah S. Dawson

    THE VIOLENCE

    Del Rey

  • Jennifer Hillier

    THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK

    Minotaur

  • Alma Katsu

    THE FERVOR

    Penguin/Putnam

  • Jennifer McMahon

    THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL

    Simon & Schuster

  • Chris Pavone

    TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON

    MCD

  • Catriona Ward

    SUNDIAL

    Macmillan

  • Erin Young

    THE FIELDS

    Flatiron Books

BEST AUDIOBOOK

  • Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie

    YOUNG RICH WIDOWS

    Audible
    Narrated by Dina Pearlman, Karissa Vacker, Helen Laser, Ariel Blake

  • Julie Clark

    THE LIES I TELL

    Audible
    Narrated by Anna Caputo, Amanda Dolan

  • J.L. Delozier

    THE PHOTO THIEF

    CamCat Publishing
    Narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs, Jeffrey Kafer

  • Jennifer Hillier

    THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK

    Macmillan Audio
    Narrated by Carla Vega

  • Minka Kent

    THE SILENT WOMAN

    Blackstone Publishing
    Narrated by Christine Lakin, Kate Rudd

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Lauren Nossett

    THE RESEMBLANCE

    Flatiron Books

  • Sascha Rothchild

    BLOOD SUGAR

    Penguin/Putnam

  • Hayley Scrivenor

    DIRT TOWN

    Pan Macmillan

  • Stacy Willingham

    A FLICKER IN THE DARK

    Minotaur

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Mary Burton

    THE LIES I TOLD

    Montlake Romance

  • Mark Edwards

    NO PLACE TO RUN

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Minka Kent

    UNMISSING

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Freida McFadden

    THE HOUSEMAID

    Grand Central Publishing

  • Wanda Morris

    ANYWHERE YOU RUN

    William Morrow

  • Holly Wainwright

    THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS

    Pan Macmillan

  • Loreth Anne White

    THE PATIENT'S SECRET

    Montlake Romance

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Dominique Bibeau

    RUSSIAN FOR BEGINNERS

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Barb Goffman

    THE GIFT

    Down & Out Books

  • Smita Harish Jain

    PUBLISH OR PERISH

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Joyce Carol Oates

    33 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Anna Scotti

    SCHRÖDINGER, CAT

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Catherine Steadman

    STOCKHOLM

    Amazon Original Stories

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Melissa Albert

    OUR CROOKED HEARTS

    Flatiron Books

  • Gillian French

    SUGARING OFF

    Algonquin Young Readers

  • Kate McLaughlin

    DAUGHTER

    Wednesday Books

  • Francesca Padilla

    WHAT'S COMING TO ME

    Soho Teen

  • Courtney Summers

    I'M THE GIRL

    Wednesday Books

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Bill Byrnes

    EVASIVE SPECIES

    Self-published

  • Diane Jeffrey

    THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE

    HarperCollins

  • Grant McKenzie

    THE SEVEN TRUTHS OF HANNAH BAXTER

    Self-published

  • Rick Mofina

    THE HOLLOW PLACE

    Self-published

  • Carrie Rubin

    FATAL ROUNDS

    Self-published

2022 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2022 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Megan Abbott

    THE TURNOUT

    Penguin/Putnam

  • S.A. Cosby

    RAZORBLADE TEARS

    Flatiron Books

  • Alice Feeney

    ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

    Flatiron Books

  • Rachel Howzell Hall

    THESE TOXIC THINGS

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Alma Katsu

    RED WIDOW

    Penguin/Putnam

  • Eric Rickstad

    I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM

    Blackstone Publishing

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Abigail Dean

    GIRL A

    HarperCollins

  • Eloísa Díaz

    REPENTANCE

    Agora Books

  • Amanda Jayatissa

    MY SWEET GIRL

    Berkley

  • David McCloskey

    DAMASCUS STATION

    W.W. Norton & Company

  • Eric Redman

    BONES OF HILO

    Crooked Lane Books

BEST AUDIOBOOK

  • S. A. Cosby

    RAZORBLADE TEARS

    Macmillan
    Narrated by
    Adam Lazarre-White

  • Samantha Downing

    SLEEPING DOGS LIE

    Audible Originals
    Narrated by
    Melanie Nicholls-King and Lindsey Dorcus

  • Rachel Howzell Hall

    HOW IT ENDS

    Audible Originals
    Narrated by
    Joniece Abbott-Pratt

  • Gregg Hurwitz

    PRODIGAL SON

    Macmillan
    Narrated by
    Scott Brick

  • Nadine Matheson

    THE JIGSAW MAN

    HarperCollins
    Narrated by
    Davine Henry

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Joy Castro

    FLIGHT RISK

    Lake Union

  • Aaron Philip Clark

    UNDER COLOR OF LAW

    Thomas & Mercer

  • C. J. Cooke

    THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES

    Berkley

  • Jess Lourey

    BLOODLINE

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Terry Roberts

    MY MISTRESS’ EYES ARE RAVEN BLACK

    Turner Publishing Company

BEST SHORT STORY

  • S.A. Cosby

    Not My Cross to Bear

    Down & Out Books

  • William Burton McCormick

    Demon in the Depths

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Scott Loring Sanders

    The Lemonade Stand

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Jeff Soloway

    The Interpreter and the Killer

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • John Wimer

    Bad Chemistry

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Greig Beck

    THE DARK SIDE: ALEX HUNTER 9

    Pan Macmillan

  • John Connell

    WHERE THE WICKED TREAD

    John Connell

  • Wendy Dranfield

    LITTLE GIRL TAKEN

    Bookouture

  • E.J. Findorff

    BLOOD PARISH

    E.J. Findorff

  • S. E. Green

    MOTHER MAY I

    S.E. Green

  • Andrew Kaplan

    BLUE MADAGASCAR

    Andrew Kaplan

  • Karin Nordin

    LAST ONE ALIVE

    HarperCollins

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Maureen Johnson

    THE BOX IN THE WOODS

    HarperCollins

  • Nova McBee

    CALCULATED

    Wolfpack Publishing LLC

  • Ginny Myers Sain

    DARK AND SHALLOW LIES

    Penguin Young Readers

  • Courtney Summers

    THE PROJECT

    Wednesday Books

  • Krystal Sutherland

    HOUSE OF HOLLOW

    Penguin Young Readers

2021 ITW Thriller Awards


During a ceremony at “Virtual” ThrillerFest on Saturday, July 10, 2021, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2020 Thriller Awards. The awards were presented by literary luminaries, including Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Walter Mosley, Karin Slaughter and R.L. Stine.

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • S.A. Cosby

    BLACKTOP WASTELAND

    Flatiron Books

  • Joe Ide

    HI FIVE

    Mulholland Books

  • Richard Osman

    THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

    Penguin

  • Ivy Pochoda

    THESE WOMEN

    Ecco

  • Lisa Unger

    CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45

    Park Row

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Jasmine Aimaq

    THE OPIUM PRINCE

    Soho Press

  • Don Bentley

    WITHOUT SANCTION

    Berkley

  • Kyle Perry

    The Bluffs

    Michael Joseph

  • Francesca Serritella

    GHOSTS OF HARVARD

    Random House

  • David Heska Wanbli Weiden

    WINTER COUNTS

    Ecco

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Alyssa Cole

    WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING

    William Morrow Paperbacks

  • Layton Green

    UNKNOWN 9: GENESIS

    Reflector Entertainment

  • John Marrs

    WHAT LIES BETWEEN US

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Andrew Mayne

    THE GIRL BENEATH THE SEA

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Benjamin Stevenson

    EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT

    Penguin Random House Australia

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Steve Hockensmith

    The Death and Carnage Boy

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Laura Lipman

    Slow Burner

    Amazon Original Stories

  • Alan Orloff

    Rent Due

    Down & Out Books

  • Elaine Viets

    Dog Eat Dog

    Untreed Reads

  • Andrew Welsh-Huggins

    The Mailman

    Down & Out Books

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Demetra Brodsky

    LAST GIRLS

    Tor Teen

  • Andrea Contos

    THROWAWAY GIRLS

    Kids Can Press

  • Kit Frick

    I KILLED ZOE SPANOS

    Margaret K. McElderry Books

  • Lily Sparks

    TEEN KILLERS CLUB

    Crooked Lane Books

  • Heather Young

    THE DISTANT DEAD

    William Morrow

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Sean Black

    AVENUE OF THIEVES

    Sean Black

  • Jeff Buick

    A KILLING GAME

    Novel Words

  • Diane Capri

    FULL METAL JACK

    AugustBooks

  • Jake Needham

    MONGKOK STATION

    Half Penny

  • Kirk Russell

    NO HESITATION

    Strawberry Creek

The 2020 Thriller Awards


During a ceremony at “Virtual” ThrillerFest on Saturday, July 11, 2020, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2020 Thriller Awards. The awards were presented by literary luminaries, including Sandra Brown, Lisa Gardner, Walter Mosley, R.L. Stine, Scott Turow, and Don Winslow.

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • David Baldacci

    ONE GOOD DEED

    Grand Central Publishing

  • Joe Clifford

    RAG AND BONE

    Oceanview Publishing

  • Rachel Howzell Hall

    THEY ALL FALL DOWN

    Forge Books

  • Adrian McKinty

    THE CHAIN

    Mulholland Books

  • Denise Mina

    CONVICTION

    Mulholland Books

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Samantha Downing

    MY LOVELY WIFE

    Berkley

  • Angie Kim

    MIRACLE CREEK

    Farrar, Straus and Giroux

  • John McMahon

    THE GOOD DETECTIVE

    G.P. Putnam’s Son

  • Alex Michaelides

    THE SILENT PATIENT

    Celadon Books

  • Lauren Wilkinson

    AMERICAN SPY

    Random House

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Max Allan Collins

    GIRL MOST LIKELY

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Alison Gaylin

    NEVER LOOK BACK

    William Morrow Paperbacks

  • Alastair Luft

    JIHADI BRIDE

    Black Rose Writing

  • Dervla McTiernan

    THE SCHOLAR

    Penguin Books

  • Lisa Sandlin

    THE BIRD BOYS

    Cinco Puntos Press

  • Kate White

    SUCH A PERFECT WIFE

    Harper Paperbacks

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Hector Acosta

    Turistas

    Down & Out Books

  • Michael Cowgill

    Call Me Chuckles

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Tara Laskowski

    The Long-Term Tenant

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Lia Matera

    Snow Job

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Twist Phelan

    Twist Phelan

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Jen Conley

    SEVEN WAYS TO GET RID OF HARRY

    Down & Out Books

  • Naomi Kritzer

    CATFISHING ON CATNET

    Tor Teen

  • Natalie Lund

    WE SPEAK IN STORMS

    Philomel Books/Penguin Young Readers

  • Randy Ribay

    PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING

    Kokila/Penguin Young Readers

  • Tom Ryan

    KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF

    Albert Whitman & Company

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Brett Battles

    NIGHT MAN

    Brett Battles)

  • Sean Black

    THE DEEP ABIDING

    Sean Black

  • Brian Shea

    MURDER BOARD

    Severn River Publishing

  • LynDee Walker

    LEAVE NO STONE

    Severn River Publishing

  • Kerry Wilkinson

    CLOSE TO YOU

    Bookouture

The 2019 Thriller Awards


During a gala banquet and celebration held on Saturday, July 13th, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2019 Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Lou Berney

    NOVEMBER ROAD

    William Morrow

  • Julia Heaberlin

    PAPER GHOSTS

    Ballantine Books

  • Jennifer Hillier

    JAR OF HEARTS

    Minotaur Books

  • Karin Slaughter

    PIECES OF HER

    William Morrow

  • Paul Tremblay

    THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD

    William Morrow

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Jack Carr

    THE TERMINAL LIST

    Atria/Emily Bestler Books

  • Karen Cleveland

    NEED TO KNOW

    Ballantine Books

  • Ellison Cooper

    CAGED

    Minotaur Books

  • Catherine Steadman

    SOMETHING IN THE WATER

    Ballantine Books

  • C. J. Tudor

    THE CHALK MAN

    Crown

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Jane Harper

    THE LOST MAN

    Pan Macmillan Australia

  • John Marrs

    THE GOOD SAMARITAN

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Andrew Mayne

    THE NATURALIST

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Kirk Russell

    GONE DARK

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Carter Wilson

    MISTER TENDER'S GIRL

    Sourcebooks Landmark

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Jeffery Deaver

    THE VICTIMS CLUB

    Amazon Original Series

  • Emily Devenport

    10,432 Serial Killers (In Hell)

    Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

  • Scott Loring Sanders

    Window to the Soul

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Helen Smith

    KILLER WOMEN: CRIME CLUB ANTHOLOGY #2

    Killer Women Ltd.

  • Duane Swierczynski

    FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME: STORIES INSPIRED BY THE SHERLOCK HOLMES CANON

    Pegasus Books

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Teri Bailey Black

    GIRL AT THE GRAVE

    Tor Teen

  • Gillian French

    THE LIES THEY TELL

    HarperTeen

  • Marie Lu

    WARCROSS

    Penguin Young Readers/G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

  • Dana Mele

    PEOPLE LIKE US

    Penguin Young Readers/G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

  • Peter Stone

    THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Clare Chase

    MURDER ON THE MARSHES

    Bookouture

  • Gary Grossman

    EXECUTIVE FORCE

    Diversion Books

  • Samantha Hayes

    THE REUNION

    Bookouture

  • T.S. Nichols

    THE MEMORY DETECTIVE

    Alibi

  • Alan Orloff

    PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT

    Kindle Press

The 2018 Thriller Awards


During a gala banquet and celebration held on Saturday, July 14th, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2018 Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Dan Chaon

    ILL WILL

    Ballantine

  • Denise Mina

    THE LONG DROP

    Little, Brown and Company

  • B.A. Paris

    THE BREAKDOWN

    St. Martin's Press

  • Gin Phillips

    FIERCE KINGDOM

    Viking

  • Riley Sager

    FINAL GIRLS

    Dutton

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Steph Broadribb

    DEEP DOWN DEAD

    Orenda Books

  • Daniel Cole

    RAGDOLL

    Ecco

  • Walt Gragg

    THE RED LINE

    Berkley

  • K. J. Howe

    THE FREEDOM BROKER

    Quercus

  • Sheena Kamal

    THE LOST ONES

    William Morrow

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Christine Bell

    GRIEVANCE

    Lake Union

  • Rachel Caine

    STILLHOUSE LAKE

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Layton Green

    THE RESURRECTOR

    Layton Green

  • Adrian McKinty

    POLICE AT THE STATION AND THEY DON’T LOOK FRIENDLY

    Seventh Street Books

  • Lori Rader-Day

    THE DAY I DIED

    William Morrow

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Lee Child

    TOO MUCH TIME

    THE DAY I DIED

  • Mat Coward

    WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO BOING

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Zoë Z. Dean

    CHARCOAL AND CHERRY

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Willy Vlautin

    The Kill Switch

    Hachette

  • Ben H. Winters

    TEST DRIVE

    Hachette

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Gregg Hurwitz

    THE RAINS

    TOR Teen

  • Gregg Olsen

    THE BOY SHE LEFT BEHIND

    Polis Books

  • Sheryl Scarborough

    TO CATCH A KILLER

    TOR Teen

  • Rysa Walker

    THE DELPHI EFFECT

    Skyscape

  • Diana Rodriguez Wallach

    PROOF OF LIES

    Entangled Publishing

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Sean Black

    SECOND CHANCE

    Sean Black

  • Jeff Gunhus

    RESURRECTION AMERICA

    Seven Guns Press

  • Alan McDermott

    TROJAN

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Caroline Mitchell

    WITNESS

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Kevin Wignall

    A FRAGILE THING

    Kindle Press

The 2017 Thriller Awards


During a gala banquet and celebration held on Saturday, July 15th, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2017 Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Megan Abbott

    YOU WILL KNOW ME

    Little, Brown and Company

  • Reed Farrel Coleman

    WHERE IT HURTS

    G.P. Putnam's Sons

  • Noah Hawley

    BEFORE THE FALL

    Grand Central Publishing

  • Laura McHugh

    ARROWOOD

    Spiegel & Grau

  • Ben H. Winters

    UNDERGROUND AIRLINES

    Mulholland Books

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Bob Bickford

    DEADLY KISS

    Black Opal Books

  • J.L. Delozier

    TYPE AND CROSS

    WiDo Publishing

  • David McCaleb

    RECALL

    Lyrical Underground

  • Nick Petrie

    THE DRIFTER

    G.P. Putnam’s Sons

  • E.Z. Rinsky

    PALINDROME

    Witness Impulse

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Robert Dugoni

    IN THE CLEARING

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Anne Frasier

    THE BODY READER

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Paul Kemprecos

    THE MINOAN CIPHER

    Suspense Publishing

  • Jonathan Maberry

    KILL SWITCH

    St. Martin's Griffin

  • Stephen Maher

    SALVAGE

    Dundurn

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Eric Beetner

    “The Business of Death” UNLOADED: CRIME WRITERS WRITING WITHOUT GUNS

    Down & Out Books

  • Laura Benedict

    The Peter Rabbit Killers

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Brendan DuBois

    The Man from Away

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Joyce Carol Oates

    Big Momma

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Art Taylor

    "Parallel Play” CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING

    Wildside Press

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Pierce Brown

    MORNING STAR

    Del Rey

  • Elle Cosimano

    HOLDING SMOKE

    Disney-Hyperion

  • A.J. Hartley

    STEEPLEJACK

    TOR Teen

  • Billy Taylor

    THIEVING WEASELS

    Dial Books

  • Kara Thomas

    THE DARKEST CORNERS

    Delacorte Press

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • James Scott Bell

    ROMEO'S WAY

    Compendium Press

  • Sean Black

    THE EDGE OF ALONE

    Sean Black

  • Sibel Hodge

    UNTOUCHABLE

    Wonder Women Publishing

  • J.F. Penn

    DESTROYER OF WORLDS

    J.F. Penn

  • Richard Thomas

    BREAKER

    Alibi

The 2016 Thriller Awards


During a gala banquet and celebration held on Saturday, July 9th, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2016 Thriller Awards.

They are:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Ian Caldwell

    THE FIFTH GOSPEL

    Simon & Schuster

  • Tess Gerritsen

    PLAYING WITH FIRE

    Ballantine

  • Paula Hawkins

    THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

    Riverhead Books

  • Laura McHugh

    ARROWOOD

    Mulholland Books

  • Ben H. Winters

    UNDERGROUND AIRLINES

    William Morrow

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Sandra Block

    LITTLE BLACK LIES

    Grand Central

  • LS Hawker

    THE DROWNING GAME

    Witness Impulse

  • Gilly Macmillan

    WHAT SHE KNEW

    William Morrow

  • Brian Panowich

    BULL MOUNTAIN

    G.P. Putnam’s Sons

  • Hester Young

    GATES OF EVANGELINE

    G.P. Putnam’s Sons

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Marc Cameron

    DAY ZERO

    Pinnacle

  • John Gilstrap

    AGAINST ALL ENEMIES

    Pinnacle

  • Andrew Mayne

    NAME OF THE DEVIL

    Bourbon Street Books

  • D.J. McIntosh

    THE ANGEL OF EDEN

    Penguin Canada

  • Jean Rabe

    POCKETS OF DARKNESS

    WordFire Press

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Reed Farrel Coleman

    “Feeding the Crocodile” JEWISH NOIR

    PM Press

  • Jeffrey Deaver

    Repressed

    Diversion Books

  • Sharon Hunt

    The Water Was Rising

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Terrence McCauley

    El Cambalache

    Thuglit

  • Joyce Carol Oates

    “Gun Accident: An Investigation”

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Alan Gratz

    CODE OF HONOR

    Scholastic Press

  • Nicole Maggi

    THE FORGETTING

    Sourcebooks Fire

  • Michelle Painchaud

    PRETENDING TO BE ERICA

    Viking Books for Young Readers

  • Emily Ross

    HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH

    Merit Press

  • Allan Stratton

    THE DOGS

    Sourcebooks Fire

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Diane Capri

    JACK AND JOE

    AugustBooks

  • Chris Kuzneski

    THE PRISONER’S GOLD

    Chris Kuzneski

  • Robert McClure

    DEADLY LULLABY

    Alibi

  • Caitlin O'Connell

    IVORY GHOSTS

    Alibi

  • Eric Rickstad

    LIE IN WAIT

    Witness Impulse

The 2015 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2015 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Megan Abbott

    THE FEVER

    Little, Brown and Company

  • Lauren Beukes

    BROKEN MONSTERS

    Mulholland Books

  • Joseph Finder

    SUSPICION

    Dutton

  • Greg Iles

    NATCHEZ BURNING

    William Morrow

  • Chevy Stevens

    THAT NIGHT

    St. Martin’s Press

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Ray Celestin

    THE AXEMAN’S JAZZ

    Mantle

  • Julia Dahl

    INVISIBLE CITY

    Minotaur Books

  • Allen Eskens

    THE LIFE WE BURY

    Seventh Street Books

  • Laura McHugh

    THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD

    Spiegel & Grau

  • Andy Weir

    THE MARTIAN

    Crown

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Shelley Coriell

    THE BURIED

    Forever

  • Robert Dugoni

    MY SISTER’S GRAVE

    Thomas & Mercer

  • James R. Hannibal

    SHADOW MAKER

    Berkley

  • Rick Mofina

    WHIRLWIND

    Harlequin MIRA

  • Vincent Zandri

    MOONLIGHT WEEPS

    Down & Out Books

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Richard Helms

    “Busting Red Heads”

    Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

  • Stephen Ross

    “Pussycat, Pussycat”

    Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

  • Gigi Vernon

    “Show Stopper”, MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS ICE COLD: TALES OF INTRIGUE FROM THE COLD WAR

    Grand Central

  • Bev Vincent

    “The Honey Trap”, MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS ICE COLD: TALES OF INTRIGUE FROM THE COLD WAR

    Grand Central

  • Tim L. Williams

    “The Last Wrestling Bear in West Kentucky”

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Elle Cosimano

    NEARLY GONE

    Kathy Dawson Books

  • Kristen Lippert-Martin

    TABULA RASA

    EgmontUSA

  • Meredith McCardle

    THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN

    Skyscape

  • Victoria Schwab

    THE UNBOUND

    Disney-Hyperion

  • Kara Taylor

    WICKED LITTLE SECRETS

    St. Martin’s Griffin

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Sean Black

    POST

    Sean Black Digital

  • Layton Green

    THE METAXY PROJECT

    Sixth Street Press

  • Michael Logan

    WANNABES

    Michael Logan

  • C.J. Lyons

    HARD FALL

    Legacy Books

  • Gil Reavill

    13 HOLLYWOOD APES

    Alibi

The 2014 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2014 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Linda Castillo

    HER LAST BREATH

    Minotaur Books

  • Lee Child

    NEVER GO BACK

    Delacorte Press

  • Lisa Gardner

    TOUCH AND GO

    Dutton Adult

  • Stephen King

    DOCTOR SLEEP

    Scribner

  • Owen Laukkanen

    CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE

    Putnam Adult

  • Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    WHITE FIRE

    Grand Central Publishing

  • Andrew Pyper

    THE DEMONOLOGIST

    Simon & Schuster

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Gwen Florio

    THE AXEMAN’S JAZZ

    Permanent Press

  • J.J. Hensley

    RESOLVE

    Permanent Press

  • Becky Masterman

    RAGE AGAINST THE DYING

    Minotaur Books

  • Jason Matthews

    RED SPARROW

    Scribner

  • Carla Norton

    THE EDGE OF NORMAL

    Minotaur Books

  • Hank Steinberg

    OUT OF RANGE

    William Morrow

  • Dick Wolf

    THE INTERCEPT

    Harper

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Allison Brennan

    COLD SNAP

    Minotaur Books

  • Kendra Elliot

    BURIED

    Montlake Romance

  • Susan Elia MacNeal

    HIS MAJESTY’S HOPE

    Berkley

  • Jennifer McMahon

    THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND

    William Morrow Paperbacks

  • Nele Neuhaus

    SNOW WHITE MUST DIE

    Minotaur Books

  • Michael Stanley

    DEADLY HARVEST

    Harper Paperbacks

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Eric Guignard

    “Baggage of Eternal Night”

    JournalStone

  • Laura Lippman

    “Waco 1982”

    Grand Central

  • Kevin Mims

    “The Gallows Bird”

    Ellery Queen

  • Twist Phelan

    “Footprints in the Water”

    Ellery Queen

  • Stephen Vessels

    Doloroso

    Ellery Queen

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Ashley Elston

    THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING

    Disney-Hyperion

  • Mari Mancusi

    SCORCHED

    Sourcebooks Fire

  • Elisa Nader

    ESCAPE FROM EDEN

    Merit Press

  • Cristin Terrill

    ALL OUR YESTERDAYS

    Disney-Hyperion

  • Allen Zadoff

    BOY NOBODY

    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Rebecca Cantrell

    THE WORLD BENEATH

    Rebecca Cantrell

  • J.G. Faherty

    THE BURNING TIME

    JournalStone

  • Joshua Graham

    TERMINUS

    Redhaven Books

  • James Lepore and Carlos Davis

    NO DAWN FOR MEN

    The Story Plant

  • Luke Preston

    OUT OF EXILE

    Momentum

The 2013 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2013 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Sean Chercover

    THE TRINITY GAME

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Brian Freeman

    SPILLED BLOOD

    SilverOak

  • Lisa Gardner

    CATCH ME

    Dutton Books

  • Gregg Hurwitz

    THE SURVIVOR

    St. Martin’s Press

  • William Landay

    DEFENDING JACOB

    Delacorte Press

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Daniel Friedman

    DON’T EVER GET OLD

    Minotaur Books

  • Owen Laukkanen

    THE PROFESSIONALS

    Putnam Adult

  • Chris Pavone

    THE EXPATS

    Crown

  • Matthew Quirk

    THE 500

    Reagan Arthur Books

  • Michael Sears

    BLACK FRIDAYS

    Putnam Adult

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Blake Crouch

    PINES

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Sean Doolittle

    LAKE COUNTRY

    Bantam

  • Alison Gaylin

    AND SHE WAS

    Harper

  • Alex Marwood

    THE WICKED GIRLS

    Penguin Books

  • Michael W. Sherer

    NIGHT BLIND

    Thomas & Mercer

BEST SHORT STORY

  • David Edgerley Gates

    “The Devil to Pay”

    Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

  • Clark Howard

    “The Street Ends at the Cemetery”

    Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

  • Dennis Lehane

    “The Consumers”

    Mulholland Books

  • Gordon McEachern

    “The History Lesson”

    Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

  • John Rector

    “Lost Things”

    Thomas & Mercer

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Michelle Gagnon

    DON’T TURN AROUND

    HarperCollins

  • Mari Mancusi

    IF WE SURVIVE

    Thomas Nelson

  • Dan Krokos

    FALSE MEMORY

    Hyperion Books CH

  • Niall Leonard

    CRUSHER

    Delacorte Books for Young Readers

  • William Richter

    DARK EYES

    Razorbill

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Jon Land

    PANDORA’S TEMPLE

    Open Road E-riginal

  • CJ Lyons

    BLIND FAITH

    CJ Lyons

  • Alexandra Sokoloff

    HUNTRESS MOON

    Redhaven Books

  • Allen Wyler

    DEAD END DEAL

    Astor + Blue Editions

  • Allen Wyler

    DEAD WRONG

    Astor + Blue Editions

The 2012 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2012 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Joseph Finder

    BURIED SECRETS

    St. Martin’s Press

  • Jonathan Hayes

    A HARD DEATH

    Harper

  • Stephen King

    11/22/63

    Scribner

  • Michael Koryta

    THE RIDGE

    Little, Brown and Co.

  • Marcus Sakey

    THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES

    Dutton Adult

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Jeff Abbott

    THE LAST MINUTE

    Sphere/LittleBrown UK

  • John Gilstrap

    THREAT WARNING

    Pinnacle

  • Helen Grant

    THE GLASS DEMON

    Delacorte Press

  • Steven James

    THE QUEEN

    Revell

  • John Rector

    ALREADY GONE

    Thomas & Mercer

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • James Barney

    THE GENESIS KEY

    Harper

  • Melinda Leigh

    SHE CAN RUN

    Montlake Romance

  • Paul McEuen

    SPIRAL

    The Dial Press

  • H.T. Narea

    THE FUND

    Forge Books

  • Leslie Tentler

    MIDNIGHT CALLER

    Mira

BEST SHORT STORY

  • James Scott Bell

    “One More Lie”

    Compendium Press

  • Michael Lewin

    “Anything to Win”

    Strand Magazine

  • Twist Phelan

    Happine$$

    MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS THE RICH AND THE DEAD, Grand Central Publishing

  • Tim L. Williams

    “Half-Lives”

    Dell Magazine

  • Dave Zeltserman

    “A Hostage Situation”

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

The 2012 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2012 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Joseph Finder

    BURIED SECRETS

    St. Martin’s Press

  • Jonathan Hayes

    A HARD DEATH

    Harper

  • Stephen King

    11/22/63

    Scribner

  • Michael Koryta

    THE RIDGE

    Little, Brown and Co.

  • Marcus Sakey

    THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES

    Dutton Adult

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Jeff Abbott

    THE LAST MINUTE

    Sphere/LittleBrown UK

  • John Gilstrap

    THREAT WARNING

    Pinnacle

  • Helen Grant

    THE GLASS DEMON

    Delacorte Press

  • Steven James

    THE QUEEN

    Revell

  • John Rector

    ALREADY GONE

    Thomas & Mercer

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • James Barney

    THE GENESIS KEY

    Harper

  • Melinda Leigh

    SHE CAN RUN

    Montlake Romance

  • Paul McEuen

    SPIRAL

    The Dial Press

  • H.T. Narea

    THE FUND

    Forge Books

  • Leslie Tentler

    MIDNIGHT CALLER

    Mira

BEST SHORT STORY

  • James Scott Bell

    “One More Lie”

    Compendium Press

  • Michael Lewin

    “Anything to Win”

    Strand Magazine

  • Twist Phelan

    Happine$$

    MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS THE RICH AND THE DEAD, Grand Central Publishing

  • Tim L. Williams

    “Half-Lives”

    Dell Magazine

  • Dave Zeltserman

    “A Hostage Situation”

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

The 2011 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2011 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Michael Connelly

    THE REVERSAL

    Little Brown

  • Jeffery Deaver

    EDGE: A NOVEL

    Simon & Schuster

  • Brian Freeman

    THE BURYING PLACE

    Minatour

  • Mo Hayder

    SKIN

    Grove

  • John Sanford

    BAD BLOOD

    Putnam

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Robert Gregory Browne

    DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN

    St. Martin’s

  • Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens

    YOU CAN’T STOP ME

    Pinnacle

  • J.T. Ellison

    THE COLD ROOM

    Mira

  • Shane Gericke

    TORN APART

    Pinnacle

  • John Trace

    THE VENICE CONSPIRACY

    Hachette Digital

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Carla Buckley

    THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE

    Random House

  • Paul Doiron

    THE POACHER’S SON

    Minatour

  • Reece Hirsch

    THE INSIDER

    Berkley

  • Thomas Kaufman

    DRINK THE TEA

    Minatour

  • Chevy Stevens

    STILL MISSING

    St. Martin’s

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Mike Carey

    “Second Wind”

    THE NEW DEAD, St. Martin’s

  • Michael Connelly

    “Blue on Black”

    Strand Magazine

  • Richard Helms

    “The God for Vengeance Cry”

    Dell Magazine

  • Harley Jane Kozak

    “Madeeda”

    Crimes By Midnight

  • Nicolas Kaufman

    “Chasing the Dragon”

    ChiZine Magazine

  • Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins

    Long Time Dead

    Strand Magazine

The 2010 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2010 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Joseph Finder

    Vanished

  • Harlan Coben

    Long Lost

  • Linwood Barclay

    Fear The Worst

  • Lisa Gardner

    The Neighbor

  • T. Jefferson Parker

    The Renegades

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Tom Piccirilli

    Shadow Season

  • John Lutz

    Urge To Kill

  • Rick Mofina

    Vengeance Road

  • Tom Piccirilli

    The Coldest Mile

  • John Gilstrap

    No Mercy

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Warren Fahy

    Fragment

  • Matt Hilton

    Dead Men’s Dust

  • John J. Le Beau

    Collision Of Evil

  • Dacre Stoker

    Dracula: The Un-Dead

  • Jamie Freveletti

    Running From The Devil

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Marcus Sakey

    The Desert Here And The Desert Far Away

  • Twist Phelan

    A Stab In The Heart

  • F. Paul Wilson

    Aftershock & Others

  • Harry Hunsicker

    Iced

  • Ridley Pearson

    Boldt’s Broken Angel

The 2009 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2009 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR

  • Harlan Coben

    Hold Tight

  • Jeffrey Deaver

    The Bodies Left Behind

  • Jeffrey Deaver

    The Broken Window

  • Andrew Gross

    The Dark Tide

  • Brad Thor

    The Last Patriot

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Charlie Newton

    Calumet City

  • Tom Rob Smith

    Child 44

  • Steven Thomas

    Criminal Paradise

  • S. J. Bolton

    Sacrifice

  • Bill Floyd

    The Killer’s Wife

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Tom Piccirilli

    Between the Dark and the Daylight

    Ellery Queen Magazine

  • John C. Boland

    Last Island South

    Ellery Queen Magazine

  • Alexandra Sokoloff

    The Edge of Seventeen

    The Darker Mask

  • Jason Pinter

    The Point Guard

    Killer Year Anthology

  • Ken Bruen

    Time of the Green

    Killer Year Anthology

The 2008 Thriller Awards


We’re thrilled to announce the finalists and winners of the 2008 ITW Thriller Awards:

BEST NOVEL 2008

  • Linwood Barclay

    No Time For Goodbye

    Bantam

  • Robert Crais

    The Watchman

    Simon & Schuster

  • Robert Harris

    The Ghost by Robert Harris

    Simon & Schuster

  • Gregg Hurwitz

    The Crime Writer

    Viking

  • Jesse Kellerman

    Trouble

    Putnam

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL 2008

  • Anthony Flacco

    The Last Nightingale

    Ballantine

  • P.J. Parrish

    A Thousand Bones

    Pocket

  • Tom Piccirilli

    The Midnight Road

    Bantam

  • Robert McCammon

    The Queen of Bedlam

    Pocket

  • Jay Bonansinga

    Shattered

    Pinnacle

BEST FIRST NOVEL 2008

  • Jennifer Lee Carrell

    Interred With Their Bones

    Dutton

  • Sean Chercover

    Big City, Bad Blood

    William Morrow

  • Gerry Doyle

    From the Depths

    McBook Press

  • Brent Ghelfi

    Volk’s Game

    Henry Holt and Co.

  • Joe Hill

    Heart-Shaped Box

    William Morrow

The 2007 Thriller Awards


BEST NOVEL

  • Jeffrey Archer

    False Impression

    St. Martin’s Press

  • Joseph Finder

    Killer Instinct

    St. Martin’s Press

  • Stephen Leather

    Cold Kill

    Hodder & Stoughton

  • Daniel Silva

    The Messenger

    Putnam

  • Lisa Unger

    Beautiful Lies

    Shaye Areheart Books/Bantam

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Patricia Gussin

    Shadow of Death

    Oceanview Publishing

  • Matthew Klein

    Switchback

    Orion

  • Alex Scarrow

    A Thousand Suns

    Orion

  • George D. Shuman

    18 Seconds

    Simon & Schuster

  • Nick Stone

    Mr. Clarinet

    Michael Joseph Ltd/Penguin

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK NOVEL

  • Tom Piccirilli

    Skeleton Coast

    Berkley Trade

  • Paul Levine

    The Deep Blue Alibi

    Bantam

  • P.J. Parrish

    An Unquiet Grave

    Pinnacle

  • Tom Piccirilli

    Headstone City

    Spectra Books/Crown

  • Michael Prescott

    Mortal Faults

    Onyx Books

BEST SCREENPLAY

  • Russell Gewirtz

    Inside Man

  • William Monahan

    The Departed

  • Eric Roth

    The Good Shepherd

  • Alfonse Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby

    Children of Men

  • Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis

    Casino Royale

ITW Community

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    Associates

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*original member joined by June 4, 2005