Left Coast Crime Lefty Awards Announced

 

Left Coast Crime 2026 — San Francisco Schemin’ — will be presenting four Lefty Awards at the convention in San Francisco, California. 

Registrants of the Left Coast Crime Conventions in San Francisco and Denver were able to nominate three titles in each category. 

The 2026 Lefty Awards will be voted on at the convention and presented at the Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

Lefty Nominees for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

Solid Gold Murder by Ellen Byron, (Kensington)

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J Chow (St Martin's Paperbacks)

Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens (Level Best Books)

Scot's Eggs by Catriona McPherson (Severn House)

All’s Faire in Love and Murder by Cindy Sample (Cindy Sample Books)

Lefty Nominees for Best Historical Mystery Novel (Bill Gotttfried Memorial) for books covering events before 1970

Huguette by Cara Black (Soho Crime)

The Girl in the Green Dress by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur Books)

A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)

City Lights by Claire M Johnson (Level Best Books)

Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R King (Bantam)

The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler (Kensington)

Lefty Nominees for Best Debut Mystery Novel

Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover (Chestnut Avenue Press)

We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry (Bantam)

Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L Dove(Berkley)

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs(William Morrow)

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (Celadon Books)

Mortal Zin by Diane Schaffer(Sibylline Press)

Lefty Nominees for Best Mystery Novel

Crooks by Lou Berney(William Morrow)

Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth (Severn House)

Edge by Tracy Clark (Thomas & Mercer)

Waters of Destruction by Leslie Karst (Severn House)

River of Lies by James L’Etoile (Oceanview Publishing)

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian (Minotaur Books)

To be eligible for the 2026 Lefty Awards, the mystery/crime/thriller novels must have been published for the first time in the United States or Canada during 2025, in book or ebook format. (If published in other countries before 2025, a book is still eligible if it meets the US or Canadian publication requirement.)

Congratulations to all the nominated authors.