Shortlist for prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026 announced

 

Thursday 18 June 2026: Harrogate International Festivals today announced the shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July.

www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com

#TheakstonsAwards #TheakstonsCrime 

The six books shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026, now in its twenty-second year, showcase ‘original’ and ‘entertaining’ storytelling as Tariq Ashkanani, Abigail Dean, Alice Feeney, Elly Griffiths, Mick Herron and Vaseem Khan compete for the coveted award. The winner, who receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved oak beer cask provided by T&R Theakston Ltd, will be selected by a panel of seven expert judges, with the public vote representing the eighth judge. Readers are now invited to vote for their favourite book to win at www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com. 

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026 shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is: 

The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani (Profile Books, Viper) 

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins, Hemlock Press) 

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (Pan Macmillan, Pan Fiction) 

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books) 

Clown Town by Mick Herron (John Murray Books, Baskerville) 

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan (Bonnier Books, Zaffre) 

 The Shortlist in more detail:

2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award winner and globally bestselling ‘Slow Horses’ author Mick Herron is shortlisted for Clown Town, the latest funny and fast-paced instalment in the Slough House series, which sees a gang of washed-up spooks entangled in a dangerous game of blackmail with its roots in the Irish Troubles. Highly commended for the award in 2023, crime fiction phenomenon Elly Griffiths receives an impressive eighth shortlisting for The Frozen People, the first in a new series with a time-travelling spin, as an unsolved mystery takes cold cases investigator Ali Dawson back to the frozen Victorian London of January 1850. Shortlisted for a second time, Vaseem Khan is nominated this year for Quantum of Menace, a witty James Bond spin-off mystery centring on one of Ian Fleming’s most beloved characters Q (aka Major Boothroyd) who investigates the suspicious death of a scientist friend, after being unexpectedly ousted from his job at MI6.

They face stiff competition from three hugely talented authors who are shortlisted for the Award for the first time. Scottish author Tariq Ashkanani is nominated for The Midnight King¸ a gripping dark thriller about the son of a famous author – and uncaught serial killer – who, after his father’s death, discovers an unpublished confessional manuscript – a chilling fictionalised account of his monstrous crimes. Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly is a magnetic psychological thriller about marriage, grief and revenge as a once-successful writer retreats to a remote Scottish island after his wife’s disappearance, only to find himself drawn into a web of secrets and deception. Abigail Dean’s psychological thriller, The Death of Us, explores the long-term impact of a horrendous crime, as a couple’s lives are shattered when a masked intruder attacks them in their own home.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said: 

“Congratulations to all of the incredible writers shortlisted for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. The highly entertaining books on this year’s shortlist will take readers on an unforgettable roller-coaster ride from remote Scottish islands to frozen Victorian London, the down-at-heel offices of MI5 and far beyond. I’m looking forward to finding out who the public and the judges vote for and presenting the coveted beer cask trophy to the winner at the opening ceremony.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:  

“We’re delighted to reveal the shortlist for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Showcasing the broad range of the world’s favourite genre - from spy thrillers to time travel mysteries, from James Bond spin-offs to twisty psychological thrillers - the six books on this year’s shortlist are hugely ambitious and innovative, but above all else, cracking great reads!  We encourage all readers to get involved and vote for their favourite novel on the list to win.”

The Award is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026. The public are invited to vote to help choose the winner from 8am on Thursday 18 June at www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com with voting closing on Thursday 16 July at 23:59. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July, at a special awards ceremony hosted by Steph McGovern. They will receive £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

The 2026 Fingerprint Shortlist

 

Capital Crime today announced the shortlists for its annual Fingerprint Awards, which champion the very best in crime writing from across the globe, as voted for by readers.

Authors both new and established are represented across the categories, which are Crime Novel of the Year, True Crime Book of the Year, Thriller of the Year, Historical Crime Novel of the Year, Debut Novel of the Year, Audiobook of the Year and Genre-Busting Book of the Year.

The shortlists of five have been selected by the festival’s board members, from a longlist carefully curated by the Tastemakers Committee - a panel of leading independent bloggers and reviewers - who have championed their standout titles across each category. Each selected book had to be first published in English between 1 January and 31 December 2025 to qualify. No fees were charged for selection.

Readers can vote for their preferred winners in each category on the Capital Crime website by Saturday 30th May. The winners will be revealed at the Fingerprint Awards on the evening of Thursday 18th June as part of the Capital Crime festival in London at the Royal Leonardo Hotel, in the shadow of St Paul’s. This year’s Fingerprint Awards ceremony, attended by Capital Crime ticket holders, authors, nominees and leading figures from the publishing industry will be hosted by acclaimed radio and TV broadcaster, and host of The Bookshelf Podcast, Ryan Tubridy.

Leading the overall Crime Book of the Year shortlist are two 2025 Fingerprint winners, M.W. Craven, for The Final Vow, and Vaseem Khan, for Quantum of Menace, featuring the famous Quartermaster from the Bond series. Sunday Times bestseller Sarah Pinborough is shortlisted for We Live Here Now; and they are joined by Liam McIlvanney and Tariq Ashkanani, authors of The Good Father and The Midnight King respectively.

For the Thriller Book of the Year, Lisa Jewell’s Sunday Times bestselling Don’t Let Him In and Virdee creator A.A. Dhand’s The Chemist are up against Human Remains by Jo Callaghan, The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North and Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins.

Tackling topics as diverse as Lord Byron, the final days of the British Raj, and the Canadian Gold Rush, the shortlist for Historical Crime Book of the Year sees Anthony Horowitz’s Marble Hall Murders, the latest in his bestselling, BBC adapted Magpie Murders series, up against CWA Dagger-winner Abir Mukherjee, for his latest Wyndham and Banerjee mystery The Burning Grounds. Also shortlisted is The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson; The Rush by Beth Lewis and Dangerous by Essie Fox.

Broadcasters Chris Chibnall and Steph McGovern are both shortlisted for the Debut Crime Novel of the Year, for Death at the White Hart and Deadline, respectively; and are up against Oscar nominated Icelandic screenwriter Jón Atli Jónasson for Broken; Nina Bhadreshwar for The Day of the Roaring and Kelly Mullen for This is Not a Game.

The Genre-Busting Book of the Year shortlist, set up to recognise a book that defies traditional boundaries of crime fiction, and may feature elements of sci-fi, romance or other genres of fiction, sees Kill Them With Kindness by Will Carver and Little Red Death by A.K. Benedict up against Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville, Small Fires by Ronnie Turner and Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy.

The True Crime Book of the Year shortlist features several books exploring the states of nations through crime, as well as writing intended to recentre the focus on the victims rather than the killers,  including Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a memoir by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s most outspoken victim; and A Flower Travelled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland, chronicling the harrowing events of Argentina’s Dirty War, which saw hundreds of pregnant women kidnapped and disappeared. They are up against Story of a Murder by prize-winning social historian Hallie Rubenhold, focusing on Cora Crippen, the murdered wife of the infamous Doctor Crippen, and the women who brought him to justice; Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser, which explores whether lead exposure was connected to the explosion of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s and 1980s; and A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders by Professor David Wilson, the UK’s leading criminologist.

The Audiobook of the Year sees second nominations for both Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pinborough for, respectively, Don’t Let Him In, narrated by Richard Armitage and Joanne Frogatt, and We Live Here Now, narrated by Helen Baxendale and Jamie Glover. They are up against S. A. Cosby’s King of Ashes, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White; Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton; and Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver, narrated by Steven Pacey.

In addition, two further categories will be selected solely by the Capital Crime Advisory Board; the Industry Award of the Year – recognising the best marketing campaign, editorial work, or publishing strategy; and the Thalia Proctor Lifetime Achievement Award – marking an outstanding contribution to the crime writing industry.

The shortlist is as follows - 

Audiobook of the Year

 Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 

King of Ashes by  S A Cosby

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough 

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver

True Crime Book of the Year

Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold 

Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts-Guiffre 

Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser 

A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders by Prof. David Wilson 

A Flower Travelled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland 

Debut Crime Book

Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson

Deadline by  Steph McGovern 

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall

The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar

This is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen

Genre-Busting Book

Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver 

Little Red Death by A. K. Benedict Book

Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy 

Historical Crime Book of the Year

The Art of A Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson 

The Rush by Beth Lewis 

Dangerous by Essie Fox

Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Thriller Book of the Year

The Chemist by A A Dhand

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 

Human Remains by Jo Callaghan 

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins 

Overall Crime Book of the Year

The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani

The Final Vow by M W Craven

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan

The Good Father by Liam McIlveney

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

Congratulations to all the nominate authors.  The winner will be announced on Thursday 18^th June 2026 during the Capital Crime Festival.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026 announce Chair

‘Queen of the psychological thriller’ Lisa Jewell 

to chair

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026

with first headliners announced

Festival Dates: 23rd to 26th July 2026

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

#TheakstonsCrime

Wednesday 26 November 2025: Harrogate International Festivals today announced bestselling psychological thriller writer Lisa Jewell as Festival Programming Chair for the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the globally renowned celebration of crime fiction which will take place from 23 to 26 July 2026.

An opening line up of stellar Special Guests including global bestsellers and reader favourites David Baldacci, Nadine Matheson, Gillian McAllister, Steve Cavanagh and Alice Feeney has also been announced, with more headliners to be revealed in early 2026.

Lisa Jewell is the author of twenty-three novels, most recently the dark psychological thrillers Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, None of This is True and Don’t Let Him In. She is a number one bestselling Sunday Times and New York Times author who has sold over ten million books worldwide, been published in more than thirty languages and has had numerous books optioned for film and TV. Previous Programming Chairs include Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths, Denise Mina, Lee Child, Vaseem Khan, Ruth Ware and Mick Herron.

Lisa Jewell, 2026 Programming Chair of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival says:

“I have been bewitched by the concept of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival for as long as I have been writing thrillers and my first visit more than lived up to my expectations. I've been every year since and grown more and more familiar with the special world that is created in Harrogate every July, so to be invited to head up the programming committee for 2026 was an honour beyond my wildest imaginings. I worked in fashion retail before I became an author and was a voracious magazine reader and that is the sensibility that I have applied to the format of this year's panels and author events, focussing on 'real life' issues that affect writers in their day to day to lives and thus in turn, inform the things they write about and the way in which they write about them. I'm delighted to see a stellar line up of writers coming together for 2026 and cannot wait to be there, watching all the behind-the-scenes work come to magical life for another glorious and unforgettable festival.”  

The Headliner events include:

Global crime writing icon David Baldacci - one of the world’s most-loved thriller writers - returns to the Festival for the first time in fifteen years with his highly acclaimed new series featuring undercover spy Walter Nash.

Fan favourites and bestselling authors Nadine Matheson and Gillian McAllister introduce their gripping new high-concept thrillers and discuss how their legal backgrounds inform their fiction.

Steve Cavanagh, bestselling Irish author and former Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Novel of the Year winner, discusses Two Kinds of Stranger, the latest in the Eddie Flynn series, featuring a conman-turned-trial lawyer.

Multi-million copy bestselling author Alice Feeney showcases My Husband’s Wife, her nerve-shredding new psychological thriller that will make readers question all they know about love, identity and revenge.

Now in its twenty-third year, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (23–26 July 2026) is the jewel in the crown of the global crime fiction community, offering readers from around the world a unique opportunity to meet literary superstars and discover exciting new talent. The prestigious Festival offers a packed programme of thrilling panels, talks and inspiring creative workshops, with a special event celebrating the legacy of Agatha Christie, who stayed at the Old Swan Hotel, now the Festival venue, 100 years ago when she mysteriously disappeared.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said:

“It is a privilege to support the world’s best crime writing Festival for an incredible twenty-third year, and I’m thrilled that Lisa Jewell is taking on the role of 2026 Festival Programming Chair. After our most successful event ever in 2025, I can’t wait to be back in Harrogate next summer celebrating the world’s best loved genre once again.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“Crime fiction fans around the world love Lisa Jewell’s spine-tingling contemporary thrillers, so we are delighted that she has agreed to be Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s 2026 Programming Chair as it promises to be a landmark year as Harrogate International Festivals celebrates six decades of arts Festivals. With her focus on topical real-life issues and character driven fiction, Lisa brings a unique sensibility to her programming, and we’re excited to reveal five of the exceptional Special Guests headliners she has selected - with more to be announced in January.”

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is delivered by the north of England’s leading arts Festival organisation, Harrogate International Festivals and forms part of their diverse year-round portfolio of events, which aims to bring immersive cultural experiences to as many people as possible.

Weekend Break Packages are on sale now. To book, please call the Festivals team on +44(0)1423 562 303 or email info@harrogate-festival.org.uk. Rover tickets and individual event tickets go on sale in Spring 2026. More information about tickets and packages can be found here.

Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival Returns

After some blockbuster standalone events with international crime-writing stars like Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter, Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival is back in its weekend format from 6th-8th October in Dun Laoghaire’s stunning dlr LexIcon Library and Cultural Centre, only 30 minutes from Dublin airport and just south of Dublin city.

Former State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, kicks off the festival on Friday 6th.  Once a name synonymous with breaking news of high-profile crime cases, Dr Cassidy has turned her hand to crime fiction and she will be discussing her debut novel, Body of Truth, in conversation with bestselling crime writer, Liz Nugent. The festival will showcase the cream of Irish crime writing talent with Tana French, Jane Casey, Catherine Ryan Howard, Steve Cavanagh, Andrea Mara, Sam Blake, and Catherine Kirwan among those appearing on a range of solo events and hot-topic panels. UK visitors include the hugely popular, Sophie Hannah, 2023 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, Tom Benn, Alice Feeney, author of the phenomenally successful Daisy Darker, plus cosy crime specialist, British Book Awards winner Janice Hallett, and highly praised debutante, Alice Bell.

True crime fans can look forward to events with Award-winning political journalist, Harry McGee whose book, The Murderer and the Taoiseach, retraces the extraordinary happenings in Dublin’s notorious Malcolm Macarthur murder case while Northern Irish academics, Elaine Farrell & Leanne McCormick will discuss their bestselling book, Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women.  Aspiring writers can also sign up for workshops with all-star panels of literary agents, and editors on Friday 6th October.

Wherever your tastes in the crime genre lie, you will be gripped by the plot of MURDER ONE as it unfolds across three days at Dun Laoghaire’s stunning LexIcon Library and Cultural Centre. With free access to two 3 x 10 Readings in the Studio events that make the Festival accessible to all visitors, plus an onsite bookshop - MURDER ONE will have you hooked from the moment you enter the building.  With views of the sea and Dun Laoghaire harbour, easy access to the DART and bus routes, plus plenty of parking and restaurant options, Dun Laoghaire will be the perfect place to enjoy your favourite crime writers this autumn.

Crime is one of the biggest-selling genres in the book business and Ireland boasts some of the world’s top crime writers, Uniquely, MURDER ONE is run by crime author Sam Blake, who together with festival director Bert Wright, further aspires to establish MURDER ONE on the Irish festival circuit.

Sam Blake explains, “Murder One is supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries and that library connection is true synergy for us – bringing new authors to new readers and new readers to authors is at the heart of both the festival and the library’s mission.”

Bert Wright said, “MURDER ONE has established a huge following among Irish crime fans in a short space of time and in a country that boasts so many successful crime writers, it’s a joy to get fans and writers together on an annual basis in an ideal location like Dun Laoghaire.  We’ve put together a stellar programme and we’re looking forward to sharing it with our loyal supports. It promises to be enormous fun.”

Catherine Gallagher, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Librarian said “we are delighted to be involved again this year with MURDER ONE and to see this festival continue to develop. Connecting readers and authors is a key part of our remit in dlr Libraries and for our readers crime books are consistently popular. We look forward to welcoming audiences old and new to dlr LexIcon in October.”

Tickets were launched on Monday 17th July. Visit www.murderone.ie for booking details or follow @MurderOneFest on Twitter.