Fan
favourite Elly Griffiths' The Frozen People wins
THEAKSTON
OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2026
With US
legend David Baldacci honoured for outstanding contribution to crime fiction
Festival
Dates: 23 – 26 July 2026
www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com
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The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths has
been announced as the winner of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
2026, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, presented by
Harrogate International Festivals at a special ceremony compèred by writer and
broadcaster, Steph McGovern, on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier
Crime Writing Festival.
The
Frozen People is the first book 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 to explore a series of killings that have
twenty-first century consequences for politicians and Ali's own family. The
judges described The Frozen People as 'bold,' 'superbly plotted' and 'highly
original'.
Crime
fiction phenomenon Elly Griffiths, from Sussex, has been shortlisted for the
Award eight times and was Highly Commended in 2023 for The Locked Room. She
received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in 2025. Griffiths
is the author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries; the Brighton Mysteries and the
Detective Harbinder Kaur series. Her intricately plotted novels told with wry
humour and featuring engaging characters have sold over 5 million copies
worldwide, winning her fans across the globe.
Elly
Griffiths receives a £3,000 prize, as well as an engraved beer cask handcrafted
by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakston’s Brewery.
On
winning the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, Elly Griffiths
said:
‘I’m
so excited and just so grateful to everybody. I’ve been honoured to be
shortlisted eight times but to win is just incredible. A bigger twist than I’ve
ever dreamed up in my books.’
The Frozen People was selected by a judging panel made up of journalists, broadcasters and representatives from the Award’s sponsors, with the public vote counting as the eighth judge. This incredibly strong shortlist also included The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani, The Death of Us by Abigail Dean, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, Clown Town by Mick Herron and Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan.
The McDermid Debut Award, named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, was won by Frances Crawford for A Bad, Bad Place, it was also announced.
A gritty and atmospheric thriller set in 1970s Glasgow, A Bad, Bad Place centres around 12-year-old Janey Devine who discovers the body of a murdered woman - the daughter of a local gangster – while walking her dog on a disused railway track and becomes irrevocably tangled up in the police investigation. Scottish writer Frances Crawford graduated from Glasgow University aged sixty, before becoming a writer. She receives a £600 cash prize and an engraved beer casket. The award was presented by Chair of Judges, Val McDermid, and Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston.
Playwright Mel Pennant was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ for A Murder for Miss Hortense, a mystery novel featuring a formidable, retired nurse turned amateur detective, whose sharp eyes and sharper wit uncover truths buried deep within her quiet Birmingham suburban community.
Val
McDermid, Chair of Judges, said:
“The 2026 shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award was exceptional, and the judges struggled to say goodbye to any of the contenders. But we couldn’t resist Frances Crawford’s ‘A Bad Bad Place’, a moving and engaging thriller set in Glasgow’s Possilpark in the 1970s. It’s an engrossing read, and a remarkable debut from a first-time author in her 60s. The judges also wanted to give a Highly Commended nod to ‘A Murder for Miss Hortense’ by Mel Pennant. Miss Hortense is a stalwart of her Jamaican community who refuses to accept the obvious solution when her nemesis is murdered, and Mel Pennant takes us deep into her world with wit, intelligence and irresistible storytelling.”
On
winning the McDermid Debut Award, Frances Crawford said:
‘I am incredibly proud to have been on such a diverse and inclusive shortlist. Every one of the writers could have won. And the fact that it’s named after Val McDermid makes me extra proud to have won the Award.’
Globally bestselling US novelist, David Baldacci, received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition for his exceptional contribution to the crime thriller genre, honouring a remarkable career that has captivated millions of readers worldwide and helped shape modern suspense fiction.
Former
trial lawyer David Baldacci is a renowned global no.1 bestselling thriller
writer, with over 150 million books sold worldwide. His first book, Absolute
Power, became an instant international hit, with the movie starring Clint
Eastwood a major box office success. He has since written more than fifty
novels featuring a variety of characters including Walter Nash, Travis Devine,
Amos Decker and Aloysius Archer. His most recent novel is Hope Rises, the
sequel to Nash Falls, featuring anti-hero Walter Nash who is out for revenge
against the ruthless FBI leader responsible for his daughter’s death.
David
Baldacci said:
“Having cut my youthful teeth on British crime fiction, this award has special significance for me. Having read and loved The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, I recall hoping at the time that this Conan Doyle person had written more stories. A lot more. To join a group of some of the finest writers of any genre is humbling but also immensely thrilling. And it’s also a reminder that we need to continue our collective mentorship and inspiration of new voices in our writing community. Indeed, we need storytellers from across the human spectrum perhaps now more than ever, for reasons that are all too apparent for anyone who has lifted a pen or turned a page. Thank you again for such an honour."
Baldacci
is the latest in a line of acclaimed authors to have received the coveted
award, with previous winners including Sir Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante, James
Patterson, John Grisham, Lee Child, Val McDermid, P.D. James, Michael Connelly,
Martina Cole and last year’s recipient, Elly Griffiths.
2026
AWARD WINNERS:
WINNER
of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026: The Frozen People
by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books)
WINNER
of the McDermid Debut Award: A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford (Transworld,
Penguin Random House)
HIGHLY
COMMENDED for the McDermid Debut Award: A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel
Pennant (Baskerville, John Murray)
Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award: David Baldacci (Pan Macmillan)
Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said:
“Congratulations to all
of our brilliant winners. This was another outstanding year for crime fiction,
and we judges faced a difficult task selecting winners from phenomenal
shortlists, which truly showcased the depth, breadth and originality of the
genre. Our Novel of the Year winner, ‘The Frozen People’ by Elly Griffiths, an
enthralling and endlessly entertaining high-stakes mystery by one of our very
best storytellers, had me gripped right from the start. We are delighted that
global crime fiction icon, David Baldacci has been awarded the Theakston Old
Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of his stellar writing
career, and we’re honoured that he has travelled to Harrogate to receive the
award in person and take part in the Festival.”
The award winners were revealed at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, during the opening ceremony for the world’s largest celebration of crime writing, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (23-26 July), which this year features a stellar line up of bestselling authors including Ardal O’Hanlon, Andi Osho, Denise Mina, Adam Kay, Abir Mukherjee, Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, Holly Jackson, Jane Harper, Nadine Matheson, Alice Feeney, Ann Cleeves and Brenda Blethyn.
The
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026 is presented by Harrogate
International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership
with Waterstones, and is open to full-length crime novels published in
paperback between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026.
The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided
by T&R Theakston Ltd.
