Shortlist for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and McDermid Debut Novel announced

SHORTLISTS FOR THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2025 AND McDERMID DEBUT AWARD REVEALED

Celebrating the very best in crime fiction from new discoveries and superstars of the genre 

Festival Dates: 17 – 20 July 2025

www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com

#TheakstonsAwards #TheakstonsCrime

Thursday 5 June 2025: Harrogate International Festivals has announced the shortlists for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, and the McDermid Debut Award for new writers. The winners of both awards will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 17 July.  

The six books shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025, now in its twenty-first year, showcase outstanding storytelling, with some of the most innovative and exciting writers in the UK, Chris Brookmyre, M.W. Craven, Elly Griffiths, Abir Mukherjee, Marie Tierney and Chris Whitaker, competing 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.   

Stunning debut novel Deadly Animals by rising starcMarie Tierney, a thriller centred on a roadkill obsessed teenager’s daring quest to unravel the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her Birmingham community, which won the inaugural McDermid Debut Award in 2024, is shortlisted alongside books by five highly established writers.

Three former winners are in contention for the award, including 2017 champion Chris Brookmyre who is nominated for his innovative thriller, The Cracked Mirror, which sees a hard-bitten homicide detective and an old lady who has solved multiple murders in her sleepy village crack an impossible case. 2021 winner Chris Whitaker is shortlisted for All the Colours of the Dark, a million-copy US-set bestseller exploring the aftermath of a childhood kidnapping that reverberates through the generations, alongside 2023 champion M.W. Craven, nominated for The Mercy Chair, the mesmerising sixth book in the bestselling Washington Poe series, set in Cumbria, where Poe and Tilly face brutal killings that push them to the edges of justice and morality.

Highly commended in 2023, Elly Griffiths receives an impressive seventh shortlisting for The Last Word, a twisty cosy crime murder mystery set at a sinister writers' retreat where two amateur sleuths join forces with detective Harbinder Kaur to investigate the suspicious death of an author. An alumni of the Festival’s celebrated ‘New Blood’ panel supporting fresh talent, Abir Mukherjee is shortlisted for Hunted, a race-against-the-clock thriller about two parents desperately tracking down their children who are suspected of terrorist atrocities.

The full Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 Shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is: 

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group, Abacus) 

The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable) 

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books, Quercus Fiction) 

Hunted by Abir Mukherjee (Vintage; Harvill Secker) 

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books, Zaffre) 

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Orion, Orion Fiction) 

Commenting on the shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025, Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said: 

“Congratulations to all of the highly talented writers shortlisted for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. The six thrilling, chilling and hugely entertaining novels on our shortlist highlight the exceptional depth and range of British crime fiction and offer something for every crime fiction fan. We urge readers to get involved and vote for their favourite novels to win the Award - and the iconic beer cask trophy - so have your say today!” 

The shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award, named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, now in its second year, showcases six ‘exciting fresh voices,’ with race, class, the abuse of power and lived experience of disability amongst the topical themes explored across a range of subgenres including psychological thrillers, contemporary country house mysteries, detective fiction and spy thrillers. The award has quickly established a successful track record for discovering emerging talent as inaugural winner, Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney, has been shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025

Acclaimed broadcaster Louise Minchin is shortlisted for Agatha Christie inspired crime novel Isolation Island, set on a remote Scottish island where ten strangers take part in a gruelling reality TV show which turns deadly once a body is discovered. Another shortlisted novel with a Christie-inspired setting is I Died At Fallow Hall by Bonnie Burke-Patel, a contemporary country house mystery exploring identity, family, race and gender, as dark secrets from the past are unravelled after a young woman’s body is found in a flower bed. 

Featuring an unforgettable female protagonist, Nilesha Chauvet’s post-Me Too thriller Her Two Lives, about a woman who runs a care home by day and hunts down the men who prey on young girls by night, is written with deep psychological insight. Sick to Death by former NHS nurse, Chris Bridges explores the marginalised perspective of a disabled woman who, fed up of being underestimated, becomes a force to be reckoned with when she targets the person standing in the way of her dreams.

Smashing outmoded stereotypes is also a central theme of Sean Watkin’s thriller Black Water Rising, featuring a gay detective out to prove he’s more than just a diversity hire by finding a killer on the loose in Liverpool. Completing the shortlist is A Reluctant Spy by Scottish writer David Goodman, a topical story of mercenaries, greed and corruption about a tech executive forced to act as a trained espionage operative in order to avert a global conflict.

Honouring internationally bestselling crime writer, Val McDermid, who helped to co-found the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime fiction is legendary, this new Award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK. The shortlist was selected by a panel of established crime and thriller writers and the winner will be decided by a panel of expert judges, without a public vote. All shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and the Winner will receive a £500 cash prize. 

Val McDermid said: 

“If, like me, you love reading, you’re always on the lookout for exciting fresh voices. And you need look no further than this talented selection of debut authors who will thrill, excite and intrigue you. Happy Reading!”

The full McDermid Debut Award 2024 shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is:  

Sick to Death by Chris Bridges (Avon, Harper Collins)  

I Died at Fallow Hall by Bonnie Burke-Patel (No Exit Press, Bedford Square)  

Her Two Lives by Nilesha Chauvet (Faber & Faber)  

A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman (Headline)  

Isolation Island by Louise Minchin (Headline, Headline Fiction)  

Black Water Rising by Sean Watkin (Canelo)  

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

“We’re delighted to finally reveal the shortlists for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the McDermid Debut Award, celebrating new talent. It’s exciting to see such a wide range of sub-genres represented across the shortlists, and timely themes tackled with such originality and insight. We are looking forward to celebrating all of these incredible shortlisted writers and their brilliant books at what promises to be an unmissable awards ceremony on the opening night of the Festival.”

Chris Whitaker wins Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year with We Begin at the End

 

Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End has been crowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021 at the opening night ceremony for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival – presented by Harrogate International Festivals at the Old Swan Hotel.

A powerful story of crime, punishment, love and redemption set in coastal California, We Begin at The End is credited by Whitaker as saving his life after being brutally mugged and stabbed as a teenager.

Whitaker has clinched the title on his very first nomination after being chosen by a public vote, the prize Academy and a panel of expert judges, receiving £3,000 and an engraved oak beer cask, hand-carved by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakstons Brewery.

An unprecedented decision has been taken to recognise Northern Irish author Brian McGilloway’s exceptional political thriller The Last Crossing as Highly Commended. McGilloway will also receive a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier for his novel which explores The Troubles from the perspective of former operatives who like to think they have moved on.

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “The contest for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award has been fiercely fought – a reflection of the outstanding quality of all the longlisted and shortlisted crime fiction published within the last year. I offer Chris Whitaker my hearty congratulations for clinching the title on his first ever nomination for his powerful and insightful We Begin at the End.”

Gary Jones, Express Editor-in-Chief, said: "It's a great pleasure to be associated with the world's most famous celebration of crime writing and we're thrilled the Theakston Old Peculier Festival is back this year in the flesh and better than ever. Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors for crime book of the year and especially to winner Chris Whitaker."

Special presentations were also made to Ian Rankin OBE and Mark Billingham, the winners of the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award for 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Simon Theakston added: “It was an absolute pleasure to award crime fiction legends Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham with the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award 2021 and 2020 respectively. They are two titans of crime fiction and richly deserving of this latest recognition of their mastery of the genre.”

Ian Rankin OBE, recipient of Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award 2021, said: “It’s such a privilege and an honour to receive this award, and especially to be in Harrogate to receive it in person. I’ve been a published writer for over thirty years but this past year has been uniquely challenging - for writers, readers and booksellers. It’s heartening to see the Theakston Festival rise like a phoenix. Books continue to provide us with that wonderful mix of food for thought and escapism. I couldn’t be prouder to be a crime writer.”

Mark Billingham, recipient of Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award 2020, said: “It goes without saying that - presuming it’s not some sort of administrative error - this is an enormous honour. I’m as gobsmacked as I am grateful to be joining a list containing the likes of Ruth Rendell, PD James and Lee Child and while there are many individuals to whom I’m hugely indebted, first and foremost I want to say ‘thank you’ to the readers. Without them, there’s no point to any of it.”

This year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival continues until Sunday at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate. Special Guests this year include Mark Billingham, Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths, Mick Herron, Clare Mackintosh, Val Mcdermid and Richard Osman, curated by Festival Programming Chair Ian Rankin OBE.

The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with WHSmith and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021 by UK and Irish authors. The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.