2025 ITW Thriller Award Nominees

Congratulations the finalists of the 2025 ITW Thriller Awards have been announced.

BEST STANDALONE THRILLER NOVEL

The Paris Widow by Kimberly S. Belle

The Chamber by Will Dean

Worst Case Scenario by L.J. Newman, 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak, 

The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline, 

BEST STANDALONE MYSTERY NOVEL

Negative Girl by Libby Cudmore, 

The Night We lost Him by Laura Dave

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett, 

The Life and Death of Rose Doucette by Harry Hunsicker, 

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan, 

Lake County by Lori Roy

BEST SERIES NOVEL

To Die For by David Baldacci, 

The Last Few Miles of the Road by Eric Beetner, 

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves, 

Shadowheart by Meg Gardiner, 

Flashback by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen, 

A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado, 

BEST FIRST NOVEL 

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody, 

After Image by Jaime deBlanc, 

The Astrology House by Carinn Jade,

Blood in the Cut by Alejandro Nodarse, 

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney

BEST AUDIOBOOK 

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth, Narrated by Jessica Clarke

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom, Narrated by Jon Lindstrom

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall, Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Beyond All Doubt by Hilton Reed, Narrated by George Newbern

Listeen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, Narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

Influencer by Adam Cesare, 

The Other Lola by Ripley Jones, 

Darkly by Marisha Pessl, 

49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards, 

Girls Like Her by Melanie Sumrow, 

BEST SHORT STORY 

Not a Dinner Party Person by Stefanie Leder, 

Double Parked by Twist Phelan, 

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda, 

The Doll's House by Lisa Unger, 

And Now, an Inspiring Story of Tragedy Overcome by Joseph S. Walker,

Congratulations t all the nominated authors - Winners will be announced at ThrillerFest XX on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at the New York Hilton Midtown, New York City. 

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the 2023 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlists

 

BEST CRIME FICTION 

Soulmate by Sally Hepworth 

When The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland 

Exiles by Jane Harper 

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford 

The Tilt by Chris Hammer 

Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic 

Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION 

(Published in Australia) 

The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton 

Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath 

The Favour by Nicci French 

The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf 

BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 

Wake by Shelley Burr 

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles 

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor 

Black River by Matthew Spencer 

How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins 

The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon 

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne 

Denizen by James McKenzie Watson 

BEST TRUE CRIME 

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! by Officer 

A Death Row at Truro by Geoff Plunkett 

Rattled by Ellis Gunn 

Betrayed by Sandi Logan 

Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris 

Davitt Awards 2022 Shortlists Announced

 

Sisters in Crime Australia has announced the shortlists for the 2022 Davitt Awards for best crime books by Australian women.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Adult Crime Novel 

Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie, (HQ Fiction)

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz, (A&U)

You Had It Coming by B M Carroll, (Profile Books)

All That I Remember About Dean Cola by Tania Chandler, (Scribe)

Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down, (Text)

Shelter by Catherine Jinks, (Text)

The Beautiful Words by Vanessa McCausland, (HarperCollins)

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, (Hamish Hamilton)

The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald, (A&U)

The Second Son by Loraine Peck, (Text)

The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart, (Viking)

Young Adult Crime Novel

The Gaps by Leanne Hall, (Text)

Dirt Circus League by Maree Kimberley, (Text)

Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn, (A&U Children’s)

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, (Penguin)

Children’s Crime Novel

Night Ride into Danger by Jackie French, (HarperCollins)

The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg, (Affirm)

Ella at Eden #6: The London Thief by Laura Sieveking, (Scholastic)

Nonfiction Crime Book

Empowering Women: From Murder and Misogyny to High Court Victory by Susie Allanson with Lizzie O’Shea, (Wilkinson Publishing)

Larrimah: A Missing Man, an Eyeless Croc and an Outback Town of 11 People Who Mostly Hate Each Other by Caroline Graham & Kylie Stevenson, (A&U)

The Winter Road: A Story of Legacy, Land and a Killing at Croppa Creek by Kate Holden, (Black Inc.)

Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide’s Family Murders by Debi Marshall, (Vintage)

Debut Crime Books

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz, (A&U)

Shadow Over Edmund Street by Suzanne Frankham, (Journey to Words)

Larrimah: A Missing Man, an Eyeless Croc and an Outback Town of 11 People Who Mostly Hate Each Other by Caroline Graham & Kylie Stevenson, (A&U)

The Waterhole by Lily Malone, (Lily Malone Publishing)

Unsheltered by Clare Moleta, (Simon &Schuster)

The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald, (A&U)

The Second Son by Loraine Peck, (Text)

Shiver by Allie Reynolds, (Hachette)

Crime Writer by Dime Sheppard, (Ruby Books)

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, (Penguin)

The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart, (Viking).

This year’s judging panel was made up of medical autopsy expert Philomena Horsley; YA expert and reviewer Joy Lawn; Sisters in Crime’s president Moraig Kisler; and authors Janice Simpson, Emily Webb and Jacquie Byron. The judges selected the 33 shortlisted titles from a longlist of 169 books.

The six category winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne on Saturday, 27 August. No prize money is attached to the Davitts; the winner of each category receives a trophy.

Last year’s winners included Sally Hepworth for The Good Sister (Macmillan) and Leah Swann’s Sheerwater (Fourth Estate).

For more information, see the Sisters in Crime website.

2021 Davitt Award Winners

Sisters in Crime Australia have announced the 2021 Davitt Award Winners -

Adult Crime Novels 

Winner:- The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Also nominated -

Death Beyond the Limit by B M Allsopp(Fiji Islands Mysteries #3) (Coconut Press)

Deadman’s Track by Sarah Barrie (Calico Mountain #3) (HQ Fiction, an imprint of Harlequin Australia)

Gathering Dark by Candice Fox (Penguin Random House Australia)

A Testament of Character by Sulari Gentill (Rowland Sinclair #10) (Pantera Press)

Where the Truth Lies by Karina Kilmore (Simon & Schuster Australia)

The Deceptions by Suzanne Leal (Allen & Unwin)

Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)

Torched by Kimberley Starr (Pantera Press)

Young Adult Crime Novels

Winner:- Where We Begin by Christie Nieman (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Also nominated -

The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell (Text Publishing)

Deep Water by Sarah Epstein (Allen & Unwin Children’s)

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney(Allen & Unwin Children’s)

The Girl with the Gold Bikini by Lisa Walker(Wakefield Press)

Children’s Crime Novels

Winner:- A Clue for Clara by Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin Children’s)

Also nominated -

The Ghost of Howlers Beach by Jackie French (Butter O’Bryan Mysteries #1) (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor (Affirm Press)

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri (Affirm Press)

The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle by Pamela Rushby (Walker Books Australia)

The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting (Walker Books Australia)

Non-fiction Crime Books 

Winner:- Witness: An Investigation into the Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice by Louise Milligan (Hachette Australia)

Also nominated-

After the Count: The Death of Davey Browne by Stephanie Convery (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia)

The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with Child Sexual Abuse by Melissa Davey (Scribe Publications)

Missing William Tyrrell by Caroline Overington (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)

Snakes and Ladders: A Memoir by Angela Williams, (Affirm Press)

Debut Crime Books

Winner:- Sheerwater by Leah Swann (4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Australia) 

Also nominated - 

Inheritance of Secrets by Sonya Bates (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)

The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell (Text Publishing)

The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with Child Sexual Abuse by Melissa Davey (Scribe Publications)

The Safe Place by Anna Downes (Affirm Press)

Troubled Waters by Mary Jones (Green Olive Press)

Where the Truth Lies by Karina Kilmore (Simon & Schuster Australia)

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor (Affirm Press)

The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall (Simon & Schuster Australia)

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri (Affirm Press)

A Clue for Clara by Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin Children’s)

The Girl with the Gold Bikini by Lisa Walker (Wakefield Press)

The Winner of the Readers Choice Award 

The Shifting Landscape by Katherine Kovacic