Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) announced the Winners of the 2025 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing.
THE 2025 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS
The Miller-Martin Award for Best Crime Novel Sponsored by the Boreal Benefactor with a $1000 prize
Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr Strange Light (an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada)
Best Crime First Novel (Sponsored by Melodie Campbell with a $1000 prize)
Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate, Doubleday Canada
Best Crime Novel Set in Canada Sponsored by Shaftesbury with a $500 prize
As We Forgive Others by Shane Peacock, Cormorant Books
The Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery Sponsored by Jane Doe with a $500 prize
Black Ice by Thomas King, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Best Crime Novella Sponsored by Carrick Publishing with a $200 prize
The Windmill Mystery by Pamela Jones, Austin Macauley Publishers
Best Crime Short Story
“Hatcheck Bingo”, by Therese Greenwood, from The 13th Letter, Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem, Carrick Publishing
Best French Language Crime Book
Une mémoire de lion by Guillaume Morrissette, Saint-Jean
Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book Sponsored by Superior Shores Press with a $250 prize
Shock Wave by Sigmund Brouwer, Orca Book Publishers
The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book Sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm (Hamilton) with a $300 prize
It’s a tie!
Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur's Journey through Betrayal, Tyranny and Abuse by Denise Chong, Random House Canada
and
The Knowing, by Tanya Talaga, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Best Unpublished Crime Novel manuscript written by an unpublished author Sponsored by ECW Press with a $500 prize
Govern Yourself Accordingly by Luke Devlin,
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About Crime Writers of Canada
Crime Writers of Canada was founded in 1982 as a professional organization designed to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers. Our members include authors, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, reviewers, and literary agents as well as many developing authors. Past winners of the Awards have included such major names in Canadian crime writing as Mario Bolduc, Gail Bowen, Stevie Cameron, Howard Engel, Barbara Fradkin, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson and Eric Wright. We thank our sponsors and volunteers, and the many participating publishers, authors and judges for their continued support.
Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) have announced the Shortlists for the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, the Awards started in 1984. The annual Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence recognizes the best in mystery, crime, and suspense fiction, and crime nonfiction by Canadian authors. Congratulations to all! Winners will be announced Thursday 27 May 2021.
Best Crime Novel sponsored by Rakuten Kobo, with a $1000 prize
Marjorie Celona, How a Woman Becomes a Lake, Hamish Hamilton Canada; Penguin Canada
Cecilia Ekbäck, The Historians, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Will Ferguson, The Finder, Simon & Schuster Canada
Thomas King, Obsidian, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Roz Nay, Hurry Home, Simon & Schuster Canada
Best Crime First Novel sponsored by Writers First, with a $500 prize
Raye Anderson, And We Shall Have Snow, Signature Editions
Guglielmo D’Izza, The Transaction, Guernica Editions
Russell Fralich, True Patriots, Dundurn Press
Emily Hepditch, The Woman in the Attic, Flanker Press
Chris Patrick Carolan, The Nightshade Cabal, Parliament House Press
The Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada sponsored by The Engel Family with a $500 prize
Randall Denley,Payback, Ottawa Press and Publishing
Helen Humphreys, Rabbit Foot Bill, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Ann Lambert,The Dogs of Winter, Second Story Press
Kevin Major,Two for The Tablelands, Breakwater Books
Katrina Onstad, Stay Where I Can See You, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Best Crime Novella sponsored by Mystery Weekly with a $200 prize
C.C. Benison, The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford, At Bay Press
Vicki Delany, Coral Reef Views, Orca Book Publishers
Winona Kent, Salty Dog Blues, Sisters in Crime - Canada West
Sam Wiebe, Never Going Back, Orca Book Publishers
Best Crime Short Story sponsored by Mystery Weekly with a $300 prize
Marcelle Dubé, Cold Wave, Sisters in Crime - Canada West
Sylvia Maultash Warsh, Days Without Name, Carrick Publishing
Twist Phelan, Used to Be, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
Christian Giguère, Le printemps des traîtres, Héliotrope NOIR
Guy Lalancette,Les cachettes, VLB éditeur
Jean Lemieux, Les Demoiselles du Havre-Aubert, Éditions Québec Amérique
Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book (Fiction and Nonfiction) sponsored by Shaftesbury with a $500 prize
Frances Greenslade, Red Fox Road, Puffin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House Janet Hill, Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House, Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Sheena Kamal, Fight Like a Girl, Penguin Teen, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Kelly Powell, Magic Dark and Strange, Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Inc.
Tom Ryan, Hope You're Listening, Albert Whitman & Co.
The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book sponsored by Simpson & Wellenreiter LLP, Hamilton, with a $300 prize
Jeff Blackstock, Murder in the Family: How the Search For My Mother's Killer Led to My Father, Viking Press
Norm Boucher, Horseplay: My Time Undercover on the Granville Strip, NeWest Press
Silver Donald Cameron, Blood in the Water: A True Story of Revenge in the Maritimes, Viking Press
Justin Ling, Missing From the Village: The Story of Serial Killer Bruce McArthur, the Search for Justice, and the System That Failed Toronto's Queer Community, McClelland & Stewart
Michael Nest with Deanna Reder and Eric Bell, Cold Case North: The Search for James Brady and Absolom Halkett, University of Regina Press
The Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript with a $500 prize sponsored by ECW Press
The Future by Raymond Bazowski
Predator and Prey by Dianne Scott
Notes on Killing your Wife by Mark Thomas
A Nice Place to Die by Joyce Woollcott
Cat with a Bone by Susan Jane Wright
CWC also announces the 2021 Derrick Murdoch Award recipient Marian Misters.
The Derrick Murdoch Award is a special achievement award for contributions to the Canadian crime writing genre. As co-owner of Toronto’s Sleuth of Baker Street, Marian Misters has been supporting mystery authors since the bookstore opened and CWC from its inception. Through hosting book events, she has helped launch the career of many CWC authors. In addition, Marian served as Jury Chair for the Awards for three years, during which time she streamlined and developed written procedures for the judges. She was also instrumental in guiding CWC to a new, more diverse, Jury Selection Committee format, and has been active on the Awards Committee for five years.
