Ivy Pochoda, Richard Osman, Heather Young, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden are among the finalists for the 2021 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, some of the most prestigious prizes in mystery fiction and nonfiction.
The Mystery Writers of America unveiled the shortlists for the awards on Monday.
Pochoda’s These Women, Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, and Young’s The Distant Dead were all named finalists in the best novel category, along with Deepa Anappara’s Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Caroline B. Cooney’s Before She Was Helen, and Kwei Quartey’s The Missing American.
Weiden’s Winter Counts was nominated in the best first novel by an American author category, as were Nev March’s Murder in Old Bombay, Caitlin Mullen’s Please See Us, Elisabeth Thomas’ Catherine House, and Stephanie Wrobel’s Darling Rose Gold.
In the best paperback original category, the finalists were Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching, Brian Freeman’s The Deep, Deep Snow, Jess Lourey’s Unspeakable Things, Jessica Moor’s The Keeper, and Khurrum Rahman’s East of Hounslow.
Other books to earn nominations included Emma Copley Eisenberg’s The Third Rainbow Girl in the fact crime category, Nnedi Okorafor’s Ikenga in the juvenile category, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games in the young adult category.
Alfred A. Knopf publisher Reagan Arthur was announced as the recipient of the Ellery Queen Award. She joins three previously announced special award winners: Jeffery Deaver and Charlaine Harris, who were named Grand Masters, and fan convention Malice Domestic, which won the Raven Award.
The winners of the awards will be announced at a celebration on April 29. A full list of finalists is available here.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
