The Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of its 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, given annually to works of mystery fiction and nonfiction, at a New York ceremony on Wednesday.
James Lee Burke took home the Edgar for best novel for Flags on the Bayou, his novel set in Civil War–era Louisiana. Burke previously won the best novel Edgar for his books Black Cherry Blues and Cimarron Rose.
Former CIA operations officer I.S. Berry won the award for best first novel by an American author for The Peacock and the Sparrow, while the best paperback original prize went to Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.
Nathan Masters won the prize for best fact crime book for Crooked: The Roaring ’20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal, while Steven Powell took home the best critical/biographical book award for Love Me Fierce in Danger: The Life of James Ellroy.
Linda Castillo won in the best short story category for “Hallowed Ground.” The best juvenile book award went to Adrianna Cuevas for The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, and April Henry was awarded the best young adult book prize for Girl Forgotten.
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards were established in 1946. Previous winners include Michael Crichton for A Case of Need, Lawrence Block for A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, and Attica Locke for Bluebird, Bluebird.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
