As a lover of the cosy genre, I couldn’t let the Agatha Award 2021 pass without mentioning the winners on the blog!
Hello. Today on the blog I’m sharing the Agatha Award 2021 winners. This prestigious literary award is run by Malice Domestic. The award was created in honour of the queen of cosy mysteries, British crime writer Agatha Christie to celebrate the authors publishing works in the cosy genre.
Here’s what Malice say about it on their website:
“Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual fan convention that takes place each year in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Malice celebrates the Traditional Mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore or violence.“
The six categories in the Agatha Award are:
- Novel
- First Mystery
- Historical Novel
- Short Story
- Non-Fiction
- Children’s/Young Adult Mystery.
Additionally, in some years the Poirot Award is presented to honour other individuals who are not writers themselves, but who have made outstanding contributions to the mystery genre.
The nominees are suggested by everyone who has registered for or became a Friend of Malice Domestic by the end of the previous years. The five finalists in the six categories are chosen, then the attendees vote for the winners. In case you were wondering, here’s a link to the list of nominees.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Agatha Awards were once again announced at the More Than Malice online event.
So, who were the Agatha Award 2021 Winners in the different categories?
Contemporary Novel
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Perry (Minotaur)
Historical Novel
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)
First Novel
Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)
Short Story
“Dear Emily Etiquette” by Garb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct)
Non-Fiction
Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Lady Behind Hitchcock by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press)
Children’s / Young Adult
Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richard Narvaez (Pinata Books)
Have you already read any of these winning titles? I’ll certainly be adding a couple of those fiction books to my shelf. 😉
Are you in the progress of writing your own cosy mystery story? Would you like someone to give you some honest, supportive feedback? I can do that. Have a look at my Manuscript Critique service to find out how.
