Gumshoe Awards

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The Gumshoe Awards were a set of awards that began in 2002, and ran through 2008.

They are an American award, and were focused primarily on crime fiction. The awards were handed out by an internet magazine called Mystery Ink. In 2002, they had four separate awards which were for Best Mystery, Best First Novel, Lifetime Achievement and Best Crime Fiction Website.

In 2005, they added Best Thriller and Best European Crime Novel to their list of categories.

Here are a list of all winners of the Gumshoe Awards:

Gumshoe Awards



YearCategoryAuthorTitleResult
2002Best First NovelC.J. BoxOpen SeasonWon
2002Best First NovelRobert ReulandHollowpointNominated
2002Best First NovelKarin SlaughterBlindsightedNominated
2002Best NovelThomas PerryPursuitWon
2002Best NovelJoe GoresCons, Scams & GriftsNominated
2002Best NovelT. Jefferson ParkerSilent JoeNominated
2002Best NovelGeorge PelecanosRight as RainNominated
2002Best NovelThomas PerryDeath BenefitsNominated
2002Lifetime AchievementRoss ThomasWon
2003Best First NovelEddie MullerThe DistanceWon
2003Best First NovelJonathon KingThe Blue Edge of MidnightNominated
2003Best First NovelBarry EislerRain Fall / A Clean Kill in TokyoNominated
2003Best First NovelDavid RosenfeltOpen and ShutNominated
2003Best First NovelJulia Spencer-FlemingIn the Bleak MidwinterNominated
2003Best NovelGeorge PelecanosHell to PayWon
2003Best NovelAce AtkinsDark End of the StreetNominated
2003Best NovelJan BurkeNineNominated
2003Best NovelMichael ConnellyCity of BonesNominated
2003Best NovelJeffery DeaverThe Stone MonkeyNominated
2003Lifetime AchievementDick FrancisWon
2004Best First NovelP.J. TracyMonkeewrench / Want to Play?Won
2004Best First NovelMaggie EstepHexNominated
2004Best First NovelElaine FlinnDealing in MurderNominated
2004Best First NovelLouise WelshThe Cutting RoomNominated
2004Best NovelMarshall BrowneThe Eye of the AbyssNominated
2004Best NovelLee ChildPersuaderNominated
2004Best NovelBarry EislerHard Rain / Blood from Blood / A Lonely ResurrectionNominated
2004Best NovelJim FusilliTribeca BluesNominated
2004Best NovelSteve HamiltonBlood is the SkyWon
2004Best Thriller NovelAlan FurstDark VoyageNominated
2004Lifetime AchievementRuth RendellWon
2005Best European Crime NovelHenning MankellThe Return of the Dancing MasterWon
2005Best European Crime NovelBoris AkuninMurder on the Leviathan / LeviathanNominated
2005Best European Crime NovelDonna LeonDoctored EvidenceNominated
2005Best European Crime NovelIan RankinA Question of BloodNominated
2005Best European Crime NovelCarlos Ruiz ZafonThe Shadow of the WindNominated
2005Best First NovelDylan SchafferWon
2005Best First NovelRaelynn HillhouseRift ZoneNominated
2005Best First NovelCharlie HustonCaught StealingNominated
2005Best First NovelJ.A. KonrathWhiskey SourNominated
2005Best First NovelHarley Jane KozakDating Dead MenNominated
2005Best Mystery NovelJim FusilliHard Hard CityWon
2005Best Mystery NovelDenise HamiltonLast LullabyNominated
2005Best Mystery NovelLaura LippmanBy a Spider's ThreadNominated
2005Best Mystery NovelT. Jefferson ParkerCalifornia GirlNominated
2005Best Thriller NovelBarry EislerRain Storm / Choke Point / Winner Take AllWon
2005Best Thriller NovelS.J. RozanAbsent FriendsNominated
2005Best Thriller NovelRobert FerrignoThe Wake-UpNominated
2005Best Thriller NovelDean KoontzLife ExpectancyNominated
2005Best Thriller NovelDaniel SilvaA Death in ViennaNominated
2005Lifetime AchievementLawrence BlockWon
2006Best European Crime NovelRobert WilsonThe Silent and the Damned / The Vanished HandsWon
2006Best European Crime NovelJasper FfordeThe Big Over EasyNominated
2006Best European Crime NovelAllan GuthrieKiss Her GoodbyeNominated
2006Best European Crime NovelArnaldur IndriðasonJar City / Tainted Blood / MýrinNominated
2006Best European Crime NovelFred VargasHave Mercy on Us AllNominated
2006Best First NovelRandall B. HicksThe Baby GameWon
2006Best First NovelMark GimenezThe Color of LawNominated
2006Best First NovelChris GrabensteinTilt-a-WhirlNominated
2006Best First NovelKaren E. OlsonSacred CowsNominated
2006Best First NovelDavid TerrenoireNominated
2006Best Mystery NovelLaura LippmanTo the Power of ThreeWon
2006Best Mystery NovelJeffrey CohenAs Dog is My WitnessNominated
2006Best Mystery NovelReed Farrel ColemanThe James DeansNominated
2006Best Mystery NovelDenise HamiltonSavage GardenNominated
2006Best Mystery NovelDuane SwierczynskiThe WheelmanNominated
2006Best Thriller NovelJoseph FinderCompany ManWon
2006Best Thriller NovelMichael ConnellyThe Lincoln LawyerNominated
2006Best Thriller NovelJonnie JacobsThe Only SuspectNominated
2006Best Thriller NovelWilliam LashnerFalls the ShadowNominated
2006Best Thriller NovelDavid MorrellCreepersNominated
2006Lifetime AchievementEd McBainWon
2007Best European Crime NovelKarin FossumWhen the Devil Holds the CandleWon
2007Best European Crime NovelKen BruenThe DramatistNominated
2007Best European Crime NovelGianrico CarofiglioA Walk in the DarkNominated
2007Best European Crime NovelPhilippe ClaudelBy a Slow RiverNominated
2007Best European Crime NovelBarbara VineMinotaurNominated
2007Best First NovelJohn HartThe King of LiesWon
2007Best First NovelJames ChurchA Corpse in the KoryoNominated
2007Best First NovelThomas LakemanThe Shadow CatchersNominated
2007Best First NovelCornelia ReadA Field of DarknessNominated
2007Best Mystery NovelJulia Spencer-FlemingAll Mortal FleshWon
2007Best Mystery NovelAce AtkinsWhite ShadowNominated
2007Best Mystery NovelAriana FranklinCity of ShadowsNominated
2007Best Mystery NovelGeorge PelecanosThe Night GardenerNominated
2007Best Mystery NovelJoseph WambaughHollywood StationNominated
2007Best Thriller NovelRobert FerrignoPrayers for the AssassinWon
2007Best Thriller NovelLee ChildThe Hard WayNominated
2007Best Thriller NovelBarry EislerThe Last Assassin / ExtremisNominated
2007Best Thriller NovelWilliam LashnerMarked ManNominated
2007Best Thriller NovelM.J. RoseThe Venus FixNominated
2007Lifetime AchievementRobert B. ParkerWon
2008Best First NovelSean ChercoverBig City, Bad BloodWon
2008Best First NovelPhilip Hawley Jr.StigmaNominated
2008Best First NovelLisa LutzThe Spellman FilesNominated
2008Best First NovelCraig McDonaldHead GamesNominated
2008Best First NovelNick StoneMr. ClarinetNominated
2008Best Mystery NovelJames Lee BurkeThe Tin Roof BlowdownWon
2008Best Mystery NovelJohn ConnollyThe UnquietNominated
2008Best Mystery NovelAriana FranklinMistress of the Art of DeathNominated
2008Best Mystery NovelCharlie HustonThe Shotgun RuleNominated
2008Best Mystery NovelLaura LippmanWhat the Dead Know / Little SisterNominated
2008Best Thriller NovelRobert CraisThe WatchmanWon
2008Best Thriller NovelLee ChildBad Luck and TroubleNominated
2008Best Thriller NovelJoseph FinderPower PlayNominated
2008Best Thriller NovelRichard K. MorganThirteen / Black ManNominated
2008Best Thriller NovelMichael GruberThe Book of Air and ShadowsNominated
2008Lifetime AchievementDonald E WestlakeWon



The best crime fiction website awards were given to:

  • 2002: LeeChild.com
  • 2003: MichaelConnelly.com
  • 2004: SarahWeinman.com
  • 2005: JanuaryMagazine.com
  • 2006: Crimespot.net
  • 2007: DemolitionMagazine.com
  • 2008: ThrillingDetective.com

In their lifespan, no author won multiple Gumshoe Awards. However many received multiple nominations. George Pelecanos won Best Novel in 2003, and was nominated for the same award in 2002 as well as nominated in 2007 for Best Mystery Novel.

Lee Child was also nominated three times although never won an award.

Gumshoe Awards F.A.Q.

Why did the Gumshoe Awards end?

Unfortunately in research, we could not determine why the Gumshoe Awards ended. Mystery Ink is no longer active which may be in relation to that although we couldn’t confirm. From checking archives, their website stopped being updated around that time.

What is the Gumshoe Award for Best Mystery?

This was an award given for the best mystery novel released in the previous year.

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