2023 CWC Awards of Excellence Nominees Released

The nominees for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence for 2023 are out!

The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, is an annual literary prize awarded to Canadian crime writers.

The CWC Awards of Excellence (then known as the Ellis Awards) were first presented in 1984 to recognize excellence in Canadian crime writing. The awards have since become one of the most prestigious literary prizes in Canada, and are highly sought after by Canadian crime writers.

The awards are presented in several categories, including Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Crime Novel Set in Canada, Best Traditional Mystery, Best Novella, Best Short Story, Best Non-Fiction, and Best Juvenile/YA. In addition, there is also a special category called the Derrick Murdoch Award, which is presented to a Canadian author who has made a significant contribution to the crime writing community. This year, the winner is Jack Batten.

Over the years, these awards have recognized many of Canada’s most talented crime writers. Some of the most notable winners include Louise Penny, who has won multiple Arthur Ellis Awards for her Inspector Gamache series; Peter Robinson, who has won for both his Inspector Banks series and his standalone novel, Before the Poison; and Linwood Barclay, who has won for his standalone thrillers.

The CWC Awards of Excellence are a testament to the talent and creativity of Canadian crime writers. The awards showcase the best in Canadian crime writing, and recognize the hard work and dedication of the authors who bring these thrilling stories to life. If you’re a fan of crime fiction, the Awards of Excellence are a great way to discover some of Canada’s most talented crime writers.

The nominees for the 2023 awards are as follows:

Best Crime Novel

• Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay
• Going to Beautiful by Anthony Bidulka
• An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan
• Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie
• Daughters of the Occupation by Shelly Sanders

Best First Crime Novel

• Killer Time by Bill Edwards
• The Damned Lovely by Adam Frost
• The Pale Horse by T. Lawrence Davis
• Citizens of Light by Sam Shelstad
• The Man from Mittelwerk by M.Z. Urlocker

Best Crime Novel Set In Canada

• Five Moves of Doom by A.J. Devlin
• Blood Atonement by S.M. Freedman
• A Snake in the Raspberry Patch by Joanne Jackson
• Cold Snap by Maureen Jennings
• The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector

Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book

• Lark Steals the Show by Natasha Deen
• The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelyn
• Wrong Side of the Court by H.N. Khan
• Butt Sandwich & Tree by Wesley King
• Heartbreak Homes by Jo Treggiari

Best Traditional Crime Novel

• Knight in the Museum by Alice Bienia
• Fenian Street by Anne Emery
• Deep House by Thomas King
• Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini
• Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw

Best Crime Novella

• Amdur’s Ghost by M.H. Callway
• Dangerous to Know by Hilary Davidson
• Dead End Track by Julie Hiner
• The Emir’s Falcon by Matt Hughes
• The Man Who Went Down Under by Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson

Best Crime Short Story

• The Girl Who Was Only Three Quarters Dead by Craig H. Bowlsby
• Must Love Dogs—or You’re Gone by M.H. Callway
• To Catch a Kumiho by Blair Keetch
• Swan Song by Donalee Moulton
• The Natural Order of Things by Sylvia Warsh

Best Nonfiction Crime Book

• The Castleton Massacre: Survivors’ Stories of the Killins Femicide by Sharon Anne Cook and Margaret Carson
• How to Solve a Cold Case: And Everything Else You Wanted to Know about Catching Killers by Michael Arntfield
• Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas by Harley Rustad
• The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan
• Scoundrel by Sarah Weinman

Congratulations to all of the nominees (and the one winner)!

For more information on these awards (including the prize amounts), please visit the Crime Writers of Canada website.