2023 Lefty Award Nominees Are Out

Awards season is in full swing, and so along with the 2022 Agatha Award nominees, the 2023 Left Coast Crime (or “Lefty”) Awards nominations are out!

The Lefty Awards consist of four categories: Best Humorous Mystery Novel, Best Historical Mystery Novel, Best Mystery Novel, and Best Debut Mystery Novel. The awards were first given out in 1996 and have evolved considerably since then.

The awards will be given out on Sunday, March 18th, 2023 at the El Conquistador Tucson in Tucson, Arizona.

Below is the list of nominations for the 2023 Lefty Awards:

Best Humorous Mystery Novel

• Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron
• Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow
• Five Moves of Doom by A.J. Devlin
• A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren
• Scot in a Trap by Catriona McPherson

Best Historical Mystery Novel

• A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman
• In Place of Fear by Catriona McPherson
• Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
• Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden
• The Secret in the Wall by Ann Parker
• Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw

Best Debut Mystery Novel

• Jackal by Erin E. Adams
• Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor
• Shutter by Ramona Emerson
• Other People’s Secrets by Meredith Hambrock
• The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra
• Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler
• The Verifiers by Jane Pek

Best Mystery Novel

• Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
• Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King
• Dead Drop by James L’Etoile
• Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian
• A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
• Secret Identity by Alex Segura

Congratulations go out to all of the nominees listed! If you’re interested in more information about the Left Coast Crime Awards, please visit LeftCoastCrime.org.