Here’s Who’s Up for the 2026 International Thriller Writers Awards

The International Thriller Writers have announced the nominees for their 2026 Thriller Awards!

Running since 2007, the awards highlight the best thrillers from the previous year across a broad range of styles and formats.

In addition to celebrating established names, the awards are also known for spotlighting emerging talent and recognizing the amazing work being published across the thriller landscape each year.

This year’s categories include Best Standalone Thriller, Best Series Novel, Best First Novel, Best Young Adult Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Audiobook.

Here are the finalists for the 2026 International Thriller Writers Awards:

Best Standalone Thriller

• Cross My Heart by Megan Collins
• ZigZag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton
• The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan
• The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
• So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

Best Series Novel

• Chain Reaction by James Byrne
• The Big Empty by Robert Crais
• Head Cases by John McMahon
• The Tourists by Christopher Reich
• Terminal Moonlight by Vincent Zandri

Best First Novel

• Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
• Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
• Count My Lies by Sophie Stava
• History Lessons by Zoe Wallbrook
• Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

Best Short Story

• Level Up by Katrina Carrasco
• The Seduction of Doctor Dimension by Scott William Carter
• Eleven Numbers by Lee Child
• False Note by David Lagercrantz
• The Violent Season by Jessica Van Dessel

Best Young Adult Novel

• Shiny Happy People by Clay Chapman
• Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson
• This Stays Between Us by Margot McGovern
• The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
• The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Best Audio Book

• King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
• The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
• Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
• When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur
• The Cheater's Wife by CN Mabry and N’Dia Rae
• The White Crow by Michael Robotham

Congratulations to the nominees!

The winners will be announced at the ThrillerFest XXI convention in New York City on June 11th, 2026.

If you want to know more about the awards or the International Thriller Writers in general, please visit thrillerwriters.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Based near Toronto, Brandon is a news writer and Book Specialist for Book Notification who covers the world of books, maintains author pages, writes a variety of content, and is an avid reader of non-fiction and biographies.

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