The 2025 Agatha Award Nominees Are Here

Malice Domestic has released the nominees for the 2025 Agatha Awards. Every April, the convention hands out these long‑running honours, and – hard as it is to believe – April isn’t far off.

The Agathas cover six categories: Best Contemporary Novel, Best Historical Novel, Best First Novel, Best Non-Fiction, Best Children’s/YA, and Best Short Story. Each category includes four or five finalists, all chosen by Malice Domestic members. One small quirk worth noting: the awards are named for the publication year, not the ceremony year, so the 2025 awards will be presented in 2026.

These prizes focus on “traditional mysteries” – stories without explicit sex, heavy gore, or gratuitous violence, written in the spirit of Agatha Christie and her puzzle‑driven approach to crime fiction.

And now, the nominees for the 2025 Agatha Awards:

Best Contemporary Novel

• A Grave Deception by Connie Berry
• The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy
• Waters of Destruction by Leslie Karst
• At Death’s Dough by Mindy Quigley
• Murder in Fifth Position by Lori Robbins

Best Historical Novel

• The Hindenburg Spy by L.A. Chandlar
• Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens
• The Girl in the Green Dress by Mariah Fredericks
• The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver
• Murder at the Moulin Rouge by Carol Pouliot

Best First Novel

• Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover
• Murder in the Crazy Mountains by K.L. Borges
• Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku
• Player Elimination by Shelly Jones
• Voices of the Elysian Fields by Michael Rigg

Best Children’s/Young Adult

• Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic by Marilyn Levinson
• Death in the Cards by Mia Manansala
• Hurricane Heist by James Ponti
• Missing Mom by Lynn Slaughter
• Risky Pursuit by Nancy West

Best Non-Fiction

• Bone Valley by Gilbert King
• Vacations Can Be Murder by Dawn M. Barclay
• Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold
• The Sinners All Bow by Kate Winkler Dawson

Best Short Story

• When the Iron is Hot by Maddie Day
• Double Crossing Van Dine by Barb Goffman
• Lola’s Last Dance by Kerry Hammond
• Boss Cat Rules by Nikki Knight
• Six-Armed Robbery by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

Other Malice Domestic Awards

Malice Domestic will also be honouring two standout figures this year. Donna Andrews is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her long-running contributions to the traditional mystery world.

Meanwhile, Lucy Worsley will be presented with the Poirot Award, given to individuals who’ve made significant contributions to the mystery genre outside of creative writing.

Congratulations to all the nominees and honourees!

Malice Domestic 38 will take place April 24–26, 2026, in Bethesda, Maryland, with Annette Dashofy as Guest of Honor. If you’re thinking about attending, you can find details on the Malice Domestic website.

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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