The Mystery Writers of America announced the nominations for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, which honor “the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, and television.”
John Darnielle, the novelist and frontman for the indie-rock band the Mountain Goats, was named a finalist in the novel category for Devil House, along with Gabino Iglesias for The Devil Takes You Home, Nita Prose for The Maid, Kellye Garrett for Like a Sister, Chuck Hogan for Gangland, and Danya Kukafka for Notes on an Execution.
In the first novel by an American author category, the finalists are Jackal by Erin E. Adams, Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor, Shutter by Ramona Emerson, More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez, and Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li.
Nominated in the fact crime category were Kathleen Hale for Slenderman, Erika Krouse for Tell Me Everything, Kathryn Miles for Trailed, Shahan Mufti for American Caliph, and Daniel Stashower for American Demon.
Alexa Donne was named a finalist in the young adult category for Pretty Dead Queens, as were Eva V. Gibson for Frightmares, Juliana Goodman for The Black Girls Left Standing, June Hur for The Red Palace, and Vincent Ralph for Lock the Doors.
The Edgar Awards were established in 1946. Previous winners in the novel category have included Raymond Chandler for The Long Goodbye, John le Carré for The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, James Lee Burke for Black Cherry Blues and Cimarron Rose, and C.J. Box for Blue Heaven.
The winners of this year’s awards will be revealed at a ceremony on April 27. A full list of finalists is available at the MWA website.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
