Dean, Hallett and Mir compete for debut award as CrimeFest shortlists revealed

Abigail Dean, Janice Hallett and Saima Mir are among those shortlisted for the £1,000 Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award at this year’s CrimeFest, back in person for the first time since 2019. 

Dean’s novel Girl A (HarperCollins) is soon to be a TV show, and also features on the Audible Sounds of Crime shortlist and eDunnit Award for best e-book. She’ll be vying for the hotly-contested debut award with Hallett’s cosy crime success The Appeal (Viper), Mir’s The Khan (Point Blank), Rahul Raina’s How to Kidnap the Rich (Abacus), Lara Thompson’s One Night, New York (Virago) and David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s Winter Counts (Simon & Schuster). 

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award also has a cash prize of £1,000. All category winners will receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award. 

Adrian Muller, co-host of CrimeFest, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May.  

“These shortlists show how valuable books have been to all ages, particularly in times of isolation, as sources of escapism, entertainment and enrichment. We’d like to thank Audible and Specsavers for their ongoing support of these awards.” 

The judging panels for the awards are made up of leading British crime fiction reviewers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults, alongside the members of the School Library Association (SLA). The Audible Sounds award is voted for by Audible listeners. 

Co-host of CrimeFest Donna Moore commented: “We are proud to be one of the few genre awards that recognise e-books and audiobooks, humour, children and Young Adult crime fiction novels. We aim to be the most inclusive of awards to reflect the values of our convention, and the incredible diversity and reach of the genre which dominates the cultural landscape.”  

The 2022 shortlists in full: 

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award

• Abigail Dean, Girl A (HarperCollins)

• Janice Hallett, The Appeal (Viper)

• Saima Mir, The Khan (Point Blank)

• Rahul Raina, How to Kidnap the Rich (Abacus)

• Lara Thompson, One Night, New York (Virago)

• David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts (Simon & Schuster)

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award  

• Lee and Andrew Child, Better Off Dead read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio) 
• Abigail Dean, Girl A read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction) 
• Paula Hawkins, Slow Fire Burning read by Rosamund Pike (Penguin Random House Audio) 
• Lisa Jewell, The Night She Disappeared read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio) 
• Liane Moriarty, Apples Never Fall read by Caroline Lee (Penguin Random House Audio) 
• Richard Osman, The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio) 
• K L Slater, The Marriage read by Lucy Price-Lewis (Audible Studios / Bookouture) 
• Karin Slaughter, False Witness read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins) 

 The eDunnit Award 

• Megan Abbott, The Turnout (Virago/ Little, Brown Book Group) 
• Gianrico Carofiglio, The Measure of Time (Bitter Lemon Press) 
• Michael Connelly, The Dark Hours (Orion Fiction) 
• Abigail Dean, Girl A (HarperCollins) 
• Cath Staincliffe, Running Out of Road (Constable/ Little, Brown Book Group) 
• Andrew Taylor, The Royal Secret (HarperCollins) 

 The H R F Keating Award for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction  

• Lucy Andrews, The Detective’s Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks (Palgrave Macmillan) 
• Richard Bradford, Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith (Bloomsbury, Caravel) 
• James Fleming, Bond Behind the Iron Curtain (The Book Collector) 
• Patricia Highsmith, Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) 
• Carla Valentine, Murder Isn’t Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie (Sphere/ Little, Brown Book Group) 
• Stephen James Walker, Hank Janson Under Cover (Telos Publishing Ltd) 

 The Last Laugh Award for the best humorous crime novel 

• Simon Brett, An Untidy Death (Severn House) 
• Andrea Camilleri, Riccardino (Mantle) 
• Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down (Doubleday) 
• Janice Hallet, The Appeal (Viper) 
• Mick Herron, Slough House (Baskerville, John Murray Press) 
• Antti Tuomainen, The Rabbit Factor (Orenda Books) 

 Best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12) 

• Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Noah’s Gold (Macmillan Children’s Books) 
• Maz Evans, Vi Spy: Licence to Chill (Chicken House) 
• Anthony Horowitz, Nightshade (Walker Books) 
• Anthony Kessel, The Five Clues (Crown House Publishing) 
• Jennifer Killick Crater, Lake Evolution (Firefly Press) 
• M G Leonard, Twitch (Walker Books) 
• Alexandra Page, Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) 
• Ella Risbridger, The Secret Detectives (Nosy Crow) 

 Best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16)

• Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé, Ace of Spades (Usborne Publishing) 
• Angeline Boulley, Firekeeper’s Daughter (Rock the Boat) 
• Andreina Cordani, The Girl Who … (Atom/ Little, Brown Book Group) 
• William Hussey, The Outrage (Usborne Publishing) 
• Holly Jackson, As Good As Dead (Electric Monkey) 
• Patrice Lawrence, Splinters of Sunshine (Hodder Children’s Books) 
• Jonathan Stroud, The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne (Walker Books) 
• C L Taylor, The Island (HQ)