Perks, Griffiths and Koomson make Dead Good Reader Awards shortlists

Heidi Perks, Dorothy Koomson and Elly Griffiths are among 28 writers to make the Dead Good Reader Awards shortlists, following a record number of nominations. 

Griffiths scooped two awards at last year’s ceremony for The Dark Angel (Quercus) and is up for another two prizes this year with The Stone Circle (Quercus). 

Koomson is also in the running for two awards for The Brighton Mermaid (Arrow) and Tony Kent, John Marrs, Liz Nugent, C L Taylor, L V Hay and Steve Cavanagh are also hoping for the double.

Richard and Judy book club bestseller Now You See Her by Heidi Perks made the cut for The Dead Good Recommends Award for Most Recommended Book. She faces competition from Griffiths, The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware (Vintage), 
The Passengers by John Marrs (Del Ray), 
Skin Deep by Nugent (Penguin) and 
Sleep by C L Taylor (Avon).

Harriet Tyce with her debut novel Blood Orange (Wildfire) is in the running for The Jury’s Out Award for Most Gripping Courtroom Drama alongside Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (Simon & Schuster UK), Marked For Death by Tony Kent (Elliott & Thompson), 
No Further Questions by Gillian McAllister (Penguin), 
Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall (Arrow) and 
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh (Orion).

Koomson and Griffiths join A Clean Canvas by Elizabeth Mundy (Constable), Red Snow by Will Dean (Point Blank) on the shortlist for The Nosy Parker Award for Best Amateur Detective alongside The Suspect by Fiona Barton (Bantam Press) and The Taking of Annie Thorne by C J Tudor (Michael Joseph).

Six books are in the running for The Dish Served Cold Award for Best Revenge Thriller with a second nomination for Kent up against Do No Harm by L V Hay (Orenda), Final Betrayal by Patricia Gibney (Bookouture), My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (Michael Joseph), The Puppet Show by M W Craven (Constable) and Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman (Vintage).

Koomson, Nugent, Taylor and Marrs score their second nominations on The Cancel All Plans Award for the Book You Can’t Put Down shortlist. Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan (Avon) and The Night Olivia Fell by Christina Mcdonald (HQ) also made the cut.

The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain sees Amazon Publishing score one nomination for The Last of the Magpies by Mark Edwards and a second nomination for L V Hay. Beautiful Liars by Isabel Ashdown (Trapeze), The Infirmary by L J Ross (Independent), The Rumour by Lesley Kara (Bantam Press) and Twisted by Steve Cavanagh (Orion) round off the shortlist.

The awards, a mainstay of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, are now in their fifth year with six new categories, which celebrate, amongst other things, best amateur detective, best revenge thriller and most recommended read. Entirely voted for by the largest community of crime fans in the UK, the winners will be announced on Friday 19th July at the Harrogate festival. 

Readers can vote for their favourite shortlisted authors and books for the awards here.