2022 Edgar Allan Poe Awards Announced Their Winners

Dear crime story lovers, have you already read Five Decembers by James Kestrel? If not, you definitely should because this is the best crime novel of the year, as stated by the Mystery Writers of America who last week announced the 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award winners.

Formerly a bar owner, a criminal defense investigator, and an English teacher, James Kestrel is now an attorney practicing throughout the Pacific. In his interview to the Punk Noir Magazine, the writer described his novel as "the most ambitious novel I’ve ever written. At its heart it’s a murder mystery, but its scope is enormous and spans the entirety of World War II. The main character, Joe McGrady, is a Honolulu detective who gets swept into the war and caught on the wrong side of the lines when he tracks a killer to Hong Kong just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I tried to write it like a punch in the gut."

The Edgar® Awards also honored the Best First Novel by American Author handing the award to Deer Season by Erin Flanagan as well as the Best Paperback Original won by Bobby March Will Live Forever by Alan Parks.

See all 2022 Edgar® Award winners here.

The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and nonfiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents.

Mystery Writers of America emphasize their commitment to diversity and fairness in the judging of the Edgar Awards. Judges are selected from every region of the country, from every sub-category of our genre, and from every demographic to ensure fairness and impartiality.