Capital Crime has launched the inaugural Fingerprint Awards, designed to champion the very best in crime writing from across the globe published in 2021, as voted for by readers.
Authors both new and established are represented across the categories, which are Crime Novel of the Year, Thriller Novel of the Year, Historical Crime Novel of the Year, Debut Novel of the Year, Audiobook of the Year, and Genre-Busting Book of
the Year.
On the Crime Book of the Year shortlist, heavyweights Val McDermid and Mick Herron are up against debut novelists Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal and Sarah Pearse, author of The Sanatorium; and the critically acclaimed Icelandic novelist Eva Björg Ægisdóttir for her second novel Girls Who Lie, which won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger.
Bestsellers Lisa Jewell and Paula Hawkins lead the Thriller Novel of the Year shortlist, with the critically acclaimed authors S. A. Cosby and Will Dean also in contention. Gold Dagger-winning M. W. Craven rounds up the shortlist with his latest Washington Poe thriller, The Botanist.
Multi-award winner Abir Mukherjee is shortlisted for the Historical Crime Novel of the Year for The Shadows of Men, his latest Wyndham & Banerjee novel, alongside the critically acclaimed Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. Also shortlisted are The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell, A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago and A Comedy of Terrors by Lindsay Davis.
CWA John Creasey Dagger shortlisted-Welcome to Cooper by Tariq Ashkanani and How To Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina are both shortlisted for the Debut Crime Novel of the Year, alongside Girl A by Abigail Dean, Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison and Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner.
The Genre-Busting Novel of the Year shortlist, set up to recognise a book that defies
traditional genres and boundaries of crime fiction, features How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi, The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor and What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch.
Leading the Audiobook of the Year shortlist is global bestselling sensation Anthony
Horowitz, for his new Hawthorne & Horowitz thriller A Line to Kill. Also shortlisted are the critical successes True Crime Story by Joseph Knox, I Know What I Saw by Imran Mahmood, The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson and People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd.
The Advisory Board, consisting of authors, bloggers, journalists and leading industry figures have chosen a shortlist of five nominees for each category. Crime and thriller fans will now be given the power to decide who should be recognised for their work via the Capital Crime website.
In addition, two further categories will be selected solely by the Capital Crime Advisory Board; the Industry Award of the Year – recognising the best marketing campaign, editorial work, or publishing strategy; and the Thalia Proctor Lifetime Achievement Award – marking an outstanding contribution to the crime writing industry.
Capital Crime co-founder and Goldsboro Books managing director, David Headley, said: ‘My vision for Capital Crime was always to make it a festival for readers, and what better way to celebrate the readers who make it all worthwhile, than to give them the power to decide the winners of the Fingerprint Awards. Narrowing down the incredible body of work published last year to 6 categories of 5 books was no mean feat, but with the brilliant, well-informed advisory board we’ve gathered together, I’m confident that these shortlists represent the very best of crime and thriller writing from around the world.’
Readers can vote for their preferred winners here by 19th September 2022. The winners will be then announced from 7.30pm on Thursday 29th September, at a special ceremony as part of Capital Crime 2022, at the festival’s fantastic new home in the shadow of the iconic Battersea Power Station.
Across three days, Capital Crime 2022 promises a weekend full of fun, innovation and celebration of crime fiction, bringing together readers, authors, industry figures and the local community for the first major literary festival held on the site. Over 164 authors and journalists will be taking part in a range of panel events for attendees, including Richard Osman, Bella Mackie, Paula Hawkins, Rev Richard Coles, Dorothy Koomson, Kate Mosse, Anthony Horowitz and Robert Harris. Goldsboro Books will be setting up a pop-up bookshop in the iconic Pump House Gallery, alongside an array of London’s tastiest local street food vendors and bar area.
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