The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel was established in 1954 as part of the Edgar Awards. Only hardcover novels written by a published American author are eligible. Paperback original novels are eligible for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original. Debut novels by American authors are eligible for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel.
Winners for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel are listed below.
Recipients
1950s +1950s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult1954Beat Not the BonesWinner1955Winner1956Beast in ViewWinnerShortlist1957WinnerShortlist and Louise SamuelsNight Fell on Georgia1958Room to SwingWinnerShortlist1959WinnerShortlist (Miss Fenny as Charity Blackstock)
1960s +1960s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult1960WinnerShortlist1961WinnerShortlistWatcher in the Shadows1962Gideon's FireWinnerNightmareShortlist1963Death and the Joyful WomanWinnerShortlistSeanceKnave of Hearts1964WinnerShortlistGrieve for the Past1965WinnerShortlistThis Rough Magic1966WinnerShortlistFuneral in BerlinAirs Above the Ground1967King of the Rainy CountryWinnerOdds AgainstShortlistKiller Dolphin1968God Save the MarkWinnerShortlistLemon in the BasketFlying Finish1969WinnerPicture Miss SeetonShortlist and Jerome RossGod Speed the NightBlood Sport
1970s +1970s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult 1970ForfeitWinnerWhere the Dark Streets GoShortlistMiroBlind Man with a PistolWhen in Greece1971 and Per WahlööWinnerShortlistBeyond this Point Are MonstersMany Deadly ReturnsAutumn of a Hunter1972WinnerSir, You BastardShortlistShroud for a NightingaleWho Killed Enoch Powell?1973WinnerFive Pieces of JadeShortlistTied Up in TinselCanto for a Gypsy1974Dance Hall of the DeadWinnerShortlistAmigo, AmigoDear Laura1975Peter's PenceWinnerShortlistGoodbye and Amen1976HopscotchWinnerShortlistOperation AlcesticHarry's Game1977Promised LandWinnerShortlistTrevanian1978Catch Me: Kill MeWinnerLaidlawShortlistNightwing1979Eye of the NeedleWinnerShortlistListening Woman
1980s +1980s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult1980WinnerDeath of a Mystery WriterShortlistFire in the BarleyMake Death Love Me1981Whip HandWinnerDeath of a Literary WidowShortlistDeath DropMan on Fire1982PeregrineWinnerShortlistDeath in a Cold ClimateDupeBogmail1983Billingsgate ShoalWinnerEight Million Ways To DieShortlistSplit ImagesKahawa1984La BravaWinnerShortlistTexas Station1985BriarpatchWinnerShortlistEmily Dickinson Is DeadChessplayer1986WinnerCity of Glass: The New York TrilogyShortlist1987WinnerShortlistCome Morning1988Old BonesWinnerShortlistNursery CrimesRough Cider1989WinnerJoey's CaseShortlistSacrificial GroundIn the Lake of the Moon
1990s +1990s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult1990Black Cherry BluesWinnerShortlistDeath of a Joyce ScholarGoldilocks1991New Orleans MourningWinnerBones and SilenceShortlistDeadfall In BerlinFade the HeatWhiskey River1992WinnerDon't Say a WordShortlistI.O.U.PalindromePrior Convictions1993Bootlegger's DaughterWinner32 CadillacsShortlistBackhandPomona QueenWhite Butterfly1994WinnerFree FallShortlistSmilla's Sense Of SnowWolf in the Shadows1995WinnerShortlistLights OutMiami, It's MurderWednesday's Child1996Come to GriefWinnerShortlist1997WinnerHearts and BonesShortlistMean StreakPentecost AlleyWith Child1998Cimarron RoseWinnerShortlistBlack and BlueDreaming of the Bones1999Mr. White's ConfessionWinnerShortlistBeyond RecallBlood Work
2000s +2000s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult2000BonesWinnerRiver of DarknessShortlistL.A. RequiemStrawberry SundayIn a Dry Season2001WinnerShortlistRed Light2002Silent JoeWinnerShortlistTell No OneMoney, Money, MoneyReflecting the Sky2003Winter and NightWinnerSavannah BluesShortlistJolie Blon's BounceCity of BonesNo Good Deed2004Resurrection MenWinnerShortlistLost LightOutMaisie Dobbs2005California GirlWinnerBy a Spider's ThreadShortlistRemembering SarahEvan's GateOut of the Deep I Cry2006Citizen VinceWinnerShortlistRed LeavesVanishDrama City2007WinnerShortlistGentlemen & PlayersLiberation Movements2008Down RiverWinnerChristine FallsShortlistPriestSoul Patch2009Blue HeavenWinnerMissingShortlistSins of the AssassinCurse of the Spellmans
2010s +2010s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult2010WinnerMystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of DeathShortlistNemesis2011WinnerCaughtShortlistCrooked Letter, Crooked LetterFaithful PlaceI'd Know You Anywhere2012GoneWinnerShortlist1222 Field Gray 2013Live by NightWinnerAll I Did Was Shoot My ManShortlistGone Girl: A NovelPotboilerSunset2014Ordinary GraceWinnerSandrine’s Case ShortlistHow the Light Gets In Standing in Another Man’s GraveUntil She Comes Home 2015Mr. MercedesWinnerThis Dark Road to Mercy Shortlist Wolf Saints of the Shadow Bible Coptown 2016Let Me Die in His FootstepsWinnerShortlistLife or DeathCanaryNight Life2017Before the FallWinnerShortlistWhere It HurtsJane SteeleWhat Remains of Me2018Bluebird, BluebirdWinnerShortlistPrussian Blue2019Down the River Unto the SeaWinnerShortlistHouse WitnessOnly to Sleep
2020s +2020s Best Novel winnersYearAuthorTitleResult2020WinnerFake Like MeShortlistSmoke and AshesGood Girl, Bad Girl2021Djinn Patrol on the Purple LineWinnerBefore She Was HelenShortlistThese Women2022Five DecembersWinnerShortlistRazorblade TearsHow LuckyNo One Will Miss Her2023Notes on an ExecutionWinnerDevil HouseShortlistLike a SisterGangland2024James Lee BurkeFlags on the BayouWinnerAll the Sinners BleedShortlistBright Young WomenCrook Manifesto2025WinnerShortlistRough TradeThings Don't Break on Their OwnMy Favorite ScarListen for the Lie2026WinnerFagin the ThiefShortlistThe Dream HotelWild Dark ShoreHard TownThe InheritancePresumed Guilty
References