The Macavity Awards, established in 1987, are a group of literary awards presented annually to mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The award is given in four categories—best novel, best first novel, best nonfiction, and best short story. The Sue Feder Historical Mystery has been given in conjunction with the Macavity Awards.
Best Mystery Novel The Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel was first awarded in 1987. To be eligible for the award, the mystery novel must have been published in the previous calendar year.
+Best Mystery Novel winners and finalistsYearAuthorTitlePublisherResult1987WinnerWhen the Sacred Ginmill Closes FinalistThe Million-Dollar Wound FinalistCome Morning FinalistBeyond Blame FinalistSkinwalkers FinalistThe Perfect Spy FinalistDeadfall FinalistLady Killer FinalistNight Games Finalist1988 Marriage Is MurderWinnerPrimary Target FinalistFinalistVenetian Mask FinalistFinalistBitter MedicineFinalistFinalistFinalist1989WinnerMurder UnrenovatedFinalistFinalistE Is for Evidence FinalistFinalistBlood ShotFinalist1990WinnerBlack Cherry BluesFinalistBone FinalistFinalist1991 If Ever I Return Pretty Peggy-OWinnerWell-Schooled in MurderFinalistDeadly Valentine FinalistBurn Marks FinalistFinalist1992 I.O.U.WinnerFinalistFinalist1993 Bootlegger's DaughterWinnerBooked To Die FinalistFinalistWhite Butterfly Finalist1994WinnerMissing JosephFinalistDead Man’s Island FinalistOld Enemies FinalistTo Live and Die in Dixie Finalist1995 She Walks These HillsWinnerFinalistPlaying for the Ashes FinalistScandal in Fair HavenFinalistFinalist1996Under the Beetle's CellarDoubledayWinnerHard Christmas FinalistFinalistBookman’s WakeFinalistFinalist1997BloodhoundsMysterious PressWinnerFinalistTwo for the DoughFinalistFinalistHearts and Bones Finalist1998Dreaming of the BonesScribnerWinnerHocusSimon & SchusterFinalistTrunk MusicLittle Brown & Co.FinalistHarcourt BraceFinalistMysterious PressFinalist1999Blood WorkLittle Brown & Co.WinnerBlind DescentG. P. Putnam's SonsFinalistButchers HillAvonFinalistHome FiresMysterious PressFinalistBlueMysterious PressFinalist2000KnopfWinnerRiver of DarknessViking PressFinalistL.A. RequiemDoubledayFinalistIn a Dry SeasonAvonFinalist2001Berkley BooksWinnerGuns and RosesPerseverance Press/John Daniel & Co.FinalistMysterious PressFinalistHalf Moon StreetBallantine BooksFinalistPocket BooksFinalist2002 Folly Wiley WinnerTell No OneDelacorte PressFinalistScribnerFinalistMystic RiverWilliam Morrow & Co.FinalistSilent JoeHyperionFinalist2003 Winter and Night IntrigueWinnerSavannah BluesHarperCollinsFinalistJolie Blon's BounceSimon & SchusterFinalistNineSimon & SchusterFinalistCity of BonesLittle, Brown & Co.Finalist2004St. Martin's/Minotaur BooksWinnerG. P. Putnam's SonsFinalistFor the Love of MikeSt. Martin'sFinalistSt. Martin's/Minotaur BooksFinalistDone for a DimeBallantine BooksFinalist2005Little, Brown & Co.WinnerCold CaseAvonFinalistDarkly Dreaming DexterDoubledayFinalistHigh Country FallMysterious PressFinalistCalifornia GirlHarperCollinsFinalistPlaying with FireWilliam Morrow & Co.Finalist2006Faber & Faber/Farrar, Straus and GirouxWinnerOne ShotDelacorte PressFinalistPlumeFinalistVanish Ballantine BooksFinalistSolomon vs. LordBantam BooksFinalistStrange AffairWilliam Morrow & Co.FinalistKnopfFinalist2007Thorndike/ Random House UKWinnerChristine FallsHenry Holt/PicadorFinalistFarrar, Straus and GirouxFinalistBantam BooksFinalistPiece of My HeartMcClelland & StewartFinalistAll Mortal FleshMinotaur BooksFinalist2008 What the Dead Know William Morrow & Co.Winner Soul PatchMidnight InkFinalistBallantine BooksFinalist Blood of ParadiseSimon & SchusterFinalist Water Like a StoneWilliam Morrow & Co.Finalist2009 Where Memories Lie St. Martin's/Minotaur BooksWinner Trigger CityMinotaur BooksFinalist (UK) / The Price of Blood (US) John Murray/ William Morrow & Co.FinalistUK: The Price of Blood Finalist Curse of the SpellmansDoubledayFinalistMinotaur BooksFinalistHarperCollinsFinalist2010 and Reed Farrel Coleman Tower Busted Flush PressWinner Bury Me Deep Simon & SchusterFinalist Necessary as Blood William Morrow & Co.Finalist with Don Bartlett (trans.) Nemesis HarperCollinsFinalistMinotaur BooksFinalistMinotaur BooksFinalist2011 Bury Your Dead Minotaur BooksWinnerSimon & SchusterFinalist Faithful Place Viking PressFinalistHarperCollins/William Morrow & Co.Finalist Thirteen Hours Grove AtlanticFinalistBallantine BooksFinalist2012 Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead Houghton Mifflin HarcourtWinner with Marlaine Delargy (trans.) 1222 ScribnerFinalistMulholland BooksFinalistLittle, Brown, & Co.FinalistMinotaur BooksFinalistDuttonFinalist Hell & Gone Mulholland BooksFinalist2013MinotaurWinner Gone Girl CrownFinalistSilver OakFinalistForge BooksFinalistAlgonquin BooksFinalistHard Case CrimeFinalistQuirk BooksFinalist2014 Ordinary Grace Atria BooksWinner Sandrine's Case Mysterious PressFinalist Dead Lions Soho CrimeFinalistPenguin BooksFinalist How the Light Gets In Minotaur BooksFinalist Standing in Another Man's Grave Reagan Arthur BooksFinalist2015Penguin BooksWinnerGalleryFinalistQuercusFinalistMidnight InkFinalistMinotaur BooksFinalistSeventh Street BooksFinalist2016William Morrow & Co.Winner Little Black Lies Minotaur BooksFinalistSoho PressFinalistMidnight InkFinalist Life or Death Mulholland BooksFinalistAlfred A. KnopfFinalist2017Minotaur BooksWinnerYou Will Know MeLittle, Brown, & Co.FinalistDark FissuresOceanviewFinalistBefore the FallUK: Hodder & StoughtonUS: Grand Central PublishingFinalistReal TigersUK: John MurrayUS: Soho PressFinalistWilde LakeWilliam Morrow & Co.Finalist2018Magpie MurdersHarperWinnerFinalistBluebird, BluebirdMulholland BooksFinalistGlass HousesMinotaurFinalistMysterious PressFinalistWilliam Morrow & Co.Finalist2019November RoadWilliam Morrow & Co.WinnerIf I Die TonightWilliam Morrow & Co.FinalistFlat Iron BooksFinalistJar of HeartsMinotaur BooksFinalistHiroshima BoyProspect Park BooksFinalistUnder My SkinHarlequin – Park Row BooksFinalist2020 Mulholland BooksWinner Your House Will PayEcco PressFinalist This Tender LandAtriaFinalist Lady in the LakeWilliam Morrow & Co.Finalist Forge BooksFinalistSarah JaneSoho CrimeFinalist2021 Blacktop Wasteland Flatiron BooksWinner Before She Was Helen Ecco PressFinalist Blind Vigil Oceanview PublishingFinalist All the Devils Are Here Minotaur BooksFinalist These Women Poisoned Pen PressFinalist When She Was Good ScribnerFinalist2022 Razorblade Tears Flatiron BooksWinner Little, Brown, & Co.Finalist 1979 Atlantic MonthlyFinalist Bobby March Will Live Forever World NoirFinalist We Begin at the End Henry Holt & Co.Finalist Harlem Shuffle DoubledayFinalist2023MinotaurWinnerBack to the GardenBantamFinalistTwo Nights in LisbonMCDFinalistLittle, BrownFinalistKillers of a Certain AgeBerkleyFinalistSecret IdentityFlatiron BooksFinalist2024All the Sinners BleedFlatiron BooksWinnerDark RideWm. MorrowFinalistHideThomas & MercerFinalistHappiness FallsHogarthFinalistMurder BookMysteriousFinalistCrook ManifestoPenguin Random House - DoubledayFinalist2025California BearMulholland BooksWinnerHall of MirrorsPegasus CrimeFinalistServed ColdLevel BestFinalistThe God of the WoodsRiverhead BooksFinalistThe In CrowdDoubleday (publisher)FinalistAll the Colors of the DarkCrown Publishing GroupFinalist
Best First Mystery (Novel) The Macavity Award for the Best First Mystery Novel was awarded in 1987.