The Lambda Literary Award for Mystery is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, to a mystery novel by or about people in the LGBT community. Prior to 2021, the award was separated into separate categories for Gay and Lesbian Mystery.
Recipients +Official Category TitleAbbreviationAward Year(s)Lesbian Mystery/Science FictionLesb. M/SF1989Gay Mystery/Science FictionGay M/SF1989Lesbian MysteryLesbian Mys.1990-2020Gay MysteryGay Mys.1990-2020LGBTQ MysteryLGBTQ2021 +Lambda Literary Award for Mystery finalists and winners Year Category Author Title Result 1989Gay M/SFGoldenboyWinnerDeath Takes the Stage FinalistObedience Unicorn Mountain Who's Next Lesb. M/SFSkiptraceWinnerThe Crystal CurtainFinalistHeavy GiltLessons In MurderMundane's World1990Gay Mys.Simple Suburban MurderWinnerCaravaggio ShawlFinalistFaultlines: Stories of SuspenseFinale editedSomewhere in the NightLesbian Mys.The Beverly MalibuWinnerThe Contactees Die YoungFinalistDog Collar MurdersFatal ReunionHallowed Murder1991Gay Mys.HowtownWinnerBlack Marble PoolFinalistBody To Dye ForBoy Who Was Buried This MorningWhy Isn't Becky Twitchell Dead?Lesbian Mys.Gaudi AfternoonWinner (tie)Ninth LifeA Captive In TimeFinalistDeath Down UnderSlick1992Gay Mys.A Country of Old MenWinnerBest Performance by a PatsyFinalistMaster's CounterpointsSorry Now?The Face on the Cutting Room FloorLesbian Mys.Murder by TraditionWinnerCop OutFinalistThe Providence FileEverything You Have is MineFinal Session1993Gay Mys.The Hidden LawWinnerFinal AtonementFinalistLove You to DeathOne for the Master, Two for the FoolThird Man OutLesbian Mys.Crazy for LovingWinner (tie)Two-Bit TangoDeaths of JocastaFinalistLavender House MurderStage Fright1994Gay Mys.Catilina's RiddleWinnerBohannon's CountryFinalistDead On Your FeetMae West Murder CaseTorsosLesbian Mys.Divine VictimWinnerCase of the Not-So-Nice NurseFinalistI'll Be Leaving You AlwaysLong GoodbyesTrouble In Transylvania1995Gay Mys.Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilWinnerMad ManFinalistMask for a DivaQueer Kind of LoveThe AlienistLesbian Mys.Small SacrificeWinnerBody GuardFinalistCase of the Good-For-Nothing GirlfriendMy Sweet Untraceable YouSister's Keeper1996Gay Mys.ClosetWinnerAnother Dead TeenagerFinalistQueer Kind of UmbrellaShock to the SystemThe Venus ThrowLesbian Mys.The Intersection of Law and DesireWinnerBaby, It's ColdFinalistFaint PraiseHangdog HustleNight SongsSomeone to Watch1997Gay Mys.Death of FriendsWinnerMurder on the Appian WayFinalistSimple JusticeTime to Check OutTribeLesbian Mys.Robber's WineWinnerFinal TakeFinalistInner CircleLiberty Square1998Gay Mys.The Magician's TaleWinnerGossipFinalistHostageRevision of JusticeThe Burning PlainLesbian Mys.Father Forgive MeWinnerApparition AlleyFinalistEvil Dead CenterNo Daughter of the SouthOld Black Magic1999Gay Mys.OutburstWinnerDead as a DoornailFinalistFederal FagStrachey's FollyUprisingLesbian Mys.The Blue PlaceWinnerMother May IFinalistPast DueShaman's MoonWicked Games2000Gay Mys.Justice at RiskWinnerDrop DeadFinalistInnuendoThe Death of a Constant LoverThe Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual CorpseLesbian Mys.Hunting the WitchWinnerLost DaughtersFinalistMurder UndercoverShe Came in DragSleeping Bones2001Gay Mys.The Limits of JusticeWinnerA Density of SoulsFinalistLove's Last ChanceName GamesNothing Gold Can StayLesbian Mys.Mommy DeadestWinnerBooked for MurderFinalistThe Case of the Orphanned BassoonistsDeath UnderstoodWhen Evil Changes Face2002Gay Mys.Rag and BoneWinnerBoy ToyFinalistMaking a KillingSex and Murder.ComThe Butcher's SonLesbian Mys.Merchant of VenusWinnerBack to SalemFinalistKiss the Girls and Make Them SpyMoving TargetsWitchfire2003Gay Mys.The Snow GardenWinnerHot SpotFinalistMurder in the Rue DauphineThe Hired ManThe LodgerLesbian Mys.Good Bad WomanWinner (tie)Immaculate MidnightAccidental MurderFinalistThe Weeping BuddhaDeath by Prophecy2004Gay Mys.Blind EyeWinnerBourbon Street BluesFinalistDead Egotistical MoronsIt Takes TwoWearing Black to the White PartyLesbian Mys.Damn StraightWinnerCry HavocFinalistThe Woman Who Found GraceEpitaph for an AngelOwl of the Desert2005Gay Mys.Flight of AquavitWinnerJackson Square JazzFinalistMoth and FlameSomeone You KnowThe Role PlayersLesbian Mys.Hancock ParkWinnerAn Intimate GhostFinalistCommitment to DieThe Wombat StrategyDeath by Discount2006Gay Mys.One of These Things is Not Like the OtherWinnerCajun SnuffFinalistThe Actor's Guide to GreedThe Paper MirrorWhite TigerLesbian Mys.Desert Blood: The Juarez MurdersWinnerDarkness DescendingFinalistThe Iron GirlJustice ServedWomen of Mystery2007Gay Mys.The Lucky Elephant RestaurantWinnerMardi Gras MamboFinalistProvincetown Follies, Bangkok BluesThe Back PassageThe Hell You SayLesbian Mys.The Art of DetectionWinnerThe Weekend VisitorFinalistIdaho CodeNight VisionSleep of Reason2008Gay Mys.Murder in the Rue ChartresWinnerDouble AbductionFinalistDrag Queen in the Court of DeathMahu SurferPierceStain of the BerryLesbian Mys.Wall of SilenceWinnerIn the Name of the FatherFinalistLaura's WarMortal GrooveSelective Memory2009Gay Mys.First You FallWinnerMahu FireFinalistSpider SeasonSundowner UbuntuThe Fisher BoyLesbian Mys.WhackedWinnerBlind FaithFinalistCalling the DeadLosers WeepersSweet Poison2010Gay Mys.What We RememberWinnerAll Lost ThingsFinalistKiller of OrchidsMurder in the Garden DistrictStraight LiesLesbian Mys.Death of a Dying ManWinnerCommand of SilenceFinalistThe Mirror and the MaskFrom Hell to BreakfastToasted2011Gay Mys.EchoesWinnerCockeyedFinalistRubber Baby Buggy BumpersSmokedVieux Carre VoodooLesbian Mys.Fever of the BoneWinnerThe Cruel Ever AfterFinalistMissing LynxParallel LiesWater Mark2012Gay Mys.Red White Black and BlueWinnerBlue's BayouFinalistBoystown: Three Nick Nowak MysteriesMalabaristaThe Affair of the Porcelain DogLesbian Mys.Dying to LiveWinnerHostage MoonFinalistRainey Nights: A Rainey Bell ThrillerRetirement PlanTrick of the Dark2013Gay Mys.Lake on the Mountain: A Dan Sharp MysteryWinnerBokassa's Last ApostleFinalistDos EquisFires of LondonThe Yellow CanaryLesbian Mys.Ill WillWinnerJacob's WarFinalistLemon ReefMolly: House on FireRest for the Wicked2014Gay Mys.The Prisoner of the Riviera: A Francis Bacon MysteryWinnerBaton Rouge BingoFinalistBoystown 5: Murder BookFierceFoxedIn Real Life, The 3rd Gemini & Flowers MysteryPawn of SatanPretty Boy DeadThe General and the Elephant Clock of Al-JazariLesbian Mys.High DesertWinnerCross and BurnFinalistDeath of the DemonPoint of BetrayalShe Overheard MurderTaken by the WindTurning on the TideWeb of Obsessions2015Gay Mys.Blackmail, My Love: A Murder MysteryWinnerA Gathering StormFinalistBoystown 6: From the AshesCalvin's HeadDeadFallFair GameMoon Over TangierThe NextLesbian Mys.The Old Deep and DarkWinnerThe AcquittalFinalistDone to DeathSlash and BurnUnCatholic Conduct2016Gay Mys.Boystown 7: BloodlinesWinnerAfter the HorsesFinalistCheap as BeastsIntroducing Sunfish & Starfish: Tropical Drag Queen DetectivesMurder and MayhemOrientThe Boys from Eighth and CarpenterThe SwedeLesbian Mys.Ordinary MayhemWinner (tie)Tarnished GoldThe Grave SoulFinalistThe Red FilesThe Tattered Heiress: Volume Two of the Charlotte Olmes Mystery SeriesIllicit ArtifactsNo Good ReasonRelatively Rainey2017Gay Mys.Speakers of the Dead: A Walt Whitman MysteryWinnerBitter LegacyFinalistHomo SuperiorsLay Your Sleeping HeadNights in BerlinLesbian Mys.PathogenWinnerBlood Money MurderFinalistBury Me When I'm DeadCollide-O-ScopeFinal CutRequiem for ImmortalsUnder ContractWalk-in2018Gay Mys.Night DropWinnerBoystown 10: Gifts GivenFinalistLove is HeartlessRing of SilenceStreet PeopleThe Mystery of the CuriositiesTramps and ThievesLong ShadowsLesbian Mys.HuntressWinnerThe Girl on the Edge of SummerFinalistThe Last First TimeA Quiet DeathFever in the DarkMurder Under the Fig Tree: A Palestine MysteryOdd NumbersRepercussions2019Gay Mys.Late Fees: A Pinx Video MysteryWinnerBlack Diamond FallFinalistBoystown 11: Heart's DesireDeath Checks InDodging and Burning: A MysterySomewhere Over Lorain RoadSurvival Is a Dying Art: An Angus Green NovelThe God Game: A Dan Sharp MysteryLesbian Mys.A Study in Honor: A NovelWinnerAlice Isn't Dead: A NovelFinalistThe LocketA Matter of BloodA Whisper of BonesSecrets of the Last CastleStolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery2020Gay Mys.Carved in Bone: A Henry Rios NovelWinnerChoirMaster: A Mister Puss MysteryFinalistDeath Takes a BowRewindRoyal Street ReveillonThe Fourth CourierThe NowhereThe QuakerLesbian Mys.GalileoWinnerThe Blood Runs ColdFinalistThe Hound of JusticeThe Mirror of MuraroGnarled HollowTwisted at the Root: A Jane Lawless Mystery2021LGBTQI Hope You're ListeningWinnerDeath Before DessertFinalistFind Me When I'm LostFortune Favors the DeadVera Kelly Is Not a Mystery2022LGBTQThe Savage KindWinnerBath HausFinalistFinding the Vein Lies With Man Murder Under Her Skin2023LGBTQ+Dirt Creek: A NovelWinnerFinalistAnd There He Kept HerDead Letters from ParadiseLavender House2024LGBTQ+A Calculated RiskWinnerDon't Forget the GirlFinalistTransitoryWhere the Dead Sleep2025LGBTQ+Rough TradeWinnerCharlotte Illes is Not a TeacherFinalistOne of Us KnowsRough Pages; translated by Sam BettThe Night of Baba Yaga2026LGBTQ+Winner Every Sweet Thing Is BitterFinalistGirl FallingMirage City
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