2025 Silver Falchion Award Finalists

Best Action Adventure 

JERICHO BURNING 
T.G. Brown

THE GENERAL’S GOLD
Bruce Robert Coffin and LynDee Walker

DESPERATE MEASURES
Ley Esses

WHERE LOVE MEANS NOTHING
Howard Gimple 

THE NORTH LINE 
Matt Riordan 

Best Comedy
(includes comedic P.I. and crime caper)

THE PRINCESS SHOPPE 
Kerry Blaisdell

SWIPED 
L.M. Chilton

GET GRIBNITZ
Howard Gimple 

MODEL GHOST 
TK Sheffield 

SORRY, KNOT SORRY
Lois Winston 

Best Cozy

BEESWAX BEWITCHMENT 
S.E. Babin 

ELIZABETH SAILS
Kristin Owens 

STUDY GUIDE FOR MURDER
Lori Robbins 

FRAMED FOR MURDER 
Marla White 

WHEELING AND DEALING 
Becki Willis 

Best Historical 

EMPOWERED BY THE DREAM: A JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE
Gladys A. Barrio 

THE PARIS MISTRESS
Mally Becker 

A KILLING ON THE HILL 
Robert Dugoni 

FIND YOUR WAY TO MY GRAVE
Chris Keefer 

WHAT ONCE WAS PROMISED 
Louis Trubiano 

Best Investigator (includes procedural, serious P.I., detective, and noir)

THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN 
Peter W.J. Hayes

LAST DOG OUT 
Candace Irving 

BLACK & WHITE 
Justin M. Kiska 

TIGER CLAW
Michael Allan Mallory 

MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX
Saralyn Richard 

Best Juvenile / Y.A.

BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE: THE SECRET KEEPER’S DAUGHTER
Valerie Biel 

DEAD GIRL 
Kerrie Faye 

STEALING TIME 
Norman Birnbach and Tilia Klebenov Jacobs 

SNOWED 
Twist Phelan 

STAR BROTHER 
Maxine Rose Schur 

Best Literary 

SHE RUINED OUR LIVES
Chris Chan 

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY 
Dan Flanigan 

Best Mainstream / Commercial

THOSE THAT DID NOT DIE 
Penny Fletcher 

ON THE MAD RIVER 
Lucrecia Guerrero 

PEOPLE WILL TALK 
Kieran Scott 

BETWEEN LIES AND REVENGE 
Hannah Sharpe 

BLINDSPOT 
Maggie Smith 

Best Mystery 

DROP DEAD SISTERS 
Amelia Diane Coombs 

OBEY ALL LAWS
Cindy Goyette 

AT FIRST I WAS AFRAID 
Marty Ludlum 

A WORLD OF HURT 
Mindy Mejia 

SCORCHED: BURN ME ONCE…
Cam Torrens 

Best Nonfiction 

THERE IS NO ETHAN 
Anna Akbari 

LOVERS IN AUSCHWITZ: A TRUE STORY
Keren Blankfeld 

ASK NOT: THE KENNEDYS AND THE WOMEN THEY DESTROYED 
Maureen Callahan 

TILGHMAN: THE LEGENDARY LAWMAN AND THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED HIM
Chris Enss

SEEDS OF LEADERSHIP 
Wilson Lukang 

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy

OCEAN’S GODORI 
Elaine Cho 

THE CANOPY KEEPERS 
Veronica G. Henry 

MASTER VERSION 1.1
Antanas Marcelionis 

HOUSE OF FIRE & MAGIC 
Sherrilyn McQueen 

THE BUILDING THAT WASN’T 
Abigail Miles 

Best Short Story Collection / Anthology

NEVER TELL COLLECTION
Kjersti Egerdahl, ed.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD / Andrea Bartz (author)
EVERYWHERE WE LOOK / Liv Constantine (author)
SCORPIONS / Rachel Howzell Hall (author)
THE BAD FRIEND / Caroline Kepnes (author)
JACKRABBIT SKIN / Ivy Pochoda (author)
THE GHOST WRITER / Loreth Anne White (author)

DAY 
Patrick Kitson (author)

DEEDS OF DARKNESS 
William Burton McCormick (author)

6-LANE HIGHWAY 
Sean Mitchell (author)

LARCENY & LAST CHANCES: 22 STORIES OF MYSTERY & SUSPENSE 
Judy Penz Sheluk, ed.
HIT-AND-RUN / Christina Boufis (Author)
WHEEL OF FORTUNE / John Bukowski (Author)
THE POOL / Brenda Chapman (Author)
HAIL MARY BLUES / Susan Daly (Author)
INCIDENTS AND INTENTIONS / Wil A. Emerson (Author)
THE CRIMSON SALAMANDER / Tracy Falenwolfe (Author)
NO GOOD DEEDS / Kate Fellowes (Author)
NOT THIS TIME / Molly Wills Fraser (Author)
THE CASE OF THE PILFERED PARKA / Gina X. Grant (Author)
A PROMISE KEPT / Karen Grose (Author)
RED INK / Wendy Harrison (Author)
SKEETER’S BAR AND GRILL / Julie Hastrup (Author)
A TIGHT SQUEEZE / Lary M. Keeton (Author)
UNCLE RANDY’S MONEY / Charlie Kondek (Author)
THE PURLOINED PARCHMENT / Edward Lodi (Author)
THE RAGE CAGE / Bethany Maines (Author)
ONCE A THIEF / Gregory Meece (Author)
ROBBERY AT THE BIRDCAGE / Cate Moyle (Author)
THE CONSTELLATION NECKLACE / KM Rockwood (Author)
THE LAST CHANCE COALITION / Judy Penz Sheluk (Author)
THE HOSPITAL BOOMERANG / Kevin R. Tipple (Author)
ARTIFACT / Robert Weibezahl (Author) 

Best Southern Gothic

POCKET FULL OF TEETH 
Aimee Hardy

KENTUCKY BLOOD (BOOK I OF THE KENTUCKY BLOOD SERIES)
Ashley Thomas Sheikh

Best Supernatural

NOT BORN OF WOMAN 
Teel Glenn

A PLACE FOR GOOD AND EVIL 
Stacey Horan

CITY OF INNOCENT MONSTERS 
Stacey Horan

DERVLA ALARMS THE NANAS 
DR Ransdell

COLD SNAP 
Lindy Ryan

Best Suspense

A FRIEND IN THE DARK 
Samantha M. Bailey

IF YOU TELL A LIE
Lucinda Berry

THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH 
Liv Constantine

LOST TO DUNE ROAD 
Kara Thomas

THE LAST PARTY 
AR Torre

Best Thriller

RICH JUSTICE 
Robert Bailey

THE DREDGE 
Brendan Flaherty

THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY 
Audrey Lee

A FORGOTTEN KILL 
Isabella Maldonado

THE ASCENT 
Adam Plantinga

Best Western

KNIFE RIVER 
Baron Birtcher

SARITA 
Natalie Musgrave Dossett

THE BROKEN BLOOD 
Dwight Holing