2025 Claymore Award Finalists

Best Action Adventure

LEO AND THE CHESS GAME OF ASHOKA 
Jaya Agrawal 

TESLA ENIGMA
Christopher Boswell

THE INVISIBLE PREDATOR 
Angela Greenman 

ANGELIANS
Dennis Meredith

DIE ALONG THE WAY 
GA Rivers 

Best Children's

MUPPIT BOY AND THE ALLERGIES OF EVIL 
Michael Bowler

FRANCIE FAYE AIN’T RIGHT
Kimberly Dana 

NIGHT, NIGHT BOOGEYMAN!
Kimberly Dana 

MORSE CODE
Sue Dugan 

WESLEY FINDS HIS WOLF
Jennifer Page Stickney

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

MURDER IN LAKE PLACID 
Katie Barron 

GETTING PUBLISHED IS MURDER
Amy Ivan 

VOID 
Phil Latham 

CONFESSIONS OF AN INNOCENT MAN
Roger Toll

Best Cozy 

HIGH TIDES AND HOMICIDES 
Elise Burke Brown 

LADY BERYL AND THE ELUSIVE BIJOU 
Elizabeth Buttimer 

THE BODY IN THE SAUNA 
SR Chamberlain 

THE ALPHABET COOKING CLUB 
Janet Cobb

THE PSYCHIC DETECTIVE 
Linda Kelley 

Best Historical 

SEA OF CLOUDS
G.S. Arnold 

LILIAS OF THE VALLEY 
Janel Nichols 

THE SECRET OF THE OLD DOCK HAND
Amy Padden 

THE BONE CHILD 
Laurel Remington 

BY THEIR RULES
J Morgyn White 

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

THE KILLER ARGUMENT 
Jack Conlan 

THE DARKER THE NIGHT 
Kate Flora 

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
Marilyn Kay 

BLOOD MOON OVER PHOENIX 
Arthur Kerns 

INFORMED CONSENT 
Matthew Riordan 

Best Juvenile / Y.A.

GLORIANA RISING 
Corrie Bruce 

THE SEVEN SPELLS OF SARAFINA FOXKIT 
CR Doyle 

THIRSTY 
Debbie Freidman

DOPPELGÄNGER JUMPER
Judy Gregg

RUNG THREE
Magda Smith 

Best Literary

AFTER CONSTANCE 
David Dalessandro 

MY GIVEN NAME 
FE Davies

IRIS RISING 
Masha Hamilton 

DETROIT SOUTH 
John Jeffire 

MUD ANGELS 
Kristin Russek 

Best Mainstream / Commercial

EARLY ADOPTER 
Mark Guerin 

JERICHO LOST 
CJ Kudlacz 

THE DEVIL COMES TO KINDLAND 
Phil Kushner 

THE LUPIN GENE 
Matthew Minson 

SPIRIT OF THE GAZELLE 
Rodney Walther 

Best Mystery 

NO FORCIBLE ENTRY 
Kate Bergquist and Patricia Thorpe

THE WOLF WE BURY 
Rebecca Jarnes 

COLD SHORES 
Sara Johnson 

TWELVE SINNERS 
Henry Kaye 

HARLOW’S GOLD 
EJ Whisler 

Best Nonfiction 

OUTSIDE BRAVO 
Jacob Moon

MADAM CORONER: SURVIVING DEATH AND POLITICS IN SUBURBIA 
Christina VandePol

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy 

THE SUBLIME MACHINE 
George Angelou 

THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RAINBOW 
Bill Bibo Jr. 

EVEN HUMAN
EM Dasche 

THE VATRA WITCH 
GV Hext 

PROXIMA B
JL Yarrow 

Best Short Story Collection / Anthology

NIGHT DRIVING AND OTHER STORIES|
Kate Bergquist (Author)

SHADOWS AND DUST 
John Bukowski (Author)

THE FORGOTTEN MONDAY 
Mark Connely (Author)

BONEDALE
Patrick Kitson (Author)

Best Southern Gothic

MIND GAME 
Venita Bonds 

WODEHOUSE 
Elise Burke Brown 

HUSH LITTLE BIRDIE 
Minette Lauren 

BEAUTY SECRETS 
Minette Lauren 

BLOOD OF COTTON, BLOOD OF CANE
Irene Smith 

Best Supernatural

HERB, HEX, AND HOURGLASS
Michelle Aumiller

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER 
Lydia Gullicksen

BLOOD MOON SHADOWS 
Matt Harlow 

MISLED 
SL Hulen 

THE BOOK OF DEMONS 
John Ryland 

Best Suspense

KILL ME IF YOU CAN
R.G. Belsky 

PRESSURE 
Caroline O’Donnell

BLINDSIDED 
Chas Shutt

WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME
LB Blackburne 

DIATOMS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND 
Ronda Wells 

Best Thriller 

EVERLASTING TIDES 
Richard Hinkemeyer 

MISLED
SL Hulen

WHAT SHE KNOWS 
Renda Knapp 

ALL THE BURIED SECRETS 
Kim Nuesse 

A WOMAN IN PIECES 
Ruth Knafo Setton 

Best True Crime 

THE COUNTRY WESTERN KILLER ON HOLLYWOOD’S WALK OF FAME 
Richard Carrico 

MARKED BY THE OUIJI 
Scott Wells 

Best Western 

THE OUTLAW’S DAUGHTER 
Patricia Thorpe