2025 Claymore Award Judges’ Top Picks
Every year, Killer Nashville announces the Finalists for our prestigious Claymore Award, recognizing excellence in the best first 50 pages of an unpublished manuscript. Last year, for the first time, our judges introduced something new: the Judges’ Top Picks. These selections highlight manuscripts that our judges wished could have made the Finalists lists, but with limited finalist slots, intricate cuts must always be made. Despite the sheer number of entries this year, our dedicated judges went above and beyond once again. On their initiative, they submitted a list of titles they felt deserved extra recognition: manuscripts they hope to see published and on shelves next year. The Finalists lists are capped at five titles per category, but true to Killer Nashville’s mission of encouraging and uplifting writers, the Judges’ Top Picks honor outstanding stories that moved our judges deeply and left them wanting more. Congratulations to these remarkable writers for winning a spot as the Judges' Top Pick.
2025 CLAYMORE AWARD JUDGES’ TOP PICKS
Best Action Adventure
LEO AND THE CHESS GAME OF ASHOKA
Jaya Agrawal
TESLA ENIGMA
Christopher Boswell
THE INVISIBLE PREDATOR
Angela Greenman
THE COUNCIL OF SARAGOSSA
GM Lindgren
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 A MURDER
Amy Ivan
VOID
Phil Latham
CONFESSIONS OF AN INNOCENT MAN
Roger Toll
Best Cozy
MAYHEM WITH MOSCATAL
Abby Aalberts
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
MOSCATO AND MURDER
Becky Sue Epstein
WARY IN WEARS VALLEY
Laurie Herlich
THE PSYCHIC DETECTIVE
Linda Kelley
MURDER AT FARLING CROSSROADS
MP Smith
DON’T LISTEN TO STARR BRIGHT
Elizabeth Wood
Best Historical
SEA OF CLOUDS
G.S. Arnold
REBEL IN THE BLOODLINE
Mark Clemens
SIBERIA FIGHT
Roger Collier
THE WIDOW MURDERESS
Bill Cusano
DARKNESS IN BERLIN
CB Hicks
A SUITABLE SPY
Arthur Kerns
JACKSON’S WAR
Kirk Landers
THE LOCKED BOX
Tara Mitchel
NELL: PINKERTON DETECTIVE
John Mullen
LILIAS OF THE VALLEY
Janel Nichols
ABIGAIL TRENCH, PATRIOT SPY
Randy Overbeck
THE SECRET OF THE OLD DOCK HAND
Amy Padden
WOLVES OF THE KAISER’S WAR
Johnathon Parham
THE GATEKEEPER’S WIFE
Cheri Powell
THE BONE CHILD
Laurel Remington
BURIED
EJ Whisler
BY THEIR RULES
J Morgyn White
Best Investigator
(includes procedural, serious P.I., detective, and noir)
THE KILLER ARGUMENT
Jack Conlan
DEAD READ
Alicia Dean
THE DARKER THE NIGHT
Kate Flora
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
Marilyn Kay
BLOOD MOON OVER PHOENIX
Arthur Kerns
A TIMELY FROST
CJ Kudlacz
BABY BLUE
Avram Lavinsky
SHOW TIME
John Madinger
STICKS AND STONES
Frederick Reynolds
INFORMED CONSENT
Matthew Riordan
Best Juvenile / Y.A.
LEO AND THE CHESS GAME OF ASHOKA
Jaya Agrawal
GLORIANA RISING
Corrie Bruce
THE MAGICIAN
Mark Brutche
THE COMPANY HOUSE
Laura Bryne
THE SEVEN SPELLS OF SARAFINA FOXKIT
CR Doyle
THIRSTY
Debbie Freidman
DOPPELGÄNGER JUMPER
Judy Gregg
CREATURE FEATURE
Shelley Kinsman
RUNG THREE
Magda Smith
THE HOUSE WHERE THE HUMANS LIVE
Christopher Wells
Best Literary
IN THE SHADOW OF A FALSE SUN
Sarah Berglund
AFTER CONSTANCE
David Dalessandro
MY GIVEN NAME
FE Davies
IRIS RISING
Masha Hamilton
DETROIT SOUTH
John Jeffire
MUD ANGELS
Kristin Russek
A STORY FOR SHILOH
B. Michael
Best Mainstream / Commercial
EARLY ADOPTER
Mark Guerin
JERICHO LOST
CJ Kudlacz
THE DEVIL COMES TO KINDLAND
Phil Kushner
NEW PIRATES OF THE SOUTH SEAS
JF Lavelle
THE LUPIN GENE
Matthew Minson
SPIRIT OF THE GAZELLE
Rodney Walther
Best Mystery
NO FORCIBLE ENTRY
Kate Bergquist and Patricia Thorpe
TRAPPED
Sandy Clements
MIMOSA, TEXAS
Lisanne Davidson
TOXIC PERIL
Geri Dreiling
SINSEMILLA AND THE YEOMAN OF HUMBOLDT
Brian Heit
THE WOLF WE BURY
Rebecca Jarnes
COLD SHORES
Sara Johnson
TWELVE SINNERS
Henry Kaye
THE CUNNING KILLDEER
Joel Martin
UNITED LINES: A MICK NASSAU MYSTERY
DL Mitchell
THE FAMILY PLOT
Linda Randall
PURA VIDA THE HARD WAY
Judy Richter
THE ANGEL OF REPOSE
Richard Satterlie
HARLOW’S GOLD
EJ Whisler
UP TO HER NECK
EM Wolff
Best Nonfiction
OUTSIDE BRAVO
Jacob Moon
MADAM CORONER: SURVIVING DEATH AND POLITICS IN SUBURBIA
Christina VandePol
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy
2090 UNTAMED
Ly Ann
THE SUBLIME MACHINE
George Angelou
THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
Bill Bibo
EVEN HUMAN
EM Dasche
OBJECT 051
Phillips Dickerson
THE FERRYMAN
Amelia Dirks
THE NIAGARA EVENT
KM Freeman
THE VATRA WITCH
GV Hext
VANGUARD
Jeanne Hull Godfroy
OVER THEIR ASHES
Sean McClung
ANGELIANS
Dennis Meredith
THE SIREN AND THE PHOENIX
HK Slade
THE GREATEST DRAGON WRITER
Anne Thyssen
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
OUR LADY OF THE MILK
Kaylyn Groves
HUSH LITTLE BIRDIE
Minette Lauren
BEAUTY SECRETS
Minette Lauren
BLOOD OF COTTON, BLOOD OF CANE
Irene Smith
SEDGEWICK REVISITED
John Wells
Best Supernatural
LULU SHAMAN
Coranna Adams
HERB, HEX, AND HOURGLASS
Michelle Aumiller
AQUACIDE
Jessica Barone
THE DUBIOUS CONFESSION OF BRIE UTTERSON
Wes Beckett
THE BONE CIPHER
Venita Bonds
THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
Lydia Gullicksen
BLOOD MOON SHADOWS
Matt Harlow
WHEN THE DEAD SPEAK
Katrina Holloway
MISLED
SL Hulen
GHOST WRITER
Arjay Lewis
41/43N BY 49/56W
LAK Prendergast
THE BOOK OF DEMONS
John Ryland
THE SHADE BEHIND MY HEAD
Shlomik Silbiger
Best Suspense
RESURRECTION, BOOK 3, EVERYONE BURIES SOMETHING SERIES
Ahni Atkins
KILL ME IF YOU CAN
R.G. Belsky
WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME
LB Blackburne
GLORIANA RISING
Corrie Bruce
THE WEIRD GIRL
Carla Damron
I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE/ Kati Eisenhuth
TEMPTED TO KILL
Patricia Galiotos
FOUR WORTHLESS LIVES
Anne Michelle Harris
TO REMAIN AFTER DEAD
Gary Harrison
MISSING WOMAN FOUND
Bonnie Hearn Hill
HIDDEN AGENDA
Mia Kay
THE CREOLE ROW
Stacy Renee Lucas
DEATH IN MINIATURE
Pamela Ruth Meyer
PRESSURE
Caroline O’Donnell
RUNAWAY GIRLS
Kerry Peresta
STEEL THE MORUNING HEART
PL Riven
BLINDSIDED
Chas Shutt
ASHES TO ASHES
Patricia Thorpe
DIATOMS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
Ronda Wells
IF I KNOW WHERE HE IS
Bob Williamson
Best Thriller
THE THUNDERBOLT CONSPIRACY
RG Belsky
KILLERS LIKE ME
Elise Burke Brown
TANGLED WEB
Robert Callahan
CHECKPOINT
GK Daffu
FLATLINED
Kati Eisenhuth
MAUNDER
Bevan Frank
EVERLASTING TIDES
Richard Hinkemeyer
MISLED
SL Hulen
THE INFERNAL TOWER
Adam Karaoguz
WHAT SHE KNOWS
Renda Knapp
CRAZY VEST
DB Mallory
SEAS WILL RISE
Dan McKeon
ALL THE BURIED SECRETS
Kim Nuesse
SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN STREET
Michael Rigg
THE CATALYST
ME Schuman
A WOMAN IN PIECES
Ruth Knafo Setton
ZILLICAN BLUES
LM Whittaker
Best True Crime
THE COUNTRY WESTER KILLER ON HOLLYWOOD’S WALK OF FAME
Richard Carrico
MARKED BY THE OUIJI
Scott Wells
Best Western
THE OUTLAW’S DAUGHTER
Patricia Thorpe
Has your book made it to the Judges’ list of Top Picks? Promote it on your website and social media using our Killer Nashville Claymore Judges’ Top Picks emblem!
