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Anthony Awards 2013

The 2013 Anthony Awards went to Books To Die For: The World’s Greatest Mystery Writers on the World’s Greatest Mystery Novels by John Connolly and Declan Burke (Best Critical/Nonfiction Work), The Expats by Chris Pavone (Best First Novel) and The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (Best Novel), with winners in 1 more category. 20 books were nominated across 4 categories.

Winners

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. Books To Die For: The World’s Greatest Mystery Writers on the World’s Greatest Mystery Novels by John Connolly and Declan Burkesource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. The Expats by Chris Pavonesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Pennysource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Big Maria by Johnny Shawsource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947-1950 by Joseph Goodrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero by Otto Penzlersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered by D.P. Lylesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery by Mathew Prichardsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Black Fridays by Michael Searssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Don’t Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The 500 by Matthew Quirksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Professionals by Owen Laukkanensource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Dare Me by Megan Abbottsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynnsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Trinity Game by Sean Chercoversource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. And She Was by Alison Gaylinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blessed Are the Dead by Malla Nunnsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Murder for Choir by Joelle Charbonneausource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Whiplash River by Lou Berneysource (opens in a new tab)

About the Anthony Awards

Book categories only; short story, novella, cover art, audiobook narration, TV, website, fan and service awards are skipped. Year is the Bouchercon year. Sources: Bouchercon's own winners-and-nominees pages for 2006-2019, 2023 and 2024; bouchercon.com has no pages for 2020-2022 or 2025, so those years come from Stop, You're Killing Me! (stopyourekillingme.com), with winners checked against Wikipedia and 2025 press reports. Three official cells are wrong or short and cite Stop, You're Killing Me! instead: 2009 Paperback Original (official page repeats Scot & Soda, a 2020 nominee), 2023 Best Novel (official page omits finalist The Maid), and 2024 Anthology (official page omits Happiness Is a Warm Gun). Stable category names: Best Novel was Best Hardcover Novel in 2021 and 2023-2025; Best Paperback Original became Paperback/E-book/Audiobook Original from 2021; Best Children's/Young Adult covers the Children's/YA, Young Adult (2016, 2020) and Juvenile/YA labels; Best Humorous Novel was Cozy/Humorous in 2025. Categories that did not run in a year have count 0. The 2015 Critical/Nonfiction nominee Dru's Book Musings is a website but is listed as the organization named it.

Organization: Bouchercon. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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