Best Books of the Year
Menu

Mystery Writers of America · award year

Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2015

The 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards went to Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe by J.W. Ocker (Best Critical/Biographical), Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William Mann (Best Fact Crime) and Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman (Best First Novel), with winners in 5 more categories. 44 books were nominated across 8 categories.

Winners

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe by J.W. Ockersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William Mannsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Boumansource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Greenglass House by Kate Milfordsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abanisource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. The Art of Secrets by James Klisesource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. The Stranger You Know by Jane Caseysource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Critical/Biographical

  1. James Ellroy: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction by Jim Mancallsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Judges & Justice & Lawyers & Law: Exploring the Legal Dimensions of Fiction and Film by Francis M. Nevinssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands: Classic Film Noir by Robert MIklitschsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Figure of the Detective: A Literary History and Analysis by Charles Brownsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Fact Crime

  1. Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America by Kevin Cooksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder That Shook the Nation by Harold Schechtersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Other Side: A Memoir by Lacy M. Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Bad Country by C.B. McKenziesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Invisible City by Julia Dahlsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaversource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Shovel Ready by Adam Sternberghsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskenssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Juvenile

  1. Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Fredericksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wellssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmithsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzaisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Space Case by Stuart Gibbssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Cop Town by Karin Slaughtersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Final Silence by Stuart Nevillesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cashsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Wolf by Mo Haydersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Stay With Me by Alison Gaylinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Barkeep by William Lashnersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Day She Died by Catriona McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Gone Dead Train by Lisa Turnersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. World of Trouble by Ben H. Winterssource (opens in a new tab)

Best Young Adult

  1. Fake ID by Lamar Gilessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimanosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

  1. A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Boltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Invisible City by Julia Dahlsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Summer of the Dead by Julia Kellersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Daysource (opens in a new tab)

About the Edgar Allan Poe Awards

Book categories only, from MWA's official Edgar database category lists (edgarawards.com). Sue Grafton Memorial Award starts 2019 and Lilian Jackson Braun Award starts 2023; earlier years are zero. The database lists 2 Best Critical/Biographical nominees for 2007, 3 Mary Higgins Clark nominees for 2006, 1 for 2007, and only the winner for the 2019 Sue Grafton award; counts follow the database. Co-authors listed as separate rows are merged into one entry.

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

The most recommended books of 2015

Shares the most books with