2021 Lefty Awards

Book awards often open us up to new authors or series.  Here is this year's Left Coast Crime book awards, the Lefty!

Winners are listed first each category.

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

  ✫ Ellen Byron, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard (Crooked Lane Books)

  ° Jennifer J. Chow, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Berkley Prime Crime)

  ° Carl Hiaasen, Squeeze Me (Alfred A. Knopf)

  ° Cynthia Kuhn, The Study of Secrets (Henery Press)

  ° J. Michael Orenduff, The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing (Aakenbaaken & Kent)

  ° Sung J. Woo, Skin Deep (Agora Books)

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel

(Bruce Alexander Memorial) for books covering events before 1970

  ✫ Catriona McPherson, The Turning Tide (Quercus)

  ° Susanna Calkins, The Fate of a Flapper (Minotaur Books)

  ° Dianne Freeman, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (Kensington Books) here is a review of the 1st in the series (click here)

  ° Laurie R. King, Riviera Gold (Bantam Books)

  ° Ann Parker, Mortal Music (Poisoned Pen Press)

  ° James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel

  ✫ David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Winter Counts (Ecco)

  ° Daisy Bateman, Murder Goes to Market (Seventh Street Books)

  ° Mary Keliikoa, Derailed (Camel Press)

  ° Erica Ruth Neubauer, Murder at the Mena House (Kensington Books)

  ° Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (Viking)

  ° Halley Sutton, The Lady Upstairs (Putnam)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel

  ✫ Louise Penny, All the Devils Are Here (Minotaur Books)

  ° Tracy Clark, What You Don’t See (Kensington Books)

  ° S.A. Cosby, Blacktop Wasteland (Flatiron Books)

  ° Matt Coyle, Blind Vigil (Oceanview Publishing)

  ° Rachel Howzell Hall, And Now She’s Gone (Forge)

Hopefully you find your new book to read from these award-winning mysteries!