World Literary Awards

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Edition 33 (2020)

Best Contemporary NovelBest Historical NovelBest First NovelBest Short StoryBest Non-FictionBest Children's/Young Adult Mystery

Winners

6 people

Set in Egypt after World War I, Jane Wunderly travels with her wealthy aunt and becomes entangled in a murder at the Mena House hotel. As suspicion turns toward her, she investigates the other guests, determined to uncover the truth and clear her name.

A luxurious Cairo hotel, a suspicious death, and one determined amateur investigator.

304 pages
historical mysteryEgyptfemale amateur sleuth
Louise Penny Winner

On their first night in Paris, the Gamache family is pulled into a dangerous crisis when their godfather is attacked. As the case widens into a web of conspiracy, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache must uncover the truth before the family is swallowed by the city’s shadows.

A Gamache novel set in Paris, where family ties meet conspiracy and danger.

439 pages
familyconspiracyParis

Fresh from her honeymoon, Georgie is drawn into a dark Cornish story of betrayal, deception, and murder when a friend asks her to inspect an old house. What begins as a favor quickly turns into a dangerous investigation.

A Cornish house, a troubled inheritance, and a murder waiting in the shadows.

320 pages
British mysterybetrayalmurder

This biography traces Joan Harrison’s overlooked career, from Hitchcock’s secretary to a pioneering producer whose influence extended across film noir and television.

Not a woman in the shadows, but a force who helped shape Hollywood itself.

384 pages
film historywomen producersHollywood
Barb Goffman Winner

A short mystery story by Barb Goffman that won the 2020 Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Readers Award.

A compact story that distills wit and mystery into a short form.

short mysteryetiquettepuzzle solving

Set in New York City in 1979, Holly Hernandez hopes for a fresh start at a new school, but a teacher’s murder pulls her into the investigation. To clear her classmate’s name, she begins following the clues on her own.

A teen mystery set against the disco era in New York City.

255 pages
young adultmystery1970s New York City