Award-winning crime books from 2019

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, also called the Edgars are give annually for literature by the Mystery Writers of America. They award several categories of mystery stories. Here are the winners for 2019 to add to your reading list.

'Sadie' by Courtney Summers
This book follows Mattie, a teen who's been raised by an elder sister Sadie. However, when the sister disappears and the investigation is unsatisfactory to her, she takes matters into her own hands and tries to track Sadie down.
Photo: Macmillan US

“English 398: Fiction Workshop” by Art Taylor
This story was originally published in the July/August 2018 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. The full title is “English 398: Fiction Workshop—Notes from Class & A Partial Draft By Brittany Wallace, Plus Feedback, Conference & More” It is also a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Short Story.
Photo: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

'Down the River Unto the Sea' by Walter Mosley
This book follows a private detective who was once a member of the police department, until he was framed for assault. Now while on a case of a radical journalist, he gets a call from the one who framed him. This book also won the RBA Prize for Crime Writing
Photo: W&N

"Bearskin" by James A. McLaughlin
This novel follows Rice Moore, a man on the run from Mexican drug cartels, who is working a forest officer in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. However when more and more bear carcasses are found, it's clear something sinister is happening.
Photo: Ecco

"Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s" by Leslie S. Klinger
This book compiles 5 of the most popular works of crime fiction from the 1920's, with cultural and historical annotations relevant to the time.
Photo: Pegasus

Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation" by Robert W. Fieseler
This book tells the true story of the fire set in a gay bar called UpStairs on June 24, 1973. This incident was the worst attack on a gay bar until the 2016 shooting. This well-researched book shows the readers who the victims were and what they suffered. The book also shows us how badly the case was dealt with and how toxic the environment was .
Photo: Liveright

"If I Die Tonight" by Alison Gaylin
The book follows the crime of a teenage boy stealing a car and running over a man. We are narrated the story from multiple perspectives, including the prime suspect’s mother. This novel is high on suspense and shows how far people go to protect themselves.
Photo: Arrow

'Otherwood' by Pete Hautman
This book follows a child whose friend just disappears so mysteriously, that he starts to question if all his grandfather's mystic stories are true. Though for kids, this novel is quite enjoyed by adults as well.
Photo: Candlewick US