Arthur Ellis Awards

The Arthur Ellis Awards are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in the previous year. The award is presented at a gala dinner in the year following publication.

The awards are named for Arthur Ellis, the pseudonym of Canada's official hangman. The award statue itself is wooden model of a hanging man. The arms and legs move when the statue's string is pulled.

Best Novel

Main article: Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel

• 1984 - Eric Wright, The Night the Gods Smiled[1]
• 1985 - Howard Engel, Murder Sees the Light[2]
• 1986 - Eric Wright, Death in the Old Country[3]
• 1987 - Edward O. Phillips, Buried on Sunday[4]
• 1988 - Carol Shields, Swann[5]
• 1989 - Chris Scott, Jack[6]
• 1990 - Laurence Gough, Hot Shots[7]
• 1991 - L.R. Wright, A Chill Rain in January[8]
• 1992 - Peter Robinson, Past Reason Hated[9]
• 1993 - Carsten Stroud, Lizardskin[10]
• 1994 - John Lawrence Reynolds, Gypsy Sins[11]
• 1995 - Gail Bowen, A Colder Kind of Death[12]
• 1996 - L.R. Wright, Mother Love[13]
• 1997 - Peter Robinson, Innocent Graves[14]
• 1998 - William Deverell, Trial of Passion[15]
• 1999 - Nora Kelly, Old Wounds[16]
• 2000 - Rosemary Aubert, The Feast of Stephen[17]
• 2001 - Peter Robinson, Cold is the Grave[18]
• 2002 - Michelle Spring, In the Midnight Hour[19]
• 2003 - Rick Mofina, Blood of Others[20]
• 2004 - Giles Blunt, The Delicate Storm[21]
• 2005 - Barbara Fradkin, Fifth Son[22]
• 2006 - William Deverell, April Fool[23]
• 2007 - Barbara Fradkin, Honour Among Men[24]
• 2008 - Jon Redfern, Trumpets Sound No More[25]
• 2009 - Linwood Barclay, Too Close to Home[26]
• 2010 - Howard Shrier, High Chicago[27]
• 2011 - Louise Penny, Bury Your Dead[28]
• 2012 - Peter Robinson, Before the Poison[29]
• 2013 - Giles Blunt, Until the Night[30]
• 2014 - Seán Haldane, The Devil's Making[31]
• 2015 - C. C. Humphreys, Plague: Murder Has a New Friend[32]
• 2016 - Peter Kirby, Open Season[33]
• 2017 - Donna Morrissey, The Fortunate Brother[34]
• 2018 - Peter Robinson, Sleeping in the Ground[35]
• 2019 - Anne Emery, Though the Heavens Fall[36]
• 2020 - Michael Christie, Greenwood[37]

Best First Novel

• 1987 - Medora Sale, Murder on the Run[4]
• 1988 - Laurence Gough, The Goldfish Bowl[5]
• 1989 - John Brady, A Stone of the Heart[6]
• 1990 - John Lawrence Reynolds, The Man Who Murdered God[11]
• 1991 - Carsten Stroud, Sniper's Moon[8]
• 1992 - Paul Grescoe, Flesh Wound[9]
• 1993 - Sean Stewart, Passion Play[10]
• 1994 - Gavin Scott, Memory Trace[38]
• 1995 - Sparkle Hayter, What's A Girl Gotta Do?[12]
• 1996 - (tie) John Spencer Hill, The Last Castrato and D.H. Toole, Moonlit Days and Nights[13]
• 1997 - C. C. Benison, Death At Buckingham Palace[39]
• 1998 - Kathy Reichs, Déja Dead[15]
• 1999 - Liz Brady, Sudden Blow[16]
• 2000 - Andrew Pyper, Lost Girls[17]
• 2001 - Mark Zuehlke, Hands Like Clouds[18]
• 2002 - Jon Redfern, The Boy Must Die[19]
• 2003 - James W. Nichol, Midnight Cab[20]
• 2004 - Jan Rehner, Just Murder[21]
• 2005 - Jon Evans, Dark Places[22]
• 2006 - Louise Penny, Still Life[23]
• 2007 - Anne Emery, Sign of the Cross[24]
• 2008 - Liam Durcan, Garcia's Heart[25]
• 2009 - Howard Shrier, Buffalo Jump[26]
• 2010 - Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie[27]
• 2011 - Avner Mandelman, The Debba[28]
• 2012 - Ian Hamilton, The Water Rat of Wanchai[29]
• 2013 - Simone St. James, The Haunting of Maddy Clare[30]
• 2014 - J. Kent Messum, Bait[31]
• 2015 - Steve Burrows, A Siege of Bitterns[32]
• 2016 - Ausma Zehanat Khan, The Unquiet Dead[33]
• 2017 - Elle Wild, Strange Things Done[34]
• 2018 - Dave Butler, Full Curl[35]
• 2019 - A.J. Devlin, Cobra Clutch[36]
• 2020 - Philip Elliott, Nobody Move[37]

Best Novella

• 2013 - Lou Allin, Contingency Plan[30]
• 2014 - Melodie Campbell, The Goddaughter's Revenge[31]
• 2015 - Jas R. Petrin, A Knock on the Door[32]
• 2016 - Jeremy Bates, Black Canyon[33]
• 2017 - Rick Blechta, Rundown[34]
• 2018 - Mike Culpepper, How Lon Pruitt Was Found Murdered in an Open Field with No Footprints Around[35]
• 2019 - John Lawrence Reynolds, Murder Among the Pines[36]
• 2020 - Wayne Arthurson, The Red Chesterfield[37]

Best Crime Book in French

• 2000 - Lionel Noël, Louna[17]
• 2001 - Norbert Spehner, Le roman policier en Amérique française[18]
• 2002 - Anne-Michèle Lévesque, Fleur invitait au troisième[19]
• 2003 - Jacques Côté, Le rouge ideal[20]
• 2004 - Jean Lemieux, On finit toujours par payer[21]
• 2005 - Ann Lamontagne, Les douze pierres[22]
• 2006 - Gérard Galarneau, Motel Riviera[23]
• 2007 - No award given[24]
• 2008 - Mario Bolduc, Tsiganes[25]
• 2009 - Jacques Côté, Le Chemin des brumes[26]
• 2010 - Jean Lemieux, Le mort du chemin des Arsene[27]
• 2011 - Jacques Côté, Dans le quartier des agités[28]
• 2012 - Martin Michaud, La chorale du diable[29]
• 2013 - Mario Bolduc, La Nuit des albinos: Sur les traces de Max O'Brien[30]
• 2014 - Maureen Martineau, L’enfant promis[31]
• 2015 - Andrée A. Michaud, Bondrée[32]
• 2016 - Luc Chartrand, L'Affaire Myosotis[33]
• 2017 - Marie-Ève Bourassa, Red Light: Adieu, Mignonne[34]
• 2018 - Marie Saur, Les Tricoteuses[35]
• 2019 - Hervé Gagnon, Adolphus - Une enquête de Joseph Laflamme[36]
• 2020 - Andrée A. Michaud, Tempêtes[37]

Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book

• 1994 - John Dowd, Abalone Summer[38]
• 1995 - James Heneghan, Torn Away[12]
• 1996 - Norah McClintock, Mistaken Identity[13]
• 1997 - Linda Bailey, How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail?
• 1998 - Norah McClintock, The Body in the Basement[15]
• 1999 - Norah McClintock, Sins of the Father[16]
• 2000 - Linda Bailey, How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?[17]
• 2001 - Tim Wynne-Jones, The Boy in the Burning House[18]
• 2002 - Norah McClintock, Scared to Death[19]
• 2003 - Norah McClintock, Break and Enter[20]
• 2004 - Graham McNamee, Acceleration[21]
• 2005 - Carrie Mac, The Beckoners[22]
• 2006 - Vicki Grant, Quid Pro Quo[23]
• 2007 - Sean Cullen, Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates[24]
• 2008 - Shane Peacock, Eye of the Crow[25]
• 2009 - Sharon E. McKay, War Brothers[26]
• 2010 - Barbara Haworth-Attard, Haunted[27]
• 2011 - Alice Kuipers, The Worst Thing She Ever Did[28]
• 2012 - Tim Wynne-Jones, Blink & Caution[29]
• 2013 - Shane Peacock, Becoming Holmes[30]
• 2014 - Elizabeth MacLeod, Bones Never Lie[31]
• 2015 - Sigmund Brouwer, Dead Man's Switch[32]
• 2016 - Stephanie Tromly, Trouble Is a Friend of Mine[33]
• 2017 - Gordon Korman, Masterminds[34]
• 2018 - Linwood Barclay, Chase: Get Ready to Run[35]
• 2019 - Linwood Barclay, Escape[36]
• 2020 - Tom Ryan, Keep This to Yourself[37]

Best Crime Nonfiction

• 1985 - Martin Friedland, The Trials of Israel Lipsky
• 1986 - Maggie Siggins, A Canadian Tragedy[3]
• 1987 - Elliott Leyton, Hunting Humans[4]
• 1988 - Gary Ross, Stung[5]
• 1989 - Mick Lowe, Conspiracy of Brothers[6]
• 1990 - Lisa Priest, Conspiracy of Silence[7]
• 1991 - Susan Mayse, Ginger: The Life and Death of Albert Goodwin[8]
• 1992 - William Lowther, Arms and the Man[9]
• 1993 - Kirk Makin, Redrum the Innocent[10]
• 1994 - David R. Williams, With Malice Aforethought[38]
• 1995 - Michael Harris, The Prodigal Husband[12]
• 1996 - Lois Simmie, The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson[13]
• 1997 - Jean Monet, The Cassock and the Crown[40]
• 1998 - Patricia Pearson, When She Was Bad[15]
• 1999 - Derek Finkle, No Claim to Mercy[16]
• 2000 - Gordon Sinclair, Jr., Cowboys and Indians[17]
• 2001 - A.B. McKillop, The Spinster and the Prophet[18]
• 2002 - {tie) Stevie Cameron and Harvey Cashore, The Last Amigo and Andrew Nikiforuk, Saboteurs[19]
• 2003 - Andrew Mitrovica, Covert Entry[20]
• 2004 - Julian Sher and William Marsden, The Road to Hell[21]
• 2005 - Matthew Hart, The Irish Game[22]
• 2006 - Rebecca Godfrey, Under the Bridge[23]
• 2007 - Brian O'Dea, High[24]
• 2008 - Julian Sher, One Child at a Time[25]
• 2009 - Michael Calce and Craig Silverman, Mafiaboy[26]
• 2010 - Terry Gould, Murder Without Borders[27]
• 2011 - Stevie Cameron, On the Farm[28]
• 2012 - Joshua Knelman, Hot Art[29]
• 2013 - Steve Lillebuen, The Devil's Cinema[30]
• 2014 - no award presented[31]
• 2015 - Charlotte Gray, The Massey Murder[32]
• 2016 - Dean Jobb, Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation[33]
• 2017 - Jeremy Grimaldi, A Daughter's Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story[34]
• 2018 - Trevor Cole, The Whisky King: The remarkable true story of Canada's most infamous bootlegger and the undercover Mountie on his trail[35]
• 2019 - Sarah Weinman, The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World[36]
• 2020 - Charlotte Gray, Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise[37]

Best Crime Short Story

• 1988 - Eric Wright, "Looking for an Honest Man", in Cold Blood: Murder in Canada[5]
• 1989 - Jas. R. Petrin, "Killer in the House", in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, December 1988[6]
• 1990 - Josef Skvorecky, "Humbug", in The End of Lieutenant Boruvka[7]
• 1991 - Peter Robinson, "Innocence", in Cold Blood III[8]
• 1992 - Eric Wright, "Two in the Bush", in Christmas Stalkings[9]
• 1993 - Nancy Kilpatrick, "Mantrap", in Murder, Mayhem, and the Macabre[10]
• 1994 - Robert J. Sawyer, "Just Like Old Times", in On Spec, Summer 1993[38]
• 1995 - Rosemary Aubert, "The Midnight Boat to Palermo", in Cold Blood IV[12]
• 1996 - Mary Jane Maffini, "Cotton Armour", in Ladies Killing Circle[13]
• 1997 - Richard K. Bercuson, "Dead Run", in Storyteller, Winter 1996-97
• 1998 - Sue Pike, "Widow's Weeds", in Cottage Country Killers[15]
• 1999 - Scott Mackay, "Last Inning", in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, February 1998[16]
• 2000 - Matt Hughes, "One More Kill", in Blue Murder Magazine, December 1999[17]
• 2001 - Peter Robinson, "Murder in Utopia", in Crime Through Time III[18]
• 2002 - Mary Jane Maffini, "Sign of the Times", in Fit to Die[19]
• 2003 - James Powell, "Bottom Walker", in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May 2002[20]
• 2004 - Gregory Ward, "Dead Wood", in Hard Boiled Love[21]
• 2005 - Leslie Watts, "Crocodile Tears", in Revenge: A Noir Anthology[22]
• 2006 - Rick Mofina, "Lightning Rider", in Murder in Vegas[23]
• 2007 - Dennis Richard Murphy, "Fuzzy Wuzzy", in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, August 2006[24]
• 2008 - Leslie Watts, "Turners", in Kingston Whig-Standard, July 7, 2007[25]
• 2009 - Pasha Malla, "Filmsong", in Toronto Noir[26]
• 2010 - Dennis Richard Murphy, "Prisoner in Paradise", in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine[27]
• 2011 - Mary Jane Maffini, "So Much in Common", in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine[28]
• 2012 - Catherine Astolfo, "What Kelly Did"[29]
• 2013 - Yasuko Thanh, "Spring-blade Knife" in Floating Like The Dead[30]
• 2014 - Twist Phelan, "Footprints in Water"[31]
• 2015 - Margaret Atwood, "Stone Mattress"[32]
• 2016 - Jeremy Bates, "Black Canyon"[33]
• 2017 - Susan Daly, "A Death at the Parsonage"[34]
• 2018 - Catherine Astolfo, "The Outlier"[35]
• 2019 - Linda L. Richards, "Terminal City"[36]
• 2020 - Peter Sellers, "Closing Doors"[37]

Best Unpublished First Novel - "Unhanged Arthur"

First awarded in 2007 as part of the CWC mandate to recognize and promote the careers of promising new crime writers.

• 2007 - Phyllis Smallman, "Margarita Nights"[24]
• 2008 - D.J. McIntosh, "The Witch of Babylon"[25]
• 2009 - Douglas A. Moles, "Louder"[26]
• 2010 - Gloria Ferris, "The Corpse Flower"[27]
• 2011 - John Jeneroux, "Better Off Dead"[28]
• 2012 - Sam Wiebe, "Last of the Independents"[29]
• 2013 - Coleen Steele, "Sins Revisited"[30]
• 2014 - Rachel Greenaway, "Cold Girl"[31]
• 2015 - Elle Wilde, "Strange Things Done"[32]
• 2016 - Jayne Barnard, "When the Flood Falls"[33]
• 2017 - S. J. Jennings, "The Golkonda Project"[34]
• 2018 - Dianne Scott, "Destruction in Paradise"[35]
• 2019 - Liv McFarlane, "The Scarlet Cross"[36]
• 2020 - Liz Rachel Walker, "The Dieppe Letters"[37]

Derrick Murdoch Award

This is a special achievement award for contributions to the genre of crime and mystery writing, awarded at the discretion of the president of the Crime Writers of Canada. When first presented in 1984, it was known as the Chairman's Award; it was later renamed in honour of its first recipient, Derrick Murdoch. Since 2013, it has only been presented in years when the new biennial Grand Master Award, listed below, is not presented.

• 1984 - Derrick Murdoch[1]
• 1985 - Tony Aspler[41]
• 1986 - Margaret Millar
• 1987 - The CBC Drama Department[41]
• 1988 - J.D. Singh and Jim Reicker[5]
• 1989 - not presented[6]
• 1990 - Eric Wilson[41]
• 1991 - not presented[41]
• 1992 - William Bankier, James Powell and Peter Sellers[9]
• 1993 - not presented[10]
• 1994 - not presented[41]
• 1995 - Jim and Margaret McBride[41]
• 1996 - not presented[41]
• 1997 - not presented[41]
• 1998 - Howard Engel and Eric Wright[15]
• 1999 - Ted Wood[41]
• 2000 - Eddie Barber, Rick Blechta, John North and David Skene-Melvin[41]
• 2001 - L.R. Wright[18]
• 2002 - James Dubro and Caro Soles[41]
• 2003 - Margaret Cannon[20]
• 2004 - Cheryl Freedman[41]
• 2005 - Max Haines[22]
• 2006 - Mary Jane Maffini[41]
• 2007 - not presented[41]
• 2008 - Edward D. Hoch[41]
• 2009 - Gail Bowen[41]
• 2010 - Peter Robinson[27]
• 2011 - Louise Allin and N.A.T. Grant[28]
• 2012 - Don Graves and Catherine Astolfo[29]
• 2013 - Lyn Hamilton
• 2014 - not presented
• 2015 - Sylvia McConnell[32]
• 2016 - not presented[31]
• 2017 - Christina Jennings[42]
• 2018 - not presented[35]
• 2019 - Vicki Delany[43]

Grand Master Award

The Grand Master Award is presented every two years as a lifetime achievement award, to a crime writer with a distinguished and successful national and international career.

• 2014 - Howard Engel[31]
• 2016 - Eric Wright[33]
• 2018 - Gail Bowen[35]
• 2020 - Peter Robinson[37]

Best Genre Criticism/Reference

The award for Best Genre Criticism or Reference has only been presented twice.

• 1991 - Donald A. Redmond, Sherlock Holmes Among the Pirates[8]
• 1992 - Wesley A. Wark, Spy Fiction, Spy Films and Real Intelligence[44]

Best Play

The award for Best Play has only been presented once.

• 1994 - Timothy Findley, The Stillborn Lover[38]

References

1. "Crime Writers of Canada honors Murdoch, Wright". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 1984.
2. Donna Coates, "Howard Engel". The Canadian Encyclopedia, April 2, 2008.
3. "Crime writers honor two authors". Toronto Star, May 7, 1986.
4. "Montreal novelist Phillips wins crime writers' prize". Montreal Gazette, May 26, 1987.
5. "Crime writers honor their own". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 1988.
6. "Crime writer's prize slips from his grasp". The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1989.
7. "B.C. author wins prize for best crime novel". Vancouver Sun, May 25, 1990.
8. "'Chilling' novel captures top crime writers award". Waterloo Region Record, May 27, 1991.
9. "Crime writers get just deserts". The Globe and Mail, June 4, 1992.
10. "Sometimes, crime pays". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 1993.
11. New, William H. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2002. ISBN 0802007619. p. 65.
12. "Bowen wins Ellis prize for latest novel: Fourth in Kilbourn mystery series brings Prairie crime writer $500 and trophy". The Globe and Mail, June 1, 1995.
13. "Wright wins book award". The Globe and Mail, May 30, 1996.
14. "Toronto writer gets award for mystery". Waterloo Region Record, May 29, 1997.
15. "Deverell wins top crime-writing prize for Trial of Passion". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 1998.
16. "Crime does pay for novelists". Ottawa Citizen, May 28, 1999.
17. Egle Procuta, "Novel about former judge wins crime prize". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2000.
18. "Arthur Ellis Awards to Robinson, Wright". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2001.
19. "Crime and mystery writers get Ellis awards". Guelph Mercury, June 14, 2002.
20. "James Nichol wins Arthur Ellis award for first crime novel: 20th anniversary of awards for crime novels". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, June 5, 2003.
21. "Book on Hells Angels takes prize". Brantford Expositor, June 12, 2004.
22. "Ottawa psychologist wins award for best Canadian crime novel". Alberni Valley Times, June 10, 2005.
23. Vanessa Farquharson, "Author William Deverell's April Fool wins prize for best Canadian crime novel". National Post, June 9, 2006.
24. Brianna Goldberg, "Cheesy mystery wins novel prize. Calgary Herald, June 8, 2007.
25. "Jon Redfern wins second Arthur Ellis Award for historical crime novel". Prince George Citizen, June 7, 2008.
26. "Canada's crime writers announce winners of 2009 Arthur Ellis Awards". Canadian Press, June 5, 2009
27. "Shrier wins Ellis Award for crime, mystery writing". Ottawa Citizen, May 28, 2010.
28. "Penny, Cameron win Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail, June 4, 2011.
29. Mark Medley, "Arthur Ellis Awards practically criminal". National Post, June 1, 2012.
30. "Giles Blunt, Steve Lillebuen take home Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". Canadian Press, May 31, 2013.
31. "Bronte author wins crime writing award". Hamilton Spectator, June 14, 2014.
32. Becky Robertson, "Margaret Atwood, C.C. Humphreys among 2015 Arthur Ellis Award winners". Quill & Quire, May 29, 2015.
33. Erin Knoll, "Peter Kirby, Ausma Zehanat Khan win Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". CBC Books, July 17, 2016.
34. "Elle Wild, Donna Morrissey and Gordon Korman highlight 2017 Arthur Ellis Awards winners". Quill & Quire, May 29, 2017.
35. Deborah Dundas, "Robinson and Barclay snag coveted crime-writing awards: The Arthur Ellis Awards include bragging rights and a macabre statue". Toronto Star, May 27, 2018.
36. van Koeverden, Jane (May 24, 2019). "Anne Emery wins best crime novel award for Though the Heavens Fall". CBC Books. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
37. Debra Yeo, "Climate change novel ‘Greenwood’ wins Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel". Toronto Star, May 25, 2020.
38. Val Ross, "Atwood, Findley win literary awards". The Globe and Mail, June 2, 1994.
39. Morley Walker, "The art of crime". Winnipeg Free Press, January 13, 2007.
40. "Montrealer wins Arthur Ellis prize for crime-writing". Montreal Gazette, May 31, 1997.
41. Arthur Ellis Award - Derrick Murdoch Award Crime Writers of Canada, (retrieved 11/21/2012)
42. Mark Medley, "Finalists announced for Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2017.
43. Deborah Dundas, "Sarah Weinman, Anne Emery, Linwood Barclay among winners of coveted Arthur Ellis Awards". Toronto Star, May 24, 2019.
44. "Best murder mystery". Financial Post, June 8, 1992.

External links

• Crime Writers of Canada
• List of Arthur Ellis Award winners 1984-Present