Dagger Awards

The Dagger Awards were founded by The Crime Writer’ Association in 1956 and celebrate crime writing at its best in three categories: fiction, non fiction and short stories. We list only the fiction awards. The Diamond Dagger is awarded for Lifetime Achievement, the Gold and Silver Dagger for the top crime novels of the year, the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger for best Historical Novel, the John Creasey Memorial New Blood Dagger for unpublished writers. In 2006 the Gold and Silver Dagger Awards were replaced by the Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger for best crime novel in English and the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger for best crime novel translated into English. (Diamond Dagger Awards also listed on one page.)

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2008 Shortlist

Diamond Dagger =›

Sue Grafton

Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger
=›	Blood from Stone by Frances Fyfield
•	The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke
•	The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill
•	Night Work by Steve Hamilton
•	What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
•	A Vengeful Longing by R.N. Morris

Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
=›	Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti
•	The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri
•	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
•	A Deal with the Devil by Martin Suter
•	This Night’s Foul Work by Fred Vargas

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
•	Ritual by Mo Hayder
•	I See You (The Crime Writer) by Gregg Hurwitz
•	Shatter by Michael Robotham
•	The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Bethlehem Murders (The Collaborator of Bethlehem) by Matt Beynon Rees
•	The Night of the the Mi’raj (Finding Nouf) by Zoë Ferraris
•	Die With Me by Elena Forbes
•	Absolution by Caro Ramsay
•	Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

2007 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

John Harvey

Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger
=›	The Broken Shore by Peter Temple

Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
=›	Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

2006 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Elmore Leonard

Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger
=›	Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
=›	The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	Mr. Clarinet by Nick Stone

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Red Sky Lament by Edward Wright

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Still Life by Louise Penny

Note: In 2006 the Gold and Silver Dagger Awards were replaced by the Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger for best crime novel in English and the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger for best crime novel translated into English.

2005 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Ian Rankin

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
Silver =›	Deadly Web by Barbara Nadel

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	Brandenburg by Henry Porter

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Dark Fire by CJ Sansom

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Running Hot by Dreda Say Mitchell

2004 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Lawrence Block

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Blacklist by Sara Paretsky
Silver =›	Flesh & Blood by John Harvey

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Amagansett by Mark Mills

2003 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Robert Barnard

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Fox Evil by Minette Walters
Silver =›	Half Broken Things by Morag Joss

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	The Small Boat of Great Sorrows by Dan Fesperman

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	The American Boy by Andrew Taylor

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Mission Flats by William Landay

2002 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Sara Paretsky

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Athenian Murders by José Carlos Samoza
Silver =›	The Final Country by James Crumley

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
=›	The Sirius Crossing by John Creed

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh

2001 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Lionel Davidson

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Sidetracked by Henning Mankell
Silver =›	Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	The Office of the Dead by Andrew Taylor

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones

2000 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Peter Lovesey

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
Silver =›	Friends in High Places by Donna Leon

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Absent Friends by Gillian Linscott

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	God Is a Bullet by Boston Teran

1999 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Margaret Yorke

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
Silver =›	Vienna Blood by Adrian Mathews

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
=›	Two for the Lions by Lindsey Davis

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman

1998 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Ed McBain

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke
Silver =›	Manchester Slingback by Nicholas Blincoe

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Garnethill by Denise Mina

1997 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Colin Dexter

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
Silver =›	Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Body Politic by Paul Johnston

1996 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

H.R.F. Keating

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Popcorn by Ben Elton
Silver =›	Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	no award

1995 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Reginald Hill

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid
Silver =›	The Summons by Peter Lovesey

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Sunburn by Laurence Shames

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
=›	A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King

1994 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Michael Gilbert

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Scold’s Bridle by Minette Walters
Silver =›	Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Høeg

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	The Villain of the Earth by Simon Shaw

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Big Town by Doug J. Swanson

1993 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Ellis Peters

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
Silver =›	Fatlands by Sarah Dunant

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	The Mamur Zapt and the Spoils of Egypt by Michael Pearce

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	no award

1992 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Leslie Charteris

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Way Through the Woods by Colin Dexter
Silver =›	Bucket Nut by Liza Cody

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Ice House by Minette Walters

1991 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Ruth Rendell

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	King Solomon’s Carpet by Barbara Vine
Silver =›	Deep Sleep by Frances Fyfield

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Angels in Arms by Mike Ripley

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

1990 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Julian Symons

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Bones and Silence by Reginald Hill
Silver =›	The Late Candidate by Mike Phillips

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Killer Cinderella by Simon Shaw

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

1989 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

Dick Francis

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Wench Is Dead by Colin Dexter
Silver =›	The Shadow Run by Desmond Lowden

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Angel Touch by Mike Ripley

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	A Real Shot in the Arm by Annette Roome

1988 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

John le Carré

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Ratking by Michael Dibdin
Silver =›	Toxic Shock (APA: Blood Shot) by Sara Paretsky

Last Laugh Dagger
=›	Death in a Distant Land by Nancy Livingston

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Death’s Bright Angel by Janet Neel

1987 Awards

Diamond Dagger =›

P.D. James

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine
Silver =›	Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Dark Apostle by Denis Kilcommons

1986 Awards

First Diamond Dagger =›

Eric Ambler

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Live Flesh by Ruth Rendell
Silver =›	A Taste for Death by P.D. James

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Tinplate by Neville Steed

1985 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Monkey Puzzle by Paula Gosling
Silver =›	Last Seen Alive by Dorothy Simpson

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Latimer Mercy by Robert Richardson

1984 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Twelfth Juror by B.M. Gill
Silver =›	The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	A Very Private Enterprise by Elizabeth Ironside

1983 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Accidental Crimes by John Hutton
Silver =›	The Papers of Tony Veitch by William McIlvanney

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Ariadne Clue by Carol Clemeau
=›	The Night the Gods Smiled by Eric Wright

1982 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey
Silver =›	Ritual Murder by S.T. Haymon

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Caroline Minuscule by Andrew Taylor

1981 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Silver =›	The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	The Ludi Victor by James Leigh

1980 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Murder of the Maharajah by H.R.F. Keating
Silver =›	Monk’s Hood by Ellis Peters

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Dupe by Liza Cody

1979 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	Whip Hand by Dick Francis
Silver =›	Service of All the Dead by Colin Dexter

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	A Running Duck (US: Fair Game) by Paula Gosling

1978 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Chelsea Murders by Lionel Davidson
Silver =›	Waxwork by Peter Lovesey

John Creasey New Blood Dagger
=›	Saturday of Glory by David Serafin

1977 Awards

Gold & Silver Daggers
Gold =›	The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré