Beginning in 2016, all Left Coast Crime (LLC) Awards have been called “Lefty” Awards. Traditionally, the “Lefty”—first awarded in 1996—was given for the best humorous mystery. Award winners in the categories of Best Humorous Mystery Novel, Best Historical Mystery Novel (Bruce Alexander Memorial, first given in 2004), Best Mystery Novel, and Best Debut Mystery Novel will be announced at the awards ceremony at 2023 Left Coast Crime Convention #33 in Tucson, Arizona.
Congratulations to this year's very funny and talented winners and nominees.
Updated March 20, 2023, with winners marked in RED.
BEST MYSTERY NOVEL
° Kellye Garrett, Like a Sister (Mulholland Books)
° Laurie R. King, Back to the Garden (Bantam Books)
° James L’Etoile, Dead Drop (Level Best Books)
° Gigi Pandian, Under Lock & Skeleton Key (Minotaur Books)
° Louise Penny, A World of Curiosities (Minotaur Books)
° Alex Segura, Secret Identity (Flatiron Books)
BEST HUMOROUS MYSTERY NOVEL
° Ellen Byron, Bayou Book Thief (Berkley Prime Crime)
° Jennifer J. Chow, Death by Bubble Tea (Berkley Prime Crime)
° A.J. Devlin, Five Moves of Doom (NeWest Press)
° T.G. Herren, A Streetcar Named Murder (Crooked Lane Books)
° Catriona McPherson, Scot in a Trap (Severn House)
BEST HISTORICAL MYSTERY NOVEL (The Bill Gottfried Memorial for books set before 1970)
° Dianne Freeman, A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (Kensington Books)
° Catriona McPherson, In Place of Fear (Mobius)
° Wanda M. Morris, Anywhere You Run (William Morrow)
° Karen Odden, Under a Veiled Moon (Crooked Lane Books)
° Ann Parker, The Secret in the Wall (Poisoned Pen Press)
° Iona Whishaw, Framed in Fire (Touchwood Editions)
BEST DEBUT MYSTERY NOVEL
° Erin E. Adams, Jackal (Bantam Books)
° Eli Cranor, Don’t Know Tough (Soho Crime)
° Ramona Emerson, Shutter (Soho Crime)
° Meredith Hambrock, Other People’s Secrets (Crooked Lane Books)
° Harini Nagendra, The Bangalore Detectives Club (Pegasus Crime)
° Rob Osler, Devil’s Chew Toy (Crooked Lane Books)
° Jane Pek, The Verifiers (Vintage Books)
