In 1997, the editorial staff of Deadly Pleasures decided that since one of the magazine's stated goals was to search out and report on the best works being published in the field of crime fiction each year, it would be a natural fit to present awards for excellence. Then came the dilemma of what to name the award. At the time all associated with the magazine were still reeling from the untimely death of Barry Gardner, who was arguably the best fan reviewer on the planet, so it was decided to name the award after him so as to keep his memory alive (not unlike what Bouchercon and its Anthony awards have done for writer/critic Anthony Boucher, who also suffered an untimely and early death). For a biography of Barry Gardner, click on his name above.  Some have asked me from time to time, what are submission guidelines for the Barry Award. It is pretty simple: get us a copy of the book or short story and hope one of us reviews it.  Our staff doesn't even attempt to read everything.  We try to keep own ears to the ground and read what people are talking about.  And from time to time we find Barry Award nominees by our own idiosyncratic reading.  In short, we don't have an organized reading program whereby all members of the nominating committee read the same books.  We choose people on the committee who read widely and try to find consensus among them.  It isn't perfect, but no system is.  

New for 2007: The Barry Awards will be co-sponsored with Mystery News, thus broadening the exposure of the Awards -- and we hope the prestige of the Awards.

 

 

THE 2007 BARRY AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST NOVEL

WHITE SHADOW by Ace Atkins
OH DANNY BOY by Rhys Bowen
THE LAST ASSASSIN by Barry Eisler
THE PRISONER OF GUANTANAMO by Dan Fesperman
CITY OF SHADOWS by Ariana Franklin
THE NIGHT GARDENER by George Pelecanos

BEST FIRST NOVEL

THE FAITHFUL SPY by Alex Berenson
SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn
THE BERLIN CONSPIRACY by Tom Gabbay
THE KING OF LIES by John Hart
STILL LIFE by Louise Penny
A FIELD OF DARKNESS by Cornelia Read

BEST BRITISH NOVEL

PRIEST by Ken Bruen
DYING LIGHT by Stuart MacBride
SOVEREIGN by C.J. Sansom
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOOKS by Ian Sansom
MR. CLARINET by Nick Stone
RED SKY LAMENT by Edward Wright

BEST THRILLER

KILLER INSTINCT by Joe Finder
THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT by Alan Furst
RELENTLESS by Simon Kernick
COLD KILL by Stephen Leather
THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva
KILL ME by Stephen White

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

BUST by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr
THE LAST QUARRY by Max Allan Collins
THE CLEANUP by Sean Doolittle
LIVE WIRE by Jay MacLarty
DEADMAN'S POKER by Jim Swain
CROOKED by Brian Wiprud


BEST SHORT STORY

"Cain was Innocent" by Simon Brett (Thou Shalt Not Kill, published by Carroll & Graf)
"Shaping the Ends" by Judith Cutler (EQMM May, 2006)
"The Right Call" by Brendan DuBois (EQMM Sept/Oct, 2006)
"A Man of Taste" by Kate Ellis (EQMM Mar/Apr, 2006)
"The Flower Girl" by Paul Halter (The Night of the Wolf, published by Wildside Press)
"A Case for Inspector Ghote" by June Thomson (The Verdict of Us All, published by Crippen & Landru)

***************

2006 Barry Awards Winners

Best Novel

RED LEAVES Thomas H. Cook -- Winner

BLOODLINES, Jan Burke

MERCY FALLS William Kent Krueger

SUDDEN DEATH David Rosenfelt

MR. LUCKY James Swain

THE POWER OF THE DOG Don Winslow

 

Best First Novel

COLD GRANITE Stuart McBride -- Winner

DIE A LITTLE Megan Abbott

IMMORAL Brian Freeman

BABY GAME Randall Hicks

DARK HARBOR David Hosp

 

Best British Novel

THE FIELD OF BLOOD Denise Mina -- Winner

BLOOD-DIMMED TIDE Rennie Airth

LIFELESS Mark Billingham

SILENCE OF THE GRAVE Arnaldur Indridason

A GOOD DAY TO DIE Simon Kernick

LOST Michael Robotham

 

Best Thriller

COMPANY MAN Joseph Finder -- Winner

CONSENT TO KILL Vince Flynn

THE INSIDE RING Michael Lawson

SEVEN DEADLY WONDERS Matthew Reilly

MAP OF BONES James Rollins

PRIVATE WARS Greg Rucka

 

Best Paperback Novel

THE JAMES DEANS Reed Farrel Coleman -- Winner

SIX BAD THINGS Charlie Huston

NIGHT'S CHILD Maureen Jennings

NOW YOU SEE ME Rochelle Krich

THE DEAD DON'T GET OUT MUCH Mary Jane Maffini

INSIDE OUT John Ramsey Miller

 

Best Short Story

Nancy Pickard- "There Is No Crime on Easter Island" (EQMM Sept.-Oct. 2005) -- Winner

Steve Hockensmith- "The Big Road" (AHMM May 2005)

Peter Lovesey- "Needle Match" (MURDER IS MY RACKET)

Joan Richter- "Love and Death in Africa" (EQMM January 2005)

Tom Savage- "The Method in Her Madness" (AHMM June 2005)

 

 

2005 Barry Award Winners

 

Best Novel Barry Award

THE ENEMY, Lee Child -- WINNER

ALONE AT NIGHT, K. J. Erickson

DARKLY, DREAMING DEXTER, Jeff Lindsay

REMEMBERING SARAH, Chris Mooney

LITTLE SCARLET, Walter Mosley

HARD REVOLUTION, George Pelecanos

 

Best First Novel Barry Award

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- WINNER

RELATIVE DANGER, Charles Benoit

WALKING MONEY, James O. Born

THE CORONER’S LUNCH, Colin Cotterill

SKINNY DIPPING, Claire Matturro

SOME DANGER INVOLVED, Will Thomas

 

 

Best British Crime Novel Barry Award

FLESH & BLOOD, John Harvey -- WINNER

THE BURNING GIRL, Mark Billingham

THE DRAMATIST, Ken Bruen

TOKYO (U.S. title: THE DEVIL OF NANKING), Mo Hayder

THE CRIME TRADE, Simon Kernick

FIRST DROP, Zoë Sharp

 

Best Paperback Original Barry Award

TAGGED FOR MURDER, Elaine Flinn -- WINNER

THE LIBRARIAN, Larry Beinhart

INTO THE WEB, Thomas H. Cook

LAST SEEN IN ABERDEEN, M.G. Kincaid

THE CONFESSION, Domenic Stansberry

TWISTED CITY, Jason Starr

 

Best Thriller Barry Award

RAIN STORM by Barry Eisler -- WINNER

SCARECROW by Matthew Reilly

BAGMAN by Jay MacLarty

WHIRLWIND by Joseph Garber

A DEATH IN VIENNA by Daniel Silva

PARANOIA by Joseph Finder

 

Best Short Story Barry Award

Edward D. Hoch "The War in Wonderland" (GREEN FOR DANGER) -- WINNER

Catherine Aird "Cold Comfort" (CHAPTER AND HEARSE AND OTHER MYSTERIES)

Melodie Johnson Howe "Facing Up" (EQMM July,2004)

John Mortimer "Rumpole and the Christmas Break" (The Strand Magazine No. XIV)

Amy Myers "Murder, the Missing Heir and the Boiled Egg" (CRIMINAL APPETITES)

Neil Schofield "Ledgers" (EQMM July, 2004)

 

 

2004 BARRY AWARD WINNERS

2004

 

BEST NOVEL

EVERY SECRET THING by Laura Lippman -- Winner

 

THE GUARDS by Ken Bruen

THE SMALL BOAT OF GREAT SORROWS by Dan Fesperman

KEEPING WATCH by Laurie R. King

SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane

FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD by Julia Spencer- Fleming

 

BEST FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL

 

MONKEEWRENCH by P. J. Tracy -- Winner

 

MISSION FLATS by Bill Landay

BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Olen Steinhauer

THE BARBED-WIRE KISS by Wallace Stroby 

MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear

CLEA’S MOON by Edward Wright

 

BEST BRITISH CRIME NOVEL

 

THE DISTANT ECHO by Val McDermid -- Winner

 

LAZYBONES by Mark Billingham

FULL DARK HOUSE by Christopher Fowler

THE MURDER EXCHANGE by Simon Kernick

THE HOUSE SITTER by Peter Lovese

THE AMERICAN BOY (U.S. title: AN UNPAR- DONABLE CRIME) by Andrew Taylor

 

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

TOUGH LUCK by Jason Starr -- Winner

 

DEALING IN MURDER by Elaine Flinn
WISDOM OF THE BONES by Christopher Hyde

THE COURIER by Jay MacLarty (Pocket Star, $6.99)

THE SHADOW OF VENUS by Judith Van Gieson

MURDER BETWEEN THE COVERS by Elaine Viets

 

BEST MYSTERY SHORT STORY

 

Robert Barnard- "Rogues' Gallery" (EQMM March 2003) -- Winner

Doug Allyn- "The Blind Pig" (EQMM May 2003)

Brendan DuBois- "Always Another War" (AHMM July-August 2003)

Clark Howard- "The Mask of Peter" (EQMM April 2003)

Donald Olson- "Rogue's Run" (EQMM April 2003)

 

 

Prior Year's Winners

1997 Barry Awards

Best Novel

BLOODHOUNDS, Peter Lovesey

HEARTS AND BONES by Margaret Lawrence

DANCE OF THE DEAD by Thomas Perry

THE WOOD BEYOND by Reginald Hill

SPEAK NO EVIL by Rochelle Krich

THE CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR by Thomas H. Cook

Best First Novel

TEST OF WILLS, Charles Todd

A BROTHER'S BLOOD, Michael C. White

A KILLING IN QUAIL COUNTY, Jameson Cole

LIE DOWN WITH DOGS, Jan Gleiter

WHAT THE DEAF MUTE HEARD by G.D. Gearino

FATAL GIFT by H. Michael Frase

 

Best Paperback Original

WALKING RAIN, Susan Wade

THE GRASS WIDOW, Teri Holbrook

FADE AWAY, Harlan Coben

Best Non-Fiction

DETECTING WOMEN 2, Willetta L. Heising

These awards were made without any fanfare or much publicity being generated.

The next year, with more time to prepare, we printed a ballot of nominated titles and physical awards were presented to the winners at Bouchercon. And then all of a sudden people started taking notice of the Barry Awards.

 

1998 Barry Awards

 

Best Novel

TRUNK MUSIC, Michael Connelly - Winner

DREAMING OF THE BONES, Deborah Crombie

HOCUS, Jan Burke

A WASTELAND OF STRANGERS, Bill Pronzini

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BOBBY Z, Don Winslow

NO COLDER PLACE, S.J. Rozan

CIMARRON ROSE, James Lee Burke

Best First Novel

KILLING FLOOR, Lee Child - Winner

NO HUMAN INVOLVED, Barbara Seranella

EXCEPT THE DYING, Maureen Jennings

FREE REIGN, Rosemary Aubert

FLOWER NET, Lisa See

LOS ALAMOS, Joseph Kanon

Best Paperback Original

BACKSPIN, Harlan Coben - Winner

BIG RED TEQUILA, Rick Riordan

THE SALARYMAN'S WIFE, Sujata Massey

DEAD BODY LANGUAGE, Penny Warner

 

1999 Barry Awards

Best Novel (tie)

ON BEULAH HEIGHT, Reginald Hill - Winner

GONE, BABY GONE, Dennis Lehane - Winner

EVAN HELP US, Rhys Bowen

BLOOD WORK, Michael Connelly

THE COFFIN DANCER, Jeffery Deaver

JUDAS CHILD, Carol O'Connell

THE HANGING GARDEN, Ian Rankin

ALL THE DEAD LIE DOWN, Mary Willis Walker

Best First Novel

IRON LAKE, William Kent Krueger - Winner

THE CONTRARY BLUES, John Billheimer

A COLD DAY IN PARADISE, Steve Hamilton

THE DOCTOR DIGS A GRAVE, Robin Hathaway

TIDEWATER BLOOD, William Hoffman

A LIKENESS IN STONE, J. Wallis Martin

BILLY DEAD, Lisa Reardon

A CRIMINAL APPEAL, D.R. Schanker

 

2000 Barry Awards

Best Novel

IN A DRY SEASON, Peter Robinson

Angels Flight, Michael Connelly

L.A. Requiem, Robert Crais

High Five, Janet Evanovich

Hart's War By John Katzenbach

Prayers For Rain, Dennis Lehane

 

Best First Novel

MURDER WITH PEACOCKS, Donna Andrews

The Immortal Game, Mark Coggins

Lie In The Dark, Dan Fesperman

White Sky, Black Ice, Stan Jones

Every Trace, Greg Main

 

Best British Crime Novel

A PLACE OF EXECUTION, Val Mcdermid

River Of Darkness, Rennie Airth

Every Dead Thing, John Connolly

Rough Justice, Colin Falconer

The Chalon Heads, Barry Maitland

 

Best Paperback Original (tie)

EVERY MOVE SHE MAKES, Robin Burcell

AN ANTIDOTE FOR AVARICE, Caroline Roe

Them Bones, Carolyn Haines

The Hunted, Jerry Kennealy

The Last Song Dogs, Sinclair Browning

 

2001 Barry Award Winners

 

BEST NOVEL

DEEP SOUTH, Nevada Barr

 

RUNNING BLIND, Lee Child

PLACES IN THE DARK, Thomas H. Cook

CROSS DRESSING by Bill Fitzhugh

WINTER OF THE WOLF MOON, Steven Hamilton

UNWANTED COMPANY, Barbara Seranella

 

BEST FIRST NOVEL

CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, David Liss

 

IN HER DEFENSE, Stephen Horn

THE ICE HARVEST, Scott Phillips

STREET LEVEL, Bob Truluck

DEATH OF A RED HEROINE, Qiu Xiaolong

 

BEST BRITISH CRIME NOVEL

BLACK DOG, Stephen Booth

 

DARK HOLLOW, John Connolly

THE BEACH ROAD, Sarah Diamond

THE CERTAINTY OF DOING EVIL, Colin Falconer

THE REAPER, Peter Lovesey

 

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

THE KIDNAPPING OF ROSIE DAWN, Eric Wright

 

DIVE DEEP AND DEADLY, Glynn Marsh Alam

DEATH DANCES TO A REGGAE BEAT, Kate Grilley

LITTLE MEXICO, Cathie John

DISTEMPER, Beth Saulnier

 

2002 Barry Award Winners

BEST NOVEL

MYSTIC RIVER, Dennis Lehane 

TELL NO ONE, Harlan Coben

DARKNESS MORE THAN NIGHT, Michael Connelly

PURGATORY RIDGE, William Kent Krueger

SILENT JOE, T. Jefferson Parker

RIGHT AS RAIN, George Pelecanos

BAD NEWS, Donald E. Westlake

 

BEST FIRST NOVEL

 

OPEN SEASON, C. J. Box

THIRD PERSON SINGULAR, K.J. Erickson

CHASING THE DEVIL’S TAIL, David Fulmer

PERHAPS SHE’LL DIE, M.K. Preston

BLINDSIGHTED, Karen Slaughter

BUBBLES UNBOUND, Sarah Strohmeyer

 

BEST BRITISH CRIME NOVEL

 

DANCING WITH VIRGINS, Stephen Booth

BLOOD JUNCTION, Caroline Carver

THE KILLING KIND, John Connolly

DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD, Reginald Hill

DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS, P.D. James

KILLING THE SHADOWS, Val McDermid

THE FALLS, Ian Rankin

 

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

 

KILLING GIFTS, Deborah Woodworth 

RODE HARD, PUT AWAY DEAD, Sinclair Browning

DEATH IS A CABARET, Deborah Morgan

THE FOURTH WALL, Beth Saulnier

STRAW MEN, Martin J. Smith

 

2003 Barry Awards

Best Novel

Michael Connelly, CITY OF BONES

Lee Child, WITHOUT FAIL

Tim Cockey, THE HEARSE CASE SCENARIO

Steve Hamilton, NORTH OF NOWHERE

George Pelecanos, HELL TO PAY

S. J. Rozan, WINTER AND NIGHT

 

Best First Novel

Julia Spencer-Fleming, IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

 

David Corbett, THE DEVIL’S REDHEAD

Pip Granger, NOT ALL TARTS ARE APPLE

Jonathon King, THE BLUE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT

Eddie Muller, THE DISTANCE

Ben Rehder, BUCK FEVER

 

 

Best British Novel

 Connolly, John, THE WHITE ROAD

 

Mark Billingham,  SCAREDY CAT

Tom Bradby, THE MASTER OF RAIN

Simon Kernick, THE BUSINESS OF DYING

Peter Lovesey,  DIAMOND DUST 

Ed O’Connor,  THE YEARE’S MIDNIGHT

 

Best Paperback Original

Danielle Girard,  COLD SILENCE

 

Jeff Abbott, BLACK JACK POINT

Robin Burcell,  FATAL TRUTH

D. Daniel Judson,  THE BONE ORCHARD

Anna Salter,  PRISON BLUES

Brian Wiprud,  PIPSQUEAK