Harrogate International Festivals has announced the longlist of titles vying for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2025.
The UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award is now in its twenty-first year.
And the longlist of 18 has been selected by an academy of journalists, reviewers, booksellers, bloggers, podcasters and representatives from within the industry.
Each title showcases innovative, original and entertaining stories, with global bestsellers and exciting new talent competing for the coveted award.
Readers are now encouraged to vote for their favourite novels to reach the shortlist, with the winner crowned on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival on Thursday 17th July.
Three former winners - 2023 champion M.W. Craven, Chris Whitaker and Chris Brookmyre - feature on the longlist, with fan favourite Elly Griffiths nominated for a tenth time.
And six talented authors have received their first longlisting, including rising star Marie Tierney nominated for Deadly Animals, which won the inaugural McDermid Debut Award in 2024.
Representing the very best in storytelling, the longlist showcases a thrilling range of crime fiction subgenres, from gritty court room dramas and twisty psychological thrillers to enthralling historical mysteries and dystopian chillers.
The full Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 longlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is:
- The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)
- Our Holiday by Louise Candlish (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction)
- A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey (HarperFiction, Hemlock Press)
- The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)
- The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas (Penguin Michael Joseph)
- The Last Word by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books, Quercus Fiction)
- Estella’s Revenge by Barbara Havelocke (Hera Books)
- Redemption by Jack Jordan (Simon & Schuster UK)
- The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd (Pan Macmillan, Pan Fiction)
- Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)
- The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini (Cornerstone, Century)
- The Kill List by Nadine Matheson (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction)
- Hunted by Abir Mukherjee (Vintage; Harvill Secker)
- Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville (Simon & Schuster UK)
- To Die in June by Alan Parks (Canongate)
- Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books, Zaffre)
- The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)
- All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Orion, Orion Fiction)
Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said:
"The award is a vital platform for recognising and celebrating British crime writing talent both new and established, and once again our Awards Academy have selected another thrilling crop of books for our longlist.
"Now it’s time for readers to have their say,and we encourage everyone to get involved and vote for their favourites!"
The Award is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1st May 2024 to 30th April 2025.
Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“Congratulations to all of the extremely talented writers longlisted for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.
"Anyone who loves riveting storytelling is in for a treat with this year’s longlist, which showcases the incredible depth and range of British crime fiction.
"Readers are very much at the heart of this award as they help to determine the outcome, and we’re very excited to see who the fans will vote for to reach the shortlist.”
The public are invited to vote to help create a shortlist of six titles from 8am on Thursday 24th April at www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com
Voting closes on Thursday 15th May, with the shortlist announced on Thursday 5th June.
The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival - Thursday 17th July - receiving £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

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