2023 Killer Nashville Awards Winners
“Winning the Killer Nashville Claymore Award provided such incredible affirmation knowing this particular story (which took me on an emotional ride of its own) was so well received by different readers. It encouraged me to continue on in my pursuit of getting my name and my work to more and more readers.”
SILVER FALCHION AWARD
For Best Books of 2022
Best Book of 2022
Lynessa Layne / Target Acquired
1st Runner Up Best Book of 2022
Frank Runles / Lies People Tell: An FBI Agent’s Toolkit for Catching Liars and Cheats
2nd Runner Up Best Book of 2022
Rich Zahradnik / The Bone Records
Best Action Adventure
Angela Greenman / The Child Riddler
Best Comedy
J. B. Manning / Richter the Mighty
Best Cozy
Lori Robbins / Murder in Third Position
Best Historical
Carmen Amato / Murder at the Galliano Club
Best Investigator
James L'Etoile / Dead Drop
Best Juvenile / YA
Elizabeth Bunce / In Myrtle Peril, a Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery
Best Literary
Bruce Holsinger / The Displacements
Best Mainstream / Commercial
Katherine Faulkner / Greenwich Park
Best Mystery
Rich Zahradnik / The Bone Records
Best Nonfiction
Frank Runles / Lies People Tell: An FBI Agent's Toolkit for Catching Liars and Cheats
Best Sci-fi / Fantasy
Bryan Johnston / Death Warrant
Best Short Story Collection/Anthology
Lindy Ryan / Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga
Best Southern Gothic
Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor / River of Ashes
Best Supernatural
Jennifer McMahon / The Children on the Hill
Best Suspense
Lynessa Layne / Target Acquired
Best Thriller
Jeneva Rose / One of Us is Dead
Best Western
Terrence McCauley / Blood on the Trail
2023 CLAYMORE AWARD
For Best First 50 Pages of an Unpublished Manuscript
2023 Killer Nashville Claymore Award
Les Edgerton / Francois Roberge – The Fixer
1st Runner Up Best Unpublished Manuscript
Maria Ostrowski / The Bones of Hope
2nd Runner Up Best Unpublished Manuscript
Lucinda Gerlitz / The Chess Player
Best Action Adventure
Les Edgerton / Francois Roberge - The Fixer
Best Comedy
Elaine K. Marsh / King of the Buckaroo Boys
Best Cozy
Lucinda Gerlitz / The Chess Player
Best Historical
Catherine Siemann / Death Uptown and Downtown
Best Investigator
Kayla Brown / Chase Harlem
Best Juvenile / YA
Angie Andriot / The Stonecrafters
Best Literary
Jennifer and Jessica Slee / Perfect Fifth
Best Mainstream / Commercial
Rodney Walther / Glory of the Leopard
Best Mystery
N.D. Haupt / The Cottage
Lynn Tavernier / Long Way Home
Best Nonfiction
John Lamb / Service with a Sneer: A Street Cop’s Memoir
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy
JS Morrison / The Pieces of My Self
Best Short Story Collection/Anthology
Robert Mangeot / Parts of the Problem
Best Southern Gothic
Leigh M. Hall / The Chambermaids
Best Supernatural
Maria Ostrowski / The Bones of Hope
Darin Werkmeister / Volk
Best Suspense
Cynthia Rice / The Last Broken Girl
Best Thriller
Christopher I. Reilly / El Chancho
Best Western
Mary Bendickson / A Brilliantly Scathing Life
Additional Awards
2023 BEST BOOK BY AN ATTENDING AUTHOR
Debra H. Goldstein / Five Belles Too Many
2023 READERS’ CHOICE AWARD
Jeneva Rose / One of Us is Dead
2023 SEMWA MAGNOLIA AWARD
Robert Mangeot
2023 JOHN SEIGENTHALER LEGENDS AWARDS
Maureen Corrigan
“Being chosen as a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist gave me the confidence to push forward with my novel. It has also given me the distinction of being known as a finalist, something I am proud to include in my author credentials. For anyone who is on the fence about entering, I encourage you to go forward. See what happens. How will you know unless you try?”