Deadly Pleasures, an online magazine dedicated to coverage of mysteries and thrillers, revealed the finalists for its annual Barry Awards, given to “the best works…in the field of crime fiction.”
Don Winslow made the shortlist for the best mystery or crime novel prize for City on Fire, which a critic for Kirkus called “a blistering novel filled with anger and bite.” Also named finalists in the category were Steve Cavanagh for The Accomplice, Michael Connelly for Desert Star, Deon Meyer for The Dark Flood (translated from Afrikaans by K.L. Seegers), Chris Offutt for Shifty’s Boys, and Alex Segura for Secret Identity.
Ramona Emerson’s Shutter, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, was shortlisted in the best first mystery or crime novel category, along with Jacqueline Bublitz’s Before You Knew My Name, Eli Cranor’s Don’t Know Tough, Nita Prose’s The Maid, Sascha Rothchild’s Blood Sugar, and Hayley Scrivenor’s Dirt Creek.
The finalists in the best thriller category were Jack Carr for In the Blood, Dan Fesperman for Winter Work, Mark Greaney for Sierra Six, Mick Herron for Bad Actors, Deanna Raybourn for Killers of a Certain Age, and Richard O’Rawe for Goering’s Gold.
The Barry Awards were established in 1997. Past winners have included Louise Penny for Still Lifeand A Great Reckoning and S.A. Cosby for Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears.
The winners of this year’s prizes will be announced at Bouchercon in San Diego on August 31, 2023.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
