The 2023 Silver Falchion Awards are given out annually by Killer Nashville for the best books published in the previous year that incorporate the elements of mystery, thriller and suspense. The awards honoring the books published in 2022 were given out at the Killer Nashville Awards dinner held in Franklin, Tn. on August 19, 2023.
Although I didn’t attend this year’s dinner, I did attend the conference. The panels and speakers were awesome and inspiring. If you are a writer, or hope to be, in one of these categories, I wholeheartedly recommend you attend. Clay Stafford and his hearty band of volunteers put on a great conference.
If you wonder what the different genres offer, here is a great place to start. And here is a link to the finalists. Congratulations to everyone on both lists.
The winners of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards for the best books of 2022 were:
Best Book of 2022
Target Acquired by Lynessa Layne
First Runner Up for Best Book
Lies People Tell: An FBI Agent’s Toolkit for Catching Liars and Cheats by Frank Runles
Best Action Adventure
The Child Riddler by Angel Greenman
Best Comedy
Richter the Mighty by J. B. Manning
Best Cozy
Murder in Third Position by Lori Robbins
Best Historical
Murder at the Galliano Club by Carmen Amato
Best Investigator
Dead Drop by James L’Etoile
Best Juvenile / YA
In Myrtle Peril, a Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery by Elizabeth Bunce
Best Literary
The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger
Best Mainstream / Commercial
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
Best Mystery
The Bone Records by Rich Zahradnik
Best Nonfiction
Lies People Tell: An FBI Agent’s Toolkit for Catching Liars and Cheats by Frank Runles
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Death Warrant by Bryan Johnston
Best Short Story Collection / Anthology
Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga by Lindy Ryan
Best Southern Gothic
River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor
Best Supernatural
The Children of the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
Best Suspense
Target Acquired by Lynessa Layne
Best Thriller
One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose
Best Western
Blood on the Trail by Terrence McCauley
The winners of the 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards @TimSuddeth @OpeningaMystery @KillerNashville #writersawards #mysteries #writerscommunity Share on X