Left Coast Crime Convention
The winners of the 2025 Left Coast Crime Awards were announced at Left Coast Crime 2025: Rocky Mountain High Jinks in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, March 15, 2025. The annual Left Coast Crime “Lefty” Awards are chosen by registered members of each Left Coast Crime Convention. The convention is sponsored by mystery fans, both readers and authors. Their stated purpose on their website is to “host an event where readers, authors, critics, librarians, publishers, and other fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests.”
To be eligible for consideration for the 2025 Left Coast Crime Awards, titles must be published for the first time in the United States or Canada during the preceding calendar year.
Personal Analysis
I have to admit, I live on the right coast and have never been west of Texas. But through books and TV, I’ve built an interest an interest in the way of the west. (Bonanza and John Wayne can do that to someone.) Okay, not just westerns but the very diverse lifestyles one finds throughout the west. Left Coast Crime is largely concerned with western Nort American region mysteries. So this is a good place to find suggestions in that genre of mysteries.
Nominees and Winners
The winners are in bold below.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.
Best Humorous Mystery Novel Nominees
Ellen Byron, A Very Woodsy Murder (Kensington Books)
Jennifer J. Chow, Ill-Fated Fortune (St Martin’s Paperbooks)
A.J. Devlin, Bronco Buster (NeWest Press)
Catriona McPherson, Scotzilla (Severn House)
winner Rob Osler, Cirque du Slay (Crooked Lane Books)
Richard Osman, We Solve Murders (Pamela Dorman Books / Viking)
Best Historical Mystery Novel Nominees
(Bill Gottfried Memorial) Covering books covering events before 1970.
winner John Copenhaver, Hall of Mirrors (Pegasus Crime)
Robert Dugoni, A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer)
Dianne Freeman, An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder (Kensington Books)
Laurie R. King, The Lantern’s Dance (Bantam Books)
Laura Jensen Walker, Death of a Flying Nightingale (Level Best Books / Historia)
Best Debut Mystery Novel
Peter Malone Elliott, Blue Ridge (Level Best Books)
Cindy Goyette, Obey All the Laws (Level Best Books)
Audrey Lee, The Mechanics of Memory (CamCat Books)
Jennifer K. Morita, Ghosts of Waikiki (Crooked Lane Books)
K.T. Nguyen, You Know What You Did (Dutton)
Best Mystery Novel
Claire Booth, Home Fries (Severn House)
Margot Doualhy, Blessed Water (Zando, Gillian Flynn Books)
Rob Hart, Assassins Anonymous (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Leslie Karst, Molten Death (Severn House)
James L’Etoile, Served Cold (Level Best Books)
Duane Swierczynski, California Bear (Mulholland Books)
2025 Lefty Award Nominees and Winners @TimSuddeth @OpeningaMystery #mysteries #crimefiction Share on X