The St. Martin’s Press (later Minotaur Books)/Private Eye Writers of America Best First Private Eye Novel Contest

(1986-2014)

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) is an organization devoted to private-eye detective fiction, and are probably best known for their annual Shamus Awards. Membership is open to fans, writers, and publishing professionals. There are three levels of membership: Active, Associate, and International.

In 1986, the PWA teamed up with St. Martin’s Press, one of the largest, most prominent mystery publishers in the book industry,  to sponsor The St. Martin’s Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, and it was given out more or less regularly until 2014.

It was great while it lasted, and gave some great writers a step up. The PWA is currently seeking a sponsor to continue the contest.

NOTE: There seems to have been a little confusion about the categories of the PWA’s Best First Private Eye Novel Shamus Award and Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, not just among writers, but also among a few publishers.

As PWA godfather Bob Randisi explains, “There is nothing for publishers to distinguish. The PWA/SMP contest winner is for an unpublished novel, and is only a PWA/SMP prize winner. It’s not a book, eligible for book awards, until it is published.”

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1986 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• An Infinite Number of Monkeys by Les Roberts (Saxon)

1987 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Fear of the Dark by Gar Anthony Haywood (Aaron Gunner)

1988 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Katwalk by Karen Kijewski (Kat Colorado)

1989 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Kindred Crime by Janet Dawson (Jeri Howard)

1990 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Loud Adios by Ken Kuhlken (Tom Hickey)

1991 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• A Sudden Death at the Norfolk Cafe by Winona Sullivan (Sister Cecile)

1992 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Storm Warning by A.C. Ayres (Tony Lowell; eventually published as Hour of the Manatee)

1993 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Harry Chronicles by Allan Pedrazas (Harry Rice)

1994 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Heaven Stone by David Daniel (Alex Rasmussen)

1995 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Diamond Head by Charles Knief (John Caine)

1996 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• No award given

1997 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton (Alex McKnight)

1998 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Losers’ Club by Lise S. Baker (Cal Brantley)

1999 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Street Legal by Bob Truluck (Duncan Sloan)

2000 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Catching Water in a Net by J.L. Abramo (Jake Diamond)

2001 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• No award given.

2002 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Sterling Inheritance by Michael Siverling (Jason Wilder)

2003 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Tonight I Said Goodbye by Michael Koryta (Lincoln Perry)

2004 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• First Kill by Michael Kronenwetter (Hank Berlin)

2005 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• No award given

2006 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Last Striptease by Michael Wiley (Joe Kozmarski)

2007 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Father’s Day by Keith Gilman (Louis Klein)

2008 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Drink the Tea by Thomas Kaufman (Willis Gidney)

2009 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob (Dexter Bolzjak)

2010 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• No award given

2011 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• No award given

2012 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt (Rachel Vasquez & Clayton Guthrie)

2013 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• Wink of an Eye by Lynn Chandler Willis (Gypsy Moran)

2014 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST

• The Red Storm by Grant Bywaters (William Fletcher)

FURTHER INVESTIGATION

• The Shamus Awards
  All the finalists and winners.

Respectfully compiled by Kevin Burton Smith. Thanks to Robert Randisi, Jan Grape, Jan Long, Gerald So and especially Cathleen Jordan for their help with this one.