The CWA Dagger Awards
The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) Dagger Awards are given annually to celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing.
The number and naming of the awards has changed significantly over the years, with descriptions of the most popular categories being:
Gold: Best Crime Novel; Silver: Runner-up Crime Novel; Ian Fleming Steel: Best Thriller; New Blood: Best First Crime Novel; International: Best Foreign Crime Novel translated into English; Library: Reader Favorite (by author, not a specific title); Historical: Novels set at least 35 years prior to current year; Debut: Best Unpublished; Diamond: Lifetime Achievement.
- 2011
- Gold: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin (Macmillan)
- Ian Fleming Steel: The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton (Orion)
- John Creasey New Blood: Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson (Doubleday)
- Dagger in the Library: Mo Hayder
- Ellis Peters Historical: The Somme Stations by Andrew Martin (Faber & Faber)
- Debut Dagger: Michele Rowe
- International: Three Seconds by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström (Quercus)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Lindsey Davis
- 2010
- Gold: Blacklands by Belinda Bauer (Corgi)
- Ian Fleming Steel: A Loyal Spy by Simon Conway (Hodder & Stoughton)
- New Blood: Acts of Violence by Ryan David Jahn (Pan)
- Dagger in the Library: Ariana Franklin
- Ellis Peters Historical: Revenger by Rory Clements (John Murray)
- Debut Dagger: Patrick Eden
- International: The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin (Doubleday)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Val McDermid
- 2009
- Gold: A Whispered Name by William Broderick
- Ian Fleming Steel: The Last Child by John Hart
- New Blood: Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin
- Dagger in the Library: Colin Cotterill
- Ellis Peters Historical: If the Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr (Quercus)
- Debut Dagger: Catherine O'Keefe
- International: The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (Harvill Secker)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Andrew Taylor
- 2008
- Gold: Blood from Stone by Frances Fyfield
- New Blood: The Bethlehem Murders by Matt Beynon Rees
- Dagger in the Library: Craig Russell
- Ellis Peters Historical: Stratton's War by Laura Wilson (Orion)
- Debut Dagger: Amer Anwar
- International: Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti (Arcadia Books)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement)
- 2007
- Gold: Peter Temple: The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
- New Blood: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
- Dagger in the Library: Stuart MacBride
- Ellis Peters Historical: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (Bantam)
- Debut Dagger: Alan Bradley
- International: Wash This Blood from My Hand by Fred Vargas (Harvill Secker)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): John Harvey
- 2006
- Gold: Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
- New Blood: Still Life by Louise Penny
- Dagger in the Library: Jim Kelly
- Ellis Peters Historical: Red Sky Lament by Edward Wright (Orion)
- Debut Dagger: Otis Twelve
- International: The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas (The Harvill Press)
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Elmore Leonard
- 2005
- Gold: Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
- Silver: Deadly Web by Barbara Nadel
- New Blood: Running Hot by Dreda Say Mitchell
- Dagger in the Library: Jake Arnott
- Ellis Peters Historical: Dark Fire by C. J. Sansom (Macmillan)
- Debut Dagger: Ruth Dugdall
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Ian Rankin
- 2004
- Gold: Blacklist by Sara Paretsky
- Silver: Flesh and Blood by John Harvey
- New Blood: Amagansett by Mark Mills
- Dagger in the Library: Alexander McCall Smith
- Ellis Peters Historical: The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly (Constable & Robinson)
- Debut Dagger: Ellen Grubb
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Lawrence Block
- 2003
- Gold: Fox Evil by Minette Walters
- Silver: Half-Broken Things by Morag Joss
- New Blood: Mission Flats by William Landay
- Dagger in the Library: Stephen Booth
- Ellis Peters Historical: The American Boy by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)
- Debut Dagger: Kirsty Evans
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Robert Barnard
- 2002
- Gold: The Athenian Murders by Jose Carlos Somoza
- Silver: The Final Country by James Crumley
- New Blood: The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
- Dagger in the Library: Peter Robinson
- Ellis Peters Historical: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (Virago)
- Debut Dagger: Ilona van Mil
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Sara Paretsky
- 2001
- Gold: Sidetracked by Henning Mankell
- Silver: Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
- New Blood: The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones
- Ellis Peters Historical: The Office of the Dead by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)
- Debut Dagger: Edward Wright
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Lionel Davidson
- 2000
- Gold: Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethern
- Silver: Friends in High Places by Donna Leon
- New Blood: God is a Bullet by Boston Teran
- Ellis Peters Historical: Absent Friends by Gillian Linscott (Virago)
- Debut Dagger: Simon Levack
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Peter Lovesey
- 1999
- Gold: A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
- Silver: Vienna Blood by Adrian Mathews
- New Blood: Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman
- Ellis Peters Historical: Two for the Lions by Lindsey Davis (Century)
- Debut Dagger: Caroline Carver
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Margaret Yorke
- 1998
- Gold: Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke
- Silver: Manchester Slingback by Nicholas Blincoe
- New Blood: Garnet Hill by Denise Mina
- Debut Dagger: Joolz Denby
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Ed McBain
- 1997
- Gold: Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
- Silver: Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
- New Blood: Body Politic by Paul Johnston
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Colin Dexter
- 1996
- Gold: Popcorn by Ben Elton
- Silver: Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey
- New Blood
- Dagger in the Library: Marian Babson
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): H. R. F. Keating
- 1995
- Gold: The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid
- Silver: The Summons by Peter Lovesey
- New Blood Tie:
- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
- A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King
- Dagger in the Library: Lindsey Davis
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Reginald Hill
- 1994
- Gold: The Scold's Bridle by Minette Walters
- Silver: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
- New Blood: Big Town by Doug J. Swanson
- Dagger in the Library: Robert Barnard
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Michael Gilbert
- 1993
- Gold: Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
- Silver: Fatlands by Sarah Dunant
- New Blood: Not awarded
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Ellis Peters
- 1992
- Gold: The Way Through the Woods by Colin Dexter
- Silver: Bucket Nut by Liza Cody
- New Blood: The Ice House by Minette Walters
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Leslie Charteris
- 1991
- Gold: King Solomon's Carpet by Barbara Vine
- Silver: Deep Sleep by Frances Fyfield
- New Blood: Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Ruth Rendell
- 1990
- Gold: Bones and Silence by Reginald Hill
- Silver: The Late Candidate by Mike Phillips
- New Blood: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Julian Symons
- 1989
- Gold: The Wench is Dead by Colin Dexter
- Silver: The Shadow Run by Desmond Lowden
- New Blood: A Real Shot in the Arm by Annette Roome
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Dick Francis
- 1988
- Gold: Ratking by Michael Dibdin
- Silver: Toxic Shock by Sara Paretsky
- New Blood: Death's Bright Angel by Janet Neel
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): John le Carré
- 1987
- Gold: A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine
- Silver: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
- New Blood: Dark Apostle by Denis Kilcommons
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): P. D. James
- 1986
- Gold: Live Flesh by Ruth Rendell
- Silver: A Taste for Death by P. D. James
- New Blood: Tinplate by Neville Steed
- Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Eric Ambler
- 1985
- Gold: Monkey Puzzle by Paula Gosling
- Silver: Last Seen Alive by Dorothy Simpson
- New Blood: The Latmer Mercy by Robert Richardson
- 1984
- Gold: The Twelfth Juror by B. M. Gill
- Silver: The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell
- New Blood: A Very Private Enterprise by Elizabeth Ironside
- 1983
- Gold: Accidental Crimes by John Hutton
- Silver: The Papers of Tony Veitch by William McIlvanney
- New Blood Tie:
- The Ariadne Clue by Carol Clemeau
- The Night the Gods Smiled by Eric Wright
- 1982
- Gold: The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey
- Silver: Ritual Murder by S. T. Haymon
- New Blood: Caroline Miniscule by Andrew Taylor
- 1981
- Gold: Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
- Silver: The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter
- New Blood: The Ludi Victor by James Leigh
- 1980
- Gold: The Murder of the Maharajah by H. R. F. Keating
- Silver: Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters
- New Blood: Dupe by Liza Cody
- 1979
- Gold: Whip Hand by Dick Francis
- Silver: Service of all the Dead by Colin Dexter
- New Blood: A Running Duck (Fair Game) by Paula Gosling
- 1978
- Gold: The Chelsea Murders by Lionel Davidson
- Silver: Waxwork by Peter Lovesey
- New Blood: Saturday of Glory by David Serafin
- 1977
- Gold: The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carre
- Silver: Laidlaw by William McIlvanney
- New Blood: The Judas Pair by Jonathan Gash
- 1976
- Gold: A Demon in my View by Ruth Rendell
- Silver: Rogue Eagle by James McClure
- New Blood: Death of a Thin Skinned Animal by Patrick Alexander
- 1975
- Gold: The Seven Per Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer
- Silver: The Black Tower by P. D. James
- New Blood: Acid Drop by Sara George
- 1974
- Gold: Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price
- Silver: The Grosvenor Square Goodbye by Francis Clifford
- New Blood: The Big Fix by Roger L. Simon
- 1973
- Gold: The Defection of A. J. Lewinter by Robert Littell
- Silver: A Coffin for Pandora by Gwendoline Butler
- New Blood: Don't Point That Thing at Me by Kyril Bonfiglioli
- 1972
- Gold: The Levanter by Eric Ambler
- Silver: The Rainbird Pattern by Victor Canning
- 1971
- Gold: The Steam Pig by James McClure
- Silver: Shroud for a Nightingale by P. D. James
- 1970
- Gold: Young Man I Think You're Dying by Joan Fleming
- Silver: The Labyrinth Makers by Antony Price
- 1969
- Gold: A Pride of Heroes by Peter Dickinson
- Silver: Another Way of Dying by Francis Clifford
- 1968
- Gold: Skin Deep by Peter Dickinson
- 1967
- Gold: Murder Against the Grain by Emma Lathen
- 1966
- Gold: A Long Way to Shiloh by Lionel Davidson
- 1965
- Gold: The Far Side of the Dollar by Ross Macdonald
- 1964
- Gold: The Perfect Murder by H. R. F. Keating
- 1963
- Gold: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre
- 1962
- Gold: When I Grow Rich by Joan Fleming
- 1961
- Gold: The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly
- 1960
- Gold: The Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson
- 1959
- Crossed Red Herring: Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler
- 1958
- Crossed Red Herring: Someone from the Past by Margot Bennett
- 1957
- Crossed Red Herring: The Colour of Murder by Julian Symons
- 1956
- Crossed Red Herring: The Second Man by Edward Grierson
- 1955
- Crossed Red Herring: The Little Walls by Winston Graham
If present, 
indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.