Thriller Awards Banquet

2023 ITW Thriller Awards Winners

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the
2023 ITW Thriller Awards!

On Saturday, June 3, 2023, we welcomed everyone to the 18th annual banquet where we honored 2023 ThrillerMasters Charlaine Harris and Walter Mosley, presented the Thriller Awards, and offered other entertainment. We also hosted a cocktail party before the dinner and an after-party following the dinner. During the banquet, the key individuals who make this organization work were introduced. Highlights included hearing from our ThrillerMasters and finding out who won the coveted Thriller Awards, which are given every year for the best thriller books in hardcover, paperback original, debut, e-book original, and other categories.

A special thanks to Tosca Lee, the VP of Awards and all the volunteers who read, judged, and chose the winners.

The nominees and winners for the 2023 Thriller Awards are listed below.

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

  • Delilah S. Dawson

    THE VIOLENCE

    Del Rey

  • Jennifer Hillier

    THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK

    Minotaur

  • Alma Katsu

    THE FERVOR

    Penguin/Putnam

  • Jennifer McMahon

    THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL

    Simon & Schuster

  • Chris Pavone

    TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON

    MCD

  • Catriona Ward

    SUNDIAL

    Macmillan

  • Erin Young

    THE FIELDS

    Flatiron Books

Best Audiobook

  • Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie

    YOUNG RICH WIDOWS

    Audible
    Narrated by Dina Pearlman, Karissa Vacker, Helen Laser, Ariel Blake

  • Julie Clark

    THE LIES I TELL

    Audible
    Narrated by Anna Caputo, Amanda Dolan

  • J.L. Delozier

    THE PHOTO THIEF

    CamCat Publishing
    Narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs, Jeffrey Kafer

  • Jennifer Hillier

    THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK

    Macmillan Audio
    Narrated by Carla Vega

  • Minka Kent

    THE SILENT WOMAN

    Blackstone Publishing
    Narrated by Christine Lakin, Kate Rudd

BEST FIRST NOVEL

  • Lauren Nossett

    THE RESEMBLANCE

    Flatiron Books

  • Sascha Rothchild

    BLOOD SUGAR

    Penguin/Putnam

  • Hayley Scrivenor

    DIRT TOWN

    Pan Macmillan

  • Stacy Willingham

    A FLICKER IN THE DARK

    Minotaur

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Mary Burton

    THE LIES I TOLD

    Montlake Romance

  • Mark Edwards

    NO PLACE TO RUN

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Minka Kent

    UNMISSING

    Thomas & Mercer

  • Freida McFadden

    THE HOUSEMAID

    Grand Central Publishing

  • Wanda Morris

    ANYWHERE YOU RUN

    William Morrow

  • Holly Wainwright

    THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS

    Pan Macmillan

  • Loreth Anne White

    THE PATIENT'S SECRET

    Montlake Romance

BEST SHORT STORY

  • Dominique Bibeau

    RUSSIAN FOR BEGINNERS

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Barb Goffman

    THE GIFT

    Down & Out Books

  • Smita Harish Jain

    PUBLISH OR PERISH

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Joyce Carol Oates

    33 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Anna Scotti

    SCHRÖDINGER, CAT

    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

  • Catherine Steadman

    STOCKHOLM

    Amazon Original Stories

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

  • Melissa Albert

    OUR CROOKED HEARTS

    Flatiron Books

  • Gillian French

    SUGARING OFF

    Algonquin Young Readers

  • Kate McLaughlin

    DAUGHTER

    Wednesday Books

  • Francesca Padilla

    WHAT'S COMING TO ME

    Soho Teen

  • Courtney Summers

    I'M THE GIRL

    Wednesday Books

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

  • Bill Byrnes

    EVASIVE SPECIES

    Self-published

  • Diane Jeffrey

    THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE

    HarperCollins

  • Grant McKenzie

    THE SEVEN TRUTHS OF HANNAH BAXTER

    Self-published

  • Rick Mofina

    THE HOLLOW PLACE

    Self-published

  • Carrie Rubin

    FATAL ROUNDS

    Self-published

The winners were announced at ThrillerFest XVIII on Saturday, June 4, 2023 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City.

Submissions for the 2024 ITW Thriller Awards are open!

Congratulations to all the finalists!

Tosca Lee
ITW Board of Directors, Vice President, Awards

ITW Community

  • patrons
  • sponsors
  • supporters

  • Actives

    • Sandra Brannan

    • Clive Cussler*

    • Dirk Cussler*

    • Shane Gericke*

    • Faye and Jonathan Kellerman*

    • John Lescroart

    • Joanie McDonell

    • Karin Slaughter

    • Larry D. Thompson

    Associates

    • Tucker Andersen

  • Actives

    • Kathleen Antrim*

    • David Baldacci*

    • Neal Baer

    • Steve Berry*

    • J. Jackson Bentley

    • Gary Braver*

    • Sandra Brown*

    • Dale Brown*

    • John Case*

    • Lee Child*

    • James Comey

    • Michael Connelly

    • Glenn Cooper

    • Richard Curtis*

    • Jack F. Du Brul*

    • David Dun*

    • Joseph Finder

    • Brian Garfield*

    • Tess Gerritsen*

    • Leslie Glass*

    • Jeff Gunhus

    • Vicki Hinze*

    • Lisa Jackson

    • Alex Kava*

    • Raymond Khoury

    • Deborah LeBlanc

    • Eric Van Lustbader*

    • D. P. Lyle M.D.*

    • Gayle Lynds*

    • Steve Martini

    • Brad Meltzer

    • David Morrell*

    • Katherine Neville*

    • Michael Palmer (2004-2013)*

    • James Patterson*

    • Andrew Peterson

    • Douglas Preston*

    • Lissa Price

    • Keith Raffel

    • Christopher Reich*

    • James Rollins*

    • M.J. Rose*

    • JoAnn Ross

    • Hank Phillippi Ryan

    • John Saul*

    • Andy Siegel

    • Susan Arnout Smith

    • R.L. Stine*

    • Brad Thor*

    • Lisa Unger

    • Paul Vidich

    Associates

    • Maria Carvainis

    • Leisure Books*

    • JK Franko*

    • Ed Mitchell*

    • Henry Morrison*

    • Adrian Muller*

    • Bill Sewell

    • Tor/Forge Books*

    • Your Book Is Your Hook!

  • Actives

    • Steve Alten*

    • Ashok Banker

    • Ted Bell*

    • Emily Benedek

    • Janet Berliner-Gluckman*

    • Gary Birken

    • Mike Bond

    • Sandra Brannan

    • Allison Brennan

    • Mike Brogan

    • Jan Burke*

    • Lorenzo Carcaterra

    • Lincoln Child*

    • Stephen Coonts*

    • Brian D’Amato

    • B. J. Daniels

    • Nelson DeMille

    • Eileen Dreyer*

    • Joanna Elm

    • Linda Fairstein*

    • Vince Flynn (2004-2013)*

    • Chris Fox

    • Joel Goldman*

    • Howard Gordon

    • Heather Graham*

    • Thomas Greanias

    • Gary Grossman

    • Humphrey Hawksley

    • Bonnie Hearn Hill*

    • Mark Imhof

    • Alan Jacobson

    • Judith Kelman*

    • Harley Jane Kozak

    • Jon Land

    • Dennis Lynds (2004-2005)*

    • Patricia McLinn

    • Michael McMenamin

    • Francine Mathews*

    • Nan McCann

    • Kyle Mills*

    • Twist Phelan

    • Christopher Rice*

    • Wendy Roberts

    • John Sandford

    • James Siegel*

    • Carl T. Smith*

    • Deborah Smith*

    • Taylor Smith*

    • L.A. Starks

    • Mariah Stewart*

    • Peter Straub*

    • Lee Strobel

    • M. Diane Vogt*

    • Thomas Waite

    • Stuart Woods*

    Associates

    • Linda Adams*

    • Brilliance Audio*

    • Mike Brogan

    • Brian Godden

    • Steve Hadden*

    • Emory Hackman

    • Inkwell Management, LLC*

    • Jennifer Kreischer

    • Mario Mastro*

    • Vicki Montet

    • Amy Rivers

    • Mike Trigg

*original member joined by June 4, 2005