OTTAWA, ON – April 24, 2026 – Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) is pleased to announce the Shortlists for the 2026 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Since 1984, Crime Writers of Canada has recognized the best in mystery, crime, suspense fiction, and crime nonfiction by Canadian authors, including citizens abroad and new residents.
On behalf of CWC, the Awards Committee extends congratulations to all the talented finalists. Winners will be announced on Friday, May 29, 2026.
GRAND MASTER AWARD RECIPIENT
Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) is proud to announce that Rick Mofina has been named the recipient of the 2026 Grand Master Award. This prestigious biennial honor recognizes a Canadian crime writer with a substantial body of work who has garnered significant national and international acclaim while demonstrating a steadfast commitment to the crime-writing community. CWC selected Mofina for this distinction based on his prolific output, professional integrity, and years of dedicated service to both the organization and the genre.
With a career spanning over 30 years and more than 30 novels published in nearly 30 countries, Rick Mofina has become one of the most respected voices in the thriller genre. A former journalist for The Toronto Star, The Ottawa Citizen, and The Calgary Herald, Mofina’s fiction is famously infused with "boots-on-the-ground" realism. His reporting from death row, patrols with the RCMP, and dispatches from global conflict zones have lent his work a unique grit and procedural accuracy that earned him the title of "one of the best thriller writers in the business" from Library Journal.
Beyond his commercial and critical success—including two CWC Awards of Excellence and multiple nominations for the ITW Thriller and Shamus Awards—Mofina was chosen for his exceptional service to the CWC. He has been a consistent mentor to emerging authors, a frequent contributor to professional development series, and a tireless advocate for the Canadian crime-writing community.
"Rick Mofina represents the very best of what the Grand Master Award stands for," the Committee noted. "It isn't just about the books sold, but the way he has consistently elevated the genre and supported his peers. His generosity in sharing his expertise has made an indelible mark on our community."
THE 2026 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE SHORTLISTS
The Peter Robinson Award for Best Crime Novel
With a $1000 prize
Sue Hincenbergs, The Retirement Plan, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Jen Sookfong Lee, The Hunger We Pass Down, McClelland & Stewart
Tamara L. Miller, Into the Fall, Thomas and Mercer
Louise Penny, The Black Wolf, Minotaur Books
Eddy Boudel Tan, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut, Viking Canada
Best Crime First Novel
Sponsored by Melodie Campbell with a $1000 prize
Ray Critch, The Beltane Massacre, Breakwater Books
Jan Field, Yesterday’s Lies, La Cloche Publishing
Joel Nedecky, The Broken Detective, Run Amok Crime
David L. Tucker, A Painting to Die For, Otter & Osprey Press
A.L. Wahdel, Too Dark For the Light, Butterfly 80 Publishing
Best Crime Novel Set in Canada
Sponsored by Shaftesbury with a $500 prize
Lis Angus, That Other Family, Next Chapter
Angela Douglas, Every Fall, Rising Action Publishing Co.
Uzma Jalaluddin, Detective Aunty, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
C.S. Porter, Salt on Her Tongue, Vagrant Press
Chevy Stevens, The Hitchhikers, St. Martin’s Press
The Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery
Sponsored by Jane Doe with a $500 prize
Shelley Adina, The Engineer’s Nemesis, Moonshell Books
Mel Anastasiou, Stella Ryman and the Search for Thelma Hu, Pulp Literature Press
Alice Fitzpatrick, A Dark Death, Stonehouse Publishing
Laury Silvers, Some Justice: A Ghazi Ammar Medieval Mystery, Independently Published
Iona Whishaw, The Cost of a Hostage, TouchWood Editions
Best Crime Short Story
Sponsored by Crime Writers of Canada with a $200 prize
Lis Angus, Under the Circumstances, A Capital Mystery Anthology, Ottawa Press and Publishing
Madeleine Harris Callway, The Lost Diner, Pulp Literature Press (story on p.115)
Barbara Fradkin, Cold Shock, A Capital Mystery Anthology, Ottawa Press and Publishing
Billie Livingstone, The Headache, Dark Yonder (story on p.31)
Sylvia Maultash Warsh, Polly Wants a Freakin’ Cracker, Malice Domestic: Murder Most Humorous, Wildside Press
Best French Language Crime Book
Sponsored by Carrick Publishing with a $500 prize
Chrystine Brouillet, Le regard des autres, Druide
André Jacques, Jeux d’ombres, Druide
Steve Laflamme, La mémoire du labyrinthe, Libre Expression
Maureen Martineau, Une nuit d’été à Littlebrook, Héliotrope
Martin Michaud, Delta Zéro, Libre Expression
Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book
Sponsored by Superior Shores Press with a $250 prize
Charis Cotter The Mystery of the Haunted Dancehall, Tundra Books
Vicki Grant, Death by Whoopee Cushion, Tundra Books
Claire Hatcher-Smith, The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet, Tundra Books
Tanya Lloyd Kyi, The City of Lost Cats, Tundra Books
John Lekich, Bark Twice for Murder, Orca Book Publishers
The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book
Sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm (Hamilton) with a $300 prize
Robert Cree with Therese Greenwood, The Many Names of Robert Cree: How a First Nations Chief, Brought Ancient Wisdom to Big Business and Prosperity to His People, ECW Press
John L. Hill, Acts of Darkness: Notorious Criminals, Their Defenders, Prosecutors, and Jailers, Durvile & UpRoute
Kathleen Lippa, Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada’s North, Dundurn Press
Lorna Poplak, On the Lam: Great (and Not So Great) Escapes from Prison, Dundurn Press
Julian Sher & Lisa Fitterman, Hitman: The Untold Story of Canada’s Deadliest Assassin, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Best Unpublished Crime Novel manuscript written by an unpublished author
Sponsored by ECW Press with a $500 prize
Anne Burlakoff, Val's Story
William Hall, The Less You Know
Francis K. Lalumière, Lens Flare
Barbara Stokes, Death Scent
Isabelle Zimmermann, Blistered
CWC gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors
About Crime Writers of Canada
Crime Writers of Canada was founded in 1982 as a professional organization designed to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers. Our members include authors, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, reviewers, and literary agents as well as many developing authors. Past winners of the Awards have included such major names in Canadian crime writing as Mario Bolduc, Gail Bowen, Stevie Cameron, Howard Engel, Barbara Fradkin, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson and Eric Wright. We thank our sponsors and volunteers, and the many participating publishers, authors and judges for their continued support.
For more information about the Awards of Excellence or to enquire about becoming an awards sponsor, contact CWC Awards Manger Ludvica Boota at awards@crimewriterscanada.com.
-end-