Book Reviews

2023 Year In Review: Award Winners

Discover the award winning books of 2023, focusing on the major literary and crime writing awards.

International Booker Prize

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov WINNER

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

Standing Heavy by GauZ’

The Gospel According to the New World by Maryse Condé

Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan

Boulder by Eva Baltasar

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Booker Prize

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch WINNER

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

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The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  WINNER

Trust by Hernan Diaz  WINNER

Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara

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The Miles Franklin Literary Award

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran WINNER

Hopeless Kingdom by Kgshak Akec

Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

The Lovers by Yumna Kassab

Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor

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The Stella Prize

The Jaguar by Sarah Holland-Batt  WINNER

We Come With This Place by Debra Dank

Big Beautiful Female Theory by Eloise Grills

Hydra by Adriane Howell

Indelible City by Louisa Lim

Bad Art Mother by Edwina Preston

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Women’s Prize for Fiction

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver WINNER

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Pod by Laline Paull

Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

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The Australian/Vogel Literary Award

Immaculate by Anna McGahan WINNER

Don’t They Know It’s The End of the World? by Nick Milde

A Collection of Endings by Lily McCann

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The Victorian Premier’s Literary Award (Fiction)

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au WINNER

The Signal Line by Brendan Colley

This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham

An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life by Paul Dalla Rosa

Salonika Burning by Gail Jones

The Lovers by Yumna Kassab

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Prime Minister’s Literary Award

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au WINNER

The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane

Losing Face by George Haddad

Other Houses by Paddy O’Reilly

The Lovers by Yumna Kassab

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The Danger Awards

Best Crime Fiction

The Tilt by Chris Hammer WINNER

Brunswick Street Blues by Sally Bothroyd

Daughters of Eve by Nina D Campbell

Exiles by Jane Harper

Double Lives by Kate McCaffrey

The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie

Black River by Matthew Spencer

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Best crime fiction debut

Black River by Matthew Spencer WINNER

Best True Crime

The Boy in the Dress by Jonathan Butler WINNER

Suburban Noir by Peter Doyle

Nabbing Ned Kelly by David Dufty

An Uncommon Hangman by Rachel Franks

The Widow of Walcha by Emma Partridge

Missing, Presumed Dead by Mark Tedeschi

Reader’s Choice

An Uncommon Hangman by Rachel Franks WINNER

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The Davitt Awards

Best Non-Fiction Crime Book

Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris WINNER

Don’t Make a Fuss: It’s only the Claremont Serial Killer by Wendy Davis

Legitimate Sexpectations: The power of sex-ed by Katrina Marson

Best Adult Crime Novel

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien WINNER

Release by Lucy Christopher

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford

Stone Town by Margaret Hickey

The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie

The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

Best Debut Crime Book

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor WINNER

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie

The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

Reader’s Choice

The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis WINNER

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The Ned Kelly Awards

Best True Crime Novel

Betrayed by Sandi Logan WINNER

Rattled by Ellis Gunn

Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! by Officer A

Death Row at Truro by Geoff Plunkett

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Best Crime Fiction Novel

Exiles by Jane Harper WINNER

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford

The Tilt by Chris Hammer

Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic

The Carnival Is Over by Greg Woodland

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Best Debut Crime Fiction

Wake by Shelley Burr WINNER

The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon

How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

Denizen by James McKenzie Watson

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Black River by Matthew Spencer

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

Best International Crime

The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton WINNER

Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath

The Favour by Nicci French

The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf

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The Daggers

The Gold Dagger (Best Crime Novel)

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green WINNER

The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan

A Killing in November by Simon Mason

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan

The Silent Brother by Simon Van der Velde

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger (Best Espionage, Psychological or Adventure Thriller)

Agent Seventeen by John Brownlow WINNER

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

The Botanist by M.W. Craven

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

The Chase by Ava Glass

May God Forgive by Alan Parks

New Blood Dagger (Best Crime Novel by a First-Time Author)

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor WINNER

Breaking by Amanda Cassidy

The Local by Joey Hartstone

London in Black by Jack Lutz

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

Outback by Patricia Wolf

Historical Dagger

The Darkest Sin by D.V. Bishop WINNER

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

The Homes by J.B. Mylet

The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra

Blue Water by Leonora Nattrass

Hear No Evil by Sarah Smith

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2023 Year In Review: Award Winners
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