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The God of the Woods
Liz MooreAnthony Award · 2025 · Winner
Liz Moore's bestselling literary thriller won the Anthony for its masterful dual timeline, its evocation of Adirondacks privilege and class, and its devastating emotional core.
Anthony Award for Best Novel
2025 Winner
2025 Shortlist & Longlist
Shortlist
Shortlist
Shortlist
Complete History
2020s
2010s
- 2019November Road — Lou Berney
- 2018Bluebird, Bluebird — Attica Locke
- 2017A Great Reckoning — Louise Penny
- 2016The Killing Kind — Chris Holm
- 2015After I'm Gone — Laura Lippman
- 2014Ordinary Grace — William Kent Krueger
- 2013The Beautiful Mystery — Louise Penny
- 2012A Trick of the Light — Louise Penny
- 2011Bury Your Dead — Louise Penny
- 2010The Brutal Telling — Louise Penny
2000s
- 2009The Brass Verdict — Michael Connelly
- 2008What the Dead Know — Laura Lippman
- 2007No Good Deeds — Laura Lippman
- 2006Mercy Falls — William Kent Krueger
- 2005Blood Hollow — William Kent Krueger
- 2004Every Secret Thing — Laura Lippman
- 2003City of Bones — Michael Connelly
- 2002Mystic River — Dennis Lehane
- 2001A Place of Execution — Val McDermid
- 2000In a Dry Season — Peter Robinson
1990s
- 1999Blood Work — Michael Connelly
- 1998No Colder Place — S. J. Rozan
- 1997The Poet — Michael Connelly
- 1996Under the Beetle's Cellar — Mary Willis Walker
- 1995She Walks These Hills — Sharyn McCrumb
- 1994Wolf in the Shadows — Marcia Muller
- 1993Bootlegger's Daughter — Margaret Maron
- 1992The Last Detective — Peter Lovesey
- 1991"G" Is for Gumshoe — Sue Grafton
- 1990The Sirens Sang of Murder — Sarah Caudwell
About the Anthony Award for Best Novel
The Anthony Award is a literary prize for mystery fiction presented annually at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. Named in honor of Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the co-founders of the Mystery Writers of America and a pioneering mystery critic and editor, the award has been given since 1986. Unlike juried awards, the Anthony is entirely voted on by attending Bouchercon members, giving it a strong populist character. The Best Novel category (since 2023 designated Best Hardcover Novel) has honored a wide range of crime fiction, from psychological thrillers and police procedurals to literary crime fiction and series mysteries. Bouchercon rotates its location each year across North America and beyond, and the awards ceremony is a highlight of the convention weekend. Past winners include consistently celebrated voices such as Louise Penny, S.A. Cosby (a three-time winner), Attica Locke, Lou Berney, and William Kent Krueger. The Anthony carries no cash prize but is considered one of the most prestigious fan-voted honors in crime fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The Anthony Award is a fan-voted honor for mystery fiction given at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, named for critic and editor Anthony Boucher.
- Winners are selected by popular vote from registered Bouchercon attendees, making it one of the primary fan-choice awards in mystery fiction.
- Bouchercon is held annually in the autumn, rotating to different cities across North America and occasionally internationally. The awards are announced at the convention.
- Categories include Best Hardcover Novel, Best First Novel, Best Paperback/E-book/Audiobook Novel, Best Short Story, Best Historical Novel, Best Humorous Novel, Best Children's/Young Adult Novel, and Best Critical/Non-Fiction Work.
- The Anthony Award carries no monetary prize. Winners receive an Anthony Boucher-inspired trophy.
- Louise Penny won four consecutive Best Novel Anthonys (2010–2013), and S.A. Cosby won three in a row (2021–2023), making both among the most celebrated repeat winners.
- From 2023 onward, the main novel category was renamed Best Hardcover Novel, separating it more distinctly from the Best Paperback/E-book category, though the intent and eligible pool remain largely the same.