About The Spotted Owl Award

The Spotted Owl is chosen by a volunteer committee of Friends of Mystery members, and is announced in the spring of the year.

The list of eligible books for the 2012 award can found here.

For a book to be considered for the 2012 Spotted Owl award:

The author must have primary residence in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho or the Province of British Columbia.
The mystery is published in the current calendar year (January 1 - December 31, 2011).

Please send a complimentary reading copy to the Spotted Owl Committee at: PO Box 8251, Portland, Oregon, 97207. Also include bio or publicity information and an email contact address.

The contact person for the Spotted Owl Award is Elinore Rogers who may be reached at owlaward@friendsofmystery.org.

2011 Spotted Owl Awards Announced!

Dana Haynes has been named the winner of 2011 Spotted Owl award for his novel Crashers. Haynes has worked for 20 years in Oregon newspaper newsrooms, and is currently the Public Affairs Manager for Portland Community College. Under the name of Conrad Haynes he had three traditional mysteries published in the 1980’s. Crashers, published in June 2010, featured the world of the National Transportation Safety Board’s aviation disaster investigations.

Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin The 2011 award marks the 16th year of Spotted Owl winners. Previous winners are Alan Bradley, Kate Wilhelm, Kris (Nelscott) Rusch, and Lowen Clausen, who have each won the award twice. Other winners include Earl Emerson, John Straley, Tom Mitcheltree, L.L. Thrasher, Marcia Simpson, G.M. Ford, Kevin O’Brien, Mike Doogan and Phil Margolin.

Runners up for the 2011 Spotted Owl award are:

Jon Talton for Deadline Man
Robert Dugoni for Bodily Harm
Mike Lawson for House Justice
Patrick McManus for The Huckleberry Murders
Bill Cameron for Day One
Phillip Margolin for Supreme Justice
Greg Rucka for The Last Run
Steve Martini for The Rule of Nine
Michael Gruber for The Good Son

Thanks to the members of the Spotted Owl Committee, Marlyne Stuckey, Jeannette Voss, Carrie Richards, Pete Scott, and Sheila Sweet, who worked so hard this year. The committee evaluated 61 books.

See the complete list of 2010 Northwest Releases here.

2010 Spotted Owl Awards

The Spotted Owl Committee has selected The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley as the 2010 winner.

The runners up are:

Mike Lawson for House Secrets
Robert Dugoni for Wrongful Death
Stan Jones for Village of the Ghost Bears
Chelsea Cain for Evil at Heart
Phillip Margolin for Fugitive
Steve Martini for Guardian of Lies
Aaron Elkins for Skull Duggery
Dana Stabenow for Whisper to the Blood
Clyde Ford for Whiskey Gulf

See the complete list of 2009 Northwest Releases here.

2009 Spotted Owl Awards

The Spotted Owl Committee has selected Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin as the 2009 winner.

The runners up are:

Chasing Smoke by Bill Cameron
House Rules by Mike Lawson
Nameless Night by G.M. Ford
Cold Plague by Daniel Kalla
Skeleton Lake by Mike Doogan
Shanghai Tunnel by Sharan Newman
Frozen Sun by Stan Jones
Fixation: A Thriller by Mark Schorr
Tie – Careless in Red by Elizabeth George
Tie – Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell

See the complete list of 2008 Northwest Releases here.

2008 Spotted Owl Awards

The Spotted Owl Committee has selected A Wrongful Death by Kate Wilhelm as the 2008 winner.

The runners up are:

J.A. Jance for Justice Denied
Mike Doogan for Capitol Offense
Bill Cameron for Lost Dog
Robert Dugoni for Damage Control
Chelsea Cain for Heartsick
Martin Limon for Wandering Ghost
Daniel Kalla for Blood Lies
Elizabeth Lowell for Innocent as Sin
Dana Stabenow for A Deeper Sleep

See the complete list of 2007 Northwest Releases here.

2007 Spotted Owl Awards

Kris Nelscott for "Days of Rage"

Mike Doogan for "Lost Angel" – First Mystery Novel award

The runners up are:

G.M. Ford for Blown Away
Tie – Aaron Elkins for Unnatural Selection
Tie – Heather Sharfeddin for Mineral Spirits
Michael Lawson for Second Perimeter
Patrick McManus for The Blight Way
Daniel Kalla for Rage Therapy
J.A. Jance for Dead Wrong
Robert Dugoni for The Jury Master
Mark Schorr for Borderline
Kenneth Lewis for Little Blue Whales

Spotted Owl Award Winners List:

2009 Phillip Margolin, Executive Privilege
2008 Kate Wilhelm, A Wrongful Death
2007 Kris Nelscott, Days of Rage
2007 Mike Doogan, Lost Angel (First Mystery Novel Award)
2006 Kevin O'Brien, The Last Victim
2005 Kris Nelscott, Stone Cribs
2004 - Lowen Clausen, Second Watch
2003 - G. M. Ford, Black River
2002 - Kate Wilhelm, Desperate Measures
2001 - Marcia Simpson, Crow in Stolen Colors
2000 - Lowen Clausen, First Avenue
1999 - L. L. Thrasher, Charlie’s Bones
1998 - Tom Mitcheltree, Katie’s Will
1997 - John Straley, The Music of What Happens
1996 - Earl Emerson, The Vanishing Smile