Awards

The Spotted Owl is chosen by a volunteer committee of Friends of Mystery members, and is announced in the spring of the year. Judging is currently underway for the 2020 award.

Learn more about the Spotted Owl Award, including eligibility and submission requirements, here.

Spotted Owl Award news and updates continue below.

Cain and Shaw Receive 2015 Spotted Owl Awards

by | Apr 27, 2015 | ,

Chelsea Cain and Johnny Shaw have been chosen as recipients of the twentieth annual Friends of Mystery Spotted Award. Cain is receiving her award for her book, One Kick, published in August 2014 by Simon & Schuster. Johnny Shaw is receiving his award for his book,...

Spotted Owl Award Winners List:

  • 2023 Robert Dugoni, The Silent Sisters
  • 2022 Warren Easley, No Witness
    2022 Mike Lawson, The Stanley Johnson Award for Lifetime Achievment
  • 2021 Robert Dugoni, The Last Agent
  • 2020 Robert Dugoni, The Eighth Sister
  • 2019 Mike Lawson, House Witness
  • 2018 Ingrid Thoft, Duplicity
  • 2017 Robert Dugoni, The 7th Canon
  • 2016 Jon Talton, High County Nocturne
  • 2015 Chelsea Cain, One Kick
    2015 Johnny Shaw, Plaster City
  • 2014 Mike Lawson, House Odds
  • 2013 Mike Lawson, House Blood
  • 2012 Bill Cameron, County Line
  • 2011 Dana Haynes, Crashers
  • 2010 Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
  • 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

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Bloody Thursdays

Our 2022-2023 Season opens with 2022 Spotted Owl Winner Warren Easley. Past Spotted Owl winners John Straley and Brett Battles join us in November and January. Then in March, we’ll be chatting with Sherry Thomas, author of the Lady Sherlock series. Mike Lawson will join us in May.

Bloody Thursdays will be continue to be hosted online with Zoom through March, with our first in-person event in May. Sign-up for our newsletter to get more details.