150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
The Cold Trail
Book Four of the Sean Kruger Series
J.C. Fields
2019 Gold Medal
355 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
The Cold Trail is a work of suspenseful dramatic fiction penned by author J.C. Fields and the fourth book in the Sean Kruger detective mystery series. Retired FBI profiler Kruger is busy teaching at his university campus when a graduate student is suddenly kidnapped. Kruger finds the circumstances too familiar to ignore and sets about reopening a case from more than twenty years ago, and a series of further disappearances in its wake. With the help of his IT expert and friend JR Diminski, the data is crunched and the clues are unearthed to attempt to catch a killer, but Kruger has to face the risk that he might fail at the case yet again.
Readers who enjoy a tightly contained plot with strict turns and sharp twists are certain to unpick every enjoyable detail of author J.C. Fields’s creation. Sean Kruger is well developed as a powerful and capable central figure, leading the investigation with a gravitas that well becomes his age and experience. I found the plot links and evidence highly realistic, like following a real crime scene, and the profiling skills that Kruger displays are beautiful to watch and figure out alongside him. The descriptions add to the scenes only when necessary, relying largely on dialogue and character representation to drive the most compelling of moments. As such, the narration is quick to read and full of little details not to be missed, making it a fast-paced page-turner. Overall, I would highly recommend The Cold Trail to crime fans everywhere.
Recommend this book:
Into the Darkness
Sibel Hodge
2019 Silver Medal
300 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Into the Darkness by Sibel Hodge is a gripping psychological thriller. What do the missing, the vigilante and the detective all have in common? Toni is being held a prisoner in a basement. She discovered something on the internet that she wasn’t meant to see, resulting in her abduction and nobody can hear her screams for help. Her mother and Mitchell, an ex-operative for the SAS, start looking for Toni and what Mitchell discovers has him racing to get her before time runs out. DS Warren Carter just wanted an easier life. The murder of a couple draws him into a case that is anything but easy; the deeper he looks, the more twisted the crime. The missing, the vigilante and the detective – each has their own story to tell.
Into the Darkness by Sibel Hodge is a chilling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Delving into the dark web, a place where nobody should go, this is a gripping tale of torture and evil. Told from the viewpoint of the three main characters, in the first person, each chapter is short and to the point, each leaving you wanting more. It is a dark story, one that moves at a good pace with plenty of suspense and tension. The characters are real, they are identifiable and wholly believable, their stories weaved into one big story that will haunt you long after you finish it. This is a story of layers, each one going deeper and leading to darker layers, interspersed with a bit of humor which did lighten things up. Thoroughly enjoyed this, highly recommended for anyone who loves a crime thriller that goes just that little bit further.
Recommend this book:
Louisiana Blood
A Chandler Travis and Duke Lanoix Mystery
Mike Donald
2019 Bronze Medal
424 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
In Louisiana Blood: A Chandler Travis and Duke Lanoix Mystery, Mike Donald weaves a thriller that combines family dirty secrets with a conspiracy, an evocation of one of the goriest moments of a serial killer. Detective Chandler Travis has always had an inquisitive mind and he delights in unraveling mysteries, a trait he has inherited from his great-grandfather, a cub reporter when Jack the Ripper made news across London with his macabre killings. Travis’s family has been so involved and curious about the case. When Travis receives the call, he doesn’t know what to believe, wondering if his family had been behind one of the greatest conspiracies of all time. With the remains of the first five victims of Jack the Ripper discovered in present-day Louisiana, Travis teams up with a local sheriff to uncover the truth. They aren’t aware of what awaits them.
Mike Donald does an impeccable job in blending the past with the present in a tale filled with mystery and evocative of a historical period fraught with fear inspired by a serial killer. The narrative begins in wintry weather in 1893, and the author creates a captivating scene that absorbs the reader and makes them want to follow the story. For me, the great opening offered huge promise and I was keen to see how the author developed it. And it never disappointed. The vivid descriptions filled the pages of this book and the author built on the intensity of the emotions of the characters, giving readers clear images painted with forensic clarity. Louisiana Blood: A Chandler Travis and Duke Lanoix Mystery is suspenseful, filled with intrigue and the quest for clues that keeps the reader’s mind at work.
Recommend this book:
See No More
Whitney Dineen
2019 Honorable Mention
389 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
See No More by Whitney Dineen is the story of Kate Randolph, a strong and independent woman who has overcome - at least to outsiders - the abandonment of her father twenty-five years beforehand when she was eight years old. As she sits with her sister, she receives a call from a man named Jake, informing her that her father has died. Old wounds are reopened as Kate goes to Oregon to settle his estate. As it turns out, Jake was more than just some guy on the phone; he was her father's dearest friend, entrusted with her safety as she is given clues pertaining to his life, his work, and the reasons why he left her, her sister, and their mother behind in California. But as the reality of what's happened unfolds and the vast danger surrounding what he knew to be true is revealed, Kate finds herself in a crisis that, if she is unable to rein it in, more than just her own life will be lost.
See No More by Whitney Dineen is a thriller filled with twists, turns, and many layers that unfold in the most wonderful, unexpected ways. Kate is an instantly endearing character with a strong sense of self and, more importantly, selflessness that comes boldly through in a time when anyone else would be anything but. The settings are well drawn and the action begins right out of the gate, but to me the biggest twist came less than a third of the way through when Kate goes back to California with Jake to meet someone important, and finds someone else there - completely unexpected - that drives the story up by about a million watts. Man, do I love an electrifying development! I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy excellent suspense and elevated heart rates, with a nice side of environmental cheerleading tossed in for good measure.
Recommend this book:
Mary Bernadette: Secrets of a Dallas Moon
A Young Vietnamese Girl's Tale from the Grave about the Killing of JFK
John F. Bronzo
2019 Finalist
426 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Mary Bernadette: Secrets of a Dallas Moon is told from the point of view of a couple of people involved in a secret mission during the Vietnam War. The main character is Mary Bernadette, a young Vietnamese orphan who was brutally murdered in 1971 with twelve other girls and a novice at the Catholic orphanage they loved. Mary’s story begins with finding out that she was half white and half Vietnamese, given away by a mother whom she’d never known. The nun who was in charge, Sister Kate Sullivan, had taken a liking to this child. The novel then takes a dark and twisted turn when a strange injured man is found in the jungle near the orphanage. Sister Kate, feeling it her duty to aid this injured man, brought him in to help. This stranger turned out to be a Russian and, while delirious, he began talking about being the second gunman in the Kennedy assassination. What is at stake, and what happened to Mary Bernadette in 1971?
This is the first historical novel that I have read based during the Vietnam War and I must admit it has had a profound effect on me.
John F. Bronzo has written an amazing piece of work involving many characters which you automatically feel ties to and can connect with. The fact that it is essentially a tale told by a murdered child has such a powerful effect and sets the tone of the story immediately. He also gives such a strong case to what might be one of the biggest conspiracy theories - was there a second gunman in the Kennedy assassination, and did Russia have a hand in it? It may be fiction, but there are so many people who believe that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn’t the only shooter that fateful day in Dallas. It leaves the reader with the ‘what if’ feeling and you find yourself rethinking what you know from history books and going over the evidence one more time. Mary Bernadette: Secrets of a Dallas Moon has been one of the most eye-opening books I have read so far this year. It also gave me more insight into an era that, as a high schooler, our teachers often skimmed past.
Recommend this book:
Tabula Rasa
The End is Nigh
Gordon Bickerstaff
2018 Gold Medal
357 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Tabula Rasa: The End is Nigh by Gordon Bickerstaff is a fascinating tale that weaves together elements of thriller with mystery to deliver one of the best entertainments for readers. Two skilled agents from the Lambeth Group, Gavin Shawlens and Zoe Tampsin, are embroiled in a murder investigation that will take them to unexpected places. The government defence scientist has died in very bizarre circumstances and the agents are just about to start an investigation to find out why, but it seems someone wants to stop them at all cost and they don’t know why. Read on to see how quickly the conflict escalates, with Zoe’s discovery of the coded phrase “Tabula Rasa” and the incomprehensible behavior of the son of the dead scientist. As the duo continues with the investigation, Gavin will have to face the greatest threat in human history while Zoe is shocked at her own discovery about Gavin. And what does a prophecy dating back a hundred years have to do with all of this?
Gordon Bickerstaff’s book is a thriller with a very complex and multilayered plot, a story that features compelling and well-developed characters. The storytelling skills are impeccable and the author has managed to keep the reader turning the page non-stop, wanting to discover what happens to the characters. Surprises are many and they come in at unexpected moments. The story feels real and it is relevant, dealing with great themes like climate change, crime, and human greed. I enjoyed the portraits of the two investigators and I loved the surprise they experience at discovering each other in the process. Tabula Rasa: The End is Nigh is a captivating story that will delight fans of thrillers. I just couldn’t stop reading this amazing story.
Recommend this book:
The Last Oracle
A Climate Change Fiction Thriller
Christopher Hepworth
2018 Silver Medal
433 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
The Last Oracle by Christopher Hepworth is a conspiracy thriller, the third in the Sam Jardine series. Rex Dangerfield’s fracking company is aiming to tap into a gas seam in the Greenland ice shelf, a move that will cause untold damage to the environment and the climate. Dangerfield has an enemy though, the one person that will stand in his way and stop him from causing disaster – his daughter. Her mother was Egyptian and she is the Oracle of the Temple of Sekhmet; her job is to stop people like her father from destroying the world. Sam is recruited by the Oracle to try to change the way her father works but something else is standing in the way. A secret society will reap huge profits from the destruction and they will do whatever it takes to remove Sam from the equation. As events escalate, Jardine has to fight his way through corruption, past every person who will gain from the epic disaster about to unfold. Can he stop it in time or is the world about to be destroyed?
The Last Oracle by Christopher Hepworth is a frighteningly real story. Although it is the third of a series, there was enough information provided about the main protagonist so that not reading the previous books did not affect my enjoyment of this story and I believe that this could easily be read as a standalone. We are all aware of the climate changes happening across the world and we are all aware that some of it is down to the way we abuse this planet, stripping it of natural resources and forever changing the delicate balances in place. Both the story and the characters have real depth to them; the action starts from page one and continues right to the last page. The detail in the story is excellent, making for a novel that is real, compelling and truly engaging. It moves fast but never loses sight of the main issues, even through the many twists and turns. Great book, highly recommended for anyone who wants to lose themselves in an epic thriller.
Recommend this book:
Nuclear Blues
Bradley K. Martin
2018 Bronze Medal
338 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Nuclear Blues by Bradley K. Martin is a tightly written and pulsating political thriller with a captivating setting in North Korea, riddled with espionage, shady activities, and a world where nothing is as it seems. Meet Heck Davis, a journalist who has embraced a new career as a blues musician. But suddenly his friend is shot and everything changes. He goes back to hunt the shooter, but in a world filled with uncertainty, where any passerby could be carrying a bomb, can he stay safe and find answers to the riddle that haunts his mind?
Bradley K. Martin’s Nuclear Blues is cunningly crafted and the action builds up around the growth of the protagonist. Heck Davis evolves in many ways throughout the narrative and readers will be stunned at how the author creates a powerful link between the conflict, the protagonist, and the setting. This could be a story about strong and compelling characters seeking answers, but it is a powerful statement about the socio-political landscapes and the darkness that invades North Korea, a daring story that is as unnerving as it is engrossing.
Bradley K. Martin has the gift of making readers feel a place and fall in love with his characters. The writing is top-notch and the overall writing is deft and balanced, with powerful and emotionally intense scenes, thrilling moments of action, and twists that readers won’t see coming. The “aha” moments are many and the thought that something could happen at any moment invades the reader’s mind. I was so engrossed that I read the whole story through the night. An awesome read. One of the best thrillers I have read so far with an international setting.
Recommend this book:
Untouchable
Sibel Hodge
2018 Honorable Mention
395 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Untouchable by Sibel Hodge is a real thriller. Do you know who you can trust? You might think you do, but you don’t and finding out the truth could very well leave you dead. Maya is waiting for Jamie to come home to celebrate their anniversary. Instead she gets a visit from the police. Jamie is dead, found hanging in the woods, an apparent suicide. But Maya says he wouldn’t do this. Something is terribly wrong. Her house has been broken into and someone is definitely watching her. And whatever Jamie was doing before his death has been well and truly covered up. Maya begins to investigate what Jamie was doing before he died, and winds up at a place they call “The Big House.” A place that contains secrets nobody would ever want getting out; secrets about people who think they can’t be touched. Maya has to make the biggest decision of her life – does she drop it or does she put her own life on the line?
Untouchable by Sibel Hodge is a truly thrilling read, an intensive, fast thriller that I just couldn’t put down. This is the true definition of a page-turner, written by someone who is incredibly skilled at drawing a reader in and hanging on for dear life until it’s all over. The plot was one of the strongest I have ever read – I believe it was based on real police investigations in the UK – and the character development is second to none. The details and the descriptions in the book are flawless and really make everything seem like it is happening here and now, that you are living the story. I really can’t rate this book high enough, and it is thoroughly recommended for anyone who truly enjoys chilling thrillers
Recommend this book:
Death Sum Game
Avi Domoshevizki
2018 Finalist
395 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
Death Sum Game by Avi Domoshevizki is a modern day technological thriller played out by the book's protagonist, Tom Moore. Tom's marriage to his wife, Sharon, is disintegrating, a fact that is revealed to him with a mixture of shock and anguish on his part. His professional life appears to be taking the same turn until a company acting as an angel investor swoops in and seemingly saves the day, along with the groundbreaking cyber-technology Tom has created. When his new sponsor turns out to have a heinous ulterior motive that can - and likely will - result in the bloodshed of untold numbers of people, it's left to Tom to make an impossible choice...but only if he's unable to seek out and circumvent the carnage first.
Death Sum Game is a well crafted story that intelligently applies an extensive treasure trove of high tech details to its fast paced plot by author Avi Domoshevizki. In something of a dichotomy, the main character is a methodological genius but also, frankly, kind of a social dolt. This is proven through his devoted attachment to a wealthy wife whom he believes to be out of his league, which made me initially feel more sorry for her than I did for him. Tom does grow within himself as a character and into the story as he becomes a driving factor to the plot, but where this book truly shines is in the science and technology that Domoshevizki uses as the foundation of his narrative. There are elements of this book that were reminiscent of Tom Clancy, who also had a tendency to write (very effectively) in a style that is technical, literal, and offers straight-to-the-point suspense. This is the direction that I see Domoshevizki heading and I'm excited to see what comes next.