Awarded to the Best Book of 2021
Finalists are chosen from hundreds of submissions. The goal of Killer Nashville is to create a great reading list of books in selected categories, as well as, to help authors increase the sales and popularity of their books. In line with our mission statement, the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards are all about promoting our Finalist authors.
Winners in each category will be announced at the 2022 Killer Nashville Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 20, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. Finalists are heavily encouraged to attend to meet with agents, editors, publishers, PR representatives, and fellow writers, along with being recognized at the Awards event. Media has indicated they will be present.
Finalists are also encouraged to alert their fan base to vote for them in our Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Awards, which will also be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
Congratulations to the 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalists and Winners!
Bold denotes Winner
2022 Best Action Adventure Finalists
Murder at Buckskin Joe / J.v.L. Bell
Killers!: A Natalie McMasters Mystery / Thomas A. Burns, Jr.
Castoffs of the Gods / Sonja Dewing
The Cornmarket Conspiracy / Sharon Hoisager
Fatal Depth / Timothy S. Johnston
Beneath a Wrathful Sun / M. Elliot Lamb
The Pilate Scroll / M.B. Lewis
Came A Horseman / Paul McHugh
Alaskan Christmas Escape / Juno Rushdan
The Last of Her / Brent Spencer
2022 Best Attendee Action Adventure Finalists
Killers!: A Natalie McMasters Mystery / Thomas A. Burns, Jr.
Castoffs of the Gods / Sonja Dewing
The Cornmarket Conspiracy / Sharon Hoisager
2022 Best Comedy Finalists
Jove Brand Is Near Death / J. A. Crawford
Is That Your Final Answer? / Philip Gibbons
Sherlock’s Secretary / Chris Chan
Throwing Shade / Deborah Wilde
Bloodlines & Fencelines / DLS Evatt
How To Murder a Marriage: The Ex-Whisperer Files #1 / Gabrielle St. George
Saving La Familia / Donna Del Oro
Valpolicella Violet / Traci Andrighetti
Who, Me? Fog Bows, Fraud and Aphrodite / Charlotte Stuart
2022 Best Cozy Finalists
Where the Light Shines Through / Kathleen Bailey
Dead on My Feet / Patricia Broderick
An Embarrassment of Itches / M.K. Dean
Time After Tyme / Kay DiBianca
The Evening’s Amethyst / M. K. Graff
Suitable for Framing / Lori Roberts Herbst
The Unkindness of Ravens / M.E. Hilliard
Muffins & Magic / Polly Holmes
Death By Chance / Abigail Keam
The Fog Ladies: In the Soup / Susan McCormick
Gone Missin’ / Peggy O’Neal Peden
Death at the Salon / Louise Rose-Innes
Murder Worth a Thousand Words / Becki Willis
Stitch, Bake, Die! / Lois Winston
2022 Best Attendee Cozy Finalists
In Search Of Sierra / Brenda Donelan
Suitable for Framing / Lori Roberts Herbst
Murder in the Master – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery / Judy L Murray
Playing Possum / Lois Schmitt
Shrimply Dead / Maggie Toussaint
Fixation & Fraud / Cathy Tully
Stitch, Bake, Die! / Lois Winston
2022 Best Historical Finalists
Heirs of Falcon Point / Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards, and A.L. Sowards
Cry of the Innocent / Julie Bates
The Turncoat’s Widow / Mally Becker
After Alice Fell / Kim Taylor Blakemore
The Artist Colony / Joanna FitzPatrick
No One Must Know / Susan Frances
Murder Under A Full Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery / Abigail Keam
Murder Under A New Moon / Abigail Keam
High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery / Kelly Oliver
The Promise of Deception / Jessica Sly
Zebra: Friends by Fate. Enemies by Destiny / Jill Wallace
2022 Best Investigator Finalists
All That Fall / Kris Calvin
The Blessed Bones / Kathryn Casey
Girl Missing / Kate Gable
Be Mine Forever / D.K. Hood
In the Name Of / Candace Irving
Now & Then / Justin M. Kiska
The Lost Dragon Murder / Michael Allan Mallory
The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon / Marcy McCreary
Striking Range: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery / Margaret Mizushima
Hide in Place / Emilya Naymark
At First Light / Barbara Nickless
The Labyrinth / Owen Parr
The Winter Girls / Roger Stelljes
2022 Best Attendee Investigator Finalists
All That Fall / Kris Calvin
10 Days: A Dee Rommel Mystery / Jule Selbo
2022 Best Juvenile / YA Finalists
A Shadow on the Snow / JPC Allen
Cold-Blooded Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery 3) / Elizabeth Bunce
What Lies Beneath / Marissa Doyle
Rules of Falling / Leslie Tall Manning
A Stranger From the Storm / William Burton McCormick
Wonder Rush / Dan McKeon
Silence Speaks: A Sonny and Breanne Mystery #4 / James Paavola
Leisha’s Song / Lynn Slaughter
2022 Best Attendee Juvenile / YA Finalists
Leisha’s Song / Lynn Slaughter
2022 Best Mystery Finalists
An Ambush of Widows / Jeff Abbot
Red Rabbit On The Run / Jodi Bowersox
Bluff / John DeDakis
A Killer’s Daughter / Jenna Kernan
When Silence Screams / Mark Edward Langley
The Dark Remains / William McIlvanney & Ian Rankin
Spirit: An Andrea Kelley Mystery (The Archivist Book 2) / Elle Andrews Patt
The Archivist / Rex Pickett
The Scorpion’s Tail / Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Grave Reservations / Cherie Priest
The Ruthless / David Putnam
Hunted in the Holler / Drew Strickland
Death and Consequences, An Eastern Shore Mystery / Cheril Thomas
The First Day of Spring / Nancy Tucker
Bye, Buy Baby / Becki Willis
2022 Best Attending Mystery Finalists
The Taker / Robin Acton
Beyond The Headlines / R.G. Belsky
The Art of Betrayal / Connie Berry
Prefer Death (A Matthew Paine Mystery) / Lee Clark
Mainely Money / Matt Cost
Bluff / John DeDakis
Killer With Black Blood / J L Hill
Scarlet at Crystal River / Randy Overbeck
Murder off Route 82 / Jane Suen
Death and Consequences, An Eastern Shore Mystery / Cheril Thomas
Bye, Buy Baby / Becki Willis
The Sacrifice of Lester Yates / Robin Yocum
2022 Best Nonfiction Finalists
Self Help Sucks. The Anti Self Help Guide to Inner Peace and Contentment / Tony Blankenship
Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter / Chris Chan
Chasing bin Laden: My Hunt for the World’s Most Notorious Terrorist / Barbara Janik
The Home for Friendless Children / C.L. Olsen
Defending a Serial Killer: The Right to Counsel / Jim Potts
2022 Best Sci-fi / Fantasy Finalists
Journey to the Past / Esteban Corio
Schrodinger’s Cat / Ronald Crittenden
Hall of Skulls / Jamie Eubanks
The Last Beekeeper / Jared Gulian
House of Bastiion / K.L. Kolarich
Beryl Blue, Time Cop / Janet Raye Stevens
Tomb of the Queen / Joss Walker
Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos / Wilson Whitlow
Missing on Orbital 4: A Jake Hemlock Adventure / Cory Wilcox
2022 Best Short Story Collection / Anthology Finalists
Lies Along the Mississippi / Carolyn McSparren
House of Crows / Lisa Unger
2022 Best Southern Gothic Finalists
A Curse of Silver and Blood / Kimberly A Banks
2022 Best Attendee Southern Gothic Finalists
A Curse of Silver and Blood / Kimberly A Banks
2022 Best Supernatural Finalists
You Can’t Candle the Truth / Sarah E. Burr
Whisper Down the Lane / Clay McLeod Chapman
Our Trespasses / Michael Cordell
Dead & Buried / T.K. Eldridge
Swashbucklers / Dan Hanks
Rovers / Richard Lange
Annihilation / Kaylin McFarren
The Ghosts of Thorwald Place / Helen Power
A Moment After Dark / Janet Raye Stevens
Tidepool / Nicole Willson
2022 Best Suspense Finalists
In Harm’s Way / Traci Abramson
Redemption / Traci Abramson
Nanny Needed / Georgina Cross
Waiting for the Night Song / Julie Carrick Dalton
Hostile Intent / Lynette Eason
Furious: Sailing into Terror / Jeffrey James Higgins
Rattlesnake Road / Amanda McKinney
Redemption Road / Amanda McKinney
The Reunion / Kiersten Modglin
Cottonmouth: A Jessica James Mystery / Kelly Oliver
Woman in Shadow / Carrie Stuart Parks
Her Ocean Grave / Dana Perry
The Next Wife / Kaira Rouda
What Comes After / JoAnne Tompkins
Beneath the Marigolds / Emily C. Whitson
2022 Best Attendee Suspense Finalists
Nanny Needed / Georgina Cross
Hostile Intent / Lynette Eason
Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For / Wendy Kendall
DCYE Dangerous Games / Lynessa Layne
Fear the Night / Dianne McCartney
Rattlesnake Road / Amanda McKinney
The Reunion / Kiersten Modglin
Cottonmouth: A Jessica James Mystery / Kelly Oliver
Her Ocean Grave / Dana Perry
Locust Time: A Novel of Suspense / Dale T. Phillips
A Savage Joy Luis E Rosas
The Next Wife / Kaira Rouda
2022 Best Thriller Finalists
Her Name is Knight / Yasmin Angoe
The Ambulance Chaser / Brian Cuban
The Chaos Kind / Barry Eisler
Devil’s Ledger / Lorraine Evanoff
A Slow Fire Burning / Paula Hawkins
Furious: Sailing into Terror / Jeffrey James Higgins
56 Days / Catherine Ryan Howard
Blink of an Eye / Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
The Missing Piece / John Lescroart
Stone the Dead Crows / Carrie Magillen
The Family Tree / Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry
Point Option / Ian O’Connor
The Kingdoms / Natahsa Pulley
The Siren / Katherine St. John
Impostor Syndrome / Kathy Wang
2022 Best Attendee Thriller Finalists
The Ambulance Chaser / Brian Cuban
The Counsel of the Cunning / Steven Harms
Angel the Assassin / Jane B Lee
Black Label / James L’Etoile
Nerve Attack / S. Lee Manning
Divided States / Rick Treon
Fallen Star: The Divine Devils Book 2 / R Weir
2nd Runners Up Best Book of 2021
An Ambush of Widows / Jeff Abbot
Suitable for Framing / Lori Roberts Herbst
1st Runners Up Best Book of 2021
A Slow Fire Burning / Paula Hawkins
The Next Wife / Kaira Rouda
2022 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards for Best Book of 2021
Girl Missing / Kate Gable
The Reunion / Kiersten Modglin