The 2026 Crime Novel of the Year longlist comprises stories that transport readers from gangland Yorkshire to a haunted Dartmoor country house, from wartime Glasgow to a remote Scottish island
The 18 longlisted titles for Crime Novel of the Year have been announced(Image: HIF)
The longlist for the world’s most prestigious crime writing awards has been unveiled for 2026. Of the 18 titles competing for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, five are by former winners while six authors have received their first-ever longlist nomination.
The victor of the UK and Ireland’s most coveted crime fiction accolade – now entering its 22nd year and backed by the Daily Express – will be announced on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
The selection takes readers on a journey from gangland Yorkshire to a haunted Dartmoor country house, from wartime Glasgow to a remote Scottish island, and boasts an array of extraordinary investigators – from the world’s first AI detective to a time-travelling cold case sleuth, reports the Express.
Championing bold and captivating storytelling, the 2026 longlist spans an exciting variety of crime fiction genres, encompassing gritty gangland thrillers, locked room mysteries, gripping courtroom dramas, dark domestic noir and atmospheric historical murder mysteries.
Six first-time longlisted authors include bestselling writers A.A. Dhand and Alice Feeney, both of whom have hugely successful TV adaptations to their credit. Meanwhile, five former winners feature in the shape of Jo Callaghan, Mick Herron, Denise Mina and Belinda Bauer, alongside two-time champion Mark Billingham.
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The longlist in full:
• What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction)
• The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani (Profile Books, Viper)
• The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer (Penguin Random House, Bantam)
• What The Night Brings by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)
• Human Remains by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster)
• The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins, Hemlock Press)
• The Chemist by A.A. Dhand (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction)
• Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (Pan Macmillan, Pan Fiction)
• The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books)
• The Examiner by Janice Hallett (Profile Books, Viper)
• The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (Penguin Random House, Doubleday)
• Clown Town by Mick Herron (John Murray Books, Baskerville)
• Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan (Bonnier Books, Zaffre)
• Paperboy by Callum McSorley (Puskin Press, Vertigo)
• The Good Liar by Denise Mina (Penguin Random House, Harvill)
• Gunner by Alan Parks (John Murray Books, Baskerville)
• We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)
• A Schooling in Murder by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins, Hemlock Press)
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Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said: “We are delighted to announce the 2026 longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. It’s a pleasure to sponsor this Award and champion such an array of talented crime writers – from established global bestsellers and household names, to rising stars who are all set to become the superstar writers of tomorrow. We’re very much looking forward to finding out who the public vote for to reach the shortlist this year.”
Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “Congratulations to all the hugely talented writers longlisted for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. We’re excited to see such a compelling and inclusive longlist for this year’s Award. Readers are vitally important to the Award as they help to determine the outcome, and in this National Year of Reading we encourage everyone to go all in and vote for their favourite novel to reach the shortlist.”
Public voting launches today, with a shortlist of six titles set to be unveiled on 18 June. The overall winner will be announced on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival on 23 July at a special awards ceremony presented by Steph McGovern. The victorious author will receive £3,000 along with a handcrafted, engraved beer barrel courtesy of title sponsor T&R Theakston Ltd.
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