Shamus Awards - Best Private Detective Novels

1.
The Distance: A Crime Novel Introducing Billy Nichols (Billy Nichols #1)
The Distance: A Crime Novel Introducing Billy Nichols (Billy Nichols #1) 4.05 avg rating — 118 ratings
2.
The Wrong Kind of Blood (Ed Loy, #1)
The Wrong Kind of Blood (Ed Loy, #1) 3.68 avg rating — 874 ratings
3.
Shortcut Man (Shortcut Man, #1)
Shortcut Man (Shortcut Man, #1) 3.30 avg rating — 300 ratings
4.
Lost Little Girl: A Jackson Gamble Novel
Lost Little Girl: A Jackson Gamble Novel 4.58 avg rating — 24 ratings
5.
The Missing American (Emma Djan Investigation #1)
The Missing American (Emma Djan Investigation #1) 3.71 avg rating — 2,701 ratings
6.
Brutality (Fina Ludlow, #3)
Brutality (Fina Ludlow, #3) 4.03 avg rating — 586 ratings
7.
Brittle Karma
Brittle Karma 4.07 avg rating — 14 ratings
8.
Kiss (Fred Carver, #3)
Kiss (Fred Carver, #3)
by: John Lutz
3.75 avg rating — 158 ratings
9.
Lost Tomorrows (Rick Cahill, #6)
Lost Tomorrows (Rick Cahill, #6) 4.11 avg rating — 822 ratings
10.
A Creative Kind of Killer
A Creative Kind of Killer 3.61 avg rating — 72 ratings
11.
What You Want To See (Roxane Weary, #2)
What You Want To See (Roxane Weary, #2) 3.84 avg rating — 3,181 ratings
12.
The Lincoln Lawyer (The Lincoln Lawyer, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #16)
The Lincoln Lawyer (The Lincoln Lawyer, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #16) 4.22 avg rating — 250,356 ratings
13.
The Good Cop (Carter Ross, #4)
The Good Cop (Carter Ross, #4) 3.87 avg rating — 1,125 ratings
14.
True Detective (Nathan Heller, #1)
True Detective (Nathan Heller, #1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,094 ratings
15.
California Fire and Life
California Fire and Life 4.06 avg rating — 5,404 ratings
16.
IQ (IQ, #1)
IQ (IQ, #1)
by: Joe Ide
3.78 avg rating — 21,943 ratings
17.
Where It Hurts (Gus Murphy, #1)
Where It Hurts (Gus Murphy, #1) 3.69 avg rating — 3,227 ratings
18.
Boobytrap (Nameless Detective, #25)
Boobytrap (Nameless Detective, #25) 3.85 avg rating — 165 ratings
19.
B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2)
B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2) 3.88 avg rating — 59,618 ratings
20.
C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone, #3)
C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone, #3) 3.93 avg rating — 54,788 ratings
21.
Blackwater Sound (Thorn, #7)
Blackwater Sound (Thorn, #7) 3.97 avg rating — 1,164 ratings
22.
Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4)
Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4) 4.16 avg rating — 41,498 ratings
23.
Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3)
Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3) 3.96 avg rating — 23,369 ratings
24.
Prayers for Rain (Kenzie & Gennaro, #5)
Prayers for Rain (Kenzie & Gennaro, #5) 4.09 avg rating — 23,472 ratings
25.
Nightlines (Alo Nudger, #2)
Nightlines (Alo Nudger, #2)
by: John Lutz
3.75 avg rating — 85 ratings
26.
Ride the Lightning (Alo Nudger, #4)
Ride the Lightning (Alo Nudger, #4)
by: John Lutz
3.62 avg rating — 86 ratings
27.
Early Autumn (Spenser, #7)
Early Autumn (Spenser, #7) 4.17 avg rating — 9,899 ratings
28.
Ceremony (Spenser, #9)
Ceremony (Spenser, #9) 4.01 avg rating — 7,976 ratings
29.
The Widening Gyre (Spenser, #10)
The Widening Gyre (Spenser, #10) 4.03 avg rating — 7,264 ratings
30.
A Catskill Eagle (Spenser, #12)
A Catskill Eagle (Spenser, #12) 4.05 avg rating — 8,952 ratings
31.
Hell to Pay (Derek Strange & Terry Quinn #2)
Hell to Pay (Derek Strange & Terry Quinn #2) 3.89 avg rating — 3,048 ratings
32.
Hoodwink (Nameless Detective, #7)
Hoodwink (Nameless Detective, #7) 3.80 avg rating — 237 ratings
33.
Bones (Nameless Detective, #14)
Bones (Nameless Detective, #14) 3.95 avg rating — 175 ratings
34.
Sentinels (Nameless Detective, #23)
Sentinels (Nameless Detective, #23) 3.80 avg rating — 147 ratings
35.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt 3.63 avg rating — 168 ratings
36.
The Glass Highway (Amos Walker, #4)
The Glass Highway (Amos Walker, #4) 3.92 avg rating — 277 ratings
37.
Deception Pass (Thomas Black, #10)
Deception Pass (Thomas Black, #10) 3.90 avg rating — 385 ratings
38.
Blood is the Sky (Alex McKnight, #5)
Blood is the Sky (Alex McKnight, #5) 4.14 avg rating — 4,275 ratings
39.
Taken (Elvis Cole, #15; Joe Pike, #4)
Taken (Elvis Cole, #15; Joe Pike, #4) 4.22 avg rating — 20,705 ratings
40.
The First Rule (Elvis Cole, #13; Joe Pike, #2)
The First Rule (Elvis Cole, #13; Joe Pike, #2) 4.24 avg rating — 23,957 ratings
41.
The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole, #10)
The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole, #10) 4.17 avg rating — 15,874 ratings
42.
L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8)
L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8) 4.31 avg rating — 22,094 ratings
43.
Indigo Slam (Elvis Cole, #7)
Indigo Slam (Elvis Cole, #7) 4.21 avg rating — 15,939 ratings
44.
Sunset Express (Elvis Cole, #6)
Sunset Express (Elvis Cole, #6) 4.21 avg rating — 17,583 ratings
45.
Lullaby Town (Elvis Cole, #3)
Lullaby Town (Elvis Cole, #3) 4.16 avg rating — 14,854 ratings
46.
Empty Ever After (Moe Prager, #5)
Empty Ever After (Moe Prager, #5) 3.98 avg rating — 535 ratings
47.
Soul Patch (Moe Prager, #4)
Soul Patch (Moe Prager, #4) 3.93 avg rating — 591 ratings
48.
The Devil Knows You're Dead (Matthew Scudder, #11)
The Devil Knows You're Dead (Matthew Scudder, #11) 4.01 avg rating — 3,186 ratings
49.
Family Business (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #14)
Family Business (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #14) 4.08 avg rating — 474 ratings
50.
Blind Vigil (Rick Cahill #7)
Blind Vigil (Rick Cahill #7) 4.22 avg rating — 623 ratings
51.
Every City Is Every Other City (Gordon Stewart Mystery, #1)
Every City Is Every Other City (Gordon Stewart Mystery, #1) 3.09 avg rating — 6,781 ratings
52.
The Best Bad Things
The Best Bad Things 3.34 avg rating — 1,436 ratings
53.
Behind the Wall of Sleep (Henry Malone #5)
Behind the Wall of Sleep (Henry Malone #5) 4.33 avg rating — 27 ratings
54.
The Last Place You Look (Roxane Weary, #1)
The Last Place You Look (Roxane Weary, #1) 3.97 avg rating — 9,089 ratings
55.
The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss (Dahlia Moss Mysteries, #3)
The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss (Dahlia Moss Mysteries, #3) 3.89 avg rating — 323 ratings
56.
The Room of White Fire (Roland Ford, #1)
The Room of White Fire (Roland Ford, #1) 3.78 avg rating — 2,103 ratings
57.
Play a Cold Hand (Scott Elliott Mystery #5)
Play a Cold Hand (Scott Elliott Mystery #5) 4.40 avg rating — 10 ratings
58.
The Do-Right (Delpha Wade and Tom Phelan Mystery Series #1)
The Do-Right (Delpha Wade and Tom Phelan Mystery Series #1) 3.82 avg rating — 780 ratings
59.
The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation, #2)
The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation, #2) 4.05 avg rating — 4,054 ratings
60.
Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts, #1)
Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts, #1) 3.63 avg rating — 5,196 ratings
61.
Circling the Runway (Jake Diamond Mysteries Book 4)
Circling the Runway (Jake Diamond Mysteries Book 4) 4.25 avg rating — 36 ratings
62.
Hounded (Andy Carpenter, #12)
Hounded (Andy Carpenter, #12) 4.17 avg rating — 5,721 ratings
63.
Bear is Broken (Leo Maxwell #1)
Bear is Broken (Leo Maxwell #1) 3.22 avg rating — 747 ratings
64.
Moonlight Weeps (Dick Moonlight PI #6)
Moonlight Weeps (Dick Moonlight PI #6) 4.16 avg rating — 63 ratings
65.
Black Fridays (Jason Stafford, #1)
Black Fridays (Jason Stafford, #1) 3.74 avg rating — 2,037 ratings
66.
Heart of Ice (Louis Kincaid, #11)
Heart of Ice (Louis Kincaid, #11) 4.31 avg rating — 516 ratings
67.
And She Was (Brenna Spector #1)
And She Was (Brenna Spector #1) 3.76 avg rating — 3,269 ratings
68.
Bye Bye, Baby (Nathan Heller, #13)
Bye Bye, Baby (Nathan Heller, #13) 3.98 avg rating — 441 ratings
69.
In Search of Mercy
In Search of Mercy 3.22 avg rating — 41 ratings
70.
Fun & Games (Charlie Hardie #1)
Fun & Games (Charlie Hardie #1) 3.90 avg rating — 2,598 ratings
71.
No Mercy (Mercy Gunderson Mystery #1)
No Mercy (Mercy Gunderson Mystery #1) 3.88 avg rating — 1,149 ratings
72.
Faces of the Gone (Carter Ross Mystery #1)
Faces of the Gone (Carter Ross Mystery #1) 3.78 avg rating — 1,924 ratings
73.
Asia Hand (Vincent Calvino #2)
Asia Hand (Vincent Calvino #2) 3.55 avg rating — 174 ratings
74.
Locked In (Sharon McCone #26)
Locked In (Sharon McCone #26) 3.86 avg rating — 1,916 ratings
75.
In the Heat
In the Heat 3.14 avg rating — 35 ratings
76.
Sinner's Ball (Jackson Steeg #3)
Sinner's Ball (Jackson Steeg #3) 4.11 avg rating — 28 ratings
77.
Big City, Bad Blood (Ray Dudgeon, #1)
Big City, Bad Blood (Ray Dudgeon, #1) 3.81 avg rating — 1,066 ratings
78.
Snow Blind (PI Julie Collins, #4)
Snow Blind (PI Julie Collins, #4) 4.31 avg rating — 661 ratings
79.
Songs of Innocence (John Blake #2)
Songs of Innocence (John Blake #2) 3.84 avg rating — 1,068 ratings
80.
The Dramatist (Jack Taylor, #4)
The Dramatist (Jack Taylor, #4)
by: Ken Bruen
4.02 avg rating — 2,331 ratings
81.
Forcing Amaryllis
Forcing Amaryllis 3.42 avg rating — 117 ratings
82.
An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid, #7)
An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid, #7) 4.14 avg rating — 859 ratings
83.
The Dead (The Saxon & Fitzgerald Mysteries, #1)
The Dead (The Saxon & Fitzgerald Mysteries, #1) 3.47 avg rating — 279 ratings
84.
The James Deans (Moe Prager, #3)
The James Deans (Moe Prager, #3) 4.03 avg rating — 754 ratings
85.
While I Disappear (John Ray Horn #2)
While I Disappear (John Ray Horn #2) 3.71 avg rating — 87 ratings
86.
Black Maps (John March, #1)
Black Maps (John March, #1) 3.62 avg rating — 470 ratings
87.
Fade to Blonde
Fade to Blonde 3.60 avg rating — 1,086 ratings
88.
The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
by: Ken Bruen
3.83 avg rating — 6,919 ratings
89.
A Cold Quarry: A Frank Pavlicek Mystery (Frank Pavlicek Mysteries #3)
A Cold Quarry: A Frank Pavlicek Mystery (Frank Pavlicek Mysteries #3) 3.87 avg rating — 262 ratings
90.
Chasing the Devil's Tail (Storyville, #1)
Chasing the Devil's Tail (Storyville, #1) 3.69 avg rating — 934 ratings
91.
Street Level
Street Level 3.39 avg rating — 46 ratings
92.
The Poisoned Rose (The Gin Palace Trilogy, #1)
The Poisoned Rose (The Gin Palace Trilogy, #1) 3.85 avg rating — 2,276 ratings
93.
Reflecting the Sky (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #7)
Reflecting the Sky (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #7) 3.94 avg rating — 735 ratings
94.
Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker, #1)
Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker, #1) 3.96 avg rating — 32,485 ratings
95.
Archangel Protocol (LINK Angel, #1)
Archangel Protocol (LINK Angel, #1) 3.55 avg rating — 475 ratings
96.
Havana Heat (Lupe Solano, #5)
Havana Heat (Lupe Solano, #5) 3.70 avg rating — 164 ratings
97.
A Cold Day in Paradise (Alex McKnight, #1)
A Cold Day in Paradise (Alex McKnight, #1) 3.77 avg rating — 11,099 ratings
98.
In Big Trouble (Tess Monaghan, #4)
In Big Trouble (Tess Monaghan, #4) 3.74 avg rating — 4,980 ratings