2025 Awards
The Agatha Award Winners 2025
Best Contemporary Novel
A Midnight Puzzle
Gigi Pandia
Genres:
Genres: Puzzle Mystery • Magical Realism • Generational Secrets
Synopsis:
Magician-turned-detective Tempest Raj investigates a body
hidden behind a secret wall during a home renovation steeped in family history and folklore.
Why we think it won:
Pandian infuses traditional mystery with a whimsical architectural flair and cultural nuance, crafting a story that feels both fantastical and
grounded—perfect for fans of low-magic worldbuilding.
Best First Novel
You Know What You Did
K.T Nguyen
Genres:
Psychological Thriller • Diaspora Fiction • Family Drama
Synopsis:
A Vietnamese-American woman confronts buried family trauma after her sister’s mysterious death, unraveling a lifetime of hidden truths.
Why we think it won:
Nguyen’s voice is electric, her narrative layered with ambiguity and
emotional resonance—ideal for readers who enjoy mind-bending
character studies with moral complexity.
Best Historical Novel
To Slip the Bonds of Earth
Amanda Flower
Genres:
Historical Mystery • Feminist Fiction • Cold War Tech Noir
Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of early space exploration, a group of real-life women engineers battle sabotage—and sexism—to solve a deadly mystery at NASA’s frontlines.
Why we think it won:
Flower blends real history with thriller pacing and big-stakes science—a compelling read for fans of speculative alt-history or grounded sci-fi rooted in real breakthroughs.
Best Children's/YA Mystery
The Sasquatch of Harriman Lake
K. Jackson
Genres:
Creature Feature • Middle Grade Adventure • Paranormal Mystery
Synopsis:
Young sleuths investigate strange sightings and eerie sounds in the
woods, chasing down local legends that may not be so legendary after
all.
Why we think it won:
Jackson creates a world that’s eerie, exciting, and just dangerous
enough—an entry point into cryptid-core storytelling for curious young
minds (and nostalgic grown-ups).
Best Non-Fiction
Writing The Cozy Mystery
Phyllis M. Betz
Genres:
Genre Studies • Writing Craft • Meta-Narrative
Synopsis:
A thorough and engaging guide to writing mysteries that comfort,
challenge, and captivate—told through interviews and narrative
analysis.
Why we think it won:
It’s a genre manifesto as much as a manual—perfect for SFF writers curious about structure, theme, and how to write twisty plots that never lose heart.
Best Short Story
Writing The Cozy Mystery
Phyllis M. Betz
Genres:
Genre Studies • Writing Craft • Meta-Narrative
Synopsis:
A thorough and engaging guide to writing mysteries that comfort,
challenge, and captivate—told through interviews and narrative
analysis.
Why we think it won:
It’s a genre manifesto as much as a manual—perfect for SFF writers curious about structure, theme, and how to write twisty plots that never lose heart.