The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) for the best detective fiction (private investigator – P. I.) genre novels and short stories of the year.

The prize is given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye fiction. The Shamus Awards are sometimes (2003, 2007–2009, 2011–2016) announced during the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, at the convention's PWA Awards Banquet.

Categories +Shamus Award categoriesTitleFirst awardedBest P. I. Hardcover Novel1982Best P. I. Paperback Original 1982THE EYE – Lifetime Achievement Award 1982Best P. I. Short Story 1983Best First P. I. Novel 1985St. Martins' Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest 1986Friends of PWA 2002Best P. I. Series/Characters – The Hammer 2007Best Indie P.I. Novel 2013

Winners Best P. I. Hardcover Novel +Best P. I. Hardcover Novel winners Year Winner Title 1982 Bill Pronzini HoodwinkSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1981 1983 Lawrence Block Eight Million Ways to DieArbor House, New York 1982 1984 Max Allan Collins True DetectiveSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1983 1985 Loren D. Estleman SugartownHoughton Mifflin, Boston1984 1986 Sue Grafton "B" Is for BurglarHolt, Rinehart & Winston, New York 1986 1987 Jeremiah Healy The Staked GoatHarper & Row, New York 1986 1988 Benjamin Schutz A Tax in BloodTom Doherty, New York 1987 1989 John Lutz KissHenry Holt, New York 1988 1990 Jonathan Valin Extenuating CircumstancesDelacorte Press, New York 1989 1991 Sue Grafton "G" Is for GumshoeHenry Holt, New York 1990 1992 Max Allan Collins Stolen AwayBantam Books, New York 1991 1993 Harold Adams The Man Who was Taller Than GodWalker & Co., New York 1992 1994 Lawrence Block The Devil Knows You're DeadWilliam Morrow, New York 1993 1995 Sue Grafton "K" Is for KillerHenry Holt, New York 1994 1996 S. J. Rozan ConcourseSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1995 1997 Robert Crais Sunset ExpressHyperion, New York 1996 1998 Terence Faherty Come Back DeadSimon & Schuster, New York 1997 1999 Bill Pronzini BoobytrapCarroll & Graf, New York 1998 2000 Don Winslow California Fire and LifeAlfred A. Knopf, New York 1999 2001 Carolina Garcia-Aguilera Havana HeatWilliam Morrow, New York 2000 2002 S. J. Rozan Reflecting the SkySt. Martin’s Minotaur, New York 2001 2003 James W. Hall Blackwater SoundSt. Martin’s Press, New York 2002 2004 Ken Bruen The GuardsBrandon, Dingle Co. Kerry /Ireland 2001 2005 Ed Wright While I DisappearPutnam’s, New York 2004 2006 Michael Connelly The Lincoln LawyerLittle, Brown, Boston 2005 2007 Ken Bruen The Dramatist Brandon, Dingle Co. Kerry/Ireland 2004 2008 Reed Farrel Coleman Soul PatchBleak House Books, Madison/WI 2007 2009 Reed Farrel Coleman Empty Ever AfterBleak House Books, Madison/WI 2008 2010 Marcia Muller Locked In 2011 Lori Armstrong No Mercy 2012 Michael Wiley A Bad Night's Sleep 2013 Robert Crais Taken 2014 Brad Parks The Good Cop 2015 David Rosenfelt HoundedSt. Martin’s Minotaur, New York 2014 2016 Ingrid Thoft Brutality 2017 Reed Farrel Coleman Where It HurtsG.P. Putnam's Sons, 2016 2018 T. Jefferson Parker The Room of White FireG.P. Putnam's Sons, 20162019Kristen LepionkaWhat You Want to SeeMinotaur Books, 20182020Matt CoyleLost TomorrowsOceanview Publishing, 20192021Matt CoyleBlind VigilOceanview Publishing, 20192022S. J. RozanFamily BusinessPegasus Crime, 20212023Jonathan AmesThe Wheel of DollMulholland Books, 20222024Will ThomasHeart of the Nile2025Delia PittsTrouble in Queenstown

Best First P. I. Novel +Best First P. I. Novel winners Year Winner Title 1985 Jack Early A Creative Kind of KillerWatts Publishing, New York 1984 1986 Wayne Warga HardcoverArbor House, New York 1985 1987 J. W. RiderJersey TomatoesArbor House, New York 1986 1988 Michael Allegretto Death on the RocksScribner’s, New York 1987 1989 Gar Anthony Haywood Fear of the DarkSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1988 1990 Karen Kijewski KatwalkSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1989 1991 Walter Mosley Devil in a Blue DressW.W. Norton, New York 1990 1992 Thomas Davis Suffer Little ChildrenWalker & Co., New York 1991 1993 John Straley The Woman Who Married a BearSoho Press, New York 1992 1994 Lynn Hightower Satan's LambsWalker & Co., New York 1993 1995 Dennis Lehane A Drink Before the WarHarcourt Brace, New York 1994 1996 Richard Barre The InnocentsWalker & Co., New York 1995 1997 Carol Lea Benjamin This Dog for Hire Walker & Co., New York 1996 1998 Rick Riordan Big Red TequilaBantam Books, New York 1997 1999 Steve Hamilton A Cold Day in ParadiseSt. Martin’s Press, New York 1998 2000 John Connolly Every Dead ThingHodder & Stoughton, London, 1999 2001 Bob Truluck Street LevelThomas Dunne Books, New York 2000 2002 David Fulmer Chasing the Devil's Tail Poisoned Pen Press, Scottsdale/Arizona 2001 2003 Eddie Muller The DistanceScribner’s, New York 2002 2004 Peter Spiegelman Black MapsAlfred A. Knopf, New York 2003 2005 Ingrid Black The DeadHeadline, London 2003 2006 Louise Ure Forcing AmaryllisMysterious Press, New York 2005 2007 Declan Hughes The Wrong Kind of BloodWilliam Morrow, New York 2006 2008 Sean Chercover Big City, Bad BloodWilliam Morow, New York 2007 2009 Ian Vasquez In the HeatSt. Martin's Minotaur, New York 2008 2010 Brad Parks Faces of the Gone 2011 Michael Ayoob In Search of MercySt. Martin's Minotaur, New York 2010 2012 P.G. SturgesThe Shortcut ManScribner’s, New York 2011 2013 Michael Sears Black FridaysPutnam, New York 2012 2014 Lachlan Smith Bear Is BrokenMysterious Press, New York 2013 2015 Julia Dahl Invisible CitySt. Martin's Minotaur, New York 2014 2016 Lisa Sandlin The Do-RightCinco Puntos Press, El Paso 2015 2017 Joe Ide IQMulholland Books, 2017 2018 Kristen Lepionka The Last Place You LookMinotaur Books, 2017 2019 Katrina Carrasco The Best Bad Things MCD Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2018 2021 Kwei Quartey The Missing American Soho Crime, 2020 2022 Gregory Stout Lost Little Girl 2023 Philip Miller The Goldenacre2025Ash CliftonTwice the Trouble

Best P. I. Paperback Original +Best P. I. Paperback Original winners Year Winner Title 1982 Max Byrd California ThrillerBantam Books, New York 1981 1983 William Campbell Gault The Cana DiversionWorldwide, New York/ Toronto 1982 1984 Paul Engleman Dead in CenterfieldBallantine Books, New York 1983 1985 Warren Murphy Ceiling of HellFawcett Crest, New York 1984 1986 Earl Emerson Poverty BayAvon Books, New York 1985 1987 Rob Kantner The Back Door ManBantam Books, New York 1986 1988 L.J. Washburn Wild NightTom Doherty, New York 1987 1989 Rob Kantner Dirty WorkBantam Books, New York 1988 1990 Rob Kantner Hell's Only Half FullBantam Books, New York 1989 1991 W. Glenn Duncan Rafferty: Fatal SistersFawcett Books, Greenwich/CT. 1990 1992 Paul Kemprecos Cool Blue TombBantam Books, New York 1991 1993 Marele Day The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards/Australia 1992 1994 Rodman Philbrick Brothers and SinnersPenguin Books CND, Toronto 1993 1995 Ed Goldberg Served ColdWest Coast Crime, Portland/Oregon 1994 1996 William Jaspersohn Native AngelsBantam Books, New York 1995 1997 Harlan Coben Fade AwayDell, New York 1996 1998 Laura Lippman Charm CityAvon Books, New York 1997 1999 Steven Womack Murder ManualBallantine Books, New York 1998 2000 Laura Lippman In Big TroubleAvon Books, New York 1999 2001 Thomas Lipinski Death in the Steel City Avon Twilight, New York 2000 2002 Lyda Morehouse Archangel Protocol New American Library, New York 2001 2003 D. Daniel Judson The Poisoned RoseBantam Books, New York 2002 2004 Andy Straka Cold QuarrySignet, New York 2003 2005 Max Phillips Fade to BlondeDorchester Publishing, New York 2004 2006 Reed Farrel Coleman The James DeansPlume, New York 2005 2007 P. J. Parrish An Unquiet GraveKensington Books, New York 2006 2008 Richard Aleas Songs of InnocenceHard Case Crime, New York 2007 2009 Lori G. Armstrong Snow BlindMedallion Press, St Charles/IL 2008 2010 Ira Berkowitz Sinner's BallThree Rivers Press, New York 2009 2011 Christopher G. Moore Asia HandGrove/Atlantic Inc., New York 2010 2012 Duane Swierczynski Fun & GamesMulholland Books, London 2011 2013 Alison Gaylin And She WasHarper, New York 2012 2014 P.J. Parrish Heart of IcePocket Books, New York 2013 2015 Vincent Zandri Moonlight WeepsDown & Out Books, Tampa 2014 2016 J. L. Abramo Circling the RunwayDown & Out Books, Tampa 2015 2017 Vaseem Khan The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown 2018 Rich Zahradnik Lights Out SummerCamel Press, 20192019Max WirestoneThe Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss Redhook Books, 20182020James D. F. HannahBehind the Wall of Sleep James D.F. Hannah, 20192021Richard HelmsBrittle Karma Barbados Hall Communications, 20202022John McFetridgeEvery city is Every Other City2023J.R. SandersDead-Bang Fall2024Gabriel ValjanLiar’s Dice2025J.T. SiemensCall of the Void

THE EYE – Lifetime Achievement Award (Not awarded in 1989, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2022-2024) +Lifetime Achievement Award winnersYear Winner 1982 Ross Macdonald 1983 Mickey Spillane 1984 William Campbell Gault 1985 Howard Browne 1986 Richard S. Prather 1987 Bill Pronzini 1988 Dennis Lynds andWade Miller 1991 Roy Huggins 1992 Joseph Hansen 1993 Marcia Muller 1994 Stephen J. Cannell 1995 John Lutz andRobert B. Parker 1997 Stephen Marlowe 1999 Maxine O'Callaghan 2000 Edward D. Hoch 2002 Lawrence Block 2003 Sue Grafton 2004 Donald Westlake 2005 Sara Paretsky 2006 Max Allan Collins 2007 Stuart M. Kaminsky 2008 Joe Gores 2009 Robert J. Randisi 2010 Robert Crais 2011 Ed Gorman 2013 Loren D. Estleman 2015 Parnell Hall 2016 S.J. Rozan2017 Jerry Kennealy2018 Walter Mosley2021 Michael Z. Lewin2025Christine Matthews

Best P. I. Series Character – The Hammer +Best P. I. Series Character winnersYearSeries/CharactersAuthors 2007 Shell Scott Richard S. Prather 2008 The Nameless Detective Bill Pronzini 2009 Matt Scudder Lawrence Block 2010 Sharon McCone Marcia Muller 2011 V.I. Warshawski Sara Paretsky 2012 Nate Heller Max Allan Collins 2014 Kinsey Millhone Sue Grafton

Best Indie P.I. Novel +Best Indie P.I. Novel winnersYear Winner Title 2013 Paul D. Marks White Heat 2014 M. Ruth Myers Don't Dare a Dame 2015 Trace Conger The Shadow Broker

References