The Australian Crime Writers Association have announced the winners of the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards.

The winners were selected from 135 entries, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of 19 books and awarded across four categories: Best Crime Fiction, Best True Crime, Best Debut Crime Fiction, and Best International Crime Fiction published in Australia.

Karina Kilmore, the Australian Crime Writers Association chair, praised the entries this year, stating: ‘It’s no mean feat to write a book. Particularly amidst the uncertain times of a pandemic when most of these books were written. The entries truly showcase the best of Australian writing’.

Kilmore also added, ‘The crime genre has always been very popular with readers. Partly because it includes such a wide range of locations, settings and social demographics of its characters. But also because it has many forms of storytelling including noir, mystery, thriller, suspense, cosy crime, courtroom, hard boiled and historical.’

Check out the winners:

2022 BEST CRIME FICTION
The Chase by Candice Fox (Random House Australia).

2022 BEST TRUE CRIME
Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide’s Family Murders, by Debi Marshall (Random House Australia).

2022 BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION
Banjawarn by Josh Kemp (UWA Publishing).

2022 BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION
The Maid by Nita Prose (HarperCollins).