The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward from the 2025 CLUE Long List to the 2025 Clue Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Clue Semi-Finalists. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

• A.J. Mccarthy – The Boy on the Dock
• Aja Holland – Casco Bay
• Ana Manwaring – Kickback
• Arthur Coburn – Murder in Concrete
• Ashley Thomas Sheikh – Kentucky Blood: Book I of the Kentucky Blood Series
• Avanti Centrae – The Picasso Job: A Phoenix Thriller
• Becky Anyanwu – Mind the Blinds
• Brian Cuban – The Body Brokers
• Carlo J. Emanuele – The Sins We Inherit
• Cathi Stoler – No Good Time: A Nick Donahue Adventure
• Charlotte Stuart – Unicorns Can Be Deadly a Discount Detective Mystery 5
• Cheryl Campbell – Bodies in the Bayou
• Chris Chan – Well-Behaved Children Seldom Make History
• Dan Ramm – Long Branch: Never Let the Truth Stand in the Way of a Good Story
• Danielle M. Wong – Tiny Wild Things
• David Tenenbaum – Premonition
• Dwight Holing – The Thunder Head
• E. Alan Fleischauer – The Dark and Evil Sky
• Ellis K. Popa – Awaken the Dawn
• Francesco Paola – Left on Rancho
• Frank J. Edwards – Doctor Witch
• Holly Harrison – Death in the Land of Enchantment
• Jack Luellen – Someone Had to Lie
• Jeannée Sacken – The Women Who Stand Between
• Jl Spears – Daemon Protocol
• Joe Salerno – The Decision
• Julie Lomax – A Pawn’s Game
• Kd Sherrinford – The Whistle of Revenge
• Kevin Hwang – The Regression Strain
• Kit Karson – Savage Malice
• Larry Weindruch and Richard A. Yach – Nicky V: A Chicago Crime Story
• Leslie Liautaud – Butterfly Pinned
• Marian Exall – Loners
• Matthew John Parker – The Lost Last Prophecy
• Melanie Anagnos – Nightswimming: A Jamie Palmieri Mystery
• Michael Wendroff – What Goes Around
• Mike Van Horn – The Ivy Leaguers
• Miriam Verbeek – The Bank
• Nannette Potter – Deception’s Edge
• Otho Eskin – Black Sun Rising
• Paty Jager – Crapshoot
• Paty Jager – Wolverine Instincts
• Paul Levine – Midnight Burning
• Phillip Vega – Death in Utopia
• Sarah P. Blanchard – Grabtown
• Sean Hagerty – Cabal
• Sheila Sharpe – Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief
• Stephen G. Eoannou – After Pearl
• Stephen J Wallace – Hazardous Lies
• Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Warrior Pose
• T.O. Paine – The Crisis
• Tamar Anolic – This Side of the Law
• Theresa Janson – Reservations: A Samantha Wright Crime Series
• TJ Stecker – Redacted

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2024 Clue Grand Prize Winner

Enemies Domestic

By John DeDakis

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 17 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!

The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2025 CLUE entries to the 2025 Clue Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Clue Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

• A.J. Mccarthy – The Boy on the Dock
• Aja Holland – Casco Bay
• Ana Manwaring – Kickback
• Angela Greenman – The Child Riddler
• Arthur Coburn – Murder in Concrete
• Ashley Thomas Sheikh – Kentucky Blood: Book I of the Kentucky Blood Series
• Avanti Centrae – The Picasso Job: A Phoenix Thriller
• Becky Anyanwu – Mind the Blinds
• Bill Bennett – Swimming with Manatees
• Brandon Lawniczak – Home Envy
• Brian Cuban – The Body Brokers
• Carlo J. Emanuele – The Sins We Inherit
• Carolyn Summer Quinn – Fate Can Toss a Boomerang
• Cathi Stoler – No Good Time: A Nick Donahue Adventure
• Charlotte Stuart – Unicorns Can Be Deadly a Discount Detective Mystery 5
• Cheryl Campbell – Bodies in the Bayou
• Chris Chan – Well-Behaved Children Seldom Make History
• Chuck Morgan – Preserve Protect and Defend
• Dan Ramm – Long Branch: Never Let the Truth Stand in the Way of a Good Story
• Danielle M. Wong – Tiny Wild Things
• David Tenenbaum – Premonition
• Diana Louise Webb – Last of the Autumn Rain
• Dwight Holing – The Thunder Head
• E. Alan Fleischauer – The Dark and Evil Sky
• Ellis K. Popa – Awaken the Dawn
• Ephrem Paredes – Pasadena Confidential
• Eric Magun – Thank God for the Sinners
• Francesco Paola – Left on Rancho
• Frank J. Edwards – Doctor Witch
• Holly Harrison – Death in the Land of Enchantment
• Italia Tornabene – Femme Fatale: Shades of Retribution
• Jack Luellen – Someone Had to Lie
• Jeannée Sacken – The Women Who Stand Between
• Jl Spears – Daemon Protocol
• Joe Salerno – The Decision
• Julie Lomax – A Pawn’s Game
• Kathleen Troy – Never Believe a Lie Twice
• Kd Sherrinford – The Whistle of Revenge
• Kevin Hwang – The Regression Strain
• Kit Karson – Savage Malice
• Larry Weindruch and Richard A. Yach – Nicky V: A Chicago Crime Story
• Leslie Liautaud – Butterfly Pinned
• Lew Paper – Legacy of Lies
• Marian Exall – Loners
• Matthew John Parker – The Lost Last Prophecy
• Melanie Anagnos – Nightswimming: A Jamie Palmieri Mystery
• Michael Wendroff – What Goes Around
• Mike Van Horn – The Ivy Leaguers
• Miriam Verbeek – The Bank
• Nannette Potter – Deception’s Edge
• Otho Eskin – Black Sun Rising
• Paty Jager – Crapshoot
• Paty Jager – Wolverine Instincts
• Paul Levine – Midnight Burning
• Phillip Vega – Death in Utopia
• Sarah P. Blanchard – Grabtown
• Sean Hagerty – Cabal
• Sharon Lynn – Dark Web Gaslight
• Sheila Sharpe – Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief
• Stephen G. Eoannou – After Pearl
• Stephen J Wallace – Hazardous Lies
• Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Warrior Pose
• T.O. Paine – The Crisis
• Tamar Anolic – This Side of the Law
• Theresa Janson – Reservations: A Samantha Wright Crime Series
• TJ Stecker – Redacted
• William Forester – The Secret Book

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2024 Clue Grand Prize Winner

Enemies Domestic

By John DeDakis

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 17 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!

The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Thriller and Suspense Mysteries. The Grand Prize Winner, John DeDakis’s book, Enemies Domestic will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Clue contest page year ’round!

The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

The 2024 Clue Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Clue Winners!

Pamela Beason – If Only

With her housemate Blake away and her lover Chase also absent, Sam Westin embarks on a backpacking trip in the North Cascades, hoping to photograph elusive gray wolves. Blake, reeling from a recent breakup, has taken a six-week job far away in Evansburg, caring for three gorillas while their owner, Dr. Grace McKenna, is on vacation. But events take a dark turn when the baby gorilla is shot by an intruder, prompting Grace’s lover, Detective Finn, to investigate.
Sam’s impromptu trip becomes dangerous when she finds a corpse and then stumbles upon an injured immigrant and packhorse carrying drugs. After a gunshot forces her to flee her campsite, Sam faces a perilous cross-country journey with the injured man and horse in tow.
In Evansburg, while following the trail of the gorilla shooting, Detective Finn stumbles upon a murdered woman in a nearby abandoned house and her child hiding in the gorilla barn. With both investigations going nowhere fast, it will take Sam visiting Blake and the gorillas to spot a clue that may be the link needed to solve all the crimes.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Jeff Nania – Musky Run

Olympic medalist Anna MacDonald comes home to Namekagon County to emcee the Great Wilderness Race as predators stalk the Northwoods. While occasional interactions with potentially dangerous animals are old hat for most residents, this changes when unpredictable behavior patterns make it unclear who is the hunter and who is the hunted. Sheriff John Cabrelli and the new Musky Falls chief of police work swiftly to keep the community calm as they try to piece together the clues before it is too late.

Musky Run is the fourth book in the award-winning Northern Lakes Mystery series, following Figure Eight, Spider Lake, and Bough Cutter.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Sean Hagerty – Jones Point

By day, we’re your neighbors. Your boss. Your teacher. By night, we hunt the monsters who hunt our children.

As a Special Operations soldier, Dane Cooper was trained and tested to handle the toughest, most dangerous situations around the world. He was not, however, prepared for the abduction of his daughter.

That kidnapping sends him into a downward spiral, the depths of which are unknown even to Dane. But a lifeline is thrown to him by a mysterious cabal, which sees his skills as paramount to helping others.

Now investigating other grieving parents’ cases, Dane must conceal his efforts from the zeal of an FBI agent hot on the trail of the vigilante cabal, a dedicated Virginia Bureau of Investigation team, and an elusive network of monsters at the center of it all. Punishing the wicked while searching for his little angel, Dane must also overcome the struggle with his own demons.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me

This harrowing true crime novel telling the story of the authors experience with a stalker is not yet released, but we are excited to see it come out eventually and see her story told! Unfollow Me is also Chanticleer’s 2024 Journey Grand Prize Winner and won a First Place for Cover Design in Non-Fiction. For more information see the authors website at kathryncaraway.com and unfollowme.com for the authors advocacy project for stalking awareness.

From Chanticleer:

When you’re a target of stalking, “Each day is a fight to stay alive. Even while sleeping, you must be ready.” So reveals Kathryn Caraway in Unfollow Me, a spine-tingling true crime novel tracing a life shattered by severe stalking.

Although the author uses the pseudonym “Kathryn Caraway” throughout this novel to protect her identity, her harrowing tales of being the target of a stalker and fighting for her rights to freedom and safety are a testament to the real danger she was exposed to. Caraway’s experience creates a compelling story of one woman’s brave quest for justice against her torturer.

Kathryn emotionally, mentally, and physically falls apart at the hands of a violent, ubiquitous presence. Despite the severity of the crimes committed against her, Kathryn’s concerns are routinely dismissed as irrational and hysterical by law enforcement officials, lawyers, and even long-time friends.

Before a malicious intruder targets her, Kathryn is a beloved mother, a wonderful friend, and a confident employee. But after she is introduced to Todd, he begins to slowly strip her life from her control.

Read More Here

Carl Vonderau – Saving Myles

When the FBI can’t help, an unassuming banker takes matters into his own hands to bring his son home

Wade, a respected banker in La Jolla, CA, and his estranged wife, Fiona, make the unbearable decision to send their teenage son, Myles, away to an expensive treatment center after a streak of harmful behavior. After a year of treatment, Myles comes home, seemingly rehabilitated. But soon, he sneaks off to Tijuana to buy drugs—and is kidnapped.

When the ransom call comes, Fiona is frantic and accepts help from Andre, the Quebecois whose charity Fiona runs. Wade is wary of Andre’s reputation and the bank he owns, but seeing no other way to secure a kidnap negotiator or the ransom, he swallows his doubts to get his son home.

In order to get the ransom money, Wade makes a deal with Andre—he’ll work for Andre’s bank in exchange for the cash. But as Wade races to rescue Myles before his kidnappers lose their patience, he realizes he’s wrapped up in more crime than just a kidnapping—he’s now indebted to a cartel.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Shanessa Gluhm – A River of Crows

In 1988, Sloan Hadfield’s brother Ridge went fishing with their father and never came home. Their father, a good-natured Vietnam veteran prone to violent outbursts, was arrested and charged with murder. Ridge’s body was never recovered, and Sloan’s mother—a brilliant ornithologist—slowly descended into madness, insisting her son was still alive.

Now, twenty years later, Sloan’s life is unraveling. In the middle of a bitter divorce, she’s forced to return to her rural Texas hometown when her mother is discharged from a mental health facility.

Overwhelmed by memories and unanswered questions, Sloan returns to the last place her brother was seen all those years ago: Crow’s Nest Creek. There, she is shocked to hear a crow muttering the same syllable over and over: Ridge, Ridge, Ridge.

When the body of another boy is found, Sloan begins to question what really happened to her brother all those years ago. What she discovers will shock her small community and turn her family upside down.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Michael Pronko – Shitamachi Scam

In Tokyo, there isn’t always respect for older people. Sometimes, it’s the opposite.

After the suspicious deaths of a seventy-something woman and a student recluse, Detective Hiroshi tracks down a gang of scammers who target retirees, robbing them of their pensions, life savings, and even the deeds to their homes. Hiroshi teams up with Detective Ishii, who’s been running a women’s crime task force. Together, they find out who has been ripping off the pensions, life savings, and deeds to homes in shitamachi, the older, eastern side of the city.

With his personal life on hold (almost), Hiroshi finds out how complex the traditional life of Tokyo still is. With old-school Detective Takamatsu and ex-sumo wrestler Chief Sakaguchi watching his back, he finds out who’s behind the scams, and who’s behind the scammers.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 Clue First Place Winners!

Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

Got a spine-tingling thriller?

The 2025 Clue Book Awards are open through the end of July!

The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward  from the 2024 CLUE SEMI-FINALISTS to the 2024 Clue Book Awards FINALISTS.  FINALISTS will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

These titles are in the running for the FIRST PLACE & GRAND PRIZE WINNERS of the 2024 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

• Pamela Beason – If Only
• Jeff Nania – Musky Run
• John DeDakis – Enemies Domestic
• Hannah D Sharpe – Between Lies and Revenge
• Meredith Forde – The Protectee
• M.K. Tod – That Was Then
• Lisa Malice – Lest She Forget
• Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel
• Jeannee Sacken – The Rule of Thirds
• Sean Hagerty – Jones Point
• Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me
• Dana J. Summers – Hell’s Heart
• Dave Lager – Revelations
• Carl Vonderau – Saving Myles
• Chris Chan – She Ruined Our Lives
• Ray Collins – The General’s Briefcase
• Shanessa Gluhm – A River of Crows
• Miriam Verbeek – The Forest
• Michael Pronko – Shitamachi Scam
• Steve Lazarus – Call Me Sonny

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2023 Clue Grand Prize Winner

The Other Murder

By Kevin G. Chapman

Click here to see the full list of 2023 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!

The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward  from the 2024 CLUE SHORT LIST to the 2024 Clue Book Awards SEMI-FINALISTS.  FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2024 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

• Pamela Beason – If Only
• Jeff Nania – Musky Run
• John DeDakis – Enemies Domestic
• Hannah D Sharpe – Between Lies and Revenge
• Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Tree Pose
• Meredith Forde – The Protectee
• M.K. Tod – That Was Then
• Peter Berk – First Line of Defense
• Charlotte Stuart – Raven’s Legacy
• Lisa Malice – Lest She Forget
• Corey Lynn Fayman – The Esmeralda Goodbye
• Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel
• Jeannee Sacken – The Rule of Thirds
• Steven Walker – Gunny Mac Private Detective Trouble in Chinatown
• Patrick Greenwood – Shores of Okinawa
• Chad Boudreaux – Homecoming Queen: A Small Town Political Thriller
• Dr. Sandra Tanner – Spirited Unraveling
• Saralyn Richard – Murder Outside the Box
• Sean Hagerty – Jones Point
• Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me
• Dana J. Summers – Hell’s Heart
• Dave Lager – Revelations
• Carl Vonderau – Saving Myles
• Chris Chan – She Ruined Our Lives
• Ray Collins – The General’s Briefcase
• Lisa Towles – Terror Bay
• Colleen Coyne – Bewept
• Shanessa Gluhm – A River of Crows
• Miriam Verbeek – The Forest
• Michael Pronko – Shitamachi Scam
• Wendy Bayne – Dark Entity
• Steve Lazarus – Call Me Sonny
• Sharon Lynn – IoT Gaslight

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2023 Clue Grand Prize Winner

The Other Murder

By Kevin G. Chapman

Click here to see the full list of 2023 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!

The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward  from the 2024 CLUE LONG LIST to the 2024 Clue Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

These titles are in the running for the SEMIFINALISTS of the 2024 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

• Pamela Beason – If Only
• Jeff Nania – Musky Run
• John DeDakis – Enemies Domestic
• Charlotte Stuart & Don Stuart – Midnight for Justice
• Hannah D Sharpe – Between Lies and Revenge
• Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Tree Pose
• Meredith Forde – The Protectee
• M.K. Tod – That Was Then
• Cathi Stoler – Out of Time: A Nick Donahue Adventure
• Lisa Towles – Codex
• M.M. Cochran – The Button Collector
• Peter Berk – First Line of Defense
• Charlotte Stuart – Raven’s Legacy
• Lisa Malice – Lest She Forget
• Corey Lynn Fayman – The Esmeralda Goodbye
• Marie Still – My Darlings
• Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel
• Jeannee Sacken – The Rule of Thirds
• Steven Walker – Gunny Mac Private Detective Trouble in Chinatown
• Patrick Greenwood – Shores of Okinawa
• Chad Boudreaux – Homecoming Queen: A Small Town Political Thriller
• J T Owens – The Fisherman Returns
• Ron Singerton – Ruptured
• Michael Grigsby – Forecasting Error
• Jeffrey Jay Levin – Deep Cover, The Unknowing Agent
• Dr. Sandra Tanner – Spirited Unraveling
• Saralyn Richard – Murder Outside the Box
• Sean Hagerty – Jones Point
• Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me
• Nannette Potter – Pierce the Darkness
• TJ Stecker – The Moth
• Mike Van Horn – The Fireteam
• Dana J. Summers – Hell’s Heart
• AG Flitcher – Black Rose Cocoon
• Dave Lager – Revelations
• Carl Vonderau – Saving Myles
• Chris Chan – She Ruined Our Lives
• Ray Collins – The General’s Briefcase
• Lo Monaco – Fallen In A Dark Uneven Way
• Lisa Towles – Terror Bay
• Colleen Coyne – Bewept
• Shanessa Gluhm – A River of Crows
• Miriam Verbeek – The Forest
• Michael Pronko – Shitamachi Scam
• Wendy Bayne – Dark Entity
• Steve Lazarus – Call Me Sonny
• Sharon Lynn – IoT Gaslight

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2023 Clue Grand Prize Winner

The Other Murder

By Kevin G. Chapman

Click here to see the full list of 2023 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!