Ayo Onatade

July 2026 Festival season. The streets are filled to bursting with tourists, and Edinburgh is gripped by a stifling heatwave. Not the best time for one of the most violent murders the city has witnessed in years. The victim of the murder cannot be identified; its brutal nature of the shocking both the public and the police. What could possibly have inflicted such gruesome injuries? Was it a wild animal on the loose, or the beginning of some horrific gang warfare?

The Capital Crime Festival  (London, UK) announced the shortlists for its annual Fingerprint Awards, which champion the very best in crime writing from the past year across the globe, as voted for by readers. The shortlists were selected by the festival’s board members from a longlist curated by the Tastemakers Committee, a panel of leading independent bloggers and reviewers, who championed their standout titles across each category.

Crime Writers of Canada have announced the winners of the 2026 Awards of Excellence The Peter Robinson Award for Best Crime Novel (With a $1000 prize) The Black Wolf by Louise Penny, Minotaur Books Best Crime First Novel (Sponsored by Melodie Campbell with a $1000 prize) The Beltane Massacre by Ray Critch, Breakwater Books Best Crime Novel Set in Canada (Sponsored by Shaftesbury with a $500 prize) Salt on Her Tongue by C.S. Porter, Vagrant Press The Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery...