The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is an annual award given by the British

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. ...

for best thriller of the year. The award is sponsored by the estate of Ian Fleming. It is given to a title that fits the broadest definition of the thriller novel; these can be set in any period and include, but are not limited to, spy fiction and/or action/ adventure stories. Ian Fleming said there was one essential criterion for a good thriller – that “one simply has to turn the pages”; this is one of the main characteristics that the judges will be looking for.

Winners

2020s

;2021 *Winner:

Michael Robotham Michael Robotham (born 9 November 1960) is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel. His eldest child is Alexandra Hope Robotham, ...

, ''When She Was Good'' ** Robert Galbraith, ''

Troubled Blood ''Troubled Blood'' is the fifth novel in the '' Cormoran Strike'' series, written by J. K. Rowling and published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The novel was released on 15 September 2020. Plot ''Troubled Blood'' begins in August 2013 ...

'' ** Catherine Ryan Howard, ''The Nothing Man'' ** Stuart Turton, ''The Devil and the Dark Water'' ** Ruth Ware, ''One by One'' **

Chris Whitaker Chris Whitaker (born 19 October 1974) is an Australian professional rugby union coach and former international player. he is head coach of the Sydney Rays in Australia's National Rugby Championship, and the interim head coach of Super Rugby sid ...

, ''We Begin at the End'' ;2020 * Winner:

Lou Berney Lou Berney (born 1964) is an American crime fiction author who has published four books since 2010. For his works, Berney has won multiple awards including an Anthony, Barry and Edgar for ''The Long and Faraway Gone''. With ''November Road'', B ...

, ''November Road'' ** Tom Chatfield, ''This is Gomorrah{{Cite web, last=, first=, date=, title=The Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, url=https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/ian-fleming-steel, url-status=live, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706141021/http://thecwa.co.uk:80/the-daggers/categories/ian-fleming-steel/ , archive-date=2014-07-06 , access-date=2020-08-16, website=The Crime Writers' Association'' ** A. A. Dhand, ''One Way Out'' ** Eva Dolan, ''Between Two Evils'' **

David Koepp David Koepp (; born June 9, 1963) is an American filmmaker. Koepp is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial ...

, ''Cold Storage'' ** Alex North, ''The Whisper Man''

2010s

;2019 * Winner:

Holly Watt ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergree ...

, ''To The Lions'' **

Megan Abbott Megan Abbott (born August 21, 1971) is an American author of crime fiction and of non-fiction analyses of hardboiled crime fiction. Her novels and short stories have drawn from and re-worked classic subgenres of crime writing from a female perspec ...

, ''Give Me Your Hand'' ** Dan Fesperman, ''Safe Houses'' **

Luke Jennings Luke Jennings (born 1953) is a British author, dance critic and journalist. Jennings trained as a dancer at the Rambert School, was one of the students of the Expressionist and Integrated dance pedagoge Hilde Holger, studied Indian languages, an ...

, ''Killing Eve: No Tomorrow'' **

Stephen Mack Jones Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

, ''Lives Laid Away'' ** Tim Willocks, ''Memo From Turner'' ;2018 * Winner: Attica Locke, ''

Bluebird, Bluebird ''Bluebird, Bluebird'' is a 2017 novel by Attica Locke. Its main character is an African-American Texas Ranger, Darren Matthews, from the eastern part of the state. He investigates the death of another African-American, a Chicago lawyer named M ...

'' **

Mick Herron Mick Herron is a British mystery and thriller novelist. He is the author of the ''Slough House'' series, early novels of which have been adapted for the ''Slow Horses'' television series. He won the Crime Writers' Association 2013 Gold Dagger awa ...

, ''London Rules'' **

Emily Koch Emily may refer to: * Emily (given name), including a list of people with the name Music * "Emily" (1964 song), title song by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer to the film ''The Americanization of Emily'' * "Emily" (Dave Koz song), a 1990 son ...

, ''If I Die Before I Wake'' **

Colette McBeth Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a Mime artist, mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the ...

, ''An Act of Silence'' **

C.J. Tudor C. J. Tudor is a British author whose books include ''The Chalk Man'' and ''The Hiding Place (The Taking of Annie Thorne)''. She was born in Salisbury, England but grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives. ''The Chalk Man'' ''The Chalk Man'' ...

, ''The Chalk Man'' **

Don Winslow Don Winslow (born October 31, 1953) is an American retired author best known for his award-winning and internationally bestselling crime novels, including ''Savages'', ''The Force'' and the Cartel Trilogy. Early life Winslow was born on Octo ...

, ''The Force'' ; 2017 * Winner:

, ''Spook Street'' ** William Ryan, ''The Constant Soldier'' ** John Hart, ''Redemption Road'' **

J S Carol J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...

, ''The Killing Game'' **

Jules Grant ''Days of Our Lives'' is an American television soap opera that was first broadcast on November 8, 1965. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show during the 2020s, by order of first appearance. All characters were intr ...

, ''We Go Around in the Night and Are Consumed by Fire'' **

, ''You Will Know Me'' ;2016 * Winner:

, ''The Cartel'' **

Lee Child James Dover Grant (born 29 October 1954), primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British author who writes thriller novels, and is best known for his '' Jack Reacher'' novel series. The books follow the adventures of a former American ...

, ''Make Me'' **

Adrian McKinty Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of crime and mystery novels and young adult fiction, best known for his 2020 award-winning thriller, ''The Chain'', and the Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. He is a winner o ...

, ''Rain Dogs'' **

, ''Real Tigers'' ** Daniel Silva, ''The English Spy'' ; 2015 * Winner:

Karin Slaughter Karin Slaughter (born January 6, 1971) is an American crime writer. She has written 21 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, ''Blindsighted'' (2001), was published in 27 la ...

, ''Cop Town'' ** Peter Swanson, ''The Kind Worth Killing'' ** Malcolm Mackay, ''The Night the Rich Men Burned'' ** Patrick Hoffman, ''The White Van'' **

, ''Nobody Walks'' **

Paula Hawkins Paula Hawkins may refer to: * Paula Hawkins (author) (born 1972), British novelist * Paula Hawkins (politician) Paula Hawkins (née Fickes; January 24, 1927 – December 4, 2009) was an American politician from Florida. She is the only woman el ...

, ''The Girl on the Train'' ** Sam Hawken, ''Missing'' ; 2014 * Winner: Robert Harris, ''An Officer and a Spy'' **

Louise Doughty Louise Doughty is the author of nine novels, five plays for radio and a TV mini-series. Her most recent book is ''Platform Seven'' (2019), currently being adapted as a four-part drama. The previous book, ''Black Water'', (2016) was nominated as ...

, ''Apple Tree Yard'' **

Greg Iles Greg Iles (born 1960) is a novelist who lives in Mississippi. He has published seventeen novels and one novella, spanning a variety of genres. Early life Iles was born in 1960 in Stuttgart, West Germany, where his physician father ran the US Em ...

, ''Natchez Burning'' ; 2013 * Winner: Roger Hobbs, ''Ghostman'' ** Stuart Neville, ''Ratlines'' ** Mark Oldfield, ''The Sentinel'' ** Robert Wilson, ''Capital Punishment'' ; 2012 * Winner:

Charles Cumming Charles Cumming (born 1971) is a British writer of spy fiction. Early life and education Cumming was born in 1971, in Ayr, Scotland, the son of Ian Cumming (b. 1938) and Caroline Pilkington (b. 1943). He was educated at Ludgrove School (197 ...

, ''A Foreign Country'' **

, ''Dare Me'' ** Robert Harris, ''The Fear Index'' ** Neal Stephenson, '' Reamde'' ; 2011 * Winner: Steve Hamilton, '' The Lock Artist'' ** Michael Gruber, ''The Good Son'' ** Craig Smith, ''Cold Rain'' ** S.J. Watson, ''Before I Go to Sleep'' ; 2010 * Winner: Simon Conway, ''A Loyal Spy'' **

Scott Turow Scott Frederick Turow (born April 12, 1949) is an American author and lawyer. Turow has written 13 fiction and three nonfiction books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies. Turow’s novels ...

, ''Innocent'' ** Henry Porter, ''The Dying Light'' ** Don Winslow, ''The Gentlemen’s Hour'' **

, ''

61 Hours ''61 Hours'' is the fourteenth book in the Jack Reacher thriller series written by Lee Child. It was published on 18 March 2010 both in the United Kingdom and in the USA. It is written in the third person. In the story, former military police o ...

'' **

Mo Hayder Beatrice Clare Dunkel (born Clare Damaris Bastin; pen names, Mo Hayder and Theo Clare; 2 January 1962 – 27 July 2021) was a British author. Earlier in her life she worked as an actress and model under the name Candy Davis. She went on to wr ...

, ''Gone'' **

, ''Slow Horses''

2000s

;2009 * Winner: John Hart, '' The Last Child'' **

Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bests ...

, ''

The Brass Verdict ''The Brass Verdict'' is the 19th novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the second appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel '' The Linc ...

'' **

Gillian Flynn Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for writing the thriller and mystery novels, ''Sharp Objects'' (2006), '' Dark Places'' (2009), and '' Gone Girl'' (2012), which are ...

, ''Dark Places'' ** Charlie Newton, ''Calumet City'' ** Daniel Silva, ''

Moscow Rules The Moscow rules are rules-of-thumb said to have been developed during the Cold War to be used by spies and others working in Moscow. The rules are associated with Moscow because the city developed a reputation as being a particularly harsh loc ...

'' **

Olen Steinhauer Olen Steinhauer (born June 21, 1970 in Baltimore) is an American writer of spy fiction novels, including '' The Tourist'', part of the Milo Weaver series, and the Yalta Boulevard Sequence. Steinhauer also created the TV series '' Berlin Station' ...

, ''The Tourist'' ** Andrew Williams, ''The Interrogator'' ; 2008 * Winner:

Tom Rob Smith Tom Rob Smith (born February 19, 1979) is an English author, screenwriter and producer. Personal life and education The son of Swedish mother Barbro and English father Ron, both antiques dealers, Smith was born and raised at Norbury, South Lon ...

, ''

Child 44 ''Child 44'' (published in 2008) is a thriller novel by British writer Tom Rob Smith. This is the first novel in a trilogy featuring former MGB Agent Leo Demidov, who investigates a series of gruesome child murders in Joseph Stalin's Soviet ...

'' **

, ''Ritual'' **

Gregg Hurwitz Gregg Andrew Hurwitz is an American novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer. Most of his novels are in the thriller fiction genre. His script writing work includes a film adaptation of his book ''Orphan X'', a TV adaptation of Joby Warri ...

, ''I See You'' **

, '' Shatter'' ** David Stone, ''The Echelon Vendetta'' ; 2007 * Winner:

, ''Sharp Objects'' **

Alex Berenson Alexander Norman Berenson (born January 6, 1973) is an American writer who was a reporter for '' The New York Times'', and has authored several thriller novels as well a book on corporate financial filings. His 2019 book '' Tell Your Children: Th ...

, ''

The Faithful Spy ''The Faithful Spy'' is a novel by ''New York Times'' reporter Alex Berenson. The novel won an Edgar award for Best First novel. It was published in 2006 by Random House and tells the story of a CIA agent who has infiltrated Al Qaeda and, years a ...

'' **

Harlan Coben Harlan Coben is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Among his novels ...

, ''The Woods'' ** R. J. Ellory, ''City of Lies'' ** Michael Marshall, ''The Intruders'' **

, ''The Night Ferry'' **

, ''

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divide ...

'' ; 2006 * Winner: Nick Stone, ''Mr Clarinet'' **

, ''

The Lincoln Lawyer ''The Lincoln Lawyer'' is a 2005 novel, the 16th by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It introduces Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay character Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was adapted as a ...

'' ** Jo-Ann Goodwin, ''Sweet Gum'' **

, '' Pig Island'' ** Daniel Silva, '' The English Assassin'' ** Martyn Waites, ''The Mercy Seat'' **

David Wolstencroft David Wolstencroft (born 16 July 1969), is an American-born British screenwriter and author. He is best known as creator of the BAFTA award-winning TV spy drama '' Spooks'' and its spin-off series, '' Spooks: Code 9''. Early life Wolstencroft wa ...

, ''Contact Zero'' ; 2005 * Winner: Henry Porter, ''Brandenburg'' ** G. M. Ford, ''A Blind Eye'' **

Simon Kernick Simon Kernick (born February 1967 in Slough, Buckinghamshire) is a British thriller/crime writer now living in Oxfordshire with his two daughters. Kernick attended Gillotts School, a comprehensive in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Whilst he was ...

, ''A Good Day to Die'' ** Adrian Matthews, ''The Apothecary's House'' **

Kate Mosse Katharine Mosse (born 20 October 1961) is a British novelist, non-fiction and short story writer and broadcaster. She is best known for her 2005 novel ''Labyrinth'', which has been translated into more than 37 languages. Early life and care ...

, ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

'' ** Joel Ross, ''Double Cross Blind'' ** Daniel Silva, ''A Death in Vienna'' ; 2004 * Winner:

Jeffery Deaver Jeffery Deaver (born May 6, 1950) is an American mystery and crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a J.D. degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He lat ...

, ''Garden of Beasts'' ** Dan Fesperman, ''The Warlord's Son'' **

Joseph Finder Joseph Finder (born October 6, 1958) is an American thriller writer. His books include ''Paranoia'', '' Company Man'', '' The Fixer'', '' Killer Instinct'', ''Power Play'', and the Nick Heller series of thrillers. His novel ''High Crimes'' was ma ...

, ''Paranoia'' **

, ''

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

'' ** Stephen Leather, ''Hard Landing'' **

, ''Dead I Well May Be'' ** Daniel Silva, ''The Confessor'' ; 2003 * Winner: Dan Fesperman, ''The Small Boat of Great Sorrows'' **

, ''

Persuader Persuader is a Swedish power metal band from the city Umeå in the Swedish province of Västerbotten Norrland. The band was formed in 1997, and they have since released five full-length albums. They have a sound similar to bands including earl ...

'' ** R. J. Ellory, ''Candlemoth'' ** Lucretia Grindle, ''The Nightspinners'' ** Robert Littell, ''

The Company ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' ** Henry Porter, ''Empire State'' **

Gerald Seymour Gerald Seymour (born 25 November 1941 in Guildford, Surrey) is a British writer of crime and espionage novels. Early life Gerald Seymour was born to William Kean Seymour and his second wife, Rosalind Wade.John Creed, ''The Sirius Crossing'' **

Tom Bradby Thomas Matthew Bradby (born 13 January 1967) is a British journalist and novelist who currently presents the ''ITV News at Ten''. He was previously political editor for ITV News from 2005 to 2015, and presented ''The Agenda with Tom Bradby'', a ...

, ''The Master of Rain'' **

, ''

Without Fail ''Without Fail'' is the sixth book in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child. It was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, Putnam in 2002. It is written in the third person. In the novel, retired military police officer Jack Reacher is asked ...

'' **

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as '' Hill Street Blues'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', '' Miami Vice'' and '' L.A. ...

, ''Hostage'' ** Leif Davidsen, ''Lime's Photograph'' ** CC Humphreys, ''The French Executioner'' ** Stephen Leather, ''Tango One''

References

Crime Writers' Association awards Awards established in 2002 2002 establishments in the United Kingdom Mystery and detective fiction awards