1982

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Hoodwink by Bill Pronzini

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
California Thriller by Max Byrd

THE EYE
Ross Macdonald

1983

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Eight Million Ways to Die by Lawrence Block

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Cana Diversion by William Campbell Gault

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You” by John Lutz

THE EYE
Mickey Spillane

1984

BEST PI HARDCOVER
True Detective by Max Allan Collins

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Dead in Centerfield by Paul Engleman

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Cat’s Paw” by Bill by Pronzini

THE EYE
William Campbell Gault

1985

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Sugartown by Loren D. Estleman

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
A Creative Kind of Killer by Jack Early

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Ceiling of Hell by Warren Murphy

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“By The Dawn’s Early Light” by Lawrence Block

THE EYE
Howard Browne 

1986

BEST PI HARDCOVER
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Hardcover by Wayne Warga

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Poverty Bay by Earl Emerson

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Eight Miles and Dequindre” [Amos Walker] by Loren D. Estleman

THE EYE
Richard S. Prather

1987

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Staked Goat by Jeremiah Healy

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Jersey Tomatoes by J. W. Rider

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Back Door Man by Rob Kantner

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Fly Away Home” [Ben Perkins] by Rob Kantner 

THE EYE
Bill Pronzini

1988

BEST PI HARDCOVER
A Tax in Blood by Benjamin Schutz

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Death on the Rocks by Michael Allegretto

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Wild Night by L. J. Washburn

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Turn Away” by Ed Gorman

THE EYE
Dennis Lynds, Wade Miller

1989

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Kiss by John Lutz

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Fear of the Dark by Gar Anthony Haywood

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Dirty Work by Rob Kantner

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Crooked Way” by Loren D. Estleman

1990

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Extenuating Circumstances by Jonathan Valin

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Katwalk by Karen Kijewski

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Hell’s Only Half Full by Rob Kantner

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Killing Man” by Mickey Spillane

1991

BEST PI HARDCOVER
G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Fatal Sisters by W. Glenn Duncan

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Final Resting Place” by Marcia Muller 

THE EYE
Roy Huggins

1992

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Stolen Away by Max Allan Collins

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Suffer Little Children by Thomas Davis

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Cool Blue Tomb by Paul Kemprecos

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Dust Devil” by Nancy Pickard

THE EYE
Joseph Hansen

1993

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Man Who Was Taller Than God by Harold Adams

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Last Tango of Delores Delgado by Marele Day

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Mary, Mary Shut The Door” by Ben Schutz

THE EYE
Marcia Muller

1994

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Devil Knows You’re Dead by Lawrence Block

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Satan’s Lambs by Lynn Hightower

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Brothers and Sinners by Rodman Philbrick

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Merciful Angel of Death” by Lawrence Block

THE EYE
Stephen J. Cannell

1995

BEST PI HARDCOVER
K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Served Cold by Ed Goldberg

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Necessary Brother” by Brendan DuBois

THE EYE
John Lutz, Robert B. Parker

1996

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Concourse by S. J. Rozan

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Innocents by Richard Barre

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Native Angels by William Jaspersohn

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“And Pray Nobody Sees You” by Gar Anthony Haywood

1997

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Sunset Express by Robert Crais

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
This Dog For Hire by Carol Lea Benjamin

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Fade Away by Harlan Coben

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Dead Drunk” by Lia Matera

THE EYE
Stephen Marlowe

1998

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Come Back Dead by Terrance Faherty

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Big Red Tequilla by Rick Riordan

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Charm City by Laura Lippman

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Love Me For My Yellow Hair Alone” by Carolyn Wheat

1999

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Boobytrap by Bill Pronzini

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Murder Manual [Harry James Denton] by Steve Womack

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Another Day, Another Dollar” by Warren Murphy

THE EYE
Maxine O’Callahan

2000

BEST PI HARDCOVER
California Fire and Life by Don Winslow

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Akitada’s First Case” by I.J. Parker

THE EYE
Edward D. Hoch

2001

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Havana Heat by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Street Level by Bob Truluck

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Death in the Steel City by Thomas Lipinski

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Road’s End” by Brendan BuBois

2002

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Reflecting the Sky by S. J. Rozan

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Chasing the Devil’s Tail by David Fulmer

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Archangel Protocol by Lyda Morehouse

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Rough Justice” by Ceri Jordan

THE EYE
Lawrence Block

2003

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Blackwater Sound by James W. Hall

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Distance by Eddie Muller

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Poisoned Rose by D. Daniel Judson

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Second Coming” [Scott Eliot] by Terence Faherty

THE EYE
Sue Grafton

2004

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Guards by Ken Bruen

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Black Maps by Peter Spiegelman

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Cold Quarry by Andy Straka

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Lady on Ice” by Loren D. Estleman

THE EYE
Donald Westlake (Tucker Coe)

2005

BEST PI HARDCOVER
While I Disappear by Ed Wright

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Dead by Ingrid Black

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Fade to Blonde by Max Phillips

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Hasidic Noir” by Pearl Abraham

THE EYE
Sara Paretsky

2006

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Forcing Amaryllis by Louise Ure

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The James Deans by Reed Farrel Coleman

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“A Death in Ueno” by Michael Wiecek

THE EYE
Max Allan Collins

2007

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Dramatist by Ken Bruen 

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
An Unquiet Grave by P. J. Parrish

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Heart Has Reasons” [Luicien Caye] by O’Neil DeNoux

THE HAMMER
Shell Scott by Richard S. Prather

THE EYE
Stuart M. Kaminsky

2008

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman 

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover 

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Songs of Innocence by Richard Aleas

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Hungry Enough” by Cornelia Read

THE HAMMER
Nameless by Bill Pronzini

THE EYE
Joe Gores

2009

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Empty Ever After by Reed Farrel Coleman 

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
In the Heat by Ian Vasquez 

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Snow Blind by Lori G. Armstrong 

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Family Values” by Mitch Alderman

THE HAMMER
Matt Scudder by Lawrence Block

THE EYE
Robert J. Randisi

2010

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Locked In by Marcia Muller 

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks 

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Sinner’s Ball by Ira Berkowitz 

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Julius Katz” by Dave Zeltserman

THE HAMMER
Sharon McCone by Marcia Muller

THE EYE
Robert Crais

2011

BEST PI HARDCOVER
No Mercy by Lori G. Armstrong

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Asia Hand by Christopher G. Moore

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Lamb Was Sure To Go” by Gar Anthony Haywood

THE HAMMER
V.I. Warshawski by Sara Peretsky

THE EYE
Ed Gorman

2012

BEST PI HARDCOVER
A Bad Night’s Sleep by Michael Wiley

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Shortcut Man by P. G. Sturges

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Who I Am” by Michael Z. Lewin

THE HAMMER
Nate Heller by Max Allan Collins

2013

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Taken by Robert Crais

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Black Fridays by Michael Sears

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
And She Was by Alison Gaylin

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Ghost Negligence” by John Shepphird

BEST INDIE PI NOVEL
White Heat by Paul Marks

THE EYE
Loren D. Estleman

2014

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Good Cop by Brad Parks

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Bear is Broken by Lachlan Smith

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Heart of Ice by P.J. Parrish

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“So Long, Chief” by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane

BEST INDIE PI NOVEL
Don’t Dare a Dame by M. Ruth Myers

THE HAMMER
Kinsey Millhone by Sue Grafton

2015

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Hounded by David Rosenfelt

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Invisible City by Julia Dahl

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Moonlight Weeps by Vincent Zandri

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Clear Recent History” by Gon Ben Ari

BEST INDIE PI NOVEL
The Shadow Broker by Trace Conger 

THE EYE
Parnell Hall

2016

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Brutality by Ingrid Thofts

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Do-Right by Lisa Sandlin

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Circling the Runway by J.L. Abramo

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“The Dead Client” by Parnell Hall 

THE EYE
S.J. Rozan

2017

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
IQ by Joe Ide

BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“A Battlefield Reunion” by Brendan DuBois

THE EYE 
Jerry Kennealy 

2018

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Room of White Fire by T. Jefferson Parker

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Lights Out Summer by Rich Zahradnik

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Rosalie Marx is Missing” by Robert S. Levinson 

THE EYE
Walter Mosley

2019

BEST PI HARDCOVER
What You Want to See by Kristen Lepionka

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL

The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Chin Yong-Yun Helps a Fool” by S.J. Rozan 

2020 

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle  

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL 
Behind the Wall of Sleep by James D.F. Hannah 

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Sac-A-Lait Man” by O’Neill DeNoux

2021

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Blind Vigil by Matt Coyle  

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL 
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey

BEST PI PAPERBACK ORIGINAL 
Brittle Karma by Richard Helms

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Mustang Sally” by John M. Floyd

THE EYE
Michael Z. Lewin

2022

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Family Business by S. J. Rozan

 BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK 
Every city is Every Other City by John McFetridge

 BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
Lost Little Girl by Gregory Stout

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Sweeps Week” by Richard Helms

2023

BEST PI HARDCOVER
The Wheel of Doll by Jonathan Ames 

BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
Dead-Bang Fall by J.R. Sanders 

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
The Goldenacre by Philip Miller 

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Charlie’s Magazine” by Libby Cudmore

2024 

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Heart of the Nile by Will Thomas

 BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
Liar’s Dice by Gabriel Valjan

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Errand for a Neighbor” by Bill Bassman

2025 

BEST PI HARDCOVER
Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts

 BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
Call of the Void by J.T. Siemens

BEST FIRST PI NOVEL

Twice the Trouble by Ash Clifton

BEST PI SHORT STORY
“Deadhead” by Tom Andes (Issue 10.1: Cowboy Jamboree Magazine)

THE EYE
Christine Matthews