LibGuides: Christy Awards: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller (2000-)

The Christy Awards

Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

2020-2029

WINNER: The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker

The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Dekker, Ted and Rachelle Dekker
Call Number: FIC DEKKE TED GI (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9781432869861

Publication Date: 2019-09-25

Ten years ago, Grace saw something that would forever change the course of history. When evil in its purest form is unleashed on the world, she and others from their religious community are already hidden deep in the hills of Tennessee, abiding by every rule that will keep them safe, pure--and alive. As long as they stay there, behind the red perimeter.

FINALISTS:

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

Echoes among the Stones by Wright, Jaime Jo
Call Number: FIC WRIGH JAIJ EC (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780764234798

Publication Date: 2019-12-03

A mystery begins when Aggie Dunkirk exhumes secrets and uncovers a crime her eccentric grandmother has been obsessing over. Decades earlier, after discovering her sister's body in the attic, Imogene Grayson longs for justice. Two women, separated by time, vow to find answers . . . no matter the cost.
Smoke Screen by Blackstock, Terri
Call Number: FIC BLACK TER SM (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780310332602

Publication Date: 2019-11-05

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado home town. His mother begs him to come to Carlisle now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn't until he's sidelined by an injury that he's forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too. Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher's daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna had defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate's drunken dad was loud--and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down, people assumed it was Nate getting even for his father's conviction. He let the rumors fly and left Carlisle without looking back. Now, Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and she's dealing with a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he's using lies and his family's money to sway the judge. She's barely hanging on, and she's turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her. As they deal with the present--including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that's threatening their town--their past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she'll have to learn to trust him again first.

WINNER: Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks

Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks
Call Number: FIC PARKS CARS RE (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780785226185

Publication Date: 2020-07-14

FBI-certified forensic artist Carrie Stuart Parks combines her knowledge of art and forensics in this case of family secrets and deception.

FINALISTS:

Port of Origin by Lisa Harris & Lynne Gentry
Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn

Port of Origin (Agents of Mercy #2) by Lynne Gentry; Lisa Harris
Call Number: FIC HARRI LIS A2 (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9798640219463

Publication Date: 2020-04-26

Foreign exploitation of Africa's natural resources has destroyed the fishing business of Dabir Omar. Hijacking oil tankers brings cash to his family in their remote village, but it doesn't buy the medical care needed to stop the deadly sickness attacking his people. When Dabir's son becomes ill, the desperate pirate sets sail for the Liberty, an international humanitarian medical ship ported on the coast. Against his better judgment, Dr. Josiah Allen agrees to work a two-week surgical stint on the Liberty, moored in Douala, Cameroon. Shortly after he arrives with his precocious six-year-old daughter, Josiah is sent ashore to investigate a mysterious illness at the ship's post-op clinic. While he's gone, Ebola-infected pirates hijack the medical ship where Josiah left his daughter. When pirate negotiations fail, Mackenzie Scott's privately-owned extraction unit comes in for the rescue. But when the medical ship where Mac had taken a wounded comrade is hijacked by pirates, the former military pararescue jumper becomes the pirate's key hostage. Both fathers go to war to save their children. If Mac can't convince them to work together, the winner of this conflict will be a deadly virus intent on destroying the world.

Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn
Call Number: FIC BLACK LYNH UN (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780800739614

Publication Date: 2021-03-02

After four US Secret Service Special Agents die in unusual circumstances within a ten-week span, FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is put in charge of the investigation. She'll have to work alongside USSS Agent Luke Powell to bring a killer to justice - before his name joins his friends' on the list.

WINNER: Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

Aftermath [E-Book] by Terri Blackstock
Call Number: FIC BLACK TER AF Ebook (OverDrive)

ISBN: 9780310348566

Publication Date: 2021-05-11

A devastating explosion. Three best friends attend a concert. Only one makes it out alive. A trunk full of evidence. When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there’s been a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there. An attorney who will risk it all for an old friend. Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first person he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?
Aftermath [streaming audiobook] by Terri Blackstock
Call Number: FIC BLACK TER AF Audiobk (OverDrive)

ISBN: 9780785237501

Publication Date: 2021

FINALISTS:

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson
On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson
Call Number: FIC JOHNS TODM BA (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780764239137

Publication Date: 2021-08-03

1818 London. In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Madeleine Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king's regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter-- the sole proof his actions were legal-- has vanished. She turns to barrister William Snopes, a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. As he delves into the case, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he'd imagined.

_____

On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright
Call Number: FIC WRIGH JAMJ ON (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780764239212

Publication Date: 2021-06-01

With more children on their way from England who need caring homes, Lillian and Grace Walsh must use every ounce of gumption to keep their mission alive. But when startling information about the past surfaces and a new arrival comes via suspicious circumstances, they'll have to decided what is worth fighting for and what is better left in God's hands.

WINNER

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Cold Light of Day [large print] (Missing in Alaska #1) by Elizabeth Goddard
Call Number: FIC GODDA ELI M1 Large (Large print collection)

ISBN: 9781638086857

Publication Date: 2023-04-01

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

FINALISTS

By Way of Deception by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn
Forged by Sara Davison
The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

By Way of Deception [large print] by Amir Tsarfati; Steve Yohn
Call Number: FIC TSARF AMI BY LARGE (Large print collection)

ISBN: 9781638085140

Publication Date: 2022-11-01

The Mossad has uncovered Iran's plans to smuggle untraceable weapons of mass destruction into Israel. The clock is ticking, and agents Nir Tavor and Nicole le Roux can't act quickly enough. Nir and Nicole find themselves caught in a whirlwind plot of assassinations, espionage, and undercover recon, fighting against the clock to stop this threat against the Middle East. As they draw closer to danger -- and closer to each other -- they find themselves ensnared in a lethal web of secrets. Will they have to sacrifice their own lives to protect the lives of millions?
Forged by Sara Davison
Call Number: FIC DAVIS SAR FO

ISBN: 9781953957030

Publication Date: 2022-08-22

Private Investigator Jax Rodriguez has been searching for his brother, Diego, for twenty years. When he stumbles upon another lead, he makes an agonizing decision—he will follow this last trail until it grows cold, and then he will marry the woman he loves and abandon his quest once and for all. Artist Mikayla Grant is terrified of losing another person close to her, but she has to let Jax go after his brother. Given the secrecy surrounding Diego’s disappearance, clearly Jax is heading into danger. When all contact with him is abruptly cut off, can Mikayla trust that God’s promise to never leave nor forsake Jax will be enough to bring him safely home? Or does she need to take matters into her own hands? As Jax attempts to survive the dangerous streets of Caracas, Venezuela, and then face the myriad of unknown threats in the El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico, he is not the only one hunting down his brother. A ruthless drug lord bent on revenge is using all his resources to discover the truth about what happened to Diego. If Jax can’t stay one step ahead of his pursuer, then he, like his brother, could disappear and never be heard from again
The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright
Call Number: FIC WRIGH JAIJ SO

ISBN: 9780764238321

Publication Date: 2022-04-05

Wren Blythe enjoys life in the Northwoods, but when a girl goes missing, her search leads to a shocking discovery shrouded in the lore of the murderess Eva Coons. Decades earlier, the real Eva struggles with the mystery of her past--all clues point to murder. Both will find that, to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

WINNER

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright
Call Number: FIC WRIGH JAIJ VA

ISBN: 9780764241291

Publication Date: 2023-04-04

When Greta Mercy's brothers disappear from the Barlowe Theater in 1915, she will do anything to uncover what threat lurks beneath the stage. Decades later, revealing what happened to the boys falls on Kit Boyd, who must determine whether she's willing to pay the price to end the pattern of evil that has marked their hometown for a century.

FINALISTS

8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

8 Down (Alaskan cyber hunters #2) by Kimberley Woodhouse
Call Number: FIC WOODH KIM A2

ISBN: 9780825447730

Publication Date: 2024-02-01

Investigator Carrie Kintz has been on the job with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Anchorage for only a couple of months. But she's already jumped into the deep end: there's a serial killer on the loose. Not only is he claiming he's already killed eight people, he's also sworn eight more lives will be eliminated if demands aren't met. The only clues to help law enforcement stop him are the ones he sends in crossword puzzles across the country-always in the same 8 Down position. As Carrie works the case, she can't help but feel she's in over her head. And worse, there's signs that the deaths may be part of a frighteningly elaborate cyberattack. But without knowing how the victims are connected, tracking down a killer determined to prove he's smarter than everyone else may be impossible. With the clock ticking and lives hanging in the balance, Carrie is desperate not to fail and be fired-or worse, to find her faith fading in the face of danger and uncertainty. But when she calls in security specialist Scott Patteson for his expertise on the case, she's suddenly also in danger of losing her heart.
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright
Call Number: FIC WRIGH JAIJ LO

ISBN: 9780764241444

Publication Date: 2023-10-10

In 1865, orphaned Daisy Francois takes a housemaid position and finds that the eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides a story more harrowing than those in her novels. Centuries later, Cleo Clemmons uncovers an age-old mystery, and the dust of the old castle's curse threatens to rise again, this time leaving no one alive to tell its sordid tale.

2010-2019

No award

WINNER: When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks

FINALISTS:

Without Warning by Joel C. Rosenberg
If I Run by Terri Blackstock

Without Warning (J.B. Collins #3) by Joel C. Rosenberg
Call Number: FIC ROSEN JOEC C3 (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9781496406163

Publication Date: 2017-03-14

As he prepares to deliver the State of the Union address, the president of the United States is convinced the Islamic State is on the run, about to be crushed by American forces once and for all. But New York Times foreign correspondent J. B. Collins tells the president he’s dead wrong. With the Middle East on fire, the Israeli prime minister dead, and Amman in ruins, Collins fears a catastrophic attack inside the American homeland is imminent. He argues that only an all-out manhunt to capture or kill Abu Kahlif—the leader of ISIS—can stop the attack and save American lives. But will the president listen and take decisive action before it’s too late?

WINNER: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

FINALISTS:

Coldwater by Samuel Parker
Rule of Law by Randy Singer

Coldwater by Samuel Parker
Call Number: FIC PARKE SAM CO (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780800727345

Publication Date: 2018-01-02

Having forfeited his youth to the state prison system, Michael moved back to the only home he'd ever known. An empty shell of a man who now lived--if it could be called living--in the still vacant house of his parents in a town with one stoplight. A town that hated him. Had always hated him. And was ready to pick up where the prison system had let off. Now he's on the run from men who've tried to kill him once; but Michael is more than an ex-con. A powerful, sinister force creeps inside him, threatening and destructive. Who--and what--it will destroy next is the only real question.

WINNER: Every Wicked Man by Steven James

FINALISTS:

Called to Protect by Lynette Eason
Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

2000-2009

WINNER: Final Witness by James Scott Bell

FINALISTS:

A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky
The Chairman by Harry Lee Kraus, Jr.

WINNER: The Great Divide by T. Davis Bunn

FINALISTS:

Blind Justice by James Scott Bell
Lethal Harvest by William Cutrer and Sandra Glahn

WINNER: Drummer in the Dark by T. Davis Bunn

FINALISTS:

Out of the Shadows by SIgmund Brouwer
Sadie's Song by Linda Hall

WINNER: Directed Verdict by Randy Singer

Directed Verdict [E-Book] by Randy Singer
Call Number: FIC SINGE RAN DI Ebook (OverDrive)

ISBN: 9781414333489

Publication Date: 2011-06-14

In Saudi Arabia, two American missionaries are targeted by the infamous religious police—Muttawa. The man is tortured and killed; his wife arrested on trumped-up charges before being deported to the United States. Compelled by the injustice of her plight, young attorney Brad Carlson files an unprecedented civil rights suit against Saudi Arabia and the ruthless head of the Muttawa. But the suit unleashes powerful forces that will stop at nothing to vindicate the Arabian kingdom. Witnesses are intimidated and some disappear; jurors are bribed; and a member of Brad’s own team may be attempting to sabotage the case. As Brad navigates a maze of treachery and deception, he must gamble his case, his career, and the lives of those he loves on his ability to bring justice to one family, challenge the religious intolerance of a nation, and alter the course of international law.

FINALISTS:

Crown of Thorns by Sigmund Brouwer
They Shall See God by Athol Dickson

WINNER: Thr3e by Ted Dekker

Thr3e by Dekker, Ted
Call Number: FIC DEKKE TED TH (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780849943720

Publication Date: 2003-06-03

Imagine answering your cell phone one day to a male voice that gives you three minutes to confess your sin. If you don't, the madman, Slater, will blow your car to smithereens. You barely manage to exit heavy traffic and ditch the car when, precisely three minutes later, your car blows sky high. The media and police descend on the scene; your world has just changed forever. So begins the nightmare that grows with progressively higher stakes. There's another phone call, another riddle. The cycle will not stop until the world discovers the secret of your sin, but you don't have a clue what that sin is. If not for Jennifer, the brilliant FBI agent working to corner Slater, you would indeed go mad.

FINALISTS:

Into the Nevernight by Anne de Graaf
The Lies of Saints by Sigmund Brouwer
Steal Away by Linda Hall

WINNER: Tiger in the Shadows by Debbie Wilson

FINALISTS:

The Assignment by Mark Andrew Olsen
River's Edge by Terri Blackstock

River's Edge (Cape Refuge #3) by Terri Blackstock
Call Number: FIC BLACK TER C3 (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780310235941

Publication Date: 2004-08-29

Ben Jackson is going head to head with Jonathan Cleary in Cape Refuge’s mayoral race—and he’s even expected to win—when his wife Lisa turns up missing the day before the major debate. Suddenly the town is in turmoil as proof of an alleged affair surfaces, indicating that Ben Jackson might have had motive to kill his wife. Meanwhile, newspaper owner Blair Owens has other suspicions—and so does Police Chief Cade. Together they dig deeply into the mysterious disappearance that soon spirals into a web of confusion, dark secrets, and unsettling fraud. Then the town’s psychic reveals the location of Lisa’s body—at the bottom of the river. Even though Blair doesn’t believe his paranormal gift is real, she can’t imagine how he knew where the body was. The small-town scandal quickly turns into a national media event. Is the murderer one of the obvious suspects . . . or someone they have no reason to doubt?

WINNER: River Rising by Athol Dickson

FINALISTS:

Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo
Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Last Light (Restoration series #1) by Terri Blackstock
Call Number: FIC BLACK TER R1 (Adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780310257677

Publication Date: 2005-09-20

Birmingham, Alabama, has lost all power. Its streets are jammed with cars that won’t start, its airport engulfed in flames from burning planes. All communications—cell phones, computers, even radios—are silent. Every home and business is dark. Is it a natural disaster . . . a terrorist attack . . . or something far worse? In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to a time before electricity, the Branning family faces a choice. Will they hoard their possessions in order to survive—or trust God to provide as they share their resources with those around them? Yesterday’s world is gone. Family and community are all that remain. And the outage is revealing the worst in some. Desperation can be dangerous when a killer lives among them.

No award

WINNER: The Rook by Steven James

FINALISTS:

By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

By Reason of Insanity [E-Book] by Randy Singer
Call Number: FIC SINGE RAN BY Ebook (OverDrive)

ISBN: 9781414341484

Publication Date: 2010-09-30

After a series of kidnappings and murders in Virginia Beach, newspaper reporter Catherine O'Rourke experiences disturbing dreams that detail each crime. In an effort to aid the investigation, she shares them with her confidential source—a detective working on the case. Catherine's intimate knowledge of the crimes immediately makes her a prime suspect. When scientific evidence corroborates her guilt, she's arrested and charged with murder. As she begins to doubt her own innocence, Catherine turns to Las Vegas lawyer Quinn Newberg, a high-priced specialist in the insanity defense. Quinn believes in justice, Vegas-style. But he doesn't believe in the supernatural, or that Catherine's dreams are anything other than the result of a fractured personality disorder. Who can understand the human mind? Quinn knows that insanity cases are unpredictable, but nothing had prepared him for this! To win, or even survive, Quinn will need more than his famed legal maneuvering and biting skepticism. On this case, he needs a miracle.

Christy Awards

2020-2029

WINNER: The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker

FINALISTS:

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

WINNER: Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks

FINALISTS:

Port of Origin by Lisa Harris & Lynne Gentry

Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn

WINNER: Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

FINALISTS:

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson

On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright

WINNER

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

FINALISTS

By Way of Deception by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn

Forged by Sara Davison

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

WINNER

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

FINALISTS

8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

2010-2019

No award

No award

No award

No award

No award

No award

No award

WINNER: When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks

FINALISTS:

Without Warning by Joel C. Rosenberg

If I Run by Terri Blackstock

WINNER: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

FINALISTS:

Coldwater by Samuel Parker

Rule of Law by Randy Singer

WINNER: Every Wicked Man by Steven James

FINALISTS:

Called to Protect by Lynette Eason

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

2000-2009

WINNER: Final Witness by James Scott Bell

FINALISTS:

A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky

The Chairman by Harry Lee Kraus, Jr.

WINNER: The Great Divide by T. Davis Bunn

FINALISTS:

Blind Justice by James Scott Bell

Lethal Harvest by William Cutrer and Sandra Glahn

WINNER: Drummer in the Dark by T. Davis Bunn

FINALISTS:

Out of the Shadows by SIgmund Brouwer

Sadie's Song by Linda Hall

WINNER: Directed Verdict by Randy Singer

FINALISTS:

Crown of Thorns by Sigmund Brouwer

They Shall See God by Athol Dickson

WINNER: Thr3e by Ted Dekker

FINALISTS:

Into the Nevernight by Anne de Graaf

The Lies of Saints by Sigmund Brouwer

Steal Away by Linda Hall

WINNER: Tiger in the Shadows by Debbie Wilson

FINALISTS:

The Assignment by Mark Andrew Olsen

River's Edge by Terri Blackstock

WINNER: River Rising by Athol Dickson

FINALISTS:

Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo

Last Light by Terri Blackstock

No award

No award

WINNER: The Rook by Steven James

FINALISTS:

By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer