Mick Herron’s Joe Country and Claire Askew’s What You Pay For have been nominated for the top prize at one of the oldest crime writing awards.
The Crime Writers’ Association’s gold dagger was created in 1955 and is awarded to the best crime novel by an author of any nationality.
Lou Berney’s November Road, John Fairfax’s Forced Confessions, Abir Mukherjee’s Death In The East and Michael Robotham’s Good Girl, Bad Girl also feature on the shortlist.
November Road also earns a nomination for the Ian Fleming steel dagger for the best thriller, up against novels including Between Two Evils by Eva Dolan.
Death In The East also appears on the shortlist for the Sapere Books historical dagger.
The event’s 10 categories also include the John Creasey dagger for a first-time author, the short story dagger and publishers’ dagger.
The CWA was founded in 1953 by crime writer John Creasey to support and promote the crime genre and its authors.
Linda Stratmann, chairwoman of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “As the CWA daggers are unmatched for their reputation and longevity, these shortlists offer a showcase of the finest writing in crime fiction and non-fiction.
“They reveal the remarkable variety and huge relevance of the genre, which continues to dominate book sales and to shape our cultural landscape.”
Winners will be announced during a ceremony on October 22.