The McIlvanney Prize is Bloody Scotland’s annual prize awarded to the best Scottish Crime book of the year.

It provides Scottish crime writing with recognition and aims to raise the profile and prestige of the genre as a whole. The prize was renamed in memory of William McIlvanney, often described as the Godfather of Tartan Noir, in 2016.

The shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish crime book of the year has been announced today. 

Top of the list for us is The Coffinmaker's Daughter by Stuart MacBride which Liz Robinson adored. "This gutsy, atmospheric, hugely entertaining crime thriller comes with the LoveReading Star Book stamp of approval." We love Stuart MacBride here at LoveReading and earlier this year, invited him to be featured in our Putting Authors in the Picture series.

Here is the full shortlist, good luck to all shortlisted authors.

The Coffinmaker's Garden, Stuart MacBride 

The Silent Daughter, Emma Christie

Edge of the Grave, Robbie Morrison

The April Dead, Alan Parks 

Hyde, Craig Russell 

Leading names on the longlist also included Val McDermid, Denise Mina, and Chris Brookmyre.

The judges are Karen Robinson, formerly of the Times Crime Club; Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic; and Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer at Waterstones Glasgow. 

Francine Toon won the McIlvanney Prize in 2020, for Pine.

The Glencairn Glass sponsors the prize, with match funding from Culture & Business Fund Scotland. The prize is worth £1,000 to the winner, with promotion at branches of Waterstones, and will be presented at the opening of the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival on 17 September.