The Crime Writers of Canada honoured the winners of the 2016 Arthur Ellis Awards, recognizing excellent Canadian crime writing in nine categories, at an awards banquet in Toronto on May 26.

This year’s winners are:

• Best novel: Peter Kirby, Open Season (Linda Leith Publishing)
• Best first novel: Ausma Zehanat Khan, The Unquiet Dead (Minotaur Books)
• The Lou Allen Memorial Award for best novella: Jeremy Bates, Black Canyon (From Dark Hearts, Ghilinnein Books)
• Best short story: Scott Mackay, “The Avocado Kid” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)
• Best book in french: Luc Chartrand, L’Affaire Myosotis (Québec Amérique)
• Best juvenile/YA : Stephanie Tromly, Trouble is a Friend of Mine (Kathy Dawson Books/Penguin Canada)
• Best non-fiction: Dean Jobb, Empire of Deception: From Chicago to Nova Scotia – The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation (HarperCollins Canada)
• The Dundurn Unhanged Arthur for best unpublished first crime novel: Jayne Barnard, When the Flood Falls

In addition, Eric Wright was named the recipient of this year’s Grand Master Award, given to a Canadian crime writer with a substantial body of work who has garnered national and international recognition. Wright, the author of 18 crime novels, died in October, shortly after being notified he had been chosen as this year’s Grand Master.