Topical thrillers triumph at Theakston awards as Abir Mukherjee’s Hunted wins Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025
Hunted by Abir Mukherjee has been announced as the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, presented by Harrogate International Festivals at a special ceremony on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
Simon Theakston, Abir Mukherjee (c) Mike Whorley
Hunted is a “riveting” topical thriller set in London and the US in the final week of a toxic presidential campaign, as two devastated parents find themselves in a race against time – and the FBI - to track down their children who are suspected of terrorist atrocities. Exploring themes of radicalisation, prejudice and racism, the judges described Hunted as “a thought-provoking, intriguingly taut, propulsive and highly original thriller.”
Selected for the Festival’s celebrated ‘New Blood’ panel supporting fresh talent in 2016, Abir Mukherjee’s crime novels include the bestselling Wyndham & Banerjee series set in 1920s India. He grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey.
Abir Mukerjee receives a £3,000 prize, as well as an engraved beer cask handcrafted by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakston’s Brewery.
On winning the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, Abir Mukherjee said:
“It's such an honour to win the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. ‘Hunted’ was a tough book to write – it took me four years - and it's such a privilege that the judges and the readers have taken it to their hearts. It means so much to me. I've been coming to the Festival for 10 years and I didn't think it could ever get any better - but it just has!”
Hunted was selected by a judging panel made up of journalists, broadcasters and representatives from the Award’s sponsors, with the public vote counting as the eighth judge, from an incredibly strong shortlist which also included The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre, The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven, The Last Word by Elly Griffiths, Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney and All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.
The McDermid Debut Award, named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, was won by David Goodman for A Reluctant Spy, it was also announced.
A Reluctant Spy is a high-concept spy thriller about a tech executive who agrees to lend his identity to an elite intelligence agency in return for a helping hand through life, but gets far more than he bargained for when he finds himself in hostile territory having to do the job of a trained espionage operative to avoid a global conflict. David Goodman is a writer of espionage and speculative fiction who lives in East Lothian, Scotland.
David Goodman receives a £500 cash prize. The award was presented by Chair of Judges, Val McDermid, and Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston.
Theakston Old Peculier Novel of the Year Shortlistees and Simon Theakston (c) Mike Whorley
Val McDermid, Chair of Judges, said:
“If you think you've read every twist in every area of the genre, think again. Our winner has found a new take and delivers it with pace and propulsive storytelling. David Goodman's ‘A Reluctant Spy’ is a sparkling new entry in the canon, with a vivid and unfamiliar setting as well as a gripping cast of characters. Don't start it last thing at night or you might miss breakfast!”
On winning the McDermid Debut Award, David Goodman said:
“It’s an incredible honour to win the McDermid Debut Award. I wrote a speech because I worried about forgetting to thank people and I never thought in a million years I'd actually get to say it out loud. It's an amazing feeling!”
Bestselling novelist Elly Griffiths received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her remarkable crime fiction writing career and “unwavering commitment to the genre.”
Elly Griffiths is the author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries; the Brighton Mysteries, the Detective Harbinder Kaur series and an exhilarating new series featuring time-travelling detective Ali Dawson. Griffiths, who has been shortlisted an impressive seven times for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, including this year, was highly commended in 2023 for The Locked Room and served as Festival Programming Chair in 2017.
Elly Griffiths said: ‘It means the world to me to receive this award. Sixteen years ago, when I wrote my first crime novel, I received such a warm welcome from the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival and from other, more established, authors. Now, 32 books later, I’m thrilled to be honoured in this way and humbled to join the ranks of previous winners. I hope to continue the tradition of welcoming new writers and giving back to the crime-writing community.'
Griffiths is the latest in a line of acclaimed authors to have received the coveted award, with previous winners including Sir Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante, James Patterson, John Grisham, Lee Child, Val McDermid, P.D. James, Michael Connelly and last year’s recipient, Martina Cole.
2025 AWARD WINNERS:
WINNER of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025: Hunted by Abir Mukherjee (Vintage; Harvill Secker)
WINNER of the McDermid Debut Award: A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman (Headline)
Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award: Elly Griffiths (Quercus)
Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said:
“It is fantastic to have two highly original thrillers winning top honours at the Theakston Old Peculier Awards tonight. Our Novel of the Year winner, ‘Hunted’ by Abir Mukherjee is a high-octane masterpiece with a rollercoaster plot that will stay with me for a long time, while the McDermid Debut Award winner ‘A Reluctant Spy’ by David Goodman is an engrossing and highly entertaining novel that had me hooked right from the start. We are delighted that Elly Griffiths has been awarded the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution award in recognition of her exceptional contribution to crime fiction and unwavering commitment to the genre over a remarkable career.”
The award winners were revealed at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, during the opening ceremony for the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime writing, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (17-20 July), which this year features a stellar line up of bestselling authors and fan favourites including Lee and Andrew Child, Irvine Welsh, Attica Locke, Kate Atkinson, Paula Hawkins, Kate Mosse, Steph McGovern, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham.
The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025. The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.
