The Crime Writers’ Association

Whodunnit Dagger 2026

Shortlisted


Mel Pennant

A Murder for Miss Hortense

Published by: John Murray Press - Baskerville

Judges’ comments

A page-turning mystery that does something genuinely new with a classic whodunnit setup, and adds a flavour of the Windrush Generation experience. Miss Hortense is a smart, savvy, sassy addition to the pantheon of retired amateur detectives, and the community she lives and works in is brilliantly drawn.

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