Elly Griffiths wins Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026

Elly Griffiths’ The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths was announced last night as the winner of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026, ‘the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award’!

The Frozen People, the first novel in Elly’s time-traveling detective series, was selected by a judging panel of journalists, broadcasters and representatives from the Award’s sponsors, with a public vote counting as the eighth judge.

Elly was Highly Commended for The Locked Room in 2023, and received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award last year.

Celebrating the award at the ceremony last night, she said: "I’m so excited and just so grateful to everybody. I’ve been honoured to be shortlisted eight times but to win is just incredible. A bigger twist than I’ve ever dreamed up in my books."