Annal:1994 Agatha Award for Best First Novel
From AwardAnnals
Results of the Agatha Award in the year 1994. For a ranked list of books, try an honor roll:
Do Unto Others: A Jordan Poteet Mystery
- 1995 Macavity-1st Novel winner
- 1994 Agatha–1st Novel winner
- Score: 20.45
Jordan Poteet has left the big city to work as a librarian in his hometown of Mirabeau, Texas. But his dream of the quiet life is shattered when he locks horns with Miss Beta Harcher, the town’s prize religious fanatic, in a battle over censorship. When Jordan finds her murdered body in the library, he becomes the prime suspect. And when the police find a cryptic list stashed next to her fanatical heart, it seems as if Beta Harcher has the whole town in a death grip…
One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel
- 1995 New Blood Dagger winner
- 1995 Edgar-1st Novel nominee
- 1995 Shamus-1st Novel nominee
- 1994 Agatha–1st Novel nominee
- Score: 28.45
Watch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie’s opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She’s a product of the “burg,” a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six. Now Stephanie’s all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad’s, doing her best to sever the…
- 1994 Agatha–1st Novel nominee
- Score: 6.44
Meet Benni Harper…a spirited ex-cowgirl, quilter, and folk-art expert who’s staking out her own corner of the contemporary American West. She’s got an eye for murderous designs—and a talent for piecing together the most complex and cold-blooded crimes…
Leaving behind memories of her late husband, Benni’s making a fresh start…Moving to the trendy California town of San Celina, she takes an exciting new job as director of a folk-art museum. While setting up an exhibit of handmade quilts, she stumbles upon the body of a brutally stabbed artist—and hopes to…
- 1994 Agatha–1st Novel nominee
- Score: 6.44
Judge Volney Osler was a respected, well-liked resident of Purple Sage, Texas—or at least that’s what most people thought, right up to the day he was murdered. Unfortunately for aspiring writer Jolie Wyatt, the murder was an exact copy of one she had outlined in her novel-in-progress. And who should have fought with the judge right in the middle of town the day before but Jolie? Eager to deflect suspicion from herself, Jolie, a relative newcomer to the small town, begins to investigate, focusing reluctantly on the members of her writing group and the assistant…
- 1994 Agatha–1st Novel nominee
- Score: 6.44
Connie Candela’s murder is truly shocking. Though the autopsy ruled that the young anchorwoman of “Morning Watch” was drowned, she was found seated at her desk, impeccably dressed. Amateur sleuths Abby and Ike are horrified and intrigued by the case, but can the divorced couple stop arguing long enough to catch the killer.
