Edgar Awards 1956: Complete list of winners

The Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Awards have long served as the gold standard for recognizing excellence in detective fiction and crime writing, and the 1956 ceremony proved no exception. That year, Margaret Millar’s psychological thriller Beast in View claimed the prestigious Best Novel award, a win that underscored the genre’s growing sophistication and appetite for complex, psychologically nuanced narratives. Millar, already an established name in mystery circles alongside her husband Kenneth Millar (better known as Ross Macdonald), delivered a masterwork that blended suspense with genuine character depth—a hallmark of her best work.

The 1956 Edgar Awards ceremony reflected a fascinating moment in crime fiction history, when traditional whodunits were increasingly giving way to darker, more introspective explorations of the criminal mind. Beast in View embodied this shift, presenting readers with an unreliable narrative landscape that kept them perpetually off-balance. The novel’s recognition at the Edgars—often called the Oscars of mystery writing—helped cement Millar’s reputation as one of the genre’s most fearless innovators, someone unafraid to challenge her readers’ assumptions about truth and perception.

Below you’ll find the complete list of winners from this milestone year in Edgar Award history.

Best Novel

• Beast in View by Margaret Millar