Living Canon

Edgar Awards 1966: Complete list of winners

The Mystery Writers of America announced the 1966 Edgar Award winners, honoring the year’s finest contributions to detective fiction and suspense storytelling. Named after Edgar Allan Poe, the organization’s namesake and godfather of the modern mystery genre, the Edgars have long served as one of the most prestigious recognitions in crime writing. By the mid-1960s, the awards had firmly established themselves as the definitive measure of excellence in mystery literature, drawing attention not just from devoted genre fans but from the broader literary community.

This particular year’s selections showcase the genre’s remarkable versatility, particularly in its ability to captivate readers across different age groups and reading levels. The recognition of quality mystery writing for young audiences reflected a growing appreciation for the intelligence and sophistication that children’s mystery fiction could achieve—a movement that would continue to gain momentum throughout the decade. The 1966 Edgar Awards winners demonstrated that the mystery genre’s appeal transcended demographics, proving that a well-crafted puzzle and a compelling puzzle-solver could engage audiences of all ages.

Leon Ware’s The Mystery of 22 East earned the award for Best Juvenile, cementing the importance of youth-oriented mystery fiction within the broader Edgar Awards landscape. The selection highlighted the Writers of America’s commitment to recognizing excellence wherever it appeared in the field, and the list of winners that year reflects the depth and diversity of mystery writing in the mid-1960s.

Best Juvenile