The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has announced the shortlists for this year’s Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing.

The Ned Kelly Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious prizes for crime fiction and true crime writing. First established in 1995, the list of previous winners includes Peter Temple, Shane Maloney, Kerry Greenwood and Geoffrey McGeachin.

The shortlisted works in each category are:

2014 BEST CRIME NOVEL:

• Peter Docker, Sweet One
  
• Candice Fox, Eden
  
• Sulari Gentill, A Murder Unmentioned
  
• Barry Maitland, Crucifixion Creek
  
• Adrian McKinty, Gun Street Girl
  
• Malla Nunn, Present Darkness
  

2014 BEST FIRST CRIME NOVEL:

• Nigel Bartlett, King of the Road
  
• Anna George, What Came Before
  
• Nicholas J Johnson, Chasing the Ace
  
• Jock Serong, Quota
  

2014 BEST TRUE CRIME:

• Amy Dale, The Fall
  
• Helen Garner, This House of Grief: The Story of a Murder Trial
  
• Debi Marshall: The Family Court Murders
  
• Kate McClymont and Linton Besser, He Who Must Be Obeid
  
• David Murray, The Murder of Allison Baden-Clay
  
• Liam Pieper, The Feel-Good Hit of the Year
  

SD HARVEY SHORT STORY (IN CONJUNCTION WITH KILL YOUR OWN DARLINGS):

• Aoife Clifford, A Watched Pot
  
• Andrea Gillum, Short Term People
  
• Stephen Gray, Prisoner's Dilemma
  
• Grace Heyer, Sweetie
  
• Adriane Howell, Daddy Played the Trumpet
  
• Darcy-Lee Tindale, Roux's Sister
  

The winners will be announced at an event at the Melbourne Writers Festival on 22 August. For more information, visit the ACWA website here.