| 2006 | The Lucky Elephant Restaurant, Garry Ryan (NeWest Press) |
| 2005 | One of These Things Is Not Like The Others, D. Travers Scott (Suspect Thoughts Press) (Sadly, Mahu did not win! Though I thought One of These Things was a great book.) |
| 2004 | Flight of Aquavit, Anthony Bidulka (Insomniac Press) |
| 2003 | Blind Eye, John Morgan Wilson (St. Martin's Press) |
| 2002 | The Snow Garden, Christopher Rice (Miramax) |
| 2001 | Rag and Bone, Michael Nava (G. P. Putnam) |
| 2000 | The Limits of Justice, John Morgan Wilson (Doubleday) |
| 1999 | Justice at Risk, John Morgan Wilson (Doubleday) |
| 1998 | Outburst, R.D. Zimmerman (Delacorte) |
| 1997 | The Magician’s Tale, David Hunt (Putnam) |
| 1996 | The Death of Friends, Michael Nava (Putnam) |
| 1995 | Closet, R.D. Zimmerman (Dell) |
| 1994 | Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt (Random House) |
| 1993 | Catilina’s Riddle, Steven Saylor (St. Martin’s Press) |
| 1992 | The Hidden Law, Michael Nava (HarperCollins) |
| 1991 | A Country of Old Men: The Last Dave Brandstetter Mystery, Joseph Hansen (Viking) |
| 1990 | Howtown, Michael Nava (Harpercollins) |
| 1989 | A Simple Suburban Murder, Mark Zubro, (St. Martin’s Press) |
| 1988 | Goldenboy, Michael Nava (Alyson Publications) |