Best First Novel
- 1987 - Medora Sale, Murder on the Run
- 1988 - Laurence Gough, The Goldfish Bowl
- 1989 - John Brady, A Stone of the Heart
- 1990 - John Lawrence Reynolds, The Man Who Murdered God
- 1991 - Carsten Stroud, Sniper's Moon
- 1992 - Paul Grescoe, Flesh Wound
- 1993 - Sean Stewart, Passion Play
- 1994 - Gavin Scott, Memory Trace
- 1995 - Sparkle Hayter, What's A Girl Gotta Do?
- 1996 - (tie) John Spencer Hill, The Last Castrato and D.H. Toole, Moonlit Days and Nights
- 1997 - C. C. Benison, Death At Buckingham Palace
- 1998 - Kathy Reichs, Déja Dead
- 1999 - Liz Brady, Sudden Blow
- 2000 - Andrew Pyper, Lost Girls
- 2001 - Mark Zuehlke, Hands Like Clouds
- 2002 - Jon Redfern, The Boy Must Die
- 2003 - James W. Nichol, Midnight Cab
- 2004 - Jan Rehner, Just Murder
- 2005 - Jon Evans, Dark Places
- 2006 - Louise Penny, Still Life
- 2007 - Anne Emery, Sign of the Cross
- 2008 - Liam Durcan, Garcia's Heart
- 2009 - Howard Shrier, Buffalo Jump
- 2010 - Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
- 2011 - Avner Mandleman, The Debba
- 2012 - Ian Hamilton, The Water Rat of Wanchai
Read more about this topic: Arthur Ellis Awards