Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Nancy Pickard

Nancy Pickard is an American crime novelist. She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and began writing when she was 35 years old.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
936 w
Citations
29
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Nancy Pickard
Nancy Pickard (2013)
Nancy Pickard (2013)
Born (1945-09-19) September 19, 1945
Kansas City, Missouri
OccupationCrime writer
NationalityAmerican
GenreMystery
Website
www.nancypickard.com

Nancy Pickard (born September 19, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri1) is an American crime novelist. She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and began writing when she was 35 years old.2

She is frequently a panelist at the Great Manhattan Mystery Conclave,3 a convention for mystery writers and mystery fans in Manhattan, Kansas.

In 2017 her novel The Scent of Rain and Lightning was adapted into a film of the same name.

Published works

Jenny Cain series

Eugenia Potter Series

Marie Lightfoot series

Non-series novels

Short stories

  • 1981 "A Man Around the House"
  • 1987 "I, Witness"
  • 1989 "Afraid All the Time"
  • 1989 "The Dead Past"
  • 1990 "Storm Warnings"
  • 1991 "Dust Devil"
  • 1991 "Lazy Susan"
  • 1991 "The Scar"
  • 1992 "Every Wednesday"
  • 1992 "Fat Cat"
  • 1992 "Sex and Violence"
  • 1994 "Sign of the Times"
  • 1995 "Speak No Evil"
  • 1995 "Valentine's Night"
  • 1996 "A Rock and a Hard Place"
  • 1997 "Dr. Couch Saves a Cat"
  • 1997 "It Had to Be You"
  • 1997 "Lady Finch-Waller Regrets"
  • 1997 "Love's Cottage"
  • 1997 "The Potluck Supper Murders"
  • 1998 "Dr. Couch Saves a Bird"
  • 1998 "The Private Life of a Private Eye"
  • 1999 "The First Ladies' Secret"
  • 1999 "Nine Points for Murder"
  • 1999 "Out of Africa"
  • 1999 "Verdict"
  • 2000 "Afraid of the Dark"
  • 2001 "Lucky Devil"
  • 2001 "Tea for Two"
  • 2002 "Dr. Couch Saves a President"
  • 2002 "Old Eyes"
  • 2005 "There is No Crime on Easter Island"

Short story anthologies

Non-fiction

  • 2003 Seven Steps on the Writer's Path (with Lynn Lott) ISBN 034545524X

Awards and recognition

  • 1986 Anthony award winner, best paperback original, Say No to Murder4
  • 1987 Anthony award nominee, best novel, No Body4
  • 1988 Agatha award nominee, best novel, Dead Crazy5
  • 1988 Anthony award nominee, best novel, Marriage is Murder4
  • 1988 Macavity award winner, best novel, Marriage is Murder6
  • 1989 Agatha award nominee, best short story, "Afraid All The Time"5
  • 1990 Edgar award nominee, best short story, "Afraid All the Time"7
  • 1990 Agatha award winner, best novel, Bum Steer5
  • 1990 Anthony award winner, best short story, "Afraid All the Time"4
  • 1990 Macavity award winner, best short story, "Afraid All the Time"6
  • 1991 Agatha award winner, best novel, I.O.U.5
  • 1991 Shamus award winner, best short story, "Dust Devil"8
  • 1992 Anthony award nominee, best novel, I.O.U.4
  • 1992 Edgar award nominee, best mystery novel, I.O.U.9
  • 1992 Macavity award winner, best novel, I.O.U.6
  • 1995 Agatha award nominee, best novel, Twilight5
  • 1999 Agatha award winner, best short story, "Out of Africa"5
  • 2000 Edgar award nominee, best novel, The Whole Truth10
  • 2001 Macavity award nominee, best mystery novel, The Whole Truth6
  • 2006 Agatha award winner, best novel, The Virgin of Small Plains5
  • 2006 Anthony award nominee, best novel, The Virgin of Small Plains4
  • 2006 Edgar award nominee, best novel, The Virgin of Small Plains10
  • 2006 Macavity award winner, best short story, "There Is No Crime on Easter Island"6
  • 2007 Macavity award winner, best mystery novel, The Virgin of Small Plains6
  • 2008 Agatha award nominee, best short story, "A Nice Old Guy"5
  • 2011 Macavity award nominee, best mystery novel, The Scent of Rain and Lightning6
References

References

  1. page 217, Great Women Mystery Writers, 2nd Ed. by Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay, 2007, publ. Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33428-5
  2. "Bio". Book.consumerhelpweb.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  3. "Great Manhattan Mystery Conclave Official Website". GMMC. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  4. "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  5. "Malice Domestic Convention - Bethesda, MD". Malicedomestic.org. August 23, 1988. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  6. "Mystery Readers International's Macavity Awards". Mysteryreaders.org. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  7. "Best Short Story Mystery Edgar Award Winners and Nominees - Complete Lists". Mysterynet.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  8. "The Private Eye Writers of America and The Shamus Awards". Thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  9. "Best Mystery Novel Edgar Award Winners and Nominees - Complete Lists". Mysterynet.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  10. "Edgar Award Winners and Nominees (BEST NOVEL): 2000 – present – caribousmom". Caribousmom.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
External links

• Interview with Nancy Pickard, A DISCUSSION WITH National Authors on Tour TV Series, Episode #56 (1993)