The Private Eye Writers of America presented the 2000 Shamus Awards for excellent writing in the Private Eye genre. The awards were given on September 7, 2000, during the World Mystery Convention (or "Bouchercon"), held this year in Denver, Colorado. Books and short stories first published between January 1 and December 31, 1999, were eligible. In each work, a main character had to be a "private eye," which PWA defines as any mystery protagonist who is a professional investigator, but not a police officer or a government agent.

Best Hardcover Private Eye Novel
 

CALIFORNIA FIRE AND LIFE (Knopf)		by Don Winslow
NOMINEES
L.A. REQUIEM (Random House)	by Robert Crais
MONSTER (Random House)	by Jonathan Kellerman
PRAYERS FOR RAIN (Morrow)	by Dennis Lehane
STONE QUARRY (St. Martin's)	by S.J. Rozan

Best First Private Eye Novel
 

EVERY DEAD THING (Simon & Schuster)		by John Connolly
NOMINEES
EAST OF A (Ballentine)	by Russell Atwood
THE IMMORTAL GAME (Poltroon)	by Mark Coggins
MAXIMUM INSECURITY (Avocet Press)	by P.J. Grady
THE ANSWER MAN (Bantam)	by Roy Johansen

Best Paperback Original Private Eye Novel
 

IN BIG TROUBLE (Morrow)		by Laura Lippman
NOMINEES
DEADBEAT (Berkley)	Leo Atkins
FULTON COUNTY BLUES (Berkley)	by Ruth Birmingham
THE LAST SONG DOGS (Random House)	by Sinclair Browning
STEEL CITY CONFESSIONS (Avon)	by Thomas Lipinski

Best Private Eye Short Story
 

AKITADA'S FIRST CASE		by I.J. Parker (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, July/August, 1999)
NOMINEES
UNCHAINED MELODY	by Doug Allyn (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, January, 1999)
HODEGETRIA	by Jeremiah Healy (DEATH CRUISE, 1999)
AND NEVER LET HER GO	by Ann Rule (Simon & Schuster)
THE RELUCTANT OP	by Barbara Paul (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October, 1999)
CRO-MAGNON, P.I.	by Mike Reiss (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, July/August, 1999)

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