Sussex writer Elly Griffiths has secured a top literary honour for her Victorian-era detective story infused with temporal adventure elements.

The Frozen People, launching a fresh series, claimed the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026 title on Thursday 23 July.

Griffiths, based in Sussex, expressed her amazement at the outcome, noting she had previously been nominated seven additional times without success and described the achievement as more surprising than any plot twist she could have conceived.

The narrative centres on forensic expert Ali Dawson, who journeys to icy mid-nineteenth century London during January 1850 to investigate murders whose repercussions extend into modern politics and affect her personal lineage.

Judging panel members commended the work for its daring approach, exceptional structural design and inventive concept.

The author received a monetary prize of £3,000 alongside a customised beer vessel as part of the honour.

T&R Theakston’s director Simon Theakston observed that the standard of entries this cycle remained exceptionally high, making the selection process particularly challenging given the remarkable calibre displayed across all nominated works, which demonstrated the genre’s remarkable variety and inventiveness.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year ranks as the foremost criminal fiction accolade throughout Britain and Ireland.