2002 Derringer Award Results

The Short Mystery Fiction Society's 2002 Derringer Awards results were determined by a vote of the membership at large after member-volunteer judges narrowed the submissions to finalists. Winners bolded:

Best Short Short (Up to 1,500 words)

• "In the Heat of the Moment" by Nick Andreychuk (Futures, February 2001)
• "Greenhouse Pest" by Tim Myers (Futures, November 2001)
• "A Matter of Interest" by Stephen D. Rogers (HandHeldCrime, September 2001)
• "Lucrezia and The Thief" by Henry Slesar (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, April 2001)

Best Short Story (1,501–6,000 words)

• "All The Fine Actors" by Earl Staggs (EWG Presents Without A Clue, April 2001)
• "Cuts Like A Knife" by Michael Bracken (Fedora: Private Eyes and Tough Guys, Wildside Press, July 2001)
• "Smoky Didn't Send Me" by Charles Cutter (Alfred Hitchock's Mystery Magazine, December 2001)
• "Tunnel of Malice" by Margaret DiCanio (Futures, October 2001)
• "The Last Letter" by Mike Wiecek (Alfred Hitchock's Mystery Magazine, January 2002)

Best Longer Story (More than 6,000 words)

• "Early Morning Rain" by Jean McCord (Futures, October/November 2001)
• "Lesser-Included Offense" by Jeffery Deaver (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May 2001)
• "Harry's Lament" by Bentley Dadmun (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2001)
• "The Mondo Whammy" by David Handler (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2001)
• "Avenging Miriam" by Peter Sellers (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2001)

A Silver Derringer was posthumously awarded to Cathleen Jordan, saluting her years as editor of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (1981–2002).