Eli Cranor

Eli Cranor lives and writes from the banks of Lake Dardanelle, a reservoir of the Arkansas River nestled in the heart of True Grit country. His critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times. Eli is currently at work on his next book, Ozark Dogs, which will be published by Soho Crime in 2023. Eli Cranor played quarterback at every level: peewee to professional, and then coached high school football for five years. These days, he's traded in the pigskin for a laptop, writing from Arkansas where he lives with his wife and kids. Eli's novel Don't Know Tough was awarded the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was published by Soho Press in March 2022.