Agatha Award, Malice Domestic Mystery Convention

• Winner, Best Short Story, 1999: "Out of Africa," Mom, Apple Pie & Murder (Berkely Publishing Group
• Finalist, Best Novel, 1995: Twilight (Pocket Books)
• Winner, Best Novel, 1991: I.O.U. (Pocket Books)
• Winner, Best Novel, 1990: Bum Steer (Pocket Books)
• Finalist, Best Short Story, 1989: "Afraid All The Time," Sisters in Crime (Berkley Publishing Group)
• Finalist, Best Novel, 1988: Dead Crazy (Scribner)

Anthony Award, Bouchercon Mystery Convention

• Winner, Best Paperback Original, 1986: Say No to Murder (Avon Books)
• Finalist, Best Novel, l987: No Body, (Scribner)
• Finalist, Best Novel, l988: Marriage Is Murder, (Scribner)
• Winner, Best Short Story, 1990: "Afraid All the Time," Sisters in Crime (Berkley Publishing Group)

Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America

• Finalist, Best Short Story, 1989: "Afraid All the Time," Sisters in Crime (Berkely Publishing Group)
• Finalist, Best Novel, 1991: I.O.U. (Pocket Books)
• Finalist, Best Novel, 2000: The Whole Truth (Pocket Books)

Shamus Award, Private Eye Writers of America

• Winner, Best Short Story, 1991 : "Dust Devil," (The Armchair Detective, winter issue)

Macavity Award, Mystery Readers International

• Winner, Best Novel, 1988: Marriage is Murder (Scribner)
• Winner, Best Short Story, 1990: "Afraid All the Time," Sisters in Crime (Berkely Publishing Group)
• Finalist, Best Novel, 2001: The Whole Truth (Pocket Books)

Mary Higgins Clark Award

• Finalist, Best Novel, 2000: The Whole Truth (Pocket Books)

Edgar Wolfe Award, Kansas City, Ks. Public Library, 1997

Thorpe Menn Award, American Association of University Women, Kansas City, Mo.

• Winner, Best Novel, 2001: The Whole Truth (Pocket Books)

Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Suspense Writing, 2001

Short stories included in "year's best" collections:

• The Year's Best Mystery and Suspense Stories, 1993, Edited by Edward D. Hoch
  • Story: "Sex and Violence"

• The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Eleventh Annual Edition, 1998, Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
  • Story: "It Had to Be You"

• The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, Third Annual Collection, 2002, Edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg
  • Story: "Lucky Devil"

• The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, Second Annual Collection, 2001, Edited by Ed Gorman
  • Story: "Afraid of the Dark"

• The Year's Finest Crime and Mystery Stories, Sixth Annual Edition, 1997, Edited by Joan Hess, Ed Gorman, and Martin H. Greenberg
  • Story: "A Rock and a Hard Place"

• The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories, Fourth Annual Edition, 1995, Edited by the staff of Mystery Scene Magazine.
  • Story: "Sign of Times"

• The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories, Seventh Annual Edition, 1998, Edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg
  • Story: "Speak No Evil"

• The year's Finest Crime and Mystery Stories, First Annual Edition, 1992, Edited by the Staff of Mystery Scene Magazine
  • Story: "The Dead Past"
  •  

* Partial list.