Bay Area Crime Novelist’s Thriller Kickback Longlisted for Prestigious CLUE Literary Award

New book cover of Kickback by Ana Manwaring

Ana Manwaring's thriller, Kickback, has been Longlisted for the prestigious Chanticleer International Book Awards Clue Book Award and won a Literary Titan GOLD.

PENNGROVE, CA, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- "Action-packed, fast paced, and adrenaline producing” - Readers Favorite

San Francisco Bay author Ana Manwaring’s Mexican crime thriller Kickback has been recognized by the prestigious Chanticleer International Book Awards as a Longlisted title in their Clue Book Awards. The CIBA Clue Award recognizes outstanding works and emerging talent in the genres of thriller, suspense, detective fiction, police procedural, and crime-solving. Books entered in the CLUE Awards are judged for their advanced storytelling, thrilling adventure, detective work, and overall excellence. Released in November 2024, Kickback is the first book in Manwaring’s new Dafne Olabarrieta series, following her successful five-book JadeAnne Stone Mexico Adventure series. Manwaring is no stranger to literary accolades, as Kickback also received a Literary Titan GOLD award in March of this year.

In Kickback, a high stakes kidnapping turns personal for hostage negotiator Dafne Olabarrieta when her best friend's daughter is abducted in Mexico. Navigating a treacherous world of corrupt politicos and deadly criminals, Dafne's quest to find the missing child escalates, forcing her to confront her own past filled with family betrayal. As she moves closer to the truth, she realizes the killer is one step ahead, and she’s his next target.

Manwaring’s connection to Mexico spans decades, beginning with her first visit in the early 1990’s through Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Her memoir Saints and Skeletons (Indies United Publishing, 2024) chronicles her precarious adventures and directly inspired her highly acclaimed JadeAnne Stone Mexico Adventure series. Mortal Revenge, scheduled for release in early 2026, blends medical malpractice, corruption, and murder into a gritty Mexico crime thriller co-written with her longtime friend Fernando Leon Torrens.

An award-winning author, writing coach, and creative writing instructor, Ana is a passionate leader in the northern California writing community, serving on the board of Sisters in Crime Northern California. Drawing on her own adventurous life—which has included everything from branding cattle to outrunning gunmen on Mexican highways—Ana writes compelling crime fiction and memoir. She holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Linguistics.

Learn more about Ana Manwaring on her author website. Kickback is available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon and through all major book retailers. For more information, visit the publisher’s website and media inquiries may be directed to the author at anamanwaring@gmail.com.

CONTACT: Ana Manwaring (415) 827-1468
Email: anamanwaring@gmail.com
https://anamanwaring.com

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Book Trailer for Kickback by Ana Manwaring

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