Eli Cranor (born 1988) is an American author and former professional footballer. His debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel.
Cranor was born in Forrest City, Arkansas on January 15, 1988, to Finley and Christy Cranor. He grew up in Russellville, Arkansas and graduated from Russellville High School.
Cranor attended Florida Atlantic University and played on the school's football team for a season in 2006, after which he transferred to Ouachita Baptist University. While there, he majored in English literature.
Cranor was recruited as a player-coach for the Swedish-American football team the Carlstad Crusaders and played with the team for nine months. After meeting his wife, he moved back to Arkansas.
In Arkansas, Cranor began teaching at a high school in the Russellville School District, where he also coached the football team.
In 2022, Cranor published his debut novel, Don't Know Tough, which received multiple awards nominations and was lauded by critics. The novel was followed by Ozark Dogs in 2023 and Broiler in 2024.
Cranor lives in Arkansas with his wife and children.
In 2022, USA Today included Don't Know Tough on their list of the year's best books. CrimeReads included it on their list of the year's best crime novels, and The New York Times included it on their list of the year's best mystery novels. Booklist included it on their "Top 10 Debut Mysteries & Thrillers" list.
The following year, CrimeReads,The Guardian, The New York Times included Ozark Dogs on their list of the year's best crime novels. The Sun Sentinel included it on their list of the year's best mystery fiction.