Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (EQMM) honors authors each year as voted upon by readers, hence the name, Readers Choice Award. Recipients include many of the most popular authors of thrillers and mysteries.
Awards are bestowed in April of the following year, coinciding with the annual Mystery Writers of America conference, at an informal ceremony sponsored by Dell Publishing.
1st : Doug Allyn, "The Snow Angel", Jan 2014
2nd : Marilyn Todd, "Blood Red Roses", Sep-Oct 2014
3rd : Miriam Grace Monfredo, "The Tavern Keeper's Daughter", Dec 2014
1st : Dave Zeltserman, "Archie Solves the Case", May 2013
2nd : Doug Allyn, "Borrowed Time", Mar-Apr 2013
3rd : Marilyn Todd, "The Wickedest Town in the West", Jun 2013
1st : Doug Allyn, "Wood-Smoke Boys", Mar-Apr 2012
2nd : David Dean, "Mariel", Dec 2012
3rd : Lia Matera, "Champawat", Sep-Oct 2012
1st : P. N. Elrod, "Beach Girl", Nov 2011
2nd : Doug Allyn, "A Penny for the Boatman", Mar-Apr 2011
3rd : Clark Howard, "Hangman's Rhapsody", Sep-Oct 2011
1st : Dave Zeltserman, "Archie’s Been Framed", Sep-Oct 2010
2nd : Doug Allyn, "The Scent of Lilacs", Sep-Oct 2010
3rd : Doug Allyn, "Days of Rage", Mar-Apr 2010
1st : Doug Allyn, (tied) "An Early Christmas", Jan 2009
1st : Mick Herron, "Dolphin Junction", Dec 2009
2nd : Clark Howard, "White Wolves", Nov 2009
3rd : Dave Zeltserman, "Julius Katz", Sep-Oct 2009
1st : Kristine Kathryn Rusch, "The Secret Lives of Cats", Jul 2008
2nd : Doug Allyn, "The Sonnets of September", Jul 2008
3rd : Brendan DuBois, "The Blue Plate Special", Mar-Apr 2008
1st : David Dean, (tied) "Ibrahim's Eyes", Jun 2007
1st : Edward D. Hoch, "The Theft of the Ostracized Ostrich", Sep-Oct 2007
2nd : Dale C. Andrews and Kurt Sercu, "The Book Case", May 2007
3rd : Doug Allyn, "Stone-Cold Christmas", Jan 2007
1st : Leigh Lundin (writing under L. Leigh), "Swamped", Aug 2006
2nd : Doug Allyn, "The Black Chapel", Sep-Oct 2006
3rd : Edward D. Hoch, "A Convergence of Clerics", Dec 2006
1st : Doug Allyn, "Wolf Woman Bay", Jun 2005
2nd : J.A. Konrath, "With a Twist", Dec 2005
3rd : Robert S. Levinson, "Death Conquers All", Sep-Oct 2005
1st : Doug Allyn, "The Gin Mill", Sep-Oct 2004
2nd : Clark Howard, "Deep Lock", Dec 2004
3rd : Clark Howard, "Tequila Memories", Jun 2004
1st : Doug Allyn, "Palace in the Pines", Jul 2003
2nd : Clark Howard, "The Mask of Peter", Apr 2003
3rd : Clark Howard, "The Leper Colony", Aug 2003
1st : Jeffery Deaver, "Without Jonathan", Nov 2002
2nd : Edward D. Hoch, "The Problem of Bailey's Buzzard", Dec 2002
3rd : Doug Allyn, "Telephone to Forever", Jul 2002
1st : Peter Sellers, "Avenging Miriam", Dec 2001
2nd : David Handler, "The Mondo Whammy", Sep-Oct 2001
3rd : Neil Schofield, "Groundwork", Nov 2001
1st : Doug Allyn, "The Death Row Pet Show", Apr 2000
2nd : Doug Allyn, "The Christmas Mitzvah", Dec 2000
3rd : Donald Olson, "Don't Go Upstairs", Aug 2000
1st : Clark Howard, "The Global Man", Dec 1999
2nd : Michael A. Kahn, "The Bread of Affliction", Sep-Oct 1999
3rd : Minette Walters, ", The Tinder Box", Dec 1999
1st : Kristine Kathryn Rusch, "Details", Dec 1998
2nd : Barbara D'Amato, "Of Course You Know That Chocolate Is a Vegetable", Nov 1998
3rd : Joan Richter, "Recipe Secrets", Sep-Oct 1998
1st : Jeffery Deaver, "Double Jeopardy", Sep-Oct 1997
2nd : Doug Allyn, "Copperhead Run", Jun 1997
3rd : George C. Chesbro, "The Problem with the Pigs", Jun 1997
1st : Doug Allyn, "Roadkill", May 1996
2nd : Doug Allyn, "Puppyland", Sep-Oct 1996
3rd : Steven Saylor, "The White Fawn", Dec 1996
1st : Doug Allyn, (tied) "Franken Kat", mid-Dec 1995
1st : Jeffery Deaver, "Gone Fishing", Oct 1995
2nd : Brendan DuBois, "Heirlooms", Jul 1995
3rd : Edward D. Hoch, "The Killdeer Chronicles", Mid-Dec 1995
1st : Jan Burke, "Unharmed", mid-Dec 1994
2nd : Doug Allyn, "Black Water", Oct 1994
3rd : Doug Allyn, "The Cross-Wolf", Mid-Dec 1994
1st : Doug Allyn, "The Ghost Show", Dec 1993
2nd : Steven Saylor, "The House of the Vestals", Apr 1993
3rd : Peter Lovesey, "You May See a Strangler", Mid-Dec 1993
1st : Doug Allyn, "Candles in the Rain", Nov 1992
2nd : Jo Bannister, "Howler", Oct 1992
3rd : Doug Allyn, "Icewater Mansions", Jan 1992
1st : Peter Lovesey, "The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown", May 1991
2nd : Clark Howard, "Dark Conception", Oct 1991
3rd : Peter Lovesey, "Supper with Miss Shivers", Mid-Dec 1991
1st : Clark Howard, "Deeds of Valor", Nov 1990
2nd : Clark Howard, "Challenge the Widow-Maker", Aug 1990
3rd : Peter Massarelli, "Once Upon a Time", Dec 1990
1st : James Powell, "A Dirge for Clowntown", Nov 1989
2nd : Doug Allyn, "Star Pupil", Oct 1989
3rd : Patricia Moyes, "The Faithful Cat", Dec 1989
1st : Clark Howard, "The Dakar Run", Aug 1988
2nd : Peter Lovesey, "The Wasp", Nov 1988
3rd : Clark Howard, "The Color of Death", Jun 1988
1st : Robert Barnard, "The Woman in the Wardrobe", Dec 1987
2nd : Ann Bayer, "A Pleasure to Deal With", Nov 1987
3rd : John F. Suter, "That Man's Moccasins Have Holes", Jul 1987
1st : Clark Howard, "Scalplock", Jul 1986
2nd : Thomas Adcock, "Thrown-Away Child", Oct 1986
3rd : Nell Lamburn, "Tom's Thatch", Jul 1986
1st : Clark Howard, "Animals", Jun 1985
2nd : Lawrence Block, "Like a Bug on a Windshield", Oct 1985
3rd : Clark Howard, "McCulla's Kid", Sep 1985
Edward D. Hoch, who contributed a story each month, had so many stories nominated, they kept him from taking first place until 2007. He received notification shortly before his death.
Clark Howard often won first place and placed second or third in the same year.
Doug Allyn has won more often than any other author.
Leigh Lundin (under the pseudonym L. Leigh) in 2006 became the first first-time writer to take first place in a major Ellery Queen award.
Dale Andrews, a student of the Ellery Queen canon, became the first to place with an Ellery Queen story.
