Readers Choice Award Last updated July 05, 2025 American literary award
Ellery Queen's 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. [ 1] [ 2]
Recipients 2020 1st : Barb Goffman, "Dear Emily Etiquette," Sept-Oct 2020 2nd : John M. Floyd, "Crow's Nest," Jan-Feb 2020 3rd : Gregory Fallis, "Terrible Ideas," Sept-Oct 2020 2019 1st : David Dean, "The Duelist," May–June 2010 2nd : Paul D. Marks , "Fade-out on Bunker Hill," Mar-Apr 2019 3rd : Doug Allyn (tied), "The Dutchy," Nov-Dec 2019 3rd: G.M. Malliet, "Whiteout," Jan-Feb 2019 2018 1st : Stacy Woodson, "Duty, Honor, Hammett", Nov-Dec 2018 2nd : Josh Pachter, "50", Nov-Dec 2018 3rd : David Dean, "Sofee", Mar-Apr 2018 2017 1st : Brendan DuBois , "Flowing Waters", Jan 2017 2nd : Doug Allyn, "Tombstone", Nov-Dec 2017 3rd : Dave Zeltserman, "Cramer in Trouble", Mar-Apr 2017 2016 1st : Paul D. Marks , "Ghosts of Bunker Hill", Dec 2016 2nd : Doug Allyn, "Puncher's Chance", Jun 2016 3rd : Doug Allyn, "The Dropout", Mar-Apr 2016 2014 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 2013 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 2012 1st : Doug Allyn, "Wood-Smoke Boys", Mar-Apr 2012 2nd : David Dean, "Mariel", Dec 2012 3rd : Lia Matera , "Champawat", Sep-Oct 2012 2011 1st : P. N. Elrod , "Beach Girl", Nov 2011 [ 3] 2nd : Doug Allyn, "A Penny for the Boatman", Mar-Apr 2011 3rd : Clark Howard , "Hangman's Rhapsody", Sep-Oct 2011 2010 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 2009 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 2008 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 2007 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 2006 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 2005 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 2004 1st : Doug Allyn, "The Gin Mill", Sep-Oct 2004 2nd : Clark Howard , "Deep Lock", Dec 2004 3rd : Clark Howard , "Tequila Memories", Jun 2004 2003 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 2002 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 2001 1st : Peter Sellers, "Avenging Miriam", Dec 2001 2nd : David Handler, "The Mondo Whammy", Sep-Oct 2001 3rd : Neil Schofield, "Groundwork", Nov 2001 2000 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 1999 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 1998 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 1997 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 1996 1st : Doug Allyn, "Roadkill", May 1996 2nd : Doug Allyn, "Puppyland", Sep-Oct 1996 3rd : Steven Saylor , "The White Fawn", Dec 1996 1995 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 1994 1st : Jan Burke , "Unharmed", mid-Dec 1994 2nd : Doug Allyn, "Black Water", Oct 1994 3rd : Doug Allyn, "The Cross-Wolf", Mid-Dec 1994 1993 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 1992 1st : Doug Allyn, "Candles in the Rain", Nov 1992 2nd : Jo Bannister , "Howler", Oct 1992 3rd : Doug Allyn, "Icewater Mansions", Jan 1992 1991 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 1990 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 1989 1st : James Powell , "A Dirge for Clowntown", Nov 1989 2nd : Doug Allyn, "Star Pupil", Oct 1989 3rd : Patricia Moyes , "The Faithful Cat", Dec 1989 1988 1st : Clark Howard , "The Dakar Run", Aug 1988 2nd : Peter Lovesey, "The Wasp", Nov 1988 3rd : Clark Howard , "The Color of Death", Jun 1988 1987 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 1986 1st : Clark Howard , "Scalplock", Jul 1986 2nd : Thomas Adcock , "Thrown-Away Child", Oct 1986 3rd : Nell Lamburn, "Tom's Thatch", Jul 1986 Records 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 [ 4] ) 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.
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