Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine

EQMM is about the last chance for solid ,well written crime fiction in a magazine form around these days. As has been noted, not all of the stories in here will be instant classics... but they are all solid short story form fiction. I hope that EQMM will be around for many,many years to come showcasing old pros and breakout rookies alike. You really can't go wrong with this timeless gem!

I've been reading EQMM since I was a child and have always enjoyed it. I particularly like finding new mystery writers in it. Just this month, C J Harper has a very good tale in the tradition of Rex Stout and Phillip Marlowe.

I absolutely love this magazine! This is a wonderful read for any who like short stories and mysteries! The magazine includes new writers as well as more well known ones. A wonderful magazine!

I had to wait for 5 five months till I got my first issue, imagine that! When the issue did arrive, I found it was very poor. I think that the publishers of Ellery Queen just don't understand that you have to provide value for the price they are charging.

Most the stories were predictable and boring. After the first few pages you can tell where the author is going.

I think I am going to use the magazine for recycling, I can't think of reading another copy.

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (EQMM) is the sharper image of its sister publication, Alfred Hitchcock's (AHMM). The stories are more polished, some have literary aspirations, and I'm more likely to find the well-executed twist in an EQMM story. While not every piece is a textbook mystery (some are police procedurals or psychological thrillers), all are good entertainment.

Editor Janet Hutchings introduces each piece with a description of the story, or what the author is working on, or an introduction to the writer if this is a first story. Occasional pen and ink illustrations, while not required to enjoy any of the stories, add to the feeling that EQMM is richer than AHMM. Some authors appear every month (Edward Hoch, amazing!) or almost as much (Doug Allyn) and deliver a quality story every time. There are plenty of other writers to enjoy; some are series tales with a recurring character, some create new worlds but impress with their mastery of the short story form.

EQMM relies on fewer gimmicky departments and more fiction. There is a book review column, calling your attention to novels worth reading.

If you love mysteries you should be getting both AHMM and EQMM.

Note: Starting with the 2004 issues, EQMM will publish only 10 issues a year; 2 will be "double issues" with almost twice as many pages. I remember when the Dell Magazines published 13 issues a year, including the "mid-December" one; back then the magazines came every 4 weeks. Those were the days and I have shown myself to be a certified grumpy codger.