Review: Calendar of Crime: Stories

Calendar of Crime: Stories Calendar of Crime: Stories by Ellery Queen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Calendar of Crime: Stories by Ellery Queen is a collection in which the legendary detective faces a new mystery each month over the course of a year. The narrative begins with the reunion of the surviving members of Eastern University’s first graduating class, where a secretive Inner Circle has been formed around a crooked business arrangement. When three of the members die within a year, fear spreads among the remaining alumni, prompting one to seek Ellery Queen’s assistance just before Christmas. From that point onward, the detective must navigate a series of intricate puzzles, demonstrating that crime has no off-season.

While the collection is cleverly constructed and may appeal to some readers, it was not to my taste. At the time I read it, I was still exploring what kind of books resonated with me, and this felt somewhat juvenile compared to my preferred style. I tend to enjoy longer novels over short stories, and the episodic nature of this collection made it difficult for me to fully engage. For these reasons, I would give it three stars. It is competently written and inventive, but ultimately it did not align with my reading preferences.

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