Trapped on a burning mountain, the Queens take refuge with a killer Dashing detective Ellery Queen and his father are driving over the pothole-scarred Arrow Mountain road when they come face to face with a wall of flame. They tear back in the other direction, fire at their fenders, and finally find safety in a clearing, at the home of Dr. Xavier, a renowned surgeon. He is a genial man, but his distracted, mysterious smile conceals dark secrets. Passing through one of the drafty hallways, Ellery’s father is startled by a pair of eyes burning in the darkness—the eyes of a monster. Could they be trapped on some kind of mountain of Dr. Moreau? Dr. Xavier introduces them to the rest of his household, including his wife, brother, and medical assistant. Everyone’s welcoming, but they also seem anxious and cagey. When the good doctor is found shot to death in his study, Queen realizes that he and his father have more to fear than a pair of sinister eyes. The Queens may have escaped the forest fire, but they have leapt into a situation that is every bit as hot.

In this collection of short stories, the legendary detective must solve one mystery per month in a year of chilling crime. Every new year, the seven remaining alumni of the first graduating class of Eastern University gather in Manhattan to reminisce. Within that group, there is a secret clique—the Inner Circle—forged around a crooked business arrangement, the profits of which will be collected by the last living member. When three of the Inner Circle die within a year, the remaining men fear for their lives. Just before Christmas, one of the survivors comes to the great detective Ellery Queen to beg for help. There are just a few days to save a life—and the university itself. Even if Queen can get to the bottom of the Inner Circle, eleven more puzzles will greet him throughout the year. As Calendar of Crime flips onward, the detective will find that there is no off-season for murder.

The legendary detective investigates the death of a chrysanthemum king, as well as fourteen other mysteries in this short story collection. When Godfrey Mumford retired to focus on his chrysanthemums, he was worth a little over $5 million. A decade later, his family gathered for his birthday, he delivers shocking news: Thanks to poor investments on behalf of his financial manager, every penny is gone. The house is mortgaged, the stocks are sold—the only valuable item remaining is a priceless chrysanthemum pendant that once belonged to the emperor of Japan. It is Mumford’s prized possession, and it will be his doom. Soon after Mumford is paralyzed by a stroke, he is found murdered. The bizarre death catches the eye of world-famous detective Ellery Queen, who will unravel the mystery of this novella, Mum’s the Word, with the same elegance that he brings to each of the stories in this marvelous collection.