circumstantial evidence : 22 stories from Ellery Queen's mystery magazine

The usual assortment of highs & lows, with a preponderance of the latter. One story, though, stands out, and stands comparison with Poe, no less. Donald E. Westlake's opening line to "This is Death" is just as memorable as, say, that to "The Tell-Tale Heart": "It's hard not to believe in ghosts when you are one." The fact that the story takes the easy way out at the finish is a shame; the third star that would have been awarded to this book began to go nova. ( )