Hyouka (novel)

Hyouka (氷菓, lit., "ice cream") is the first installment of the Classic Literature Club series, released on October 31, 2001.

Originally, the title of the volume is rendered in Roman characters (i.e., HYOUKA) with the subtitle You can't escape during its first release as part of Kadokawa's Sneaker Mystery Club. The subtitle of the volume is later changed to The niece of time, a reference to the 1951 detective novel  by, along with the title rendered in kanji characters from its 28th edition, released on March 31, 2012, onwards.

After the release of the anime series, the original series alternatively becomes referred to as the Hyouka series because of the coverage of the anime, spanning four of the five volumes of the series currently released.

Publisher's Summary
Houtarou, who is seemingly unmoved by anything, under the orders of his sister joins his school's Classic Literature Club, whose fellow member's uncle is affected by events that happened thirty years ago. The energy-saving boy and the ever-curious girl unfold a youthful mystery.

Full Summary
A classroom that unexpectedly becomes a locked room. A book that is borrowed every week without fail. A boy who insists that there shouldn't be an anthology. And an anthology entitled "Hyouka" that hides the truth from thirty years into the past. Houtarou Oreki, an "energy-saving" boy who is seemingly unmoved by anything, due to a series of events, slowly brings interesting mysteries hidden from the ordinary into light with the help of his friends from the Classics Club.

Chapter list

 * 1 - Letter from Benares
 * 2 - The Rebirth of the Traditional Classics Club
 * 3 - The Activities of the Prestigious Classics Club
 * 4 - The Descendants of the Eventful Classics Club
 * 5 - The Hidden Seal of the Pedigree Classics Club
 * 6 - The Old Days of the Glorious Classics Club
 * 7 - The Truth of the Historic Classics Club
 * 8 - The Daily Life of the Future Classics Club
 * 9 - Letter to Sarajevo
 * Afterword

Trivia

 * The subtitle "The niece of time" is a reference of a detective novel by Josephine Tey titled "The Daughter of Time"