Showing results by author "Anna Katharine Green" in All Categories

First published in 1883, this new Cyanide Publishing edition contains the original text as well as background articles including "Anna Katherine Green - the Mother of the Detective Novel", "Anna Katherine Green - a Bibliography", "Women in Crime Fiction", and "X.Y.Z.".

"Horatio Leavenworth, Esq., a millionaire, is murdered in his library while he is engaged in reviewing a book he plans to publish. He was shot cleanly in the back of the head (with his own pistol), meaning that he did not turn his head when his assassin entered the room. This fact led detective Ebenezer Gryce to conclude that he recognized the footsteps of his assailant and felt he had nothing to fear from this person." Thus begins this first novel in the "Mr. Gryce" series.

In "The House in the Mist", weary traveler Hugh Austin arrives, seeking food and lodging for the night. "Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive, but the others cannot be far behind", he is told. "What others?" he wonders, gazing at a stern portrait hanging on the wall. He finds he has chanced upon the gathering of friends and relatives of the man in the portrait. An inheritance is to be divided, all concerned must be present by the appointed hour.

A reward of five thousand dollars is offered, by Phil Ocumpaugh, to whoever will give such information as will lead to the recovery, alive or dead, of his six year old daughter, Gwendolen, missing since the afternoon of August the 16th, from her home in New York. Anna Katharine Green was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. She is credited with shaping detective fiction into its classic form, and developing the series detective.

On the evening before his marriage, Sinclair loses a precious curiosity from his collection: an amethyst box, containing a tiny flask of deadly poison. He suspects that this poison is in the possession of either his betrothed or her cousin, the girl his best friend Worthington loves. Turning to Worthington for help, they try to recover the box before the poison can be administered.

The dead body of a woman was found under a large cabinet. But she had been dead four hours before the cabinet fell upon her. The owners of the house had been on vacation and the place empty. Who was she and why was she in the empty house all alone? Anna Katharine Green was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. She is credited with shaping detective fiction into its classic form, and developing the series detective.

During a high society party set in New York City in the early 1900s, a beautiful woman is murdered and her precious diamond stolen. A young woman attending the party had just accepted a marriage proposal from a handsome young man. Unfortunately, the young man is the prime suspect in the murder due to circumstantial evidence. From there, the story takes many twists and turns before the identity of the killer is finally revealed.

Edwin Urquhart, loved by two sisters, chooses to marry the elder. Arriving at the Forsaken Inn for their honeymoon, they occupy an apartment containing a secret chamber. That night, the young bride is murdered and buried in this secret room. Did her new husband commit the crime - or is something much more sinister afoot?

Violet Strange is no ordinary well-to-do young New York City debutante. Unbeknownst to family and society friends, she leads a secret life as a professional sleuth for a private detective agency. On a mission to raise money for an undisclosed project, the determined and gutsy young debutante diligently snoops around sleepwalking widows, violent and sinister characters, whispering clocks and concealed tombs, connecting clues to solve tales of murder, mystery and intrigue.

Horatio Leavenworth is a New York merchant whose material wealth is matched by his eminence in the community and reputation for good works.

Agatha Webb and her cook are found dead in the early hours of the morning after a successful party, and it seems just about anyone could be the killer. Some suspect her aging husband; others think it a robbery gone too far. A few nosy villagers draw a connection between this murder and the deaths of her six children so many years prior: Was she truly a victim, a grieving mother? Or did she play some role in these deaths? The list of suspects grows when a certain wealthy townsmen is blackmailed by someone who believes he murdered Agatha Webb and her cook.

Rita Van Arsdale, a member of the high society in New York, is invited to an elegant party where she falls in love with a gentleman called Mr. Durand, who returns her feelings and proposes to her. But their plans are derailed after Mrs. Fairbrother, who has arrived at the party wearing a spectacular diamond, is discovered murdered in an alcove. The prime suspect is none other than Mr. Durand, so Miss Van Arsdale gets down to work to reconstruct the true course of events and prove that her love is indeed innocent.

As Rita Van Arsdale, a woman deeply in love, accepts the proposal of the charming Mr. Durand at a lavish high society event, she believes she has found her dream man. However, their romantic bliss is abruptly disrupted by the captivating Mrs. Fairbrother and her dazzling diamond that quickly becomes the talk of the party. As the evening progresses, a crime unfolds, and Mr. Durand is unexpectedly cast as the main suspect. Now, its up to Rita to navigate a web of unexpected twists, uncover hidden truths, and clear her fiances name. This tale of love, mystery, and intrigue is masterfully penned ...

Dive into Three Thousand Dollars, a gripping short story by Anna Katharine Green. The plot centers around a seemingly impossible heist of goods locked away within an unbreachable vault in Mr. Stoughtons company. With no apparent means of entry, yet daily access by unknown individuals, confusion and suspicion run rampant among the office clerks. As the cunning scheme to raid the vaults treasures unravels, not even Mr. Stoughton himself appears to know the truth. Join us in this enigmatic journey introduced by Roger Melin.

Delve into the intriguing world of Anna Katharine Green, a pioneer among women detective writers. The Sword of Damocles, first unveiled in 1881, is a masterful weave of mystery and romance. Although her renowned detective, Mr Gryce, only graces the narrative briefly, the core of this captivating tale, aptly subtitled A Story of New York Life, revolves around a series of love stories that are as diverse as they are compelling.

Join us as we delve into the mysterious case of a vanished serving girl from the opulent household of the affluent Mr. Blake. This enigma is brought to the discerning Detective Ebenezer Gryce and his astute assistant Q by the concerned housekeeper, Mrs. Daniels. - Summary by Mark Leder

Dive into Greens final detective masterpiece, The Step on the Stair. Follow Quenton, a man helplessly in love with Orpha and under the impression that their union has her guardians blessings. His world turns upside down when Orphas engagement to Edgar is revealed. As jealousy takes hold, whispers of gossip and old superstitions start to cloud his status in the family. The sudden death of their uncle and a missing will could hold the answers to their tangled lives.

Journey back to New York City, 1913, and step into a quiet museum disrupted by a shocking crime. A teenage girl is found dead, an arrow piercing her heart, with only a seemingly mad older woman as a witness. How can the frail, 83-year-old Mr. Gryce solve this mystery when the only lead appears to be insane? Renowned for her scientific approach to murder mysteries, Anna Katharine Green breaks new ground with an intense study of the psychological dynamics between the murderer, the victim, and the witnesses in The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow. This isnt your typical detective story - it teases ...

Phil Ocumpaugh is desperate. His six-year-old daughter, Gwendolen, mysteriously disappeared from their New York home on the afternoon of August 16th. A hefty reward of five thousand dollars awaits anyone who can provide information leading to her recovery, alive or dead. Will you be the one to unravel this chilling mystery?

Nestled in the tranquil New England village of S--, a shocking discovery is made a young, beloved minister is found lifeless, ignominiously submerged in a dye vat within a crumbling mill. Almost instantly, whispers of suicide start to spread. But could a man of faith really lose all hope? The young woman he had been secretly engaged to is insistent that it was not a suicide. Tragically, she too meets her demise on the same day as her lover. Now, it falls upon the shoulders of her roommate, Constance Sterling, a young woman devoid of family or prospects, to unravel the truth behind these ...