The Golden Slipper and Other Problems for Violet Strange

Anna Katharine Green

The Golden Slipper and Other Problems for Violet Strange is a collection of stories by Anna Katharine Green featuring an early edition of that familiar figure, the girl detective. Violet Strange is a pretty young debutante with a wealthy father and the spare time to secretly investigate various matters within her social sphere. Her knowledge of the aristocracy helps the police solve the crimes. Originally published in 1915, The Golden Slipper is the debut entry in the Violet Strange series. Miss Strange proves who is behind a series of high society thefts. It would seem to be one of group of friends known as The Inseparables with suspicion focused on one of the young ladies in particular. A golden slipper is the only clue that will help Violet find who the real thief is.

The House in the Mist

Anna Katharine Green

In The House in the Mist, weary traveler Hugh Austin happens upon a house in a village whilst seeking shelter on a misty night. The house is open, and initially the reception he gets is quite strange to him, he then realizes that he was taken for the relative of a dead man and that the gathering he encounters is a meeting of relatives regarding an inheritance that was left. By the time they find out the deceased had long-held vengeance on his mind, it is too late. The House in the Mist is a short story by Anna Katharine Green which is included in her collection Room Number 3 and Other Detective Stories. She is credited with shaping detective fiction into its classic form, and developing the series detective.

The House of the Whispering Pines

Anna Katharine Green

When a woman is found dead at The Whispering Pines, not only is everyone shocked, but murder is suspected. After all, why would such a well liked young lady put an end to things, or why would anyone want to do away with her? Her vagabond of a brother is suspected, since he has every cause to wish her out of the picture. Her fiancée Elwood Ranelagh also is suspected since he no longer wished to marry her but her sister. So perplexing is the case that the local authorities call in an ace detective from the New York City police force. Sweetwaters with his weak chin and protruding nose impresses no one, until he begins uncovering disturbing new evidence. Published in 1910, this is a good old-fashioned mystery from the Golden Era of the country house genre.

The Leavenworth Case

Anna Katharine Green

Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was one of the first mystery writers in the United States. Called the mother of the detective novel, she was known for her intricate, well-plotted stories, and this novel is no exception. Her first and best known novel, The Leavenworth Case became an overwhelming success and was the best seller of the year. The readers are held spellbound until the very last page. We highly recommend this book!

The Mayors Wife

Anna Katharine Green

Miss Saunders is out for an adventure. One, which is full of secrets, hints, and half-lies. One, which will require all of her wits. Miss Saunders, a discreet domestic spy of some kind, is hired by Mayor Packard to look after his unaccountably abstracted wife whilst he goes out of town for a fortnight. The lady is unhappy, and the reason for her grave unhappiness is more serious than you think. A detective novel involving theft, bigamy, a haunted house, lost money, ciphers and code breaking. An American detective-story writer, Greens thrillers are characterized by logical construction and a sound knowledge of criminal law. She was one of a handful of women writing detective stories at the time.

The Millionaire Baby

Anna Katharine Green

Was the little girl, who appears to have been everybodys darling, kidnapped for money? Nobody comes forward asking for a ransom. Did she sneak down to the river and drown? In The Millionaire Baby, a young detective Mr. Trevitt has more than one reason for desperately wanting to solve the mysterious case of little Gwendolen, a millionaires daughter who missed since the afternoon of August the 16th from right under the nose of her nurse. Our detective soon meets the widow living next door, a close friend of the bereft mother. Something does not quite add up with neither mother nor neighbor but then there are several other characters offering clues. Or are they red herrings?

The Mill Mystery

Anna Katharine Green

Early detective novelist Anna Katharine Green was a unique writer in several respects, including the fact that many of the detectives featured in her novels are women. In this mystery, protagonist Constance Sterling takes on the seemingly impossible task of uncovering the true culprits behind the drowning death of a popular well-respected clergyman who is believed to have killed himself. The news is fatal to his fiancée. Why? And why are her two sons behaving in such a sinister manner? The Mill Mystery is a book that can be classified as a sensational novel, as highly spiced as readers of this kind of fiction can desire. Green does an excellent job of giving the readers clues, but not enough clues to make the mystery easily solvable.

The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow

Anna Katharine Green

Anna Katharine Green was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America, received praise for her accurate, well plotted stories. Her novels have always been one of the groundworks of mystery and detective fiction and The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow is a great example of the ingenious and thrilling story. In this novel, a young woman is killed by an arrow in the middle of the museum, so all of the other visitors are closed inside while the crime is investigated! A good classic mystery that we recommend very highly!

The Old Stone House and Other Stories

Anna Katharine Green

A young girl named Juliet, draws the boys in a small village after her, and along the way a rich Colonel, whose love for her reaches farther than anyone would have expected. She also hooks a fiery, unstable man named Orrin. The Colonel gets her to swear she will marry him as soon as he finishes a stone house for her, while Orrin tries something secretive to win his love. The narrator is a former lover of Juliet, and what he tells of is a twisted tale of a selfish woman and an evil man, decide for yourself which man is the villain... Short stories written by Anna Katharine Green. This well-written collection also includes: A Memorable Night, The Black Cross, A Mysterious Case, Shall He Wed Her? . Each one contains a mystery and a romantic involvement in the plot, and some have a twist ending.

The Step on the Stair

Anna Katharine Green

I had turned the corner at Thirty-fifth Street and was halfway down the block in my search for a number I had just taken from the telephone book when my attention was suddenly diverted by the quick movements and peculiar aspect of a man whom I saw plunging from the doorway of a large office-building some fifty feet or so ahead of me.

The Sword of Damocles. A Story of New York Life

Anna Katharine Green

A young pianist falls in love with a rich bankers sixteen year old daughter after she requests to meet him in mildly mysterious circumstances. Her father will only let her marry someone with lots of money and, would you know it, hates music. The pianist decides to stop tickling the ivories and become a rich banker too. One of detective fiction master Anna Katharine Greens earlier novels, The Sword of Damocles combines a budding romance set against the backdrop of New York Citys hustle and bustle with a beguiling mystery. Here, the author tells the story of early 1900s lovers facing many of the moral dilemmas from that era. Greens best-known creation, master detective Ebenezer Gryce, makes a cameo appearance on the scene.

The Woman in the Alcove

Anna Katharine Green

The Woman in the Alcove is the third book in the Caleb Sweetwater series. The spinster-detective in the novel is Miss Van Arsdale, a member of the high society in New York and a woman who is short and plain in appearance. Against all odds, Rita Van Ardsdale has landed the man of her dreams and is blissfully in love. But her shot at happily ever after seems to be fading when her fiancé is accused of murder. It falls to Rita to crack the case and clear her beloveds name. Is she up to the task? It is one of the real masterpieces by Anna Katharine Green and a true gem of the genre of detective fiction, a well-written and refreshing story full of action, but without any violence being involved (apart from the murder it revolves around, of course).

Three Thousand Dollars

Anna Katharine Green

This short story revolves around a plot to steal some goods secured safely within an impenetrable vault within the confines of Mr. Stoughtons business concern. Mr. Stoughton is the owner of a legendary vault that no one has ever been able to open. Though he cant be sure that the safe contains anything valuable, speculation is rampant among those who know of its existence. Will anyone ever be able to find out what the vault holds? Find out in this fast-paced mystery story from Anna Katharine Green. This is classic Green, with lots of high drama and a twisting, many-layered plot turning on stubbornly kept secrets and the fine points of physical and circumstantial evidence.

To the Minute. Scarlet and Black. Two Tales of Lifes Perplexities

Anna Katharine Green

Looking for a satisfying, meticulously plotted mystery with which to while away an afternoon? Look no further than To The Minute: Scarlet And Black: Two Tales Of Lifes Perplexities, a short story from one of the most influential early writers in the genre, Anna Katherine Green. Her remarkable skill in leading readers to the unexpected but fascinating solution to this puzzle mystery makes this story an eminently worthwhile read. Written in the 1916s, this story is chock full of twists and turns, lies, love and honor, and compelling characters acting for good or ill. Highly recommended for people who like to treat a mystery story as a solvable riddle.

XYZ. A Detective Story

Anna Katharine Green

A brief early American detective novella written in 1883 by Anna Katharine Green that tells the story of a detective who arrives in a small town in Massachusetts in an attempt to investigate counterfeiters possibly connected to a series of mysterious letters addressed only to X Y Z. While he is questioning the postmaster, he learns of the Benson family and their super secretive lifestyle. They are rich and reclusive. The detective feels there is something amiss and switches his investigation to them the letters and counterfeiting is dropped. That eventuates in murder. He steps into the very shoes of the person being framed for the crime, with some interesting results.