Showing results by author "Anna Green" in All Categories

As winter settles in and The Whispering Pines country club house lies dormant, a mysterious sight disrupts the silence—smoke curling from the chimney just one day after it was locked up tight. Driven by curiosity and concern, the narrator ventures inside, only to stumble upon a heart-wrenching scene the sister of his beloved fiancée, the very woman he secretly adores, fleeing the house in tears. But the horror escalates when he ascends the stairs to uncover a chilling truth—the lifeless body of his betrothed awaits him in the shadows. (Introduction by Carolin)

On a night when darkness clung heavily to the world and an unsettling mist wrapped around every hill and valley, I found myself yearning for adventure. As a young and carefree wayfarer, I was driven by an insatiable desire to explore the unknown and seek my fortune. So when I spotted a flickering light piercing through the fog to my right, I felt compelled to follow it, hoping it would provide the shelter I so desperately needed. Little did I know that refuge is not always a safe haven, and this choice would lead me down a path filled with unexpected twists. But who can resist the allure of ...

Love at first sight can be wonderful…unless you fall in love with a murderer. The local minister dies under mysterious circumstances and Dwight Pollard, indeed the whole Pollard family, are hiding something - something related to the minister. To fulfill a promise to a dying friend, Constance must find the truth behind the minister’s death, even if that will condemn her love.

Ten classic public domain short stories offering a feminine perspective on work, written from 1868 to 1925 by an incredible lineup of authors. These works present an early and poignant perspective on the role of work in society and relationships and its effect on women.

In this brief crime novel, set in the days of Lincoln's presidential election, a man responds to a cry for help from a woman who lives in the same block of apartments. She claims that a ring has been stolen from her finger and asks the man to assist her in recovering it.

Hours after his lavish wedding in early 20th-century New York, millionaire Roger Ransom discovers his bride, Georgian, missing. The sinister man who crashed their reception seems to be the culprit, but evidence turns up that she left of her own free will. In a journey of surprising revelations, Ransom uncovers a truth more complex and bizarre than he could have imagined.

During the wealth and glitter of the Gilded Age, a six-year-old heiress goes missing from her opulent hilltop estate. Detective Robert Trevitt sets out to find her. Using inside knowledge of her family's secrets, he searches for little Gwendolen where no one else can, and uncovers truths hidden to all eyes but his. The mystery unwinds in a tale of ghostly regrets, desperate deeds of love, and hopes of forgiveness.

Five stories to thrill and mystify you. Was there a murder in Room Number 3, or is it only the delusion of a crazy woman? The cold hand of vengeance reaches far beyond the grave when a road weary traveler stumbles into a life-changing and potentially deadly dinner dinner part at "The House in the Mist". Held captive by a highwayman, a timid young wife must use her wits to survive, but in "Midnight on Beauchamp Row", not even the highwayman could have expected the intruder who would prove far more deadly.

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.

One of my Sons, published in 1901, is a classic whodunit tale of murder and mystery. Set in New York, a murder of a multi-billionaire brings about the recurring question "Which?", referring to which of his sons committed this despicable act of parricide. Green keeps her audience on the edge of its seat with this heart wrenching tale of family woes, love, and a bit of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson mystery. The question of "Which?" carries on to the end of the story, through exciting and surprising twists and turns no one ever sees coming.

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.

At an elegant dinner party, the atmosphere shifts when a valuable coin mysteriously disappears while being passed among the guests. To clear his name, one gentleman eagerly offers to empty his pockets for the host, prompting a chorus of agreement from the others. However, one man staunchly refuses and abruptly leaves the gathering. Is he the thief, or does his reluctance to be inspected stem from a deeper, undisclosed motive? - Summary by Carolin

This classic murder mystery uses elements that have since become very common in crime literature - an abandoned house, a fugitive figure fleeing from the scene, and a dead body. In the house at Whispering Pines, which is supposed to be closed, the narrator discovers a dead body. On closer inspection, and much to his horror, he discovers that the corpse is that of his fiance. The figure fleeing the scene appears to be that of her sister. Unfortunately, when the police arrive and find the narrator still in the house they suspect that he is the murderer....

A husband’s untimely death is foretold by a newspaper clipping found in his young wife’s bedroom the day before his death. The wife enlists a detective to help solve the puzzle only to find the killer is much closer than she ever imagined. Written by the first female writer of detective fiction in America, this short thriller in two parts showcases the remarkable mind of Anna Katharine Green. Green is widely considered the “mother of the detective novel” and was a contemporary influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.

This novella comes from A Difficult Problem, a collection of six mystery stories by pioneer crime novelist, Anna Katharine Green. The plot is a curious reworking of the Bluebeard legend - a naive young woman becomes fascinted with a reclusive neighbour, and is led into a relationship with him. However, the neighbour has a dreadful secret....

Credited by many as the mother of the detective novel, Anna Katharine Green published her first mystery novel - The Leavenworth Case - in 1878, almost a decade before Sherlock Holmes made his appearance. Green's intrepid Ebenezer Gryce, a seasoned New York detective, takes up the case of a brutally murdered millionaire philanthropist. One of the murdered man's two nieces is set to inherit an immense fortune, and she and her cousin are high on the suspect list.

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.".

Deception, mystery, romance, inheritance—this novel has it all! Written by Anna Katharine Green and published in 1923, it is one of her best. Wealthy Edgar Quenton Bartholomew has a beautiful daughter, a great estate, and vast business holdings. It is his final wish that the man who marries his daughter will inherit it all. When he dies it is thought to be of natural causes until a young woman viewing the casket cries out that he appears to be poisoned ... and the investigation begins! Where is his final will? Who poisoned him?

These two novellas by seminal crime novelist Anna Katharine Green were first published in 1887. In 7 to 12, the theft of a valuable diamond necklace is reported to the police. Investigation reveals that the circumstances of the crime are not as they first appear as the dark secrets of a wealthy family come to light. One Hour More describes the desperate plight of a female refugee in Paris as she awaits a long-expected reunion with her lover.

Mr. Stoughton's vault has been robbed... How did this happen? How come he himself is clueless about how to access it? What is going on with the singing? Or with the stenographer? Nothing in this mess seems to make much sense, but the patient listener will enjoy both the confusion and the resolution, that's guaranteed by author Anna Katharine Green!