Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935)
Author of The Leavenworth Case: A Lawyer's Story
About the Author
Image credit: c1870-90, Library of Congress
Series
Works by Anna Katharine Green
Delphi Complete Works of Anna Katharine Green US (Illustrated) (Delphi Series Eight Book 11) (2017) 9 copies
Due iniziali soltanto... 2 copies
Anna Katherine Green - Mysteries Vol III - Millionaire Baby, Chief Legatee, & Woman in the Alcove (2009) 2 copies
Anna Katherine Green - Mysteries Vol II - House of the Whispering Pines, Initials Only, & Dark Hollow (2009) 2 copies
Purpurorkidéen : Detektivroman 2 copies
Detective Gryce, N. Y. P. D.: Volume: 1-The Leavenworth Case and That Affair Next Door (2011) 1 copy, 1 review
"An Intangible Clue" 1 copy
El casalot abandonat 1 copy
Risifi's Daughter: A Drama 1 copy
Vem var det 1 copy
Den försvunna bruden 1 copy
Ett hemlighetsfullt uppdrag 1 copy
Der Tag der Vergeltung 1 copy
THE FORSAKEN INN (A Gothic Murder Mystery): Intriguing Novel Featuring Dark Events Surrounding a Mysterious Murder (2017) 1 copy
The Mysteries Of Amelia Butterworth: That Affair Next Door, Lost Man's Lane and The Circular Study (2013) 1 copy
Anna Katherine Green - Mysteries Vol I - The Circular Study, The Golden Slipper, & The Hasty Arrow 1 copy
A Memorable Night 1 copy
Detective Gryce Mysteries 1 copy
Associated Works
The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime: Forgotten Cops and Private Eyes from the Time of Sherlock Holmes (2011) — Contributor — 217 copies, 3 reviews
The Dead Witness: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Detective Stories (2011) — Contributor — 162 copies, 5 reviews
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: A Collection of Victorian Detective Tales (2008) — Contributor — 139 copies, 1 review
In the Shadow of Agatha Christie: Classic Crime Fiction by Forgotten Female Writers, 1850-1917 (2018) — Contributor — 108 copies, 8 reviews
The World's Best One Hundred Detective Stories, Volume 9 (1929) — Contributor — 23 copies, 2 reviews
Sisters in Crime : Early Crime and Mystery Stories by Women (2013) — Contributor — 21 copies, 1 review
The Lady Sleuths MEGAPACK ®: 20 Modern and Classic Tales of Female Detectives (2014) — Contributor — 16 copies
International Short Stories, Volume 1: American Stories (1910) — Contributor; Contributor — 15 copies
Female Sleuths Megapack: Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, Loveday Brooke, and Amelia Butterworth (2014) — Contributor — 13 copies
Classic Crime Stories : 13 Tales from Edgar Allan Poe to Lawrence Block (2007) — Contributor — 5 copies
4 Detectives: Miss Madelyn Mack, Violet Strange, Miss Van Snoop, Florence Cusack (2012) — Contributor — 4 copies
The Lady Detectives: Four BBC Radio 4 Crime Dramatisations — Contributor — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Rohlfs, Anna Katharine Green
- Birthdate
- 1846-11-11
- Date of death
- 1935-04-11
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- novelist
poet
detective novelist
mystery writer
crime novelist
short story writer - Relationships
- Rohlfs, Charles (husband)
- Short biography
- Anna Katharine Green was born in Brooklyn, New York to James Wilson Green, a lawyer, and his wife Catharine Ann Whitney. In 1866, she graduated from Ripley Female College (now Green Mountain College) in Poultney, Vermont. Her first published book was The Leavenworth Case (1878), a major success, now considered the first American detective novel. In 1884, she married Charles Rohlfs, an actor who later became an acclaimed furniture designer, with whom she collaborated on some of his designs. The couple had three children. She became a bestselling author, eventually publishing about 40 books during her career.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
- Place of death
- Buffalo, New York, USA
- Burial location
- Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA
- Map Location
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
Anna Katherine Green was an American novelist at the turn of the 20th century and is considered by many to be the mother of the detective novel. I first read a short story of hers last year, featuring Violet Strange, and immediately wanted to read more. I couldn't find a collection of her Strange stories, but I did find a beautiful, first edition copy of this book for 15 bucks and I didn't think twice.
It was worth every penny. I only dinged it 1/2 star because there was a massive clue the show more protagonist 'forgot' she saw early in the book that I didn't forget reading about. Of course this clue was the thing that the mystery's couple in peril needed to secure their HEA (although it didn't matter to the mystery itself).
Miss Saunders is working for an employment agency of some sort - it's never explained, although it's obviously not your average job placement firm - when she is hired by the Mayor to be a companion to his wife, with the secondary task of discovering what event happened two weeks previously that substantially altered the Mayor's wife's personality.
Not only is the book very well written, but it has a little bit of everything fun and suspenseful in a vintage mystery: tales of hauntings, cryptic codes, unexplainable occurrences, dodgy butlers, and crazy old ladies staring out of attic windows. The pacing is quick and even; I had a really hard time putting it down last night and it was the first thing I picked up this morning (thank goodness for school holidays!). I did not see the ending coming, although it wasn't altogether shocking.
I'll definitely be looking out for more of Green's work! show less
It was worth every penny. I only dinged it 1/2 star because there was a massive clue the show more protagonist 'forgot' she saw early in the book that I didn't forget reading about. Of course this clue was the thing that the mystery's couple in peril needed to secure their HEA (although it didn't matter to the mystery itself).
Miss Saunders is working for an employment agency of some sort - it's never explained, although it's obviously not your average job placement firm - when she is hired by the Mayor to be a companion to his wife, with the secondary task of discovering what event happened two weeks previously that substantially altered the Mayor's wife's personality.
Not only is the book very well written, but it has a little bit of everything fun and suspenseful in a vintage mystery: tales of hauntings, cryptic codes, unexplainable occurrences, dodgy butlers, and crazy old ladies staring out of attic windows. The pacing is quick and even; I had a really hard time putting it down last night and it was the first thing I picked up this morning (thank goodness for school holidays!). I did not see the ending coming, although it wasn't altogether shocking.
I'll definitely be looking out for more of Green's work! show less
In my unofficial quest to read all of Anna Katherine Green's work, The Circular Study is my first Amelia Butterworth mystery. Amelia Butterworth is credited as the prototype of the spinster amateur detective, a category that includes Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver, and Christie's infamous Miss Marple. Green is also credited as the first to develop the series detective with her Ebenezer Gryce (of the New York Metropolitan Police Force) series of mysteries. This book is also my first show more introduction to Gryce.
Compared to The Mayor's Wife (the only other full-length AKG book I've read so far, published 7 years after this one), the writing is far more florid, but the plot is ahead of its time. This is a straight up murder mystery, with no romance, but there is a fair amount of romantic narrative, in the form of a character's statement. This was really heavy handed; a reader could be forgiven for thinking the woman described was a contemporary Blessed Madonna (no, not the singer, the other one). There were also a few scenes between Gryce and Butterworth that became a bit thick with mutual appreciation. There was a lot of sunshine being blown up a lot of skirts in those scenes.
But the plotting makes up for a lot of it. The eponymous Circular Study is a room full of secrets: a panel of buttons that controlled the color of the electric lighting (this was 1900, long before electric lighting became common, never mind coloured lighting), secret panels and ... bird cages. There's a deaf-mute butler, and a talking starling too. Behind it all is the mother of all schemes. One that could be called diabolical.
In addition to the issues I had with the writing, as mentioned above, the book presents additional problems, but these issue primarily from the 118 years between publication and my reading. Contemporary attitudes, social structures, and morays all struggle to translate to a modern sensibility, but though I liked The Mayor's Wife better overall, this is still a mystery well-worth reading, especially for those aficionados of the genre. That she blazed the trail for mystery writers including Doyle, Christie and Sayers, but has since been languishing in obscurity is a tragedy in itself. Luckily for those with e-readers, Project Gutenberg has most, if not all of her work available; those with a preference for print should be able to source copies of this amazing writer with be no problem, if my experience is any indication. Highly recommended. show less
Compared to The Mayor's Wife (the only other full-length AKG book I've read so far, published 7 years after this one), the writing is far more florid, but the plot is ahead of its time. This is a straight up murder mystery, with no romance, but there is a fair amount of romantic narrative, in the form of a character's statement. This was really heavy handed; a reader could be forgiven for thinking the woman described was a contemporary Blessed Madonna (no, not the singer, the other one). There were also a few scenes between Gryce and Butterworth that became a bit thick with mutual appreciation. There was a lot of sunshine being blown up a lot of skirts in those scenes.
But the plotting makes up for a lot of it. The eponymous Circular Study is a room full of secrets: a panel of buttons that controlled the color of the electric lighting (this was 1900, long before electric lighting became common, never mind coloured lighting), secret panels and ... bird cages. There's a deaf-mute butler, and a talking starling too. Behind it all is the mother of all schemes. One that could be called diabolical.
In addition to the issues I had with the writing, as mentioned above, the book presents additional problems, but these issue primarily from the 118 years between publication and my reading. Contemporary attitudes, social structures, and morays all struggle to translate to a modern sensibility, but though I liked The Mayor's Wife better overall, this is still a mystery well-worth reading, especially for those aficionados of the genre. That she blazed the trail for mystery writers including Doyle, Christie and Sayers, but has since been languishing in obscurity is a tragedy in itself. Luckily for those with e-readers, Project Gutenberg has most, if not all of her work available; those with a preference for print should be able to source copies of this amazing writer with be no problem, if my experience is any indication. Highly recommended. show less
The Leavenworth Case is a well-written, entertaining story that will be appreciated by classic mystery fans.
The body of wealthy Horatio Leavenworth is found slumped over his desk. He has been shot through the head. Only a member of his household could have done it, but which one?
The actual detective is Mr. Gryce, who is more of a secondary character acting as a puppeteer behind-the-scenes rather than the starring investigator of the crime. Mr. Raymond is the protagonist/narrator and it is show more from his perspective that the details of this melodramatic tale unfold.
Mr. Raymond is a young attorney initially called in to provide legal counsel to the two Leavenworth nieces who reside with their uncle- the murdered man. Raymond neglects to give them any cogent legal advice, but does find himself recruited to act as Mr. Gryce’s investigative stooge, uncovering and confirming points of evidence to secure Gryce’s case. Raymond is a gullible fool whose naiveté and instant infatuation with Eleanore Leavenworth cloud his judgment.
For the seasoned mystery reader, the plot and the clues are rather obvious. Raymond’s inability to see what is going on right under his nose is always comical and occasionally tiresome. In fact, none of the central characters are particularly endearing, and this point does cause the book’s narrative to deflate at times. Overall, however, this is quite a pleasant read.
A word of warning: readers with short attention spans or only basic literacy skills will struggle to engage with this book and will probably prefer to avoid it. show less
The body of wealthy Horatio Leavenworth is found slumped over his desk. He has been shot through the head. Only a member of his household could have done it, but which one?
The actual detective is Mr. Gryce, who is more of a secondary character acting as a puppeteer behind-the-scenes rather than the starring investigator of the crime. Mr. Raymond is the protagonist/narrator and it is show more from his perspective that the details of this melodramatic tale unfold.
Mr. Raymond is a young attorney initially called in to provide legal counsel to the two Leavenworth nieces who reside with their uncle- the murdered man. Raymond neglects to give them any cogent legal advice, but does find himself recruited to act as Mr. Gryce’s investigative stooge, uncovering and confirming points of evidence to secure Gryce’s case. Raymond is a gullible fool whose naiveté and instant infatuation with Eleanore Leavenworth cloud his judgment.
For the seasoned mystery reader, the plot and the clues are rather obvious. Raymond’s inability to see what is going on right under his nose is always comical and occasionally tiresome. In fact, none of the central characters are particularly endearing, and this point does cause the book’s narrative to deflate at times. Overall, however, this is quite a pleasant read.
A word of warning: readers with short attention spans or only basic literacy skills will struggle to engage with this book and will probably prefer to avoid it. show less
High-society spinster Amelia Butterworth, a sharp-eyed inveterate busybody, notices some strange going-ons next door. The Van Burnams are in Europe, so why are a young man and lady entering the house? Miss Butterworth soon gets the police — and herself — involved in what turns out to be murder.
Author Anna Katherine Green’s novel has plenty of twists, but the best part is the slyly humorous portrayal of Amelia Butterworth herself: pushy, snobbish, bumptious, priggish and completely show more lacking in self-awareness. She’s inadvertently funny without ever realizing it. Just one example: Miss Butterworth sees herself as “an energetic woman with a special genius for [the police’s] particular calling.” Her young neighbors, Caroline and Isabella Van Burnam, refer to her as the ogress behind her back (which the snoopy Amelia overhears). You make the call as to who got it right.However, her adventures in this affair teach Miss Butterworth a bit of humility and soften her “adamite heart,” and I really look forward to her next adventure in Lost Man's Lane: A Second Episode in the Life of Amelia Butterworth.
I read Green’s first novel, (first published in 1876), The Leavenworth Casewhich was pretty mediocre, with stilted writing and several implausible characters and events. However, The Affair Next Door, first published 21 years later, proves a well-plotted novel that had me smiling and enjoying characters with lots of depths. Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for reissuing this fine novel.
Although her name’s hardly known, Anna Katherine Green influenced quite a few of the greats: Mary Roberts Rinehart, Agatha Christie and Patrician Wentworth. Green has been called “the mother of the detective novel.” The excellent The Affair Next Door shows why.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. show less
Author Anna Katherine Green’s novel has plenty of twists, but the best part is the slyly humorous portrayal of Amelia Butterworth herself: pushy, snobbish, bumptious, priggish and completely show more lacking in self-awareness. She’s inadvertently funny without ever realizing it. Just one example: Miss Butterworth sees herself as “an energetic woman with a special genius for [the police’s] particular calling.” Her young neighbors, Caroline and Isabella Van Burnam, refer to her as the ogress behind her back (which the snoopy Amelia overhears). You make the call as to who got it right.
I read Green’s first novel, (first published in 1876), The Leavenworth Casewhich was pretty mediocre, with stilted writing and several implausible characters and events. However, The Affair Next Door, first published 21 years later, proves a well-plotted novel that had me smiling and enjoying characters with lots of depths. Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for reissuing this fine novel.
Although her name’s hardly known, Anna Katherine Green influenced quite a few of the greats: Mary Roberts Rinehart, Agatha Christie and Patrician Wentworth. Green has been called “the mother of the detective novel.” The excellent The Affair Next Door shows why.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 95
- Also by
- 35
- Members
- 2,451
- Popularity
- #10,463
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 94
- ISBNs
- 883
- Languages
- 10
- Favorited
- 2
