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Horatio Leavenworth is a New York merchant whose material wealth is matched by his eminence in the community and reputation for good works. He is also the guardian of two striking nieces who share his Fifth Avenue mansion. Mary, her uncle's favorite, is to inherit his fortune at his death. As this mystery opens, that lamentable event has just occurred: Leavenworth has been shot to death, and circumstances point to one of his young wards. But is that the trail to follow? This classic mystery show more novel-a tribute to Anna Katharine Green's exceptional plotting and legal accuracy-was famously put to use by Yale University's law school to demonstrate the fallibility of circumstantial evidence. show lessTags
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I’m glad that British Library and Poisoned Pen Press have reissued what critics call Anna Katherine Green’s finest work, her first novel The Leavenworth Case. Published in 1878, it predates Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Fergus Hume’s The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, and Israel Zangwill’s The Big Bow Mystery. In short, Green’s detective novel is one of the first.
But I’m glad more for historical reasons than enjoyment. I loved Green’s Violet Strange stories, but this earliest work proves mediocre. The novel is narrated by young lawyer Everett Raymond, a man superficial, priggish and naïve to the point of fecklessness. How feckless? Here’s Raymond being questioned by New York Metropolitan police detective show more Ebeneezer Gryce on his presence when a woman, an important witness in a murder case, scribbled a letter in Raymond’s very presence:
What a blockhead! Just to seal the deal, Raymond insists that no refined woman could have shot the victim to death. As Gryce sardonically points out, one has only to read the newspaper to discover that pretty ladies can commit some ugly crimes.
I can only hope that Green was satirizing the Victorian notion of gentility, but I doubt that to be the case. Predictably, Raymond decides, based only on pretty looks, that the female suspect could not possibly be guilty, and he ventures on from there to try to prove her innocence. How much better this novel would have been if it had dispensed with Raymond and focused on Gryce and his master-of-disguise sidekick, Morris (nicknamed Q for “query” )!
Lastly, Green does not always play fair with clues, especially at the novel’s end.
The Leavenworth Case is definitely worth reading, if only to get a taste of early Victorian detective fiction; however, readers should keep their expectations in check.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. show less
But I’m glad more for historical reasons than enjoyment. I loved Green’s Violet Strange stories, but this earliest work proves mediocre. The novel is narrated by young lawyer Everett Raymond, a man superficial, priggish and naïve to the point of fecklessness. How feckless? Here’s Raymond being questioned by New York Metropolitan police detective show more Ebeneezer Gryce on his presence when a woman, an important witness in a murder case, scribbled a letter in Raymond’s very presence:
“You never thought to look at its superscription before it was dropped into the box.”
“I had neither opportunity nor right to do so.”
“Was it not written in your presence?”
“It was.”
“And you never regarded the affair as worth your attention?”
“However I may have regarded it, I did not see how I could prevent Miss Leavenworth from dropping a letter into a box if she chose to do so.”
“That is because you are a gentleman. Well, it has its disadvantages,” he muttered broodingly.
What a blockhead! Just to seal the deal, Raymond insists that no refined woman could have shot the victim to death. As Gryce sardonically points out, one has only to read the newspaper to discover that pretty ladies can commit some ugly crimes.
I can only hope that Green was satirizing the Victorian notion of gentility, but I doubt that to be the case. Predictably, Raymond decides, based only on pretty looks, that the female suspect could not possibly be guilty, and he ventures on from there to try to prove her innocence. How much better this novel would have been if it had dispensed with Raymond and focused on Gryce and his master-of-disguise sidekick, Morris (nicknamed Q for “query” )!
Lastly, Green does not always play fair with clues, especially at the novel’s end.
The Leavenworth Case is definitely worth reading, if only to get a taste of early Victorian detective fiction; however, readers should keep their expectations in check.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. show less
A very fun, old-time mystery/detective novel, much in the vein of Wilkie Collins (though not quite as well done). I had solved the mystery of who-done-it and why about half way in, but that did not keep me from wanting to finish the story and see all the loose ends tied up.
In the flavor of books of this era, it is a bit too neatly tied up and unrealistic by modern day standards. It is always important to think about these books in reference to the time in which they were written and without the benefit of all the stellar mystery fiction that has followed them. Green has a delightful writing style and her detective Gryce was wearing Columbo's trench coat for me throughout the tale. I couldn't help wondering if Green envisioned him as show more quick-witted and playing a part or as very dense but getting there in the end.
It is hard to particularly like Victorian women when they are painted as creatures with the expected sensibilities of their time. I found both Eleanor and Mary's actions incomprehensible, and even the lesser characters of Hannah and Mrs. Belden behaved in a way that mystified me but that I believe might fit perfectly with the expected behavior for women of the era. I suppose I expected a bit more depth in the female characters from a female writer, but I feel the male writers of the time might have portrayed women more realistically. Perhaps the prevailing conventions made Green need to stay within the formula or suffer derision herself.
Green has created the quintessential Victorian fiction, featuring contrivances such as shocked gentlemen, over the top reactions, implausible misdirections, sinister mustached strangers, burned and torn-up letters that can be miraculously reassembled, and mysterious keys that unlock both mysteries and doors. I took the ride with her willingly and did not feel cheated in the end. show less
In the flavor of books of this era, it is a bit too neatly tied up and unrealistic by modern day standards. It is always important to think about these books in reference to the time in which they were written and without the benefit of all the stellar mystery fiction that has followed them. Green has a delightful writing style and her detective Gryce was wearing Columbo's trench coat for me throughout the tale. I couldn't help wondering if Green envisioned him as show more quick-witted and playing a part or as very dense but getting there in the end.
It is hard to particularly like Victorian women when they are painted as creatures with the expected sensibilities of their time. I found both Eleanor and Mary's actions incomprehensible, and even the lesser characters of Hannah and Mrs. Belden behaved in a way that mystified me but that I believe might fit perfectly with the expected behavior for women of the era. I suppose I expected a bit more depth in the female characters from a female writer, but I feel the male writers of the time might have portrayed women more realistically. Perhaps the prevailing conventions made Green need to stay within the formula or suffer derision herself.
Green has created the quintessential Victorian fiction, featuring contrivances such as shocked gentlemen, over the top reactions, implausible misdirections, sinister mustached strangers, burned and torn-up letters that can be miraculously reassembled, and mysterious keys that unlock both mysteries and doors. I took the ride with her willingly and did not feel cheated in the end. show less
This was THE first serial detective story, even before Sherlock. And, BONUS!, it was written by an American woman. The funny thing is that the serial detective is totally just in the background. The story is told by a young lawyer who becomes overwhelmed by the personalities of the two adopted daughters of a wealthy man who is murdered. He decides to investigate on his own, under the loose guidance of the detective Grice. What follows is a string of misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and surprises.
I quite enjoyed this story! It honestly didn't seem like it was from 1878. It was well-paced, smart, and had some nicely developed personalities. I certainly wouldn't mind finding more books from Green. (She wrote something like 40 show more others!) This was just her first novel and had the honor of being praised by none other than Wilkie Collins so I'm sure there are some other hidden gems out there.
https://webereading.com/2018/10/classics-challenge-9-leavenworth-case.html show less
I quite enjoyed this story! It honestly didn't seem like it was from 1878. It was well-paced, smart, and had some nicely developed personalities. I certainly wouldn't mind finding more books from Green. (She wrote something like 40 show more others!) This was just her first novel and had the honor of being praised by none other than Wilkie Collins so I'm sure there are some other hidden gems out there.
https://webereading.com/2018/10/classics-challenge-9-leavenworth-case.html show less
This is another book that helped shape the detective and mystery genre. When eventually published in 1878 it became a wild success, selling a million copies and becoming a required text at Yale Law School. Must have been quite a blow to Green’s father whose disapproval of novels caused his daughter write it in secret which took years. Oh and he was a trial lawyer too. Funny.
While not perfect, the book does a good job of illustrating how easy it is to fit facts to a hypothesis and not the other way around. Though Ebenezer Gryce is the official detective, he lets junior attorney Everett Raymond pursue his own line of inquiry driven by his utter conviction that Eleanore Leavenworth must be innocent. The circumstantial evidence against show more her coupled with her own stubborn silence makes it a hard case to prove. He goes at it doggedly and rationally though his whole supposition is flawed and he’s man enough to admit he was wrong when Gryce confronts him with the fruits of his own investigation. show less
While not perfect, the book does a good job of illustrating how easy it is to fit facts to a hypothesis and not the other way around. Though Ebenezer Gryce is the official detective, he lets junior attorney Everett Raymond pursue his own line of inquiry driven by his utter conviction that Eleanore Leavenworth must be innocent. The circumstantial evidence against show more her coupled with her own stubborn silence makes it a hard case to prove. He goes at it doggedly and rationally though his whole supposition is flawed and he’s man enough to admit he was wrong when Gryce confronts him with the fruits of his own investigation. show less
One of the first detective stories ever written, The Leavenworth Case is set in 1870s New York, where a wealthy man is found murdered inside his locked study. Who in his household could have killed him? Much of the interest in reading this book today comes from seeing the origins of so many of the tropes that today are taken for granted in the genre—red herrings, twists, detectives and sidekicks, gathering people together for the reveal/confession—but at the time were novel. I can see why it was a bestseller in its day.
However, even more so than the now-formulaic plot, this book is rendered dated by its overwrought prose, stagey dialogue, and melodramatic characters. Much of the plotting relies on characters, particularly female show more ones, behaving in ways that may have aligned with Victorian-era gender ideals but are just mystifying today.
Mostly readable today for the historical significance of the work. show less
However, even more so than the now-formulaic plot, this book is rendered dated by its overwrought prose, stagey dialogue, and melodramatic characters. Much of the plotting relies on characters, particularly female show more ones, behaving in ways that may have aligned with Victorian-era gender ideals but are just mystifying today.
Mostly readable today for the historical significance of the work. show less
A bit overwrought in some of the "eyes are like limpid pools of moonlight; lips rose petals blushed with the dew" types of descriptions. Nonetheless a good plot.
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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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
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Author Information
95+ Works 2,457 Members
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Is contained in
The Anna Katharine Green Mystery MEGAPACK ®: 35 Classic Mystery Novels and Stories by Anna Katharine Green
The Anna Katherine Green 2-In-1 Special: The Leavenworth Case and The Mayor's Wife by Anna Katherine Green
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Leavenworth Case: A Lawyer's Story
- Original title
- The Leavenworth case; The Leavenworth Case
- Original publication date
- 1878
- People/Characters
- Ebenezer Gryce; Horatio Leavensworth; Mary Leavensworth; Everett Raymond; Eleanore Leavensworth; Q (Query)
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA
- First words
- I had been a junior partner in the firm of Veeley, Carr & Raymond, attorneys and counselors at law, for about a year, when one morning, in the temporary absence of both Mr Veeley and Mr Carr, there came into our office a ... (show all)young man whose whole appearance was so indicative of haste and agitation that I involuntarily rose as he approached, and advanced to meet him.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And leaving them there, with the light of growing hope and confidence on their faces, we went out again into the night, and so into a dream fromw hich I have never waked, though the shine of her dear eyes has been now the lode-star of my life for many happy, happy months.
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