The Leavenworth Case
1878
3/5 stars
Wealthy Horace Leavenworth is found murdered in his locked library. Naturally, his household is suspected, and evidence points to one of his nieces, Eleanor.
The narrator is a young lawyer, Mr. Raymond, who has no experience is mysteries or murders. The police detective, Mr. Gryce, enlists Raymond's help because he is a gentleman, and as such will be welcome in places that Gryce would not be. While Raymond hates the thoughts of playing spy, he has become extremely interested in protecting Eleanor's reputation, so agrees.
The Leavenworth Case, Green's first published novel, is a well-penned mystery with appealing characters and a twisty plot, and did keep me guessing until the denouement. The deduction of the culprit, though, seems to rely more on guesswork than on clues shown to the reader. Despite only deserving an average rating, it's an enjoyable read, not only for the story but for the picture of life among certain classes in the U.S. during the late nineteenth century.
