The Leavenworth Case

by Anna Katharine Green (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

Before Sherlock Holmes, there was Ebenezer Gryce.

When wealthy New York merchant Horatio Leavenworth is found shot dead at his library table, the crime appears impossible to solve. The house was locked, nothing was stolen, and suspicion falls upon the two women closest to him: his beautiful nieces, Mary and Eleanore Leavenworth. As secrets, rivalries, hidden relationships, and conflicting loyalties emerge, lawyer Everett Raymond finds himself drawn into a mystery that grows darker with every clue.

Guiding the investigation is the unassuming but brilliant detective Ebenezer Gryce, one of literature’s earliest professional detectives and the forerunner of generations of sleuths to come. Through missing keys, disputed documents, hidden motives, and shocking revelations, the case unfolds with a level of forensic logic and fair-play clueing that was decades ahead of its time.

First published in 1878, The Leavenworth Case was an international bestseller and helped establish the detective novel as a distinct literary genre. Widely admired by later mystery writers, including Agatha Christie, it remains one of the most influential crime novels ever written.

This special edition reproduces the complete text of the original first edition, featuring its classic illustrations, diagrams, chapter epigraphs, and a new introduction exploring the novel's remarkable place in literary history.

Inside you'll discover:

• One of the first full-length detective novels ever published

• The debut of legendary detective Ebenezer Gryce

• An ingenious locked-house murder mystery

• A cast of unforgettable suspects and narrators

• Original illustrations, floor plans, and documentary evidence presented to readers

• A landmark work that paved the way for modern detective fiction

For readers of Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and classic Golden Age mysteries, The Leavenworth Caseremains a masterfully constructed puzzle and a fascinating glimpse into the birth of detective fiction.

A timeless mystery. A groundbreaking detective. A crime that changed literary history.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 265p.