Book Review: Mother of Detective Fiction by Patricia D. Maida
One of the joys of reading random biographies is learning about minor figures you might have heard about once in a long list of “these people existed.” In this case, it’s Anna Katherine Green, author of the first detective novel written by a woman in English, The Leavenworth Case, in 1878.
The daughter of a lawyer, Anna K. Green wove realistic legal details and detective work into a melodramatic tale of murder and romance. It was an enormous success, and was highly influential on other mystery writers, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Ms. Green continued to write mysteries, most featuring eccentric and arthritic police detective Inspector Ebenezer Gryce, for the rest of her life. She even kept using the same name on her books after marrying, though underneath on the title page was her legal name, “Mrs. Charles Rohlfs.” (He was an actor who became a respected furniture designer.)
Among the trademarks of Ms. Green’s works was the pairing of an older, quirky detective with a younger partner who could provide a romantic subplot; contrasting pairs of suspects; a focus on the upper middle class/lower upper class families of the East Coast, and mechanical gimmicks. For one set of novels, she paired up Inspector Gryce with Miss Amelia Butterworth, the prototype of the “snoopy old lady” detective. And as a solo act, there’s Violet Strange (love that name), who starred in a series of linked short stories as a upper crust lady detective who needs money for a secret purpose.
Sadly, Ms. Green’s Victorian writing style and old-fashioned morality became unfashionable, and most of her works have not been reprinted in decades. But they’re all in the public domain, so you can find them on the internet!
This book itself seems more like someone’s final project for a college class polished up a bit for publication. Indeed, it’s from Bowling Green State University Popular Press. The biography section is relatively short, with more time spent analyzing everything Ms. Green got published. It’s more enlightening than good.
That said, if you are a mystery fan interested in the history of the field, or someone who wants to know more about once-famous female authors, this is a nice addition for your collection.
Please look forward to my review of The Leavenworth Case, coming soon!
