45. The Leavenworth Case - book 1 in the Ebenezer Gryce series
by Anna Katharine Green
mystery, 1878
Kindle book 17
finished 8/23/12
Though this book wasn't that long, it seemed to take me ages to read it. I found it verbose. It featured long monologues, either written in a letter or spoken, which explained events and details. I was surprised at how dry the book felt after so enjoying That Affair Next Door. This book didn't feature the interesting Amelia Butterworth, but it was the first case for Green's detective Ebenezer Gryce. He is intelligent and clever but has an odd quirk of never looking directly at anyone. He addresses his statements to nearby desks or vases. We saw the case through the eyes of a junior partner in a law firm who becomes involved because a family's lawyer was unavailable. He is completely obsessed with a woman who may or may not be the killer.
I found most of the characters tiresome and unreal. This was Green's first book so I cut her some slack, especially in light of the other book I read. I decided to read the second Amelia book, hoping to recapture my delight in this author's work. You may have read the first part in a Book Beginnings on Friday post. It was intriguing and I looked forward to the adventure, but it quickly became like a gothic romance with ghosts, and crippled children who sit and watch out their windows. There is an everpresent feeling of foreboding. I read a few chapters and decided it wasn't for me, and sadly that Anna Katharine Green is just not my cup of tea. You may read The Leavenworth Case online here. I got it for free on the Kindle.
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