Agatha Webb

By Anna Katharine Green

A universally beloved woman has been murdered. But who would have the heart to kill Agatha Webb? Would her husband do it for money matters? Or would it be the cook, who died at about the same time? Or would it be the rich and well-connected Mr. Fredrick, who ran away into the woods? This work is also for feminist fiction lovers. As the story starts right after the murder, we see how miss Page, a servant at a rich house who is the sweetheart of the same Mr. Fredrick, wants to join the investigation- and is constantly prevented from doing so by conservative men.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Classics
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627936873

Anna Katharine Green

Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935) was an American writer and prominent figure in the detective genre. Born in New York City, Green developed an affinity for literature at an early age. She studied at Ripley Female College in Vermont and was mentored by poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. One of Green’s best-known works is The Leavenworth Case, which was published in 1878. It was a critical and commercial success that made her one of the leading voices in literature. Over the course of her career, Green would go on to write nearly 40 books.

Reviews for Agatha Webb

[astrologerjenny · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s a little melodramatic. The women are either evil temptresses or pure as snow. The hero is given to sinful excesses, which are never quite named, until he is reformed. But, hey, it was first published in 1899. Anna Katherine Green is considered very influential in the development of the detective fiction genre, and her modest but clever hero here gets into a lot of trouble (including being thrown overboard in the middle of the ocean) before he finally solves the case.

It’s a fun read. I certainly didn’t guess the solution, which is improbable, unexpected and as melodramatic as the rest of the book.