The Amethyst Box

Description

The Amethyst Box by Anna Katharine Green is a collection of three short stories, three real gems in Green’s oeuvre, all of them well-written, intriguing and keeping the reader’s interest and attention engaged to the last sentence.

The title story was first published in 1905 and it is about a box that contains a small vial of poison. The box gets stolen during a party and then a murder happens, leaving two gentlemen who participated at the party to elucidate the mystery. The second story in the book is entitled The House in the Mist, also written in 1905 and it centers on the reading of a last will and testament, with all the parties concerned being overwhelmed by greed and vengefulness. The third story in the collection entitled The Missing Ring first came out in 1883 and it is, indeed, about a missing ruby ring and a detective who sets off to find it.

No story by Anna Katharine Green is only about a mystery to be deciphered. All texts by Green are complex and intricate accounts of characters, of complicated motivations and they also provide wonderful insight into the social attitudes of the Victorian era. The three stories comprised in The Amethyst Box are all very enjoyable, written in beautiful language and completely lacking violence, except for the murders that bring about the investigations, of course, so they are equally recommended to younger and adult readers as well.

All three texts feature the legal and factual accuracy that made novels such as The Leavenworth Case or A Strange Disappearance so appreciated by readers and critics, and they are all excellent examples of masterful plot building, characterization and storytelling. Whether you are already a fan of Green or you are looking for some quick read to sample Green’s style, this collection is the perfect choice.
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