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The Dead Letter
A love triangle turns deadly in the first full-length detective novel by an American author
Published a decade prior to Anna Katharine Green’s The Leavenworth Case (1878), The Dead Letter concerns the murder of Henry Moreland, whose body is found just a few steps from the home of John Argyll, Esq. Moreland was engaged to Argyll’s daughter, Eleanor, and suspicion soon falls upon the lawyer’s protégé, Richard Redfield. Desperate to clear his name, Redfield seeks the help of Mr. Burton, a famous New York City detective—but the case has more twists and turns than either of the two men could possibly imagine.
Set against the political turmoil of the Reconstruction Era, The Dead Letter is a fascinating historical document, a pioneering work of genre fiction, and a mystery with a cleverly satisfying conclusion.
This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Published a decade prior to Anna Katharine Green’s The Leavenworth Case (1878), The Dead Letter concerns the murder of Henry Moreland, whose body is found just a few steps from the home of John Argyll, Esq. Moreland was engaged to Argyll’s daughter, Eleanor, and suspicion soon falls upon the lawyer’s protégé, Richard Redfield. Desperate to clear his name, Redfield seeks the help of Mr. Burton, a famous New York City detective—but the case has more twists and turns than either of the two men could possibly imagine.
Set against the political turmoil of the Reconstruction Era, The Dead Letter is a fascinating historical document, a pioneering work of genre fiction, and a mystery with a cleverly satisfying conclusion.
This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1866
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 24, 2017
Dead on arrival more like.
September 16, 2025
When a young woman's fiancé is found dead, the other man who loves her swears to catch the murderer.
Mystery Review: The Dead Letter, purported to be the first full-length American detective novel, was written by Metta Fuller Victor (1831-85) under a pseudonym in 1864 or '66. She made a living as an author writing over 100 books while having nine children. Her best known work was an Abolitionist novel that was said to rival Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Dead Letter is a wonderful example of the novel as time machine, giving a strong sense of New York City in 1866, though oddly no mention is made of the American Civil War (perhaps people didn't want to think about that tragedy). To me, The Dead Letter is more interesting and enjoyable than a historical novel written today about that period, this being living history. Being of its time, foreigners, especially the Irish, come in for some disparagement (the Famine (1845-49) and the great emigration was still recent). This is not a top-notch example of mystery story-telling by today's lights. The concept of the red herring was apparently undeveloped, coincidence was overdeveloped, and the detective depends on supernatural elements to solve the crime. I can't tell if Victor (as S. Regester) truly believed or if the hocus pocus was simply a convenient device, though she also touts the healing powers of electricity. Ghosts, at any rate, are pooh-poohed. Much like Sherlock Holmes (twenty years later!), our doughty detective has made extensive scientific study (such as taking handwriting analysis to a magical degree) to aid in his deductive abilities. The book has been compared to Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone (1868) and other sensation novels. The writing is hyper emotional and melodramatic, but that very intensity and commitment succeeds in sucking the reader into the story. The Dead Letter is as interesting as a historical artifact as a mystery, Victor (Regester) having created a strong, individual, and incredible (in both senses of the word) detective to carry the tale. [3½★]
Mystery Review: The Dead Letter, purported to be the first full-length American detective novel, was written by Metta Fuller Victor (1831-85) under a pseudonym in 1864 or '66. She made a living as an author writing over 100 books while having nine children. Her best known work was an Abolitionist novel that was said to rival Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Dead Letter is a wonderful example of the novel as time machine, giving a strong sense of New York City in 1866, though oddly no mention is made of the American Civil War (perhaps people didn't want to think about that tragedy). To me, The Dead Letter is more interesting and enjoyable than a historical novel written today about that period, this being living history. Being of its time, foreigners, especially the Irish, come in for some disparagement (the Famine (1845-49) and the great emigration was still recent). This is not a top-notch example of mystery story-telling by today's lights. The concept of the red herring was apparently undeveloped, coincidence was overdeveloped, and the detective depends on supernatural elements to solve the crime. I can't tell if Victor (as S. Regester) truly believed or if the hocus pocus was simply a convenient device, though she also touts the healing powers of electricity. Ghosts, at any rate, are pooh-poohed. Much like Sherlock Holmes (twenty years later!), our doughty detective has made extensive scientific study (such as taking handwriting analysis to a magical degree) to aid in his deductive abilities. The book has been compared to Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone (1868) and other sensation novels. The writing is hyper emotional and melodramatic, but that very intensity and commitment succeeds in sucking the reader into the story. The Dead Letter is as interesting as a historical artifact as a mystery, Victor (Regester) having created a strong, individual, and incredible (in both senses of the word) detective to carry the tale. [3½★]
September 12, 2014
Really 3 and a half. The story and style reminded me of M. E. Braddon and Wilkie Collins. The first few chapters were a bit slower paced and more melodramatic than the rest of the book, and the murderer was pretty obvious to me. That's why I'm not giving it 4 stars. The parts with the detective in it were very good. Some unusual elements (supernatural) in the plot also made the book great fun to read. If you've read everthing by Wilkie Collins and M. E. Braddon, but want to read something similar, I'd say to give this book a try. It's not high literature, but it still is a fun read.
December 15, 2017
This is often referred to as the earliest example of the detective novel. It is fairly easy to guess the culprit, but the interesting cast of characters makes it worth the read. Similar in age to books like Lady Audley's Secret, it is an enjoyable story in its own right.
May 19, 2022
The Dead Letter Office. Washington, DC, 1859. Seeley Regester’s The Dead Letter, written in 1866, begins when the protagonist, Richard Renfield, holds a letter that he knows is connected to murder in which he was involved that occurred in October 1857 in the state of NY. Flashback: Renfield, who is reading law with Mr. John Argyll, Esq., is spending the evening with the Argylls in October 1857. The Argylls; father John, elder daughter Eleanor, younger daughter Mary and nephew James, and Richard Renfield, are waiting for Eleanor’s betrothed, Henry Moreland. A violent storm erupts! Mr. Moreland never arrives. The next morning all are informed that Mr. Moreland has been found murdered not far from the Argyll’s home. Who? Why? Enter Mr. Burton, a detective from NYC. Mr. Burton and Renfield begin working together to find Mr. Moreland’s murderer. Then Renfield becomes a suspect. He is ‘let go’ from Argyll’s law office with his ultimate destination being The Dead Letter office. This American classic mystery written by Seeley Regester, a pen name of Metta Victor, restarted American detective fiction which almost disappeared after Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue with C. Auguste. Victor’s writing presents the time period (1860s) and the culture and thinking of that period which many would find prejudicial today and re-introduces American detective fiction. The fact that this historical mystery is written by a women is a definite plus for me. Fascinating! 4 stars.
October 20, 2018
Supposed to be the first (or one of the first) American detective novel, this 1864 book is similar in many ways to the brand of Victorian mystery done so well by Anna Katharine Green et al: lashings of drama and sentiment, beautiful tragic women, hunts for missing people, and Deep Dark Secrets—only somehow, if you've read enough mysteries the secrets don't seem quite as deep and dark or as hard to guess as they might be. Featuring a nicely-evoked setting mostly divided between a village in the Hudson River Valley and mid-century New York City, with a brief detour to Mexico (!), it was quite well written and kept me turning pages with interest, but it let me down in a couple of places. I didn't care for the element of the clairvoyant little girl—which besides being distasteful, seemed like a laughable shortcut of a plot device to find out the address of a missing suspect! Plus her father the detective's eleventh-hour claim to his own brand of quasi-clairvoyance or instinct that allowed him to "guess" the murderer correctly before finding any evidence to back it up, and to just know that some of his hunches while following clues were correct. And then there were a couple things about the ending that disappointed me. So, a fun read though a rather mixed bag in the end.
September 9, 2014
This is a very interesting detective story. It's classic murder-mystery, with plenty of twists and turns.
I was staking my guess of who the murderer was pretty early on, but the evidence kept going other directions...I won't say whether I was correct in my guess or not! :)
The only reason I'm not giving five stars is because I personally don't agree with the use of putting anyone in a trance to help solve a murder, whether it is or is not successful. I know there's a power is hypnotism, and I don't enjoy getting the creeps from reading about people using it.
I was staking my guess of who the murderer was pretty early on, but the evidence kept going other directions...I won't say whether I was correct in my guess or not! :)
The only reason I'm not giving five stars is because I personally don't agree with the use of putting anyone in a trance to help solve a murder, whether it is or is not successful. I know there's a power is hypnotism, and I don't enjoy getting the creeps from reading about people using it.
September 16, 2018
Nicely plotted and well-drawn characters - liked the end but wish she had made the detective, whom I liked, a series. Well narrated by JM Smallheer, her usual. Recommended.
Free at:
Librivox.org narrated version
And
Gutenberg.org text version
Free at:
Librivox.org narrated version
And
Gutenberg.org text version
August 27, 2022
Discounted | No mystery as to the killer, coincidence and psychic trances drive the plot, but somehow satisfying in the end | I had to force myself to stick with this for most of the first half, because the murderer was so obvious yet unsuspected, and the characters were so ridiculously melodramatic, but the second half did pick up (though neither of those issues changed). Racism against Hispanic people, common for the time and lacking epithets, stating as fact that they're immoral and that while they aren't ALL murderers, they mostly are. Sigh. Unsatisfactory justice in the end. But it's probably the first American detective/crime novel, so worth the read for historical reasons if nothing else.
October 21, 2014
First published in 1867 (apparently) under the male pseudonym Seeley Regester, this detective romance is written in a more lush, descriptive style than we might be used to nowadays, but not overly so. It's a pleasant read, and fairly melodramatic, but not over the top. It does contain a couple instances of a psychic clairvoyant gimmick that assists the detective; and he doesn't engage in the kind of on-stage demonstrations and ratiocination common in modern post-Sherlockian detective fiction. In fact, the detective isn't really the central character.
The plot concerns the murder of Henry, Eleanor's fiancé. A family friend, Richard, who hopes to join Eleanor's father's law office, sets out to solve the crime. Most of the leg work is done by Burton, a detective, assisted by Richard, and covers a timespan of about two years. The letter of the title is an undeliverable letter that the protagonist runs across while working in the dead letter department of the post office. Obviously, it becomes a clue.
The narrative voice is first person, male, but to my modern eye feels rather too feminine and emotionally deep for a man of that period--as I usually think of them, anyway. I'm not sure if that's normal for the era or if the writer's feminine sensibility is leaking through into her male protagonist, and I'm simply remarking, not condemning. In any case, this is a worthwhile book to read, even if only to observe a bit of authentic period drama from mid 19th century. There are some interesting turns of phrase sprinkled throughout, as well as some curious spellings, the like of which I've never seen before. (And if anyone is looking to replenish their supply of commas, there are plenty of extras in here.)
Occasionally the story drags a little, but probably only because modern readers are used to a faster pace, and much of the slight drag involves a trifle too much description and/or emotional "gushing".
The plot concerns the murder of Henry, Eleanor's fiancé. A family friend, Richard, who hopes to join Eleanor's father's law office, sets out to solve the crime. Most of the leg work is done by Burton, a detective, assisted by Richard, and covers a timespan of about two years. The letter of the title is an undeliverable letter that the protagonist runs across while working in the dead letter department of the post office. Obviously, it becomes a clue.
The narrative voice is first person, male, but to my modern eye feels rather too feminine and emotionally deep for a man of that period--as I usually think of them, anyway. I'm not sure if that's normal for the era or if the writer's feminine sensibility is leaking through into her male protagonist, and I'm simply remarking, not condemning. In any case, this is a worthwhile book to read, even if only to observe a bit of authentic period drama from mid 19th century. There are some interesting turns of phrase sprinkled throughout, as well as some curious spellings, the like of which I've never seen before. (And if anyone is looking to replenish their supply of commas, there are plenty of extras in here.)
Occasionally the story drags a little, but probably only because modern readers are used to a faster pace, and much of the slight drag involves a trifle too much description and/or emotional "gushing".
May 27, 2021
The Poisoned Pen Press has been a longtime provider of quality mystery novels—not just current ones, but also classics you won't find anywhere else. Case in Point: The Dead Letter. This is the first title in a cooperative effort between Poisoned Pen Press and the Library of Congress exploring the start of mystery novels in the U.S. And as it turns out, The Dead Letter is, as far as anyone knows, the first full-length mystery novel published in the U.S., published under the name Seeley Regester, which one of many pen names used by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor. Yes—the first full-length mystery in the U.S. was written by a woman.
The Dead Letter includes a bit of the paranormal—one of our detectives and his daughter are able to "read" people and scenes through physical evidence—but that paranormal plays second fiddle to real-thing mystery. The novel has an ambitious structure. It opens in a dead-letter office, where an unusual bit of correspondence has the narrator thinking back on a mystery that tore his life apart—flash back first to that story, flash back next to a more recent bit of that same story, then flash forward to a post-dead letter finale.
You will probably figure out who dunnit well before the end of the novel, but the author keeps things tense nonetheless. Will evil prevail? What will be the fate of our honorable hero? Will the innocent young maids avoid entanglements with scoundrels? The detectives, of course, are men. Travels from New York to San Francisco and Acapulco are involved, which leads to some deeply biased portrayals of Latinx characters. The author was a product of her time.
The Dead Letter is an interesting read, and not just because it marked the beginnings of U.S. mystery novels. It's well worth a read—particularly for those who like historical fiction—and it's left me eager to read the next volume in this series.
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
The Dead Letter includes a bit of the paranormal—one of our detectives and his daughter are able to "read" people and scenes through physical evidence—but that paranormal plays second fiddle to real-thing mystery. The novel has an ambitious structure. It opens in a dead-letter office, where an unusual bit of correspondence has the narrator thinking back on a mystery that tore his life apart—flash back first to that story, flash back next to a more recent bit of that same story, then flash forward to a post-dead letter finale.
You will probably figure out who dunnit well before the end of the novel, but the author keeps things tense nonetheless. Will evil prevail? What will be the fate of our honorable hero? Will the innocent young maids avoid entanglements with scoundrels? The detectives, of course, are men. Travels from New York to San Francisco and Acapulco are involved, which leads to some deeply biased portrayals of Latinx characters. The author was a product of her time.
The Dead Letter is an interesting read, and not just because it marked the beginnings of U.S. mystery novels. It's well worth a read—particularly for those who like historical fiction—and it's left me eager to read the next volume in this series.
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
May 24, 2015
There seems to be no synopsis, so I am adding this. The book is from 19th century America. The fiancé of Eleanor Argyll is murdered only a few feet from his beloved's home. Suspicion falls on Mr. Argyll's protégée, the hero of this book, and he is shunned by the family, including the woman he loves. Like The Figure Eight, the book focuses heavily on false faces: innocents who appear to be murderers, criminals who appear to be tender lovers.
June 3, 2020
Dipping into the so-called dime novels of the Victorian era makes for an amusing switch up in reading material. Here's one that has the distinction of being the first full-length mystery published in America (1866). You can see who the villain is from the moment he makes his entrance, and there is a lot of silliness with clairvoyance, handwriting analysis and absurd coincidences, yet it was a completely enjoyable read.
Want to read
September 7, 2014Spotted on Cheryl's update. You may download your free copy here
http://manybooks.net/titles/victorm46...
Or here --
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46708
Enjoy! And, thanks, Cheryl -- this sort of novel is among my favorites.
http://manybooks.net/titles/victorm46...
Or here --
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46708
Enjoy! And, thanks, Cheryl -- this sort of novel is among my favorites.
August 23, 2024
2.5 stars. Proported to be first true American crime novel, and the first written by a woman, to boot. This novel was originally published as a serial in nine parts in a magazine and boy, does it show. 200 pages could've been lopped off with nothing of value being lost.
The plot is exactly what it says on the tin. The dead letter is found in the first chapter, and the next 200 pages are devoted to telling the backstory of why finding this two-year-old letter so excites our narrator. It is completely obvious who the mastermind is behind the crime, pretty much from the moment he's introduced into the story, but we follow along with the meticulous investigation by the detective, one Mr Burton, who claims not only to have clairvoyant powers himself, but also uses his young daughter's mediumistic ablities to assist him in finding clues. (Can you tell this was written at or near the height of 19th century Spiritualism??)
This was quite the slog to get through, but the end was more or less worth the effort of the journey to get there. There is a whole sidetrack to California via steamship to run down the actual murderer (though he is allowed to get away with his crimes, as is the mastermind in the final chapter), but the pieces are put together and laid before the cohort of characters, and the mastermind confesses in cowardice.
The final chapter outlines the details of what happens to everyone after the conclusion of the investigation, including poor Mr Burton, who ends up being assassinated himself! (So much for clairvoyance, I suppose.) That was a bit of a downer, as he was by far the most interesting character in the book, along with his daughter Lenore.
I'm not sorry I read this, but I won't read it again; its the weakest of the offerings I've read thus far from this series. Its also worth a look if you're interested in the history of the genre, but I'd suggest running down a library copy for such purposes.
The plot is exactly what it says on the tin. The dead letter is found in the first chapter, and the next 200 pages are devoted to telling the backstory of why finding this two-year-old letter so excites our narrator. It is completely obvious who the mastermind is behind the crime, pretty much from the moment he's introduced into the story, but we follow along with the meticulous investigation by the detective, one Mr Burton, who claims not only to have clairvoyant powers himself, but also uses his young daughter's mediumistic ablities to assist him in finding clues. (Can you tell this was written at or near the height of 19th century Spiritualism??)
This was quite the slog to get through, but the end was more or less worth the effort of the journey to get there. There is a whole sidetrack to California via steamship to run down the actual murderer (though he is allowed to get away with his crimes, as is the mastermind in the final chapter), but the pieces are put together and laid before the cohort of characters, and the mastermind confesses in cowardice.
The final chapter outlines the details of what happens to everyone after the conclusion of the investigation, including poor Mr Burton, who ends up being assassinated himself! (So much for clairvoyance, I suppose.) That was a bit of a downer, as he was by far the most interesting character in the book, along with his daughter Lenore.
I'm not sorry I read this, but I won't read it again; its the weakest of the offerings I've read thus far from this series. Its also worth a look if you're interested in the history of the genre, but I'd suggest running down a library copy for such purposes.
September 1, 2022
Honestly mostly of interest to a modern reader because it is such an early example of American detective fiction. The culprit was obvious from the third chapter, and then it was just a long slog through unrequited love, saintly characters who never did anything wrong, evil characters who never do anything right, psychic sessions to propel the plot, unbelievable coincidences, miraculous deductions, and prejudices of the time.
Read it for the history, not for the thrill of a great mystery.
Read it for the history, not for the thrill of a great mystery.
December 2, 2017
Wonderful!
Historical fiction written in real time, the mid 19th century. One of the first detective stories written by a woman and totally engaging. The best $1.99 I’ve ever spent!
Historical fiction written in real time, the mid 19th century. One of the first detective stories written by a woman and totally engaging. The best $1.99 I’ve ever spent!
Want to read
March 12, 2016Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
February 7, 2024
In a shock to absolutely no one, Cody likes another Library of Congress Crime Classic. Out of all that I’ve read so far, this one felt the most like a classic. The prose and story structure matched more of the classical style of the 1800s. This isn’t to say it felt dated, just more that it felt like reading a classic than a novel. I think the best part of this book is the characters. The mystery was more mysterious than mystery, less of a who done it. What got me invested, and I think for you, is the characters. They all feel well drawn, and experience growth throughout the story. I especially appreciated Richard and Mr. Burton’s interactions. The pacing is steady throughout, and the writing was easily digestible.
My main problems with this book stem from the culprit being quite obvious and one of the characters being overly annoying. The latter is more clearly an annoyance, but these two brought my enjoyment down enough to 4 stars. The culprit was obvious due to the limited number of potential killers, and the red herrings went away early enough that there wasn’t enough ambiguity leading up to the reveal. As for the character annoyance, Eleanor felt like she experienced very little growth throughout the book. Every scene she was in, it felt like her depression had to be outlined in detail. At first this did well to set up her character, but eventually became distracting and adding very little value. Again, more an annoyance but happened often enough to mention.
I would certainly recommend this for fans of classic crime stories or crime stories in general! 4/5 stars.
Quick hits:
+ Characters are great, with good growth.
+ The historical detail and prose is solid.
+ The pacing is steady throughout, and the story structure worked great.
- Reveal was too obvious.
- Eleanor became annoying too early and didn’t really change.
My main problems with this book stem from the culprit being quite obvious and one of the characters being overly annoying. The latter is more clearly an annoyance, but these two brought my enjoyment down enough to 4 stars. The culprit was obvious due to the limited number of potential killers, and the red herrings went away early enough that there wasn’t enough ambiguity leading up to the reveal. As for the character annoyance, Eleanor felt like she experienced very little growth throughout the book. Every scene she was in, it felt like her depression had to be outlined in detail. At first this did well to set up her character, but eventually became distracting and adding very little value. Again, more an annoyance but happened often enough to mention.
I would certainly recommend this for fans of classic crime stories or crime stories in general! 4/5 stars.
Quick hits:
+ Characters are great, with good growth.
+ The historical detail and prose is solid.
+ The pacing is steady throughout, and the story structure worked great.
- Reveal was too obvious.
- Eleanor became annoying too early and didn’t really change.
August 9, 2021
I have read many "golden age" and older detective stories, this one definitely falls into the "older" category. One of the earliest full-length mystery novels, "The Dead Letter" is narrated by Richard Redfield, a man in love with Eleanor Argyll, who unfortunately is engaged to Henry Moreland. When Moreland is murdered one stormy evening, Redfield vows to unmask the murderer.
What follows is a wandering path with several stock 1800's characters: the poor sewing girl (and her mysterious child), the man-about-town worthless nephew, the innocent younger sister on the cusp of womanhood, the evil stranger in town, and (of course) the famous mysterious detective from New York City with his secret ways.
When suspicion falls onto Redman, he leaves to work in the dead letter office in Washington for almost two years, where he happens to stumble across a dead letter that leads to the mystery's solution.
A bit far-fetched, the culprit is very obvious from early on, the solution holds little surprise. There's also some supernatural elements that detract from the story. But overall, given the time and age of the story, not a bad read, and much more enjoyable than other examples from this era.
What follows is a wandering path with several stock 1800's characters: the poor sewing girl (and her mysterious child), the man-about-town worthless nephew, the innocent younger sister on the cusp of womanhood, the evil stranger in town, and (of course) the famous mysterious detective from New York City with his secret ways.
When suspicion falls onto Redman, he leaves to work in the dead letter office in Washington for almost two years, where he happens to stumble across a dead letter that leads to the mystery's solution.
A bit far-fetched, the culprit is very obvious from early on, the solution holds little surprise. There's also some supernatural elements that detract from the story. But overall, given the time and age of the story, not a bad read, and much more enjoyable than other examples from this era.
June 14, 2022
The Library of Congress regards this as the first American crime novel. It concerns the shocking death of young banker Henry Moreland. Richard Redfield is in love with Moreland's fiancee, the daughter of Redfield's benefactor. Her cousin James is also in love with Eleanor. Gradually, Eleanor and her father stop trusting Redfield, and he leaves their small village for Washington, where he becomes a clerk at the Dead Letter office. One day, by coincidence or divine intervention, a letter passes his desk which seems to allude to Moreland's death...By today's standards, this is overwritten, but it will keep the modern reader absorbed nonetheless, despite antiquated ideas of ethnic and gender roles. However, some of the footnotes--which may identify quotations or define now obsolete words--are decidedly peculiar. Read the one on page 35 and explain, if you can, why it is of use to the modern reader.
June 9, 2024
This was the first full-length American detective novel. Which is why I picked it up. It was a solid mystery that was straightforward, though a bit unbelievable at times. Being originally serialized, the entire concept of the Dead Letter being found 18 months after the murder at the heart of the mystery felt like a ploy to make the story longer.
One of the many, good not great 19th century books I've read.
One of the many, good not great 19th century books I've read.
February 23, 2022
2 1/2 stars. An interesting read because of the historical nature. This could be the first full-length American detective story. It was written in 1866. True of the writing of this time it is much more flowery than our tastes today. Also, a lot of the clues that come to the investigators are more by chance than by good detective work (though there is some real detection going on) and even some gotten by a séance.
Even so, it is a decent yarn and interesting for the story itself as well as its historical value. I wouldn't classify this as a historical mystery because I think of that as one written by someone who sets it in an earlier time period, i.e. all the mysteries series now that are being written set in the 1920s or the famous Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael mysteries.
Even so, it is a decent yarn and interesting for the story itself as well as its historical value. I wouldn't classify this as a historical mystery because I think of that as one written by someone who sets it in an earlier time period, i.e. all the mysteries series now that are being written set in the 1920s or the famous Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael mysteries.
Read
May 3, 2022I was excited to read this because it's marketed as the first crime novel written by a female.
Initially, I was intrigued by the setting and the characters. Unfortunately, by the one-quarter mark, I was already bored with the tedium.
The language was a slog to get through. It's that flowery, overly everything kind of writing common in this era, but also oddly flat. The characters didn't come alive at all.
I pushed onward to a little more than the one-third mark, then gave up. That was a few months ago. I thought I might pick it up again, but so far I've had no such desire.
Interesting to note that I love historical fiction set during this era, but I apparently don't love it nearly as much when written in that same era.
*I received a free copy from Poisoned Pen Press.*
Initially, I was intrigued by the setting and the characters. Unfortunately, by the one-quarter mark, I was already bored with the tedium.
The language was a slog to get through. It's that flowery, overly everything kind of writing common in this era, but also oddly flat. The characters didn't come alive at all.
I pushed onward to a little more than the one-third mark, then gave up. That was a few months ago. I thought I might pick it up again, but so far I've had no such desire.
Interesting to note that I love historical fiction set during this era, but I apparently don't love it nearly as much when written in that same era.
*I received a free copy from Poisoned Pen Press.*
November 4, 2022
Written in 1862 and one of the first crime novels published. The writing was tedious and flowery. I’m guessing that was more just a sign of the time and hate to lower the rating for that reason. On an historical level it was interesting and certainly showed how far we’ve come not only in fiction writing but specifically crime fiction.
Also, evidently the concept of discovering who committed the crime must be something that evolved as the genre did! I wondered throughout the entire book if there was going to be a major surprise ending. Nope. The murderer was exactly who he appeared to be from the first chapter!!!
Also, evidently the concept of discovering who committed the crime must be something that evolved as the genre did! I wondered throughout the entire book if there was going to be a major surprise ending. Nope. The murderer was exactly who he appeared to be from the first chapter!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
"I should have been harder than the nether millstone, had I not wept tears with Eleanor then."
We love a man that isn't ashamed to cry. I found the writing unexpectedly beautiful and while flowery at times, didn't drag on with emotional descriptions as many better known Victorian novels do. The characters were well developed and I found myself deeply invested in their slowly unfolding fates. Unlike most crime novels, they were the primary focus of the story rather than the clues to the mystery.
We love a man that isn't ashamed to cry. I found the writing unexpectedly beautiful and while flowery at times, didn't drag on with emotional descriptions as many better known Victorian novels do. The characters were well developed and I found myself deeply invested in their slowly unfolding fates. Unlike most crime novels, they were the primary focus of the story rather than the clues to the mystery.
July 3, 2025
This is an interesting book—a pre-Sherlock Holmes detective story, and an American one at that!
True, the detective in this book does not rely entirely on his intellect to solve the case, and the outcome is hardly a surprise. It’s very Victorian in its sentimentality, and you just have to accept that. Of course, you can skip through the narrator’s more effusive outpourings of feeling, as I did.
I enjoyed the book, but it’s mainly worth reading as a curiosity.
True, the detective in this book does not rely entirely on his intellect to solve the case, and the outcome is hardly a surprise. It’s very Victorian in its sentimentality, and you just have to accept that. Of course, you can skip through the narrator’s more effusive outpourings of feeling, as I did.
I enjoyed the book, but it’s mainly worth reading as a curiosity.
October 27, 2021
Reading old novels ("Dead Letter" is from 1866) is fascinating to me. The setting of this one goes back and forth between NYC and the Peekskill area, providing a lovely picture of the landscape. However, the characters are such stereotypes of class, gender, ethnicity that they render the mystery unbelievable. I'm inclined to recommend that it be read ironically, if at all.
May 17, 2022
This is listed as the first full-length American detective novel. I was curious but had some reservations - would it read smoothly?, would it be too obvious? I was pleasantly surprised that it delivered on plot, characters, and even suspense (clues weren't that hidden though). It holds it's own even in 2022.
June 28, 2022
This is an very early detective and mystery novel. However, it is not the best. The writing is overly descriptive and the story moves glacially slow. It is obvious who the villain of the story is, yet the narrator seems to be the only one who cannot see it, all things must be revealed to him. The language and stereotypes are also very dated, as one could probably expect.
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