X Y Z: A Detective Story

by Anna Katharine Green

Alternate cover for ASIN: B004TPT4AE

A short detective story first published in 1883 by the author of "The Leavenworth Case," "A Strange Disappearance," etc.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Novella, Historical Fiction, Detective

60 pages, ebook

Published March 24, 2011

About the author

Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Born in Brooklyn, New York, her early ambition was to write romantic verse, and she corresponded with Ralph Waldo Emerson. When her poetry failed to gain recognition, she produced her first and best known novel, The Leavenworth Case (1878). She became a bestselling author, eventually publishing about 40 books. She was in some ways a progressive woman for her time-succeeding in a genre dominated by male writers-but she did not approve of many of her feminist contemporaries, and she was opposed to women's suffrage. Her other works include A Strange Disappearance (1880), The Affair Next Door (1897), The Circular Study (1902), The Filigree Ball (1903), The Millionaire Baby (1905), The House in the Mist (1905), The Woman in the Alcove (1906), The House of the Whispering Pines (1910), Initials Only (1912), and The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917).

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novella by one of my favorite authors. Despite its length, it still feels quite solid and complete—except that the narrator tells us his story and never his name.

This unnamed government agent is in pursuit of a lead on a counterfeiting case when he stumbled headlong into a crime in progress! He steps into the very shoes of the person being framed for the crime, with some interesting results. There are more twists and turns than a fall corn maze, and it remains interesting throughout.

[R.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery story!!! The detective was great and had such a fun personality! All the other characters were quite interesting... and the mystery was well-done! :)

Content
God's name was taken in vain once.

*You can read this for free on the Gutenberg website!

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

by Andrea Renee Cox

What a fun mini-mystery! After such a complex and intriguing story, I am hopeful about trying another book by this author.

Content:
*mentions of death, murder, and suicide
*one expletive
*one profanity

I was not compensated for my honest review.

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was . . . different. Told in first person by an unnamed detective for the U.S. Government, this story starts off seeking counterfeiters, but instead ends up with a totally different case. There was plenty of action and it kept me reading, but the ending felt abrupt and strange. Not what I was expecting. It was still interesting though.

There was one use of the Lord’s name in vain.

I would try another book by this author.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a short and very old story, I enjoyed this mystery by Anna Katharine Green. I read this story because I needed it for my A-Z book challenge and can easily recommend it for anyone needing a book title with an X. :)

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Mystery

What an odd little mystery! Old-fashioned and a quick read. A bit more intriguing at the beginning, but entertaining nonetheless.

[Elif · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hani Agatha’nın eski polisiyeleri olur ya. Çok komik çok basit. Aynen öyleydi. Zaten çok kısa bir kitaptı. Öykü diyebiliriz. Ama pek sarmadı beni. Eskilerden basit bir hikaye hoşunuza giderse okuyabilirsiniz.

[Janie Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this short book to use for my A-Z Challenge since it would be a quick read, and it was a mystery, so I figured I would like it. But for me, it just ok really. I did not like the writing style at all, there were far too many run on sentences and that got annoying really quick. I also thought that the beginning was just a lot of nonsense and it made the story a bit confusing. It was wrote in the 1920's and I feel like writing was a lot different back then so that would explain that.

I thought that the plot was a good one and it did pick up a bit, but I found the story to be very predictable. I think the Author gave too much away throughout the story which allows readers to solve the mystery, what there was of it, rather quickly so there is no element of surprise with this one.

I did not like any of the characters. I found them to be underdeveloped and boring. This could be because it is a short book. Less than 100 pages and I could be expecting too much. I think the author could have take the story much further making the story been much better.

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Katharine Green was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Green has been called ”the mother of the detective novel.” Green is credited with shaping detective fiction into its classic form, and developing the series detective.

This very short novella written in 1883 revolves around an unnamed narrator who tells about an unexpected adventure he finds himself in while investigating something else entirely. It was interesting enough to keep my attention and the historical element brought to mind some of the shorter mystery novellas of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe.

[Sarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this story I thought I won't like it. But it turned out to be a cute cozy mystery which I enjoyed.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book knowing almost nothing about it because the author's name is similar to mine. I do have an affinity toward classic mystery, but this one was not a particularly good mystery. I kept waiting for there to be a slightly less obvious solution and there just wasn't. However, the suspense was well done, as well as the feelings of the detective when he found he had put himself in a very awkward position.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book whose title starts with "Q", "X" or "Z"

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars A government agent on the hunt for counterfeiters, stumbles on to a murder at a masquerade ball.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is surprising how few crime novels begin with the letter X. (This is clearly NOT a problem in the sci-fi or fantasy genres.) In search of one as part of an A-to-Z challenge, I came across this novelette by Anna Katharine Green. I'm ashamed to say that although she lived in Buffalo NY for many years, a city where I also have lived, I hadn't previously heard of her.

Judging by this short book, I'd have to say she was quite an amazing author for her time. The fact that there were doubts that her first novel, The Leavenworth Case had been written by a woman speaks for itself. XYZ is not as complicated a story as those written by her contemporary, Arthur Conan Doyle, but it's very readable - and enjoyable.

Take a minute to click through the link above to read more about her undoubted contributions to the crime fiction genre, for which she gets little credit. And take an hour or two to read one of her books. It's worth it, regardless of the first letter.

[Tweety · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, though very accident driven.

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun book! The situation this detective finds himself in is hilarious. XD

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very short and enjoyable detective novella written by the "American Agatha Christie" and the "mother of the detective novel." She is recognized as one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted and legally accurate stories. (From Wikipedia article) She was rather prolific and I look forward to reading more of her writing, especially The Leavenworth Case!

I was reminded of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins which I guess makes sense since they were writing at the same time period, Victorian. Also the setting seemed rather similar.

[Kell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kindle e-book

I downloaded this free from Amazon as it fit the A-Z challenge nicely for that ever-so-tricky "X" entry. I read a lot of crime fiction, both modern and classic, so I suppose that directly affected my enjoyment of this. It was plodding and predictable, and had it been any longer, I may well have not bothered finishing it. The idea is sound enough, but the execution is pedestrian and nothing special. As it is such a short story, the characters were not fleshed out much at all, leaving them barely two-dimensional, and the plot was thin at best. Rather disappointing, but at least it served its purpose and completed that hard-to-fill spot on my challenge.

[Glitter · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I remember, the book (or rather story) was nothing special. The only real twist was that the story had nothing to do with the case the inspector was investigating. The murderer

[★ℕłℂØℓҾ★ (Nix) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this surprisingly entertaining. I chose to read it to fulfill the "X" title requirement of a reading challenge, but I almost couldn't put it down! Thankfully, it was so short I didn't have to. I loved the "old-timey" language of the 1800s. It wasn't too difficult to understand, and although I usually don't care to read detective mystery stories, I quite enjoyed the unraveling of this little drama.

[BeccaJBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 90 page detective type mystery from 1800s and it was absolutely enchanting. The mystery and puzzle kept me engaged throughout and I was happy to play along with the detective/spy until he found his quarry. A lovely little light read that I would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle stories.

Also ticks off the letter X for me :)

Www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com

[Teri-K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining melodramatic mystery that takes place at a masked ball. If this is your first book by the author, and like me you're not a big fan of this style, don't let it keep you from reading other of her works. I've recently read That Affair Next Door and really enjoyed it. The style was more modern and light than this novella.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short mystery in the style of Sherlock Holmes

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point. A fun little read for something written in the 1800s!

[Amy (Lost in a Good Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this as part of an A-Z reading challenge last year after having little luck tracking down my previous choice for X. I had never read a detective novel at the time and I think this was a very good way to introduce myself into the age old genre. I had of course heard of all the wonderful detective novels and authors but never felt drawn to read them, aside from the feeling that I should read Sherlock Holmes one day. After I finished this short story I did begin looking for other stories of this genre and I am slowly opening myself to this wonderful genre.

X Y Z is a short story written by Anna Katharine Green, and tells the story of a detective who arrives in town in an attempt to investigate counterfeiters possibly connected to a series of mysterious letters addressed only to X Y Z. Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the story takes place in the later parts of the 1800s and begins with one investigation but soon moves into another of mystery and drama. In the course of the investigation an anomaly occurs, tugging at our unnamed detective’s curiosity. This curiosity leads his inquiries and attention to a prominent family in town, who as far as the rumours and secretive nature demonstrate, have mysteries and secrets of their own.

What amused me was that as I started to read I found myself reading it in the voice of the old black and white detective films, including that undeniable accent which made it all the more interesting in my mind. The story is engaging, and despite being short there is a decent well rounded story and character establishment. We are given the details we need for the plot, there is no information in this story that is irrelevant. I am not sure whether this includes the name of our detective, it hardly seems irrelevant, he interacts with enough people in the town, yet Green has omitted his name. Whether to add mystery or to keep her readers in suspense, I don’t know. If you wanted to look deeply into this you could play the idea of the mystery stranger who arrives in town, changes the town and creates a fuss, then leaves again. But isn’t being a stranger enough to do that? Whatever the reason I didn’t find it a bother, you almost forget after a while, there is only one detective to keep track of after all.

The characters in this story are well thought out and planned, and the story unfolded in a way where there were hints and clues and when it all came to a head it was as I imagined it to be. There are just as many gasps and surprises and twists even in a story of this size and there is no doubt it is of the detective genre. The secrets and mysteries are revealed by the end, perhaps not in the way you would imagine, but there are no extravagant twists and turns that make the story more mind bending and complex than it needs to be. Being written in the era it was, it is a basic detective novel where you are given clues and answers with the twists and revelations as you go. It was certainly a good read that certainly sparked my interest in this genre.

This review was also published on my blog http://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/20...

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brandon, Massachusetts Mitte Juni 1881. Ein junger Detektiv wird vom örtlichen Postmeister um Hilfe gebeten, weil regelmäßig Briefe an einen mysteriösen XYZ eintreffen und er vermutet, dass diese im Zusammenhang mit einer Falschgeldaffäre stehen könnten. Worauf der Detektiv wirklich stößt ist eine mysteriöse Familie mit einem dunklen Geheimnis. Eine reiche Familie, aber keiner weiß woher das Geld kommt. Die Bensons leben zurückgezogen, halten sich aus allem raus. Der Vater ist ein regelrechter Einsiedler, der Sohn arrogant bis suspekt, die Tochter bekommt selten Aufmerksamkeit. Nun, nach vielen Jahren, wollen sie einen Maskenball geben und einer der ominösen Briefe enthält Anweisungen diesen Ball betreffend. Der Detektiv wittert ein Verbrechen.

Anna Katharine Rohlfs, geborene Green, gilt mit ihren ca. 40 Büchern als die Mutter der Detektivgeschichten und als bedeutendste Vertreterin dieses Genres neben Edgar Allan Poe und Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Umso erstaunlicher, dass heutzutage, zumindest in Deutschland, kaum einer je von dieser Autorin gehört haben dürfte. Das liegt wohl hauptsächlich daran, dass kaum eines ihrer Bücher übersetzt wurde. „The Leavenworth Case“ war 1878 der Bestseller des Jahres und wurde sogar von Wilkie Collins hoch gelobt. Green war vor allem dafür bekannt, dass ihre Fälle sehr gut ermittelt waren und sich an die geltenden Gesetze hielten. Den entsprechenden Hintergrund und einige Inspirationen lieferte wohl ihr Vater, der Anwalt war.
38 ihrer Bücher sind derzeitig beim amerikanischen Gutenbergprojekt, teils in illustrierter Form, hinterlegt.
XYZ erschien 1883 und ich würde die Geschichte eher als Kurzgeschichte, denn als Roman ansehen, dennoch erschien sie wohl als einzelner Kurzroman. Die meisten Leser stoßen wohl auf diese Geschichte, wenn sie einen Titel mit X für eine ABC Challenge suchen.
Der Fall ist direkt. Der Ermittler, der nicht näher benannt wird, aber in staatlichen Diensten steht und wohl dem heutigen Äquivalent eines FBI Agenten entsprechen dürfte, soll eigentlich einen Falschgeldfall ermitteln. Letztendlich stößt er aber auf ein anderes Verbrechen, dass er mehr durch Zufall aufdeckt. Eigentlich ermittelt er gar nicht richtig, er will nur herausfinden, was es mit diesem einen irgendwie anders aussehenden Brief an XYZ auf sich hat, und im Laufe seiner Schnüffeleien wird er in ein schmutziges Familiengeheimnis reingezogen.
Nicht berauschend, aber sauber durchdacht und sehr gut nachvollziehbar geschrieben. Stilistisch durchaus ansprechend und atmosphärisch, dennoch kein wirklich packender Kriminalfall, denn hier wird kein Verbrechen aufgeklärt, es wird eher beobachtet und Kommissar Zufall ist zur rechten Zeit am rechten Ort um Zeugnis abzulegen.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this ebook at my local library while searching for X titles for a goodreads group reading challenge: A-Z. XYZ is a detective story first published in 1883 by Anna Katharine Green.

"Sometimes in the course of his experience, a detective, while engaged in ferreting out the mystery of one crime, runs inadvertently upon the clue to another." And thus XYZ begins. XYZ is a story of how a detective’s curiosity leads to the revelation of family secrets, the identity of a family villain, and the healing of a young man’s long-presumed guilt. The setting is United States, 1881. XYZ was contemporary fiction at the time it was written.

Favorite Part: The story is full of name-calling exclamations during climactic scenes, such as “Villain!, Spy!, Informer!, Fools!, Dotards!” These were just awesome and made me smile although my reaction was likely not the author's intention.

Least Favorite Part: I didn’t have one! I thoroughly enjoyed this brief mystery. Even the 19th century writing style didn’t deter me here and now in the 21st century. It is a shame that Ms. Green doesn't know her stories are still being enjoyed.

Favorite Quote: Regarding a masked ball: “But such a party! Who ever heard the like in a respectable town like this! It’s wicked, that’s what I call it, downright wicked to cover up the face God has given you and go strutting around in clothes a Christian man might well think borrowed from the Evil One if he had to wear them in any decent company. All wrong, I say, all wrong…”

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, even though it was written almost 100 years ago. The unnamed narrator tells about an unexpected adventure he finds himself in while investigating something else entirely.

I love how this one kept me interested and guessing. These are two of the most important features of any mystery or sleuthing story. I also like how the curiosity of the main character lands him in such an unlikely and awkward situation. I loved the way the details are revealed and the characters are well drawn and interesting.

The downside is that it is a bit old, and as such, it can be a little tough to read in parts. But, only a little. I couldn't figure out all the sayings, but I enjoyed trying to do so. It's like looking through a window into the past, and I must say it was much easier to read than Wuthering Heights, though I was reminded of that other work.

The lack of cover art and the bland title didn't offer any incentive to pick this up on their own. In fact, I, like some of the others who have read and reviewed this story, picked this up solely to satisfy the X in an A-Z reading challenge. But, overall, I'm happy with it and glad I did pick it up.

Overall, I really liked this. It's a short, somewhat humorous mystery. The historic element is a draw as well. Fans of mysteries or historical fiction, particularly those who like both genres, will likely enjoy this story.

[Annina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a lovely little story. It's more of a short adventure than an actual classic detective story, as there is more the mystery of what is going on than who did it. It's a quite short and quick read and I'm glad I read it. I would recommend it... especially if you happen to be looking for a book starting with X.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short detective story is either a long short story or a short novella... in either case, it is a good murder mystery. An agent of the Secret Service searching for clues to a ring of counterfeiters gets mistakenly mixed up in a family quarrel & happens to be on the spot when the family patriarch is poisoned.