The Amethyst Box

"The Amethyst Box" by Anna Katharine Green is a mystery novel written in the early 20th century. The story is set against the backdrop of a wedding eve and explores tension-filled circumstances leading to a potential tragedy involving love, jealousy, and deadly secrets. The primary characters include Sinclair, the anxious groom; Walter, his loyal best man; and Dorothy Camerden, the woman whom Walter secretly loves, all of whom are drawn into the dark intrigue surrounding a mysterious vial of deadly poison. The opening of the novel unfolds on the night before Sinclair's wedding, where he confides in Walter about a missing vial containing a potent poison, which has mysteriously gone missing after he showcased it to the ladies present. Sinclair's fears escalate when he reveals that one of the two women—either his bride-to-be, Gilbertine, or Walter's love, Dorothy—has taken it. As they attempt to uncover the truth, the atmosphere thickens with suspense and dread, setting the stage for a story steeped in psychological complexity and moral ambiguity as they navigate the unknown ramifications of this critical moment. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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".