The Bronze Hand

by Anna Katharine Green

This early work by Anna Katharine Green was originally published at the turn of the 20th century and we are now republishing it with a brand new introduction. 'The Bronze Hand' is one of Green's novels of crime and mystery. Anna Katharine Green was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA in 1846. She aspired to be a writer from a young age, and corresponded with Ralph Waldo Emerson during her late teens. When her poetry failed to gain recognition, Green produced her first and best-known novel, The Leavenworth Case (1878). Praised by Wilkie Collins, the novel was year's bestseller, establishing Green's reputation. Green wrote at a time when fiction, and especially crime fiction, was dominated by men. However, she is now credited with shaping detective fiction into its classic form, and developing the trope of the recurring detective.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Classics, Audiobook

68 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

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

[Daniy ♠]

Well written and easy to read but sadly not really original or interesting. Also the ending is horrible.

[Perry Whitford]

In a Baltimore riven with political intrigue at the time of Lincoln's presidential election, a man becomes fascinated with the beautiful woman who lives in the flat below him.

One day he hears her in distress and sees a man running away from her and offers his assistance, which she readily accepts.

"I need a friend," she said, "and I am surrounded by strangers."

The lady, a Miss Calhoun, has had a ring stolen from her finger. She enigmatically fears that it may have been placed on the middle finger of a bronze hand locked in a box in a doctor's surgery, and asks the man to find out.

He is baffled, yet he agrees to the bizarre undertaking to gain her affections 'and did not regret it—then.'

A mystery short story from an early pioneer of the form, the outlandish elements of the plot would certainly have appealed to the most famous of all sleuths, Sherlock Holmes himself, and many consider Anna Katherine Green to have had an influence on Sir Conan Doyle.

The story is well written and features one or two interesting characters and a couple of well drawn scenes, most notably during a public performance of uncanny clairvoyance. However, the ending descended into unsatisfying melodrama.

Still, there is more than enough intrigue and invention in this short story to convince me to have a read of one of the many novels Green wrote in the same vein.

[Bethany Willcock]

This was looking like it would become one of my favorite Anna Katherine Green stories, the mystery was brilliant, full of suspense, very well-written, and completely unpredictable...but that ending! That ending just wrecked the whole story for me. Talk about a let-down! Otherwise this little book would have been amazing.

[Nev Thomas]

corny

[Carrie Campbell-jones]

This book is CRAZY!! :o)) I enjoyed the ending! What a twist!

[for-much-deliberation ...]

A rather short mystery story... A man decides to help,a woman he barely knows after hearing her cry out in distress, apparently a ring has been stolen from her...

[William]

Entertaining listening 🔰😀

Another will written thriller novella by Anne Katherine Green with interesting will developed characters. The story line is set in Baltimore before the civil war where a group is promoting the south's side. The head of the group is poisoned. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening 🔰 2021

[Emmy]

This was such a fascinating read! Quickly-paced, high drama, and a strong dose of mystery. I did not see the twist at the end coming, and while it could certainly be termed as melodrama, I found this book (short story?) to be a real treat! 10 out of 10.

I'd like to add, too, that this story totally reminded me of the movie Ace of Hearts starring Lon Chaney. A brilliant film about love and a secret assassination society. What more could you ask for?

[Amanda mcguire]

2 stars

[Mark Rabideau]

I seem to have been in a rut of peculiar tales, this is another. Good though.

[Katja Labonté]

2 stars & 2/10 hearts. I was very interested in this story, but I was disappointed by the unhappy ending. I find that Green’s stories are either very humorous and interesting, or depressing. This was the latter kind. I don’t mind death in mysteries if there’s also humour and good characters, but to dwell only on the darkness of life... I don’t mean to reread this. There’s some humour, but the ending is depressing.