The Leavenworth Case

The Leavenworth Case published in 1878 was the first detective novel written by a woman. It sold a quarter of a million copies, and earned its author, Anna Katherine Green the title of "The Mother of the Detective Novel". It starred her series detective, Ebenezer Gryce, a low key, middle aged New York police officer. He went on to appear in many other books, along with a series of other friends, many of whom got books of their own.