When Miss Amelia Butterworth observes a couple entering the neighboring Van Burnam mansion, her instinct tells her that something isn't right. Investigating, she discovers a woman's body and realizes she has stumbled upon a murder, and that she's a vitally important witness. But Miss Butterworth aspires to be more than simply a witness, however important—she sets out to solve the crime. Initially she works in competition with the famed New York detective, Ebenezer Gryce , but as the mystery deepens, nothing but their cooperation will lead to the truth. With the creation of the character of Miss Butterworth, Anna Katharine Green anticipated by thirty years the advent of Agatha Christie's more famous elder spinster and amateur sleuth, Miss Marple . Anna Katharine Green (died 1935) was a major literary figure of the early 20th century. Their work has endured across generations and continues to be read and studied worldwide. As a work of classic literary fiction, That Affair Next Door exemplifies the narrative craft and social insight that defined great storytelling of its era. Literary fiction of this period was characterized by careful attention to character psychology, social milieu, and the moral questions that animated public discourse.
