The Circular Study

In this well-plotted, character-driven mystery, Detective Gryce receives a cryptic message calling him to the scene of a “strange” crime. He soon finds that the adjective is correct, for in a quiet brownstone house in a respectable New York City neighborhood, he finds the body of a man brutally stabbed to death, yet lovingly laid out on the floor of his study. The only apparent witnesses are a deaf and dumb butler driven mad by the event, and a caged bird that sings out a vital but puzzling clue. Before he solves the crime, with the help of the redoubtable Miss Amelia Butterworth, Gryce must uncover a motive that spans generations and the passions that have kept it alive. Anna Katharine Green was a pioneering writer of detective fiction in the United States. Her first such novel, The Leavenworth Case, was published in 1878. She is credited with changing the genre by making her stories legally accurate. She invented the "girl detective." But her works remained popular because of their lively, twisting plots and the strong characters she developed. (Summary by Christine Dufour) (6 hr 15 min)

Chapters

Book I, Chapter 1	11:45	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 2	17:30	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 3	10:08	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 4	15:22	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 5	27:02	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 6	27:42	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 7	20:26	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 8	20:37	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 9	10:21	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 10	26:41	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 11	19:46	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 12	8:16	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 13	12:39	Read by Jacquerie
Book I, Chapter 14	6:13	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 1, Part 1	21:04	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 1, Part 2	14:36	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 2	15:26	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 3, Part 1	22:29	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 3, Part 2	15:35	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 4	9:00	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapter 5	28:49	Read by Jacquerie
Book II, Chapters 6 and 7	13:41	Read by Jacquerie

Reviews

Another great mystery, reading, and recording

(4.5 stars)

Katie

I loved that this story brings Amelia and Gryce back together, even though it was not a major part of the plot. I thought this mystery had a more psychological aspect, which I enjoyed. Also, I am happy & grateful that these stories have been read by excellent single readers with great recording quality. It really does allow you to get lost in the story, rather than having your attention drawn away due to qualify of reading or recording. Thank you so much!

Another good one

(4 stars)

glttrgrl8

Another good AKG story containing characters with depth and a good mystery with lots of "clews." The reader did a great job, with very clear and context-appropriate narration, no background noise, and no silly pronunciation errors. (Hooray!) This book is definitely a good listen!

Thanks Again

(5 stars)

Jpassservais

Thank you, Christine DuFour for a wonderful reading; for the feeing, the emotion and the tones I judged came from a "lady." The word "lady" as used in the best and highest sense does not seem to be used as much as it could be today, as it was in the great novels of authors such as Anna Green. As with all of her novels I get a great sense or emotion that moves me by the way in which she describes ladies and gentlemen and I think such descriptions have been lost in the hearts of many. But, I am rambling. I was really moved by the reading of the novel by another Librivox volunteer who so evidently gave to others so much of herself. God bless all at Librivox, with sincere thanks.

undecided

(3.5 stars)

Songbird7

The story was more extreme and darker than usual for AKG. The villain is as crazy and terrifying, in a psychological way, as something from a horror show. The problem is the sweet, gentle, overdone Victorian language she uses. Instead of feeling scary and suspenseful, it just seems too odd and farfetched to be taken seriously. And listening to the ravings of a madman just felt somewhat repulsive rather than frightening. The mild, soft-spoken voice of the reader added to this effect. There were other plot issues as well. But for all that I don't regret reading it.

I have listened to this story a few times now

(4 stars)

mikezane

A woman is raped, and she dies from shame. Her family swears revenge against the guilty party, desiring to shame the person guilty of committing this crime. The story centers around this lifetime madness for revenge and how love can overcome such madness. Reading was excellent. The story is pretty good, but I found myself annoyed by the family for not involving the law when the first crime was committed. There is a happy ending tho, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Study The Circle

(5 stars)

Keith Horvath

Awesome...What an engaging story. Author was brilliant. This writing, like many read & listened to, take during the late century or early 1900's. A delightful time, just a peek, I enjoy. The author had crafted such a twist of reckoning while keeping the listener ready to formulate my suspicion of who & what. Then....wam! She takes a path of intrigue, thoughtfully bringing to finality not the close, but takes us to a different type of outcome. Read to enjoy & learn.....