Mill Mystery

Published in 1886, 'Mill Mystery' by Anna Katharine Green is a detective novel set in a New England village where a beloved minister is found dead in a dye vat, sparking rumors of suicide. The story follows Constance Sterling, the roommate of the minister's fiancée, as she investigates the truth behind the deaths. Green's work is notable for its early contribution to the mystery genre, featuring a strong female protagonist and intricate plotting that influenced later detective fiction.