The Mill Mystery

"The Mill Mystery" by Anna Katharine Green is a gripping tale from the late 1800s, where Constance Sterling, a young woman facing her own battles, gets caught up in a puzzling case after a respected reverend, Mr. Barrows, is found dead in an old mill. Constance’s life takes an unexpected turn as she befriends Ada Reynolds, the reverend's fiancée, pulling her into an emotional maze of secrets, rumors, and uncertainty surrounding his death; when Constance is at a low point, the two become friends, and although Ada is holding back a secret about her own romantic life, they develop a friendship, and they vow to help each other. However, their normal interaction is disrupted by the news of Mr. Barrows' death. The initial chapters effectively build anticipation, setting up the central puzzle of Mr. Barrows' death while touching on topics of love, loyalty, and the heavy weight of societal expectations, leading Constance to chase after the truth.