Let me set the scene for you. It's a chilly November in old New York. Evelina Raymond, a beautiful and well-off young woman, retires to her bedroom one evening. The door is locked from the inside, the windows are fastened. By morning, she has disappeared without a trace. The household is thrown into chaos, and the police find themselves completely baffled. There's no evidence of an intruder, and it seems impossible that she could have left on her own. The case lands on the desk of Mr. Ebenezer Gryce, a detective who prefers to sit quietly in a corner and notice everything everyone else misses.

The Story

Mr. Gryce doesn't chase criminals through alleyways. Instead, he talks to servants, studies household routines, and pieces together the personalities of everyone involved. His investigation leads him from the Raymonds' opulent home into the city's darker corners. He encounters a mysterious veiled woman, untangles a web of past relationships, and slowly uncovers that Evelina's life wasn't as simple as it seemed. The mystery hinges on human motives—greed, jealousy, and long-buried secrets—rather than grand conspiracies. The solution, when it comes, is both surprising and satisfying, proving that the most impossible situations often have the simplest, if darkest, explanations.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book special is its atmosphere and its detective. Green is a master at building tension through everyday details. You can feel the fog rolling in off the East River and hear the quiet dread in a silent house. Mr. Gryce is a refreshing hero. He's an older man, a bit rumpled, and uses patience and psychology as his main tools. He feels real. The story also gives you a fascinating, if sometimes unsettling, look at the limited options available to women in that era, which becomes a central part of the puzzle. It’s a thinking person's mystery.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for anyone who loves the roots of the mystery genre. If you enjoy Agatha Christie's puzzles or the detailed procedural work in some modern mysteries, you'll find a lot to love here. It’s also a great pick for readers interested in historical fiction that doesn't romanticize the past. Be prepared for a methodical pace—this isn't a thriller. It's a classic, brain-teasing mystery that rewards your attention. If you're in the mood for a clever, atmospheric puzzle solved by one of detective fiction's first great minds, A Strange Disappearance is a forgotten gem worth rediscovering.