Anna Katharine Green 
Hand and Ring 

In a small New York town, the local legal professionals are discussing the nature of crime. Breaking the law, they conclude, does not pay in modern society, as the criminal will undoubtedly be caught. A mysterious hunchbacked stranger approaches the group to interject. "The smart ones don't make tracks, " he says before disappearing. Meanwhile, just out of earshot, a woman has been murdered. Mrs. Clemmens was attacked in her home and there is no sign of the killer. As the case unfolds, several plausible suspects present themselves. But who actually committed the crime? And what should be made of the mysterious stranger who had such confidence in the abilities of the seasoned outlaw?