Anna Katharine Green 
Woman in the Alcove 

When a New York high society party ends in murder, a young woman must clear her new fiancé’s name, in this 1905 mystery by a detective fiction pioneer.Having grown up an orphan, Miss Rita Van Arsdale never expected a life of glamour and romance. But when she is invited to an elegant party—she finds herself surrounded by New York City’s crème de la crème—and falling in love with dashingly handsome Anson Durand. Rita’s life later takes a turn when Anson proposes marriage . . . but the evening has more surprises in store. A beautiful woman has been murdered and her spectacular diamond has disappeared. When Anson is named the prime suspect, Rita is determined to prove his innocence. But there are dark secrets lurking beneath the sparkling veneer of New York’s high society, and some are willing to do anything to keep them hidden.