Three Thousand Dollars

Anna Katharine Green's Three Thousand Dollars begins in the shadowy ruins of a church hidden among New York tenements, where a nervous conspirator and a hard-edged accomplice plot a theft that seems impossible to pull off. Their target is a guarded office safe with no ordinary lock or combination, a vault protected by routine, secrecy, and the trust of a small inner circle. As Sam Fellows explains the workings of the business, greed, resentment, and revenge sharpen into a crime plan centered on stolen securities and hidden access. But the mystery quickly widens beyond burglary. Fellows and Beau Johnson hunt for the insider handling confidential instructions, narrowing suspicion toward the stenographer, Grace Lee, whose quiet competence makes her both vulnerable and central to the scheme. Meanwhile, Grace's private life is strained by her frail, secretive father and her engagement to Philip Andrews, who needs three thousand dollars to secure his future. When Grace hints she may somehow provide the money, a watchful eavesdropper confirms that danger is already close at hand. Taut, atmospheric, and full of deception, the novel blends office intrigue, romantic pressure, and a high-stakes criminal puzzle. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.