In "Filigree Ball" by Anna Katharine Green, readers are taken on a thrilling journey of mystery and suspense. The story follows the disappearance of a priceless diamond necklace during a lavish ball, and the subsequent investigation to solve the crime.

Green's writing is captivating, drawing readers in from the very first page and keeping them hooked until the very end. The characters are well-developed and the plot is intricate, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing.

Overall, "Filigree Ball" is a fantastic read for fans of classic mysteries. Green's storytelling skills are truly top-notch, making this novel a must-read for anyone who loves a good whodunit.

Book Description:
[The Moore House] was standing when Washington was a village. It antedates the Capitol and the White House. Built by a man of wealth, it bears to this day the impress of the large ideas and quiet elegance of colonial times; but the shadow which speedily fell across it made it a marked place even in those early days. While it has always escaped the hackneyed epithet of "haunted," families that have moved in have as quickly moved out, giving as their excuse that no happiness was to be found there and that sleep was impossible under its roof.

That there was some reason for this lack of rest within walls which were not without their tragic reminiscences, all must acknowledge. Death had often occurred there, and while this fact can be stated in regard to most old houses, it is not often that one can say, as in this case, that it was invariably sudden and invariably of one character. A lifeless man, lying outstretched on a certain hearthstone, might be found once in a house and awaken no special comment; but when this same discovery has been made twice, if not thrice, during the history of a single dwelling, one might surely be pardoned a distrust of its seemingly home-like appointments, and discern in its slowly darkening walls the presence of an evil which if left to itself might perish in the natural decay of the place, but which, if met and challenged, might strike again and make another blot on its thrice-crimsoned hearthstone. - Excerpt from Chapter I