BUFFALO, N.Y. — The classic whodunit is a story played out in books, shows and movies, but many modern tropes have their origin about 100 years ago, right in New York state.

“My business is no secret. I came to inform that Mr. Leavenworth is dead,” read mystery author Lissa Marie Redmond.

A crime, a twist and shocking discoveries are all part of the journey through a mystery novel. Who knew a lot of that came from a 19th-century woman from New York? 

“Anna Katharine Green is one of the best-kept secrets in Buffalo,” said Redmond.

Called the "mother of detective fiction," Green wrote about 40 books over her 88-year life.

“She really honed her skill and became influential to people like Arthur Conan Doyle, and later, Agatha Christie, and other budding writers of the time,” explained Redmond.

She created archetypes, like the detective and girl detective, which paved the way for iconic characters like Holmes and Watson, Miss Marple and Nancy Drew.

“It was through my becoming a mystery writer and doing my research into the genre [...] that I found Anna Katharine Green," recalled Redmond.

Redmond has seven mystery books under her belt.

“Times have changed, but crime has not," she said.

She can see the influence Green had on her and so many others.

“You see the tropes and the locked room mysteries and the different plays with red herrings that she does, that so often got copied as time went on," explained Redmond. "You could say that it's cliche, but it's not because she's the one who first did it.”

Green lived through the late 1800s and early 1900s. She was a mother, a writer and often the breadwinner of her family.

“She was doing this at a time when, literally, women didn't even have the right to vote, let alone solving mysteries," said Redmond. "She was just so ahead of her time.”

Redmond knows the challenges of mystery writing.

“It's a very delicate balancing act,” she said.

She’s surprised so much of the formula Green created still echoes to this day.

“A perfect example would be the movie 'Knives Out,'" said Redmond. "It's a classic, detective coming into a mystery and figuring out from an array of family members whodunit by following the clues," she explained. "That is directly going back to the golden age of mystery with Agatha Christie, which takes you right back to Anna Katharine Green.”

As she continues with her own writing, she carries on Green’s legacy.

“This is my most recent one and it takes place during a blizzard over Thanksgiving weekend," she said. "She is just such an inspiration.”

An inspiration who shouldn’t be forgotten.

“I would love for people, especially people here in Buffalo to rediscover Anna, Katharine Green," she said. 

Because Green’s books were written so long ago, they are out of print. That means it can be tricky to track them down.

Redmond joked that it’s like going on your own scavenger hunt, but said it’s worth the time, especially if you’re a mystery fan.