The Leavenworth Case · Character

Horatio Leavenworth

The wealthy retired tea-merchant whose bullet-riddled body in his locked library launches the case and whose secrets about his nieces surface only after death.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Leavenworth, the late Mr. Leavenworth, Horatio, Mr. Horatio Leavenworth

First appearance: Book I: The Problem

As a supporting figure in The Leavenworth Case, Horatio Leavenworth is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Horatio Leavenworth was a millionaire recluse who doted on his beautiful niece Mary until an anonymous letter from Henry Clavering shattered his trust in her. The letter, intercepted by his secretary, drove a wedge between uncle and niece in the days before the murder, giving investigators a motive to trace. His death is the crime, but his private correspondence and favoritism are the engine of the mystery.

See Horatio Leavenworth in Book I: The Problem Book page

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Peripheral and Background Figures
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter is the dramatic climax because it delivers the long-withheld psychological revelation of the murd…

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In the story

Horatio Leavenworth appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book I: The Problem
Mr. Leavenworth is found murdered, setting the story in motion.
A Great Case
The murdered man, found shot in the library; his body is viewed by the narrator.
II: The Coroner’s Inquest
The deceased; his body is the subject of the coroner's inquest.
VII: Mary Leavenworth
The deceased, referenced as the victim of the murder and the subject of the inquest.
XII: Eleanore
The murdered man; Eleanore kneels at his bedside and kisses his lips.
XX: “Trueman! Trueman! Trueman!”
The murder victim; Mr. Harwell dreams of being him and feeling his doom.
XXI: A Prejudice
Mentioned as having a bitter prejudice against the English, which would have influenced his reaction to a potential marriage.
Patchwork
Addressee of the torn letter; the murder victim.
XXIII: The Story of a Charming Woman
His tragic marriage and subsequent transformation into a money-obsessed man are recounted by Mr. Veeley.
A Report Followed by Smoke
The murder victim; his antipathy to Englishmen as husbands is noted as a motive for Clavering.
Mrs. Belden’s Narrative
Referenced as the uncle whose wishes are being defied; his potential reaction is a source of concern.
XXXV: Fine Work
The victim; his library paper is used to match the confession, and his threat to disinherit Mary is cited as motive.
A Full Confession
The victim; murdered by the narrator after threatening to change his will.

Chapter companion notes

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See Horatio Leavenworth in Book I: The Problem