The Circular Staircase - Softcover

Rinehart, Mary Roberts

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821717235 ISBN 13: 9780821717233

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation, 1985

Synopsis

A middle-aged spinster rents a country house for the summer and soon finds herself plunged into a nasty scenario of bank defaults, stolen securities and murder. An entertaining blend of intrigue, villainy and heart-pounding suspense for crime fiction buffs and lovers of great mystery classics.

About this title

About the Author

Often referred to as the American Agatha Christie, Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American journalist and writer who is best known for the murder mystery The Circular Staircase considered to have started the Had-I-but-known school of mystery writing and the popular Tish mystery series. A prolific writer, Rinehart was originally educated as a nurse, but turned to writing as a source of income after the 1903 stock market crash. Although primarily a fiction writer, Rinehart served as the Saturday Evening Post s correspondent for from the Belgian front during the First World War, and later published a series of travelogues and an autobiography. Roberts died in New York City in 1958.

From AudioFile

A Gothic mystery unfolds when a spinster arrives at the mansion she's rented for the summer. Plans for a restful vacation are soon interrupted by niece and nephew, ghosts and spirits, murder and mayhem. The complicated plots can make them tough to follow in audio format. The fairly simple story line here is a plus. The mystery is enjoyable for its historical setting, and it doesn't come across as dated. Reading with obvious pleasure, the narrator adds dramatic effect. One can hear the affection in the voices of the elderly mistress and housekeeper, who have an ongoing feud although they're inseparable. Those with a taste for a mystery that's tame but fun will enjoy this recording. B.M.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Publication date: 1985
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0821717235
• ISBN 13: 9780821717233
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 286