Showing results by author "Mary Roberts Rinehart" in All Categories

The darkening storm of the first World War threatens to tear apart the lives of a group of friends. At the eye of the storm is Clayton Spencer, an ambitious businessman, who must risk everything to be with the woman he loves.

The blood-stained rope and towel, the stray slipper, the broken knife - and the disappearance of the lovely Jennie Brice - were enough to convince Mrs. Pittman that murder had been committed in her boarding house. The police, however, were another matter. Without a tangible body, there could be no official murder charge.

Out of funds and longing for a sea voyage, young doctor Ralph Leslie jumps at the chance to sign aboard a luxurious millionaire's yacht as steward of the After House. His job is easy sailing until one summer night, when the dream voyage suddenly becomes a nightmare of blood and terror. One of the ship's officers is thrown overboard; another one is killed with an axe. As panic sets in on the boat, only the young doctor remains calm enough to try to solve the murders.

Rachel Innes rents a summer house that is full of hidden rooms and sinister happenings. Chilling horror, romance, and rollicking humor permeate this suspenseful mystery novel.

Dangerous Days opens in a still-neutral America, though within a year, the country will have joined the European alliance against the Central Powers in the First World War. Clayton Spencer, a successful industrialist and owner of a munitions plant, finds himself facing several problems: not only anarchism and German sabotage, but also the prospect of a deteriorating marriage and of a son who all too often shares his mother's frivolous and essentially self-concerned point of view.

Aunt Rachel heard something last night. Gertrude heard it as well. Tonight, shots ring out, and a dead body appears at the foot of the circular staircase. Now it is up to Rachel to piece together what happened, as she weaves her way through the circular statements of paranoid staff, secret passages, and even suspicions of ghosts.

Where There’s a Will is Mary Roberts Rinehart’s hilarious comedy involving a health spa, an heir, a would-be princess, and an impostor. The story is told by Minnie, who has essentially run the spa for years and inherited the care of its famous spring from her father. When the old doctor dies and leaves the Hope Springs Spa to his near-do-well grandson with the stipulation that he live on premises for two months in order to inherit, the grandson is nowhere to be found. So Minnie tries to save the spa by enlisting the help of family and friends to trick the lawyer....

Mary Roberts Rinehart, known for her best-selling mystery novels such as The Circular Staircase published in 1907, earned a reputation as “the American Agatha Christie” through the success of her novels. Yet Rinehart was also a WWI correspondent. After convincing her editor at The Saturday Evening Post to send her to the Belgian front, and armed with letters of introduction, her status as a well-known writer and member of the American Red Cross, as well as plenty of fearless initiative, she became the first American to report from the front.

Dive into the gripping account of an American authors journey to the heart of war-torn Europe in January 1915. Serving as a war correspondent in Belgium for The Saturday Evening Post, she shares her raw, unfiltered perspective of war. It is not just about colossal armies clashing in frenzied battles. It is the bewildered young soldier on a stretcher, the mother carrying her shell-wounded child, the majestic horses awaiting death in burning buildings, the best of a generation hungry, battered, knee-deep in icy waters. It is the old woman, lighting a candle before the Mater Dolorosa, offering up...

An essay on writing by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Rinehart, a contemporary of Agatha Christie, was a prolific writer in her time. This essay gives fascinating insight into her process and a glimpse into her thoughts on writing, which is, in fact, work.

At a bustling neighborhood social club, a medium is invited as the evenings highlight. The medium recounts a gruesome tale about a violent death that leaves the attendees on edge. Later, the uncanny prediction unfolds as two members are summoned to a nearby house where a mysterious murder has taken place. Intrigued and unnerved, the club members set out on a quest to uncover the truth. Mary Roberts Rinehart artfully combines mystery and social comedy in this gripping novella. (Summary by Zach Hoyt)

Rinehart's The Man in Lower Ten, the first American detective novel to make the best seller list, follows the investigation of the murder of a man in a sleeping car on a train. In this fast-paced thriller, the investigating detective builds up a network of clues that absolutely incriminate three entirely different people---only one of whom can be guilty.

When English professor William A. Porter unexpectedly inherits a grand seaside mansion from his late Uncle Horace, his curiosity is piqued by the unexplained circumstances surrounding his uncles death. Along with his wife and niece, he decides to spend the summer in the propertys lodge, renting out the main house. As darkness falls, the quiet seaside neighborhood takes a sinister turn, with strange occurrences and eerie events becoming the norm. At the heart of these mysteries is an ominous red lamp, a subject of local folklore and believed to cast a malevolent spell. Can Professor Porter ...

The task seemed simple enough deliver bank notes to Pittsburgh and obtain a confirmation statement from John Gilmore. However, when McKnight backs out to visit Alison West in Richmond, his law partner, Lawrence Blakeley, is thrust into the mission. Everything seems to be going smoothly until a shocking revelation on the train ride home. Blakeley awakens to find his clothes and the bank notes have vanished from his sleeping carriage. The night takes a darker turn when a murder occurs in a nearby berth and the weapon is found under Blakeleys pillow, making him a prime suspect.

Dive into the intriguing tale of K, a mysterious tenant with no first name, who takes refuge in Sidneys home to flee his enigmatic past. Meanwhile, Sidney, a determined woman, declines Joes advances, choosing instead to pursue her aspiration of becoming a nurse. Despite her unwavering focus on her career, the allure of the dashing surgeon in charge of her ward proves hard to resist. Will she succumb to the charms of romance and the intrigue of Ks secret past? Join us in this captivating story narrated by Beth Thomas.

Cave on Thunder Cloud is a humorous adventure in which Tish Carberry and her two best friends embark on a camping trip—only to stumble upon a group of outlaws hiding out after a train robbery. A delightful mix of comedy, mishaps, and unexpected thrills.

Dive into the thrilling world of Mary Roberts Rinehart, an esteemed American author renowned for her captivating mysteries. Originally published in 1908, The Circular Staircase serves as a perfect example of a classic whodunit, brimming with mysterious occurrences, spine-chilling apparitions, eerie nocturnal noises, and of course, an unsolved murder. Join narrator J. M. Smallheer as he brings this riveting narrative to life.

When a flood sweeps through, it brings more than just muddy waters into Mrs. Pitmans boarding house. It unveils a series of peculiar clues that suggest a sinister crime has occurred within her walls. The vivacious Jennie Brice, known to her friends as Jennifer Ladley, has vanished without a trace. Spurred by the enigmatic Mr. Holcombe, a man with an insatiable appetite for mysteries, Mrs. Pitman finds herself drawn into a thrilling search for the truth. What has happened to Jennie Brice? Join us as we delve into this intriguing enigma. (summary by Wina Hathaway)

Step into the world of mystery crafted by Mary Roberts Rinehart, the creator of the Had I but known genre. Follow Agnes Blakistons eerie journey as she navigates life in the old parsonage she rented per Miss Emilys suggestion. Haunting occurrences and a deeply buried secret of Miss Emilys make her question her decisions. Will she uncover the truth or fall victim to the mysterious happenings? Unravel the mystery by listening to this revealing narrative. (Summary by Annise)

When Agnes Blakiston and her maid Maggie take possession of a rental house for the summer, their idea of a tranquil stay is almost immediately upended. First, there is the telephone. It rings late at night, just one ring, but there is never anyone on the line. They begin to notice things have moved during the night. A candle has burned low, and a shawl has disappeared. And then Maggie, spooked and suspicious, discovers a note. It's a confession to a murder. But who has written it and, equally confounding, who has been killed?