Book Cover of The Circular Staircase

The Circular Staircase

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

The Circular Staircase is a mystery novel by American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart. The story follows dowager Rachel Innes as she thwarts a series of strange crimes at a summer house she has rented with her niece and nephew. The novel was Rinehart's first bestseller and established her as one of the era's most popular writers. The story was serialized in All-Story for five issues starting with the November 1907 issue, then published in book form by Bobbs-Merrill in 1908. Rinehart was inspired to write the novel after a visit to Melrose, a Gothic Revival castle in Northern Virginia. The Circular Staircase pioneered what became known as the "had I but known" school of mystery writing, which often feature female protagonists and narrators who foreshadow impending danger and plot developments by reflecting on what they might have done differently. Rinehart employed this formula in many of her later works, and it inspired dozens of subsequent stories. The novel was adapted for the screen twice: as a silent film in 1915, and for the television series Climax! in 1956. Its best known adaptation was as the play The Bat, which became a major Broadway hit and inspired a number of later works, including several adaptations of its own.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1908

Authors

Mary Roberts Rinehart image

Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie, although her first mystery novel was published 12 years before Christie's first novel in 1920. Rinehart is cons...

Books by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Devil-Ray Cover image

Devil-Ray by Joel Martin Nichols, Jr.

Prepare to embark on a thrilling heist adventure with "Devil-Ray," where George Ferris, a master thief with amnesia, teams up with his partners to inf...

Dossier 113 Cover image

Dossier 113 by Émile Gaboriau

Dossier 113 is a thrilling crime novel that follows the investigation of a daring bank robbery. Detective Lecoq, known for his astute observation and...

Under the Andes Cover image

Under the Andes by Rex Stout

"Under the Andes" is a thrilling and captivating adventure novel by Rex Stout, taking readers on a journey to the depths of the Andes mountains in Sou...

The House without the Key Cover image

The House without the Key by Earl Derr Biggers

It is a mystery novel. First published in 1925, it is the first in a series of novels featuring the iconic detective, Charlie Chan. The story is set i...

Three Hostages Cover image

Three Hostages by John Buchan

In the heart-pounding novel "Three Hostages," readers are thrust into a world of intrigue and danger alongside the legendary Richard Hannay. This capt...

The Blood of the Vampire Cover image

The Blood of the Vampire by Florence Marryat

It is a Gothic novel that tells the story of Harriet Brandt, a beautiful but mysterious woman who possesses supernatural powers. Published in 1897, th...

Madman and The Pirate Cover image

Madman and The Pirate by R. M. Ballantyne

R. M. Ballantyne (April 24, 1825 – February 8, 1894) was a Scottish juvenile fiction writer. Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part...

Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 08 May 1896 Cover image

Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 08 May 1896 by Various

The Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 08 (May 1896) features five engaging short stories that delve into themes of mystery, psychology, and human desire. In 'For...

An Eye For An Eye Cover image

An Eye For An Eye by William Le Queux

The enigmatic protagonist, John Mallathorpe, finds himself entangled in a web of treachery that spans continents and transcends time. When a series o...

Out of Death's Shadow Cover image

Out of Death's Shadow by Nicholas Carter

This book delves into the depths of human resilience and the power of hope in the face of overwhelming adversity. Nicholas Carter's poignant masterpi...

Reviews for The Circular Staircase

No reviews posted or approved, yet...