I saw this on the Words About Words blog a while back and I thought it was so fun. I know everyone under the sun has already done this tag, but better late than never? Yeah, let’s go with that. If you like this tag and want to join the fun, consider yourself tagged. 5 Books You Love 4 Auto-Buy Authors 1. Kerry Greenwood 2. … Continue reading 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Book Tag
May has been– a lot. With the end of the school year at the university, the death of our elderly Maine coon cat Jeff, back-to-back work conferences, and then a cross-country car trip to celebrate graduations and birthdays,my husband and I have been feeling a little ragged around the edges. On a blissfully warm day, we drove to several of our favorite bookstores in Minneapolis … Continue reading Book Haul: Dean Street Press and American Mystery Classics
Mary Roberts Rinehart’s The Bat is a classic mystery novel that has been thrilling readers since its publication in 1920. Set in a remote mansion, the novel revolves around a group of characters who are forced to confront their fears and suspicions when a notorious criminal known as “The Bat” is believed to be hiding within the house. The novel is a suspenseful and entertaining … Continue reading Book Review: The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1920)
The “Had I But Known” trope is a common feature of mystery writing. It refers to a situation where a character laments that if they had only known something earlier, they could have avoided a terrible outcome. This trope can add suspense and tension to a story, as readers wonder what might have happened if the character had made a different choice. The origins of … Continue reading Had I But Known: A Mechanic of the Mystery Genre
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1926): This novel, which is widely regarded as one of Christie’s greatest works, features the detective Hercule Poirot and centers around the murder of a wealthy industrialist in a small English village. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (1920): Christie’s first published novel, this story features the debut of detective Hercule Poirot and takes place … Continue reading Reading List: 6 Popular Mysteries of the 1920s
The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart is considered a classic in the mystery genre and has significantly impacted the development of the genre as a whole. Here are some ways in which the book has influenced the mystery genre: In summary, The Circular Staircase has had a significant impact on the mystery genre, influencing everything from using certain tropes and settings to portraying strong … Continue reading Four Ways The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart Changed the Mystery Genre
The Album by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a thrilling mystery novel set in the early 1930s in the idyllic and isolated Crescent Place. The novel takes the reader on a journey of intrigue, secrets, and scandal in a neighborhood out of the past. The book opens with the introduction of the five Victorian mansions that make up the Crescent Place neighborhood, surrounded by a remote … Continue reading Book Review: The Album by Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Circular Staircase is a mystery novel written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and first published in 1908. The story is narrated by Rachel Innes, a wealthy woman who has rented a country house called Sunnyside for the summer with her niece and nephew. As soon as they arrive at the house, strange events begin to occur. Rachel hears unexplained noises and discovers that the circular … Continue reading Book Review: The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908)
Golden Age of Detective Fiction 