Wealthy spinster Rachel Innes and her niece and nephew, Gertrude and Halsey, rent a country house called Sunnyside for the summer. Upon arrival, the butler reveals to them that he believes there’s a ghost in the house. During the first night, Rachel is roused from sleep by strange sounds. The next night she’s awakened by a revolver shot, and discovers a dead body at the foot of the house’s circular staircase. The investigation into the murder reveals the house and its owners, the Armstrong family, hold many secrets. The Circular Staircase was published in 1908 and is credited with pioneering the “Had I but known” school of mystery writing, a form of foreshadowing that hints at impending disaster through the narrator’s regrets of their actions. The novel was adapted as a silent film in 1915, and most notably as a hit Broadway play, “The Bat” in 1920. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

'A literary celebrity with few rivals ... she wrote more bestselling novels ... over a longer period than almost any other American writer' WASHINGTON POST Everyone agrees that Herbert Wynne wasn't the type to commit suicide. But he has been found, shot dead, the only other possible killer his bedridden aunt. Inspector Patton of the Homicide Division sees this as the perfect opportunity to send in Hilda Adams, a nurse with a very special talent for detection. But when the sleuthing nurse arrives at the mansion, she finds more intrigue than anyone outside could possibly have imagined - and a killer on the loose...

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) was an American author of hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues and special articles. Some of her very successful books and plays, such as The Bat (1920) were adapted for movies. While many of her books were best-sellers, critics were most appreciative of her murder mysteries. She also coined the famous phrase "The butler did it."

Volume 8 of The Essential Rinehart Collection presents “A Poor Wise Man,” which continues the author’s series of novels examining the effects of the first World War on everyday people. “There were bad times coming. The old peaceful quiet days were gone, for age and obstinacy had met youth and the arrogance of youth, and it was to be a battle.” Birth, death, and renewal are the themes that Mary Roberts Rinehart tackles in this emotional and thought-provoking story.

K. is a crime novel by the American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) set in post-Victorian era Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which has been a part of the city of Pittsburgh since 1907.The novel tells the story of Sidney, who takes in a boarder with the initial K. and whose presence leads to mystery.Ms Rinehart is considered the American Agatha Christie. Rinehart invented the phrase "the butler did it", and wrote hundreds of short stories, plays, travelogues and special interest articles. K is a romance set in the industrial Victorian era. When Sidney takes in a border with the initial "K", her life becomes entwined with the mystery surrounding "K". Lies and intrigue surround Sidney.