The Man in Lower Ten is the first book ever written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, arguably the greatest American mystery writer of her generation. Vividly imagined, it combines adventure, suspense, horror, and mystery at breakneck speed.

The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart

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.

The Man in Lower Ten is the first book ever written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, arguably the greatest American mystery writer of her generation. Vividly imagined, it combines adventure, suspense, horror, and mystery at breakneck speed.

Known as the "American Agatha Christie," author Mary Roberts Rinehart produced a vast array of top-notch mysteries over the course of her career, with occasional incursions into other genres. The After House is a gripping whodunit that revolves around a series of grisly axe murders. Set on board a ship, this murder mystery is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.

"If I should lie in a manger all night," she said, standing with her feet well apart and looking up at him, "would I become a boy?" The Bishop tugged at his beard. "A boy, little maid! Would you give up your blue eyes and your soft skin to be a roystering lad?" "My father wishes for a son," she had replied and the cloud that was over the Castle shadowed the Bishop's eyes. "It would not be well," he replied, "to tamper with the works of the Almighty. Pray rather for this miracle, that your father's heart be turned toward you and toward the lady, your mother." -from The Truce of God Mary Roberts Rinehart's popular fiction-about nurses who solve crimes and adventurous spinsters-made her one of the most popular novelists and short-story writers of the early 20th century, a feminist, comic Raymond Chandler. The Truce of God, written during the era of her more serious writing, is a medieval Christmas fairy tale about Lord Charles the Fair and his young daughter, Clotilde, who longs for something more than her gender is typically allowed in these dark times. Grimly charming, The Truce of God-here in a replica of the beautiful 1920 edition-is an excellent example of the engaging storytelling that first captivated Rinehart's readers. American author MARY ROBERTS RINEHART (1876-1958) wrote some of the earliest classics of pulp fiction, including The Man in Lower Ten (1906) and The Circular Staircase (1907). Among her many novels of comedy, mystery, and romance are The Case of Jennie Brice (1914), The Red Lamp (1925), and The Swimming Pool (1952).