After reading Man in the Lower Ten I researched the life of Mary Roberts Rinehart as I thought I had read some of her novels when I was in high school but couldn't remember any of the titles and wanted to know more about the author. Learning Rinehart was "an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie, although her first mystery novel was published 14 years before Christie's first novel in 1920" was extraordinary. "Rinehart is also considered to have invented the 'Had-I-But-Known' school of mystery writing, with the publication of The Circular Staircase (1908)" so that had to be my next selection to read by this author. At the same time I learned that "Rinehart is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it" from her novel The Door (1930), although the novel does not use the exact phrase” but in many ways the information didn't truly register with me.

I started reading The Door and became quite absorbed in the twists and turns and as I was still trying to “solve” the first murder, it was quickly followed by another, and then another, and well you get the idea. I had many suspicions along the way only to turn to the last page and be totally wrong.

I'm so happy that I rediscovered the mysteries by Mary Roberts Rinehart. I can't wait to read more of her novels.
( )

SPOILER ALERT: This is the mystery novel that began the genre of "The Butler Did It." Of course, while that is a complete spoiler alert, I must add that the book is skillfully written, and until the end, I kept wondering how the author was going to pull it off..... ( )

I'm trying to read older crime novels more frequently, and I've heard of Mary Roberts Rinehart in a few places. This is the least melodramatic of the covers of Rinehart books I picked up at a garage sale recently, and this particular story wasn't so engrossing. But given Roberts Rinehart's huge output and the fact that I picked up a handful more of her books, I'm willing to try more of her books.

The Door is a quite melodramatic story about a significant number of murders in or near the home of spinster Elizabeth Jane Bell. The story is quite long, and the narration is quite matter of the fact. Elizabeth is honest from the beginning that the crimes she talks about are numerous and quite gruesome, but somehow the story didn't feel like one that ratcheted up the spectacle too much. It's a convoluted plot, and a week after I finished the book I've forgotten some of the details about motive, but it was an entertaining read. Maybe the length stands out to me because the story was originally serialized.

The book feels like a book of it's era: it's a bit casual about racism and sexism, and the main detail that makes it feel like an older book is that there's a retired bootlegger living next door to Miss Bell. I'm looking for something that amps ump the "romance and intrigue" that so many of her book covers mention during my next Roberts Rinehart read.

roberts rinehart

Bev at My Reader's Block also reviewed The Door. Here is a nice biographical piece about Roberts Rinehart: Mary Roberts Rinehart, America's Agatha Christie, as well as a detailed post from Curtis at The Passing Tramp: Mary Roberts Rinehart, Golden Age Crime Queen.

96. The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart (read 1942) I was in eighth grade when I read this book and know that I really liked it. ( )

A classic of the "had-I-but-known" school of mystery, invented by Rinehart, in which the narrator relates the tale as a reminiscence, commenting throughout on the oversights of the characters. The voice is pure Rinehart -- that wry, breezy, conversational tone of the strong older woman who is shocked but resolute as her world disintegrates around her.

This book is also held responsible for a favorite mystery cliché, but you'll have to Google that, lest it spoil someone's reading... ( )