The Circular Staircase

The Circular Staircase is a 1908 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 home she has rented with her niece and nephew. The novel was Rinehart's first bestseller and established her one of the era's most popular writers.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. Excerpt from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Circular_Staircase Hint: You can preview this book by clicking on "Preview" which is located under the cover of this book.