The Great Mistake

De: Mary Roberts Rinehart

Narrado por: Laurel Lefkow

In an elaborate house known as the Cloisters, Maud Wainwright rules supreme. The queen of society in the small town of Beverly, she has a table long enough to seat 100, and she keeps an iron grip on the guest list. Her right-hand woman is Pat Abbott, a local girl who is beautiful, innocent, and kind. Pat has no idea how cutthroat high society can be, but she's about to get a deadly first lesson.

Pat has fallen head over heels in love with Maud's son, Tony, a clever young rake with a single flaw: his vicious, gold-digging wife. At the same time that she is dangerously infatuated with a married man, Pat's world is turned upside down by a series of attacks on the estate - and a truly shocking murder. To save Tony and Maud, Pat must find the killer. But the list of suspects is as long as one of Maud's guest lists: When a woman has room at her table for 100 friends, she'll have more than her share of enemies.

"Anyone who aspires to become a writer," said the New York Times, "could not do better than to study carefully the methods of Mary Roberts Rinehart." The Great Mistake is a classic example of the golden age murder mystery at its best.

©1940 Mary Roberts Rinehart; copyright 1968 by Alan G. Rinehart, Stanley M. Rinehart, Jr., and Frederick R. Rinehart (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

It kept me guessing…

The author did an excellent job sprinkling in insignificant facts that later became clues to solving the murders. Some of it was a little far-fetched but I lovedthe twists and turns of the story. I will read other mysteries by Ms. Rinehart.

Interesting well drawn characters, twist ending

Pretty good story. Held my interest to the end even though it’s overlong. Lots of characters to keep up with.

Old-fashioned murder mystery

I do not think she's quite as good as Agatha! Imagine that. I guess that's why her books do not sell as widely and her name is not as well known. Still, fun listen if you're into the old-fashioned stuff!

The way the story was told

The jumping around but was still interesting enough to make me want to finish it and love the way Tony talks with his love

Excellent Entertainment

I'm a long-time fan or Rinehart, and to me, this is one of her best. It has a complicated plot, but all the pieces are available, and it makes sense in the end. The Great Mistake is well-written, slyly humorous, and nicely plotted, and her famous tongue-in-cheek "had I but known" foreshadowing is excellently done. This thoroughly enjoyable mystery would make a good introduction to Rinehart for those who enjoy the mysteries of the 1940s.

😲 wow good story

I did not expect it to be bill that killed Don. very good story nonetheless