The Circular Staircase

De: Mary Roberts Rinehart

Narrado por: Lorna Raver

”This is the story of how a middle-aged spinster lost her mind, deserted her domestic gods in the city, took a furnished house for the summer out of town, and found herself involved in one of those mysterious crimes that keep our newspapers and detective agencies happy and prosperous.” So begins The Circular Staircase, a book which has been hailed as the best novel by the most important American woman mystery writer of our time.

Rachel Innes was relieved when Gertrude and Halsey arrived to keep their dear old aunt company and allow her the courtesy of a decent night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the explosive sound of a revolver shot the next night shattered Rachel’s hopes. And the body at the foot of the circular staircase ensured many sleepless nights to follow.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

reader makes th book so funny

the reader is superb, she makes th story!!! and of course I always love this author's works.

40 is the new 75 to this narrator- UGH!

What did you like best about The Circular Staircase? What did you like least?

Mary Roberts Rinehart is one of my favorite American writers of the light or 'cozy' mystery story, as well as a master of the sardonic style of journal-telling format.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I have read this book a few times; it is somewhat convoluted and maybe not MRR's best.

How could the performance have been better?

The Roberts Rinehart heroines deserve MUCH better! A narrator who is as familiar with MRR's style as many of her admirers and readers. Also, one who does not think a middle-aged woman has the vocality of a septua- or even octogenarian.

Was The Circular Staircase worth the listening time?

It should have been; however, I hope it will not be the first try by many readers of MRR's books.

Any additional comments?

I had been almost angry in the past at Flo Gibson's aging of MRR's middleaged characters- these are strong women, full of wit and sarcasm, daring, and even romance. Yet Flo gave the 80 year-old's quaver to every one of them. In the case of Tish, perhaps, this was acceptable--but not for ALL. Some of these women end up in a romance by story's end with the detective, investigator, etc., of the story--and, incidentally, these same-aged male characters are given a sound normal to a middle aged man. Therefore, I was pleased to see a new name for narration when I found MRR's offerings on Audible.com. Alas, this narrator apparently learned at the knee of Flo!

A period piece well performed, with caveat

Written in 1908 by one of the earliest women mystery writers about a woman who finds herself playing detective, it's a captivating story and the narrator captures what I imagine the voice of the heroine would have been. The story is well told, and the characters are interesting and well developed.

My caveat: Being from this era, unfortunately the author also embedded two or three racist references in her description of the African American servant and in repeating someone's thought "The only Indian is a dead Indian."

Enjoyed This One in Spite of Myself

In the teeth of an annoying narrator and dragging plot I persevered, curious to hear a mystery story from just before the Golden Age, by the woman dubbed “the American Agatha Christie”. I’m glad I did.

Before long, I realized Lorna Raver is true to her role: a maiden lady of regular habits and strong opinions. Whenever the plot began to sag, a further revelation deepened the mystery. Even the most sensational developments happen naturally. And humor, a key ingredient of the Golden Age, is here mixed dexterously with the mystery and suspense.

Granted, the ground rules of 1908 take some getting used to; the local electric company shuts off the juice at midnight; bank deposits are not federally insured, and a mere shard of broken china can shred a car’s tires. But the real stumbling blocks are a reader who labors unconvincingly in every role save that of spinster and a plot with so many moving parts that during the neat summation I encountered details I'd forgotten completely. Be all that as it may, I listened to the end, a tribute to an engaging if tangled yarn.

A note on covers: Some 18th and early 19th century novels feature mid-Victorian fashions, but this one is something special: a woman in modern dress ascending a staircase by no means circular with, behind her on a step, a percussion cap, muzzle loading horse pistol from the century before this story--which features a revolver--begins. Just sayin’.

Some racism.

Racism isn't unexpected in a novel published in 1908. It's just a shame it's still here in the 21st century. Otherwise, it's a funny spooky novel. A Halloween read.