Il nemico sconosciuto

Hilda Adams #3

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Contains: The Buckled Bag, Locked Doors, Miss Pinkerton, The Haunted Lady

When Herbert Wynne is found dead, with a bullet in the forehead, the obvious explanation is murder. But how could it be when the only possible suspect is Herbert's frail Aunt Juliet? Posing as Juliet's private duty nurse, the Homicide Bureau's Hilda Adams develops grave suspicions. Why is the maid terrified of every dark corner? And if a mad killer is on the loose, who will be targeted as the next victim? Reissue. .

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Golden Age Mystery, Mystery Thriller

206 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Mysteries of the well-known American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart include The Circular Staircase (1908) and The Door (1930).

People often called this prolific author the American version of Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," though the exact phrase doesn't appear in her works, and she invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing.

Rinehart wrote hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues, and special articles. Many of her books and plays were adapted for movies, such as The Bat (1926), The Bat Whispers (1930), and The Bat (1959). Critics most appreciated her murder mysteries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ro...

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Year of Women--in which I'm devoting 2021 to reading female authors only--continues with Miss Pinkerton by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Published in 1932, this was my introduction to the author, listed in an article I read on literary female detectives. Rinehart has drawn comparisons to Agatha Christie, but since I have yet to read any Christie books, I was able to jump into this one with an open mind. After a delicious beginning that set up all sorts of wonderful intrigue, this book went right down the laundry chute for me. Laundry chutes would be more compelling than anything else going on in this house of mystery, where our poor sleuth barely factors into her own story.

Hilda Adams is a nurse who--instead of the rest she sorely needs after an eighteen hour shift at the hospital--regularly assists Inspector Patton of the Homicide Squad by taking a patient someplace police are investigating a murder. Dubbed "Miss Pinkerton" by Patton, Adams has a pet canary named Dick and an aversion to firearms, but shares nothing more about herself in her first-person account. She has no lovers, no enemies. The story could take place in any city, any era. The 2019 cover by MysteriousPress.com hints at a retro or rip-roaring melodrama, but the intrigue that Hilda gets involved in is quite boring.

The first speed bump I hit is Rinehart's over-reliance on foreshadowing. Hilda narrates her tale comfortably from the future, with asides like, "If I'd known what was in store for me that day, I would never have left the house." The prose is droll but the foreshadowing made the stakes feel extremely low. Hilda seems indifferent to solving whether Herbert Wynn killed himself or was murdered. By her own admission, her presence is demanded mostly so Inspector Patton can think out loud. The climax involves the man explaining the entire mystery to her. The end. A cat could have accomplished as much as Hilda Adams.



I did finish the novel but had mentally checked out halfway through. I'm willing to cut Rinehart some slack considering a copy of one of her books could have sank with the Titanic. I spent too much time rewriting this book in my mind. Wouldn't it have been compelling for Nurse Adams to use her knowledge of medicine to solve the crime herself? What if she knew more than the cops did? What if she knew more than a doctor did (a man!) What if she had a sex life? What if she had an opinion on Prohibition? What if the murder suggested some broader story about the city?

This novel provided the source material for a film adaptation released in 1932 as Miss Pinkerton starring Joan Blondell as Nurse Adams and George Brent as Inspector Patton. Tagline: "SHE'S A SLEUTH IN SKIRTS Using Sex-Appeal Instead of a Microscope!" (Hooray for Hollywood!) It was an early Hal B. Wallis production before he went on to produce classics like Casablanca, Now, Voyager and Yankee Doodle Dandy (all in 1942 alone) for Warner Bros.

Mary Roberts Rinehart was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now a part of Pittsburgh, in 1876. She graduated from the Pittsburgh Training School for Nurses in 1896 and married a physician she'd met there. They had three children, but when the stock market crash of 1903, Rinehart turned to writing as a means to earn income. A successful publishing career followed. Some accredited her the title "the American Agatha Christie". A breast cancer survivor, Rinehart died in New York City in 1958.



In the event you missed them: Previous reviews in the Year of Women:

Come Closer, Sara Gran
Veronica, Mary Gaitskill
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys, Viv Albertine
Pizza Girl, Jean Kyoung Frazier
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Fannie Flagg
The Memoirs of Cleopatra, Margaret George

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nurse Hilda Adams is occasionally asked by Inspector Patton to act as a private duty nurse when crimes have been committed behind closed doors. While she's nursing her patient, she also stays aware of what the people in the household might be hiding. Inspector Patton's nickname for Hilda is Miss Pinkerton.

Herbert Wynne had been found with a deadly gunshot wound a few hours after he had been cleaning his gun. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Herbert had been living with his elderly aunt and her two servants. He had recently taken out a large life insurance policy. There are many people who could have had a motive to kill Herbert.

This is a 1932 mystery which was first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post, then published as a book and made into a film. Narrated by Nurse Hilda, it's a cozy mystery with some humor and a convoluted ending. The book was reissued as one of Otto Penzler's American Mystery Classics.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a delight to read. Placing Mary Roberts Rinehart on the same level as Agatha Christie is a right she is well-deserving of. Let me add my thanks to Otto Penzler of Penzler Publishers for this reprinting of this and other valuable books of bygone years.
Detective Inspector Patton needs a keen observer on this new case if it is a case at all. His first thought is to contact Miss Adams for her services as they can be useful since she is a nurse. The title of Miss Pinkerton is the name he has fondly given her referring to the well-known detective agency.
She complies although she had been looking forward to some rest from her duties.
She will be on duty day and night for Juliet Mitchell at the Mitchell mansion. Miss Juliet is an elderly woman in poor health. A nephew whom she has allowed to live on another floor in the mansion has been found dead. But was it suicide or murder...or a terrible accident.
Then the intrigue begins. The characters are thoughtfully included and never overwhelming. Miss Pinkerton earns respect from the Inspector as she observes what he cannot. A wonderful mystery and a very enjoyable read.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery queen Mary Roberts Rinehart penned dozens upon dozens of mysteries, and I’ve enjoyed nearly all that I’ve read. That includes Miss Pinkerton, the third in a series of hers that I didn’t know about.

Capable nurse Hilda Adams frequently works with the police in an undercover capacity; they arrange for her to nurse someone as part of a police investigation. In this case, Hilda nurses frail, old Juliet Mitchell in the wake of her ne’er-do-well nephew’s apparent suicide. Except that the police don’t think that young Herbert Wynne actually killed himself. Hilda’s extremely perceptive, so not much gets by her; in addition, she’s a great judge of character and has excellent instincts. Hilda’s a fabulous protagonist — enough that I ordered an omnibus edition with all five Hilda Adams mysteries.

Those new to the series needn’t worry about starting with No. 3 in the series; I’m new to the series, too, and enjoyed it just fine. Highly recommended.

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From 1932
She is a nurse who works with the police,, so they've nicknamed her Miss Pinkerton. She solves crimes.
Cute, satisfying. Classic.
Personally, this is it. I need to read newer books.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 STARS

[Cookie M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so confused by this one. By the time it ended I wasn't sure who did what to whom for what reason!
Oh, no!
Some people died.

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a number of books from the early 20th century, some of them the first of their kind or early prototypes of plot lines that would become popularized through the decades. Miss Pinkerton is one such book.

The protagonist is a nurse who works for the police, although is not a policewoman herself. During her duties as a nurse, she does some detecting, then shares what she learns with the detective who has placed her in the case.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before anyone starts to sigh and grumble about having two Mary Roberts Rinehart reviews in a row, I'll let you know there is one more coming this week as well. There will be another one in between, but I'm having to get caught up on these or I'll drown under a sea of read books. Besides, how can you complain about one of the greatest mystery authors to ever walk the surface of the Earth.

Now while Miss Pinkerton is the name of this wonderfully crafted mystery, it's not the first book to star Miss Pinkerton, Hilda Adams. I will say that the next review of her books is another Miss Pinkerton novel. I have a sneaky suspicion that reading these in order would have been better, at least as far as following her relationship with the inspector. Other than that point, I think reading these out of order is just fine. It's the mystery and the characters that seep through the pages and into you brain, not the timeline.

Hilda is one of those characters that I can imagine myself having tea with, before a roaring fire, and having a chat about anything that came to mind. She is intelligent, determined, and loyal to her job and her patients. She doesn't shirk from duty, even if it appears to put her life in danger. She may complain about the long hours and lack of sleep, but she loves every second of it. Despite her lack of police training, Hilda has a keen eye to see underneath the layers of red herrings and the personal facades of those she is around.

This particular mystery that Hilda finds herself involved with is one that I think Mary Roberts Rinehart is brilliant at telling. I would say 95% of the action takes place in the Mitchell House. Because of that, Rinehart is able to build such a claustrophobic experience for the characters and the readers alike. It keeps everyone on pins and needles waiting to see what comes down a darkened stairwell or out of room that should have been empty. The atmosphere hangs over the heads of everyone involved, making them suspicious of each other and just a bit paranoid.

It's a mystery crafted with skill and precision. A mystery that involved characters that are never what they appear to be and enough clues and misdirections to have even the great Hercule Poirot confused and in doubt of his own reasoning skills. It's the type of mystery that Rinehart is at her best, and I love every second of it.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun trip back in time, with some convoluted moments that eventually cleared up. Quite a melodrama.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no mystery as to why Ms Rinehart is classed with Dame Agatha, she clearly deserves it! This is illustrated once again with 'Miss Pinkerton'. The humor is subtle, the characters interesting in and of themselves, and the plot draws you in and simply won't let go. The main character, Miss Adams, aka Miss Pinkerton, is a no nonsense nurse, smart and with a subtle sense of humor of her own, and a great deal of compassion for those around her.
In short, this period piece sets a standard that few can reach.
Bravo, Ms Rinehart, bravo!!!

[George K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Το σπίτι με τα φαντάσματα", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.

Χμ, δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ξετρελάθηκα. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι μου φάνηκε κάπως άοσμο και άχρωμο για τα δικά μου γούστα, και εντέλει δυστυχώς βαρετό. Δεν θα έλεγα ότι είμαι και ο φανατικότερος οπαδός των "Cozy mysteries" της λεγόμενης Χρυσής Εποχής (αν και βέβαια έχω απολαύσει μερικά βιβλία του είδους), όμως δεν νομίζω ότι φταίει μόνο αυτό για το γεγονός ότι το βιβλίο της Ρόμπερτς στο τέλος με άφησε κάπως αδιάφορο. Δεν ξέρω, όλο αυτό το πέρα-δώθε των χαρακτήρων μέσα στο σπίτι των Μίτσελ (που είναι το κεντρικό σκηνικό του όλου μυστηρίου), τα διάφορα στοιχεία που υποτίθεται είχαν σημασία για τον έναν ή τον άλλο φόνο, αυτές οι μικρές λεπτομέρειες στις κουβέντες ή τις πράξεις των πρωταγωνιστών, απλά με κούρασαν. Δεν θα έλεγα ότι είναι κακό ή μέτριο βιβλίο, σίγουρα έχει τα προτερήματά του και τη γραφή σε καμία περίπτωση δεν τη λες κακή (δεν είναι κάτι το ιδιαίτερο, βέβαια, αλλά είναι λειτουργική), όμως προσωπικά δεν μου έκανε ούτε κρύο ούτε ζέστη.

[Emily H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nurse-turned-sleuth relies on gut feelings more than logic, which felt unique to me for a mystery written in the 1930s.
I enjoyed the easy camaraderie devoid of sentimentality she had with her police counterpart.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is new to me. I found the story was a bit unconnected but I did enjoy the relationship between the Inspector and the nurse, Miss Pinkerton. Apparently, there are 2 more after this featuring them both so that is something I would be interested in reading. I will try a few more by her.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Miss Pinkerton" is a novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart written in 1932. The novel is the third in the Hilda Adams series and was written quite a while after the first two, "The Buckled Bag" and "Locked Doors" which were both written in 1914. Again our main character is nurse Hilda Adams and Inspector Patton is also there. As I'm reading her series about nurse Adams I'm reminded that Rinehart was a nurse herself. She attended the Pittsburgh Training School for Nurses at Pittsburgh Homeopathic Hospital, where she graduated in 1896. She described the experience as "all the tragedy of the world under one roof." After graduation, she married Stanley Marshall Rinehart , a physician she had met there. She began writing after the stock market crash in 1903, I didn't even know there was a stock market crash in 1903. The Rineharts lost their savings and she began writing as a way to earn money.

One of the first things I was curious about in this novel was the name or should I say nickname of our nurse. It is always Inspector Patton who calls her Miss Pinkerton, it is his nickname for her, we know that her name is actually Hilda Adams. We are never really given a reason for the nickname. I assume it is because of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. I even looked them up to see if they were around at that time, which I doubted and found that they were established in the United States by Allan Pinkerton in 1850, so I'm sticking with that as the reason for her nickname, although I'm not at all sure.

At the beginning of our novel Miss Adams is sent by Inspector Patton to the home of Juliet Mitchell. Miss Adams is thinking on the way to the Mitchell home of what she knows of the family. The Mitchell family had at one time been one of the dominating families of the city, now there was only two of them left; Miss Juliet and her nephew Herbert Wynne. Herbert was good-looking but weak, it was said he had squandered all his parent's money and then when they died he did the same with Miss Juliet's. She had sent him to school and college, but he did no good at either, now he was home, sometimes working at whatever he could find, but mostly loafing.

When Miss Adams arrives at the house there is a police car outside and when she enters Inspector Patton and a few uniformed officers are there, along with the doctor and the medical examiner. Herbert Wynne has been found dead in his room. He was shot in the forehead. The first person she talks to tells her that Wynne had committed suicide, the next person tells her it was an accident, that he had been cleaning his gun. "But if it was an accident or suicide why is Inspector Patton of the Homicide Squad there?" she wonders. Miss Adams finds that it is Miss Juliet she is there to care for. Miss Juliet is lying in her wide old walnut bed, when Miss Adams checks her she finds that Miss Juliet had lapsed into a coma and was almost pulseless. The doctor gives her a hypodermic of nitroglycerin and eventually she improves. So Miss Adams is there for two reasons, to care for Miss Juliet and to discover how Herbert Wynne really died, suicide, accident or murder. That I'm not going to tell you. I will tell you that a few more people end up dead by the last page, but who they are, and who killed who, if they were killed at all, they may have just died of old age after all, is up to you to find out. I will say that I was disappointed with the ending, but overall the book was interesting and fun to read.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Rinehart provided her readers with four very interesting short stories and novellas in this collection. Hilda Adams, a nurse, is hired by Detective Patton to work undercover for him and learn information that the police can’t obtain. I made the mistake of reading some of these entries before going to bed. I ended up till all hours trying to figure out the criminal. All of the cases are different. “Buckled Bag” is about a missing 20 yr old girl and her family is withholding information from the police. “Locked Doors” is an eerie tale where Miss Adams is hired to watch 2 small boys in a house with locked doors throughout. She is locked in the nursery with the boys and there are no other servants in this large home. Also, both of the parents seem very frightened and on the lookout through the night for something on the stairs and in the hallways. “Miss Pinkerton” is the third entry in the book and a nickname Detective Patton has given to Miss Adams. A young man has died in his locked bedroom by gunshot. The police are unable to determine if it’s a suicide, a murder, or an accidental death. So, Hilda Adams is sent in to look around. The family and servants are acting suspiciously and they seem to be searching for something in the house. Will Hilda be able to find the mystery object first? Next, the well known matriarch of a wealthy family in “ Haunted Lady” is sure someone is trying to scare her with the rats and bats that are getting into her sealed bedroom. Even Hilda’s taxi driver tells her that Mrs. Fairbanks is having brain trouble and sees bats. Are the bats real or just in her patient’s mind? Locked room and cozy mystery lovers will enjoy these stories. like Agatha Christie, Mary Rinehart provides many possible suspects and many red herrings. I didn’t figure out the correct criminal one time! I wish you the best of luck!

[France-Andrée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilda Adams is a nurse who takes cases from the police. She is called to care for an elderly lady Miss Juliet after the mysterious death of her nephew. Did the nephew die accidentally, was it suicide or maybe murder? Everybody in the house is a suspect. Being a nurse gives Miss Pinkerton (the nickname the inspector gives her) the anonymity to observe the different dynamics in the house.

A very good mystery, the characters are believable, I liked how the details do not go unseen by Miss Adams, she might not know what they meant at the time, but since she his narrating the story from somewhere in the future, she does say when this will be important, but that she didn’t know it at the time. In fact, there is a lot of foreshadowing that makes the story a little more intriguing because something that would not have understood as important by the reader is underlined in the narration.

There is some twists, but I didn’t see them coming from very far just exactly where the author wanted you to know, the ominous saying… it was the last time I saw him alive does give a BIG hint. I had the right solution at the end because I took a guess a little earlier on and I found that everything lined up with it and I was right, but I was never sure and was doubting until the last chapter which I like.

I have read Mary Robert Rinehart before, but it was always standalones, I enjoyed them very much, but I’m glad to have more to read in this series and I also like stories about nurses so a nurse as a detective is something I liked.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always a delight to revisit Mary Roberts Rinehart,
In this little volume there are two short stories and two novels. The short stories are The Buckled Bag and Locked Doors. The novels are Miss Pinkerton and Haunted Lady.
Her nurse detective is Hilda Adams who is nicknamed Miss Pinkerton by the police inspector who hires her to work for him on difficult cases involving the wealthy or the once wealthy. There is always a murder to solve much like the Agatha Christie stories.
A nurse herself, Rinehart is very competent in plot, pace, story and character development. She is a joy to read and not always transparent as to the solution.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nurse Hilda Adams--Miss Pinkerton to Inspector Patton (who would rather like to change her name to something completely different)--is called upon to nurse a very sick old woman whose family used to be the most powerful in town. Now her nephew has been found dead, and a fair amount of money hangs on whether or not he committed suicide. That seems to be the case, superficially, but he had no reason to kill himself, and Patton finds that there are questionable details. Accident? Well... But is it murder? At first that seems impossible too, but soon Patton has a suspect who Nurse Adams is sure cannot be guilty. Then there's a second death, and Nurse Adams herself seems to be a suspect.

[LeahBethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best friend of 20 years had come in town for a visit and we decided to go antiquing. We both love old things, books and the best of both worlds - old books. We came across two vintage copies of Miss Pinkerton in a favorite antique store so we bought them and signed them to one another not even knowing what kind of book it was (clearly fiction but what genre?). Needless to say, we picked a very good book - as my friend said, "cozy mystery at its best... loved it!". If you like Agatha Christie and an intelligent female protagonist, you'll enjoy this book!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy mystery at its best... Loved it!

[Carmen Radtke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had I but known how much I’d love this I’d have searched for a copy sooner. A true gem.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect example of a 3 star book (so often I give 3 stars to books which ought to be wonderful but screw up somehow along the way, or beautifully written dreadful books which get a bonus point, etc.), but this is that rare thing: a decent read. Unspectacular, but never annoying. I never felt "let's just not finish it," but I also never felt "yippee, I'm reading Miss Pinkerton now!"

For some reason I had Mary Roberts Rinehart mixed up with Anne Radcliffe, or at least to the extent of thinking she was much earlier than she was. She's early, but not that early. Her detective is foisted upon her suspects by the police as a nurse, even when everyone dies and they no longer need her, which is one option, I guess. And it just kind of meanders along, and most of the urgency is felt because the protagonist is tired. (Which might explain why, as the household gradually gets killed off, she doesn't make more of an attempt to quit).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

1932 mystery novel from prolific author Mary Roberts Rinehart. A locked room mystery, as an unlikeable young man is found dead in an old mansion. Was his death suicide, accident, or murder. After a slow 150 pages examining this question, things speed up in the final 100 pages as there are two murders and two attempted murders. This is remarkable with a very limited cast. This novel was made into a 1932 movie of the same name, starring Joan Blondell and George Brent.

Miss Adams is a nurse, not a detective―at least, not technically speaking. But while working as a nurse, one does have the opportunity to see things police can’t see and an observant set of eyes can be quite an asset when crimes happen behind closed doors. Sometimes Detective Inspector Patton rings Miss Adams when he needs an agent on the inside. And when he does, he calls her “Miss Pinkerton” after the famous detective agency. Everyone involved seems to agree that mild-mannered Herbert Wynne wasn’t the type to commit suicide but, after he is found shot dead, with the only other possible killer being his ailing, bedridden aunt, no other explanation makes sense. Now the elderly woman is left without a caretaker and Patton sees the perfect opportunity to employ Miss Pinkerton’s abilities. But when she arrives at the isolated country mansion to ply her trade, she soon finds more intrigue than anyone outside could have imagined and―when she realizes a killer is on the loose―more terror as well.

[Adam Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rinehart is often called the American Christie, I’m not sure that’s really fair because she very much stands on her own feet as an author.

This book tells a story from the perspective of Hilda Adams - a nurse who is sometimes called in by the police when they want to spy on a household. In this case, she’s embedded in the home of an elderly woman and her young nephew, who has just been murdered.

On the negative side, there’s not a lot of character here - you learn very little about nurse Adams other than her feelings in the moment, but despite that, Rinehart does a great job at putting you firmly on her side. He’s likeable, relatable and a great lead to see the events unwind through.

Overall, I thought it was a good story with some clever and unexpected twists and turns. There’s a lot of foreshadowing of future events in the narrative - I guess that could be annoying, but I found it kept me hooked and wanting to read more.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Hilda Adams, RN helps find a murderer.

When the Kindle edition of this book appeared (FINALLY!) my first reaction was relief that I could jettison my old paperback before it fell apart in my hands. My second was indignation over the silly cover picture of a very young nurse with a terrified expression on her face, crying. Hilda Adams, RN (AKA Miss Pinkerton) crying? That experienced professional nurse who deals with cranky patients, unreasonable doctors, demanding police officers, and cold-blooded killers with the same calm don’t-mess-with-me demeanor does NOT cry.

But when I re-read the book I was surprised to find a scene where Miss Adams DOES break into tears, to her great embarrassment. So my memory isn’t perfect, although I don’t think the picture really gives an accurate idea of this endearing, admirable character.

Mary Roberts Rinehart was a best-seller author for decades, but she started in 1910 and her books are unquestionably dated. You’re either a Rinehart fan or you’re not. I am and the books featuring Hilda Adams are my favorites, although in most ways they’re very typical of Rinehart’s mysteries.

Either from personal preference or because of readers’ preferences in the first half of the 1900s, Rinehart invariably wrote about wealthy families. Some of them have lost their money, but they’ve all been wealthy and socially prominent in the past. The Mitchell family meets that description, even though the money is long gone, the famous mansion is shabby, and the family now consists of a frail, elderly woman and her nephew.

Miss Juliet Mitchell was a beauty in her day and she’s still revered by many people. Her nephew Herbert Wynne is a weak, lazy young man - arrogant and unscrupulous. Miss Juliet and her two faithful servants have nothing good to say about him, but he has no trouble attracting young women. Then one night Miss Mitchell finds him in his room, shot to death. Accident, suicide, or murder?

Inspector Patton is leaning toward murder and he immediately recruits Hilda Adams to take the job of private nurse to old Miss Mitchell. Hilda has been useful to him before and he has a high opinion of her intelligence and common sense. As a nurse, she can get inside information that’s carefully hidden from the police. And Miss Adams is happy to do so, as long as it doesn’t interfere with her responsibility to her patient. The patient always comes first to this consummate professional.

Hilda Adams appeals to me because she’s not part of the old money crowd who fill Rinehart’s books. In another book, she’s described as late thirties, small, sturdy, and trim-figured with short curling graying hair. Naturally, she’s normally dressed in a starched nurses uniform with white stockings, white shoes, and her nurses cap pinned in her hair. If she leaves the house, she wears a dark cape with the insignia of her hospital on the collar. No designer clothes or expensive jewelry for this lady. While it’s never specified, the reader gets the impression of a woman from modest circumstances. Not that Miss Adams is ever intimidated by her wealthy patients or their families or servants. She’s taken the temps of the high-and-mighties and given them bed baths. To her, they're simply people in trouble and she treats them accordingly.

Mary Roberts Rinehart was an RN herself before she married a doctor and retired. I think that’s why Miss Adams rings true. When she’s almost strangled to death, she talks about the edema in her throat. Most writers would have had her say “swelling”, but Rinehart knew that an RN would use the medical term. It gives great authenticity to the character of the nurse/detective.

Inspector Patton tries to determine if young Herbert died accidentally (not likely) or by suicide (possible, but not likely either) or if he was murdered. The Mitchells have some skeletons in the closets and Patton discovers that Herbert was insured for a large amount. If he didn’t commit suicide, that money will be a life-saver for his aunt and her servants. But why was he insured for so much and where did he get the money for the premiums?

There’s a love affair, of course. Rinehart was what I call a practical romantic. She believed in marriage and she liked to see young people in love and making wise marriages. Herbert’s latest is society beauty Paula Brent and her parents have no intention of her marrying Juliet Mitchell’s no good nephew. But Herbert is attractive and Paula is a determined young woman.

There’s a second murder and then a third. Rinehart never skimped on murders and a desperate killer will always kill again to evade detection and punishment. It’s the second year of the Great Depression and people who appear to be well-off financially may be secretly struggling to maintain appearances. Is one of them desperate enough to commit murder?

One of the things I love about Rinehart’s mysteries is that it’s frequently not the major characters who stick in my mind when I finish the book. When I think of this one, the character I always remember is Mr. Henderson. He’s a small, rather pathetic man who’s dominated by his overbearing wife. But his is the most touching memory of old Juliet Mitchell and one night he defies his wife and saves a life. He’s the kind of memorable minor character that Rinehart put in all her books. It’s one of the reasons I think she’s still worth reading.

It’s a look back to a different time, but the people are recognizable and so are the emotions that drive them. The partnership of Miss Hilda Adams and Inspector Patton is a good one and their frequent fights are entertaining. I wish Rinehart had written more books about them.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious about a mystery written in the thirties compared to those written today. I enjoyed it very much and liked the format of the character recalling the case as if the reader is sitting there with her having some tea. Nice atmosphere too with the large, multi level house and dark rooms.

[Tahlia Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would rate this a 4.5 if I could… not quite a 5-star Agatha Christie, but very enjoyable.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good adventure/gothic/detective story—Hilda Adams is a pleasantly hardheaded narrator, and is straightforward and reliable in the face of the so-so detection and the confusion of suspects/motives. My favorite part is when she strands the newspapermen on the roof by pushing their ladder over. She also doesn’t sleep, hits her head a couple times, and nearly gets strangled. Hilda’s tough.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay read. Parts of it felt more like a draft than a final version. I never warmed up to any of the characters.