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Hilda Adams #4
The Haunted Lady
Eliza Fairbanks may be old, but she's hardly senile. So when she claims to have found bats in her bedroom and arsenic in her strawberries, Miss Pinkerton is quickly assigned to investigate. It doesn't take the shrewd nurse-detective long to discover that Mrs. Fairbanksis quite sane after all - and quite dead!
269 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
466 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
Mary Roberts Rinehart
547 books430 followersMysteries 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...
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...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
January 22, 2020
"The Haunted Lady" is a novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart written in 1942. It is the fourth novel in the Hilda Adams series and the fourth one I've read, I think there is one more but I don't have it, and Rinehart novels don't show up in any of my bookstores very often, so I might never get it. But for now I'll get back to this one.
This one was probably the most fun for me in a, I can't believe I like this way. Right from the beginning there wasn't a person in the novel who would have been responding the way I would have. In the first chapter we have Inspector Patton (yes, he's there again) sending Miss Adams to the home of Eliza Fairbanks. The Fairbanks family had at one time dominated the social life of the city, I think every family Miss Adams works for dominated the city at one time. Anyway, now the neighborhood has changed, it is filled with boardinghouses and a market, but the big square Fairbanks house still stands on its grounds surrounded by an iron fence, defiant of a changing world.
Now this is where it gets strange for me already. Mrs. Fairbanks has been to the police because bats and rats have been getting into her bedroom, even a sparrow or two. Eliza Fairbanks is still at home in her bed and there are bats and rats running around the room? And the one thing she does about it is go to the police? Not me, I would have been out of that room and that house in a matter of minutes, and instead of calling the police I would have called every exterminator in the yellow pages and then gone and bought all the mouse and rat killer I could find at Walmart. I hate rats and mice and bats and lots of other rodents, they hate me too but that's fine with me. But it doesn't seem like a police matter. Stranger still, once Hilda arrives they manage to catch one of the bats alive and she carries it down the hall into the storeroom and puts it into a shoebox that she ties with a string. No amount of money will get me to carry a live bat anywhere or a dead one for that matter. Then when a rat is killed she takes the body of the rat, puts it in her suitcase and takes the rat and bat to the Inspector. Remember that no amount of money line? Double it for the rat.
Another very strange thing, a few months before the dreaded creatures started showing up Mrs. Fairbanks had been poisoned and nearly died. Someone had put arsenic in the powdered sugar on her breakfast tray and the only thing that had saved her was the quick actions of the doctor living across the street. When Miss Adams asks her if she contacted the police Mrs. Fairbanks tells her no, she has spent her life keeping this family out of the newspaper she wouldn't let that tarnish the family name. So she wouldn't go to the police when someone poisoned her but she will go because rats and bats are in her room? That doesn't make sense to me.
It was fun trying to figure out where the horrible creatures are coming from, if someone is actually touching the things to sneak them into her room in the first place. There are lots of suspects, the son who wants money to buy a farm, his wife who doesn't like anyone in the family, the daughter who hates her mother, the ex-husband of the daughter, the granddaughter, the doctor, the servants, it is quite a list. Whether they actually manage to murder Mrs. Fairbanks by scaring her to death by rodents you will have to read the book and find out, it seems like an unusual and complicated way to kill someone, but it would probably work on me. There are all kinds of strange things, a safe in the closet that Mrs. Fairbanks only opens at night with her door locked, a radio that plays by itself, again in the middle of the night of course. Window screens that keep coming loose, fresh paint, all kinds of things, read the book. I liked this part, I'll end with it:
"You're a highly useful person, Miss Pinkerton," he said, smiling down at her. "If I didn't think you'd slap me, I'd kiss you."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"Which?" he said quizzically. "Slap or kiss?"
"Both," she said, and went out.
This one was probably the most fun for me in a, I can't believe I like this way. Right from the beginning there wasn't a person in the novel who would have been responding the way I would have. In the first chapter we have Inspector Patton (yes, he's there again) sending Miss Adams to the home of Eliza Fairbanks. The Fairbanks family had at one time dominated the social life of the city, I think every family Miss Adams works for dominated the city at one time. Anyway, now the neighborhood has changed, it is filled with boardinghouses and a market, but the big square Fairbanks house still stands on its grounds surrounded by an iron fence, defiant of a changing world.
Now this is where it gets strange for me already. Mrs. Fairbanks has been to the police because bats and rats have been getting into her bedroom, even a sparrow or two. Eliza Fairbanks is still at home in her bed and there are bats and rats running around the room? And the one thing she does about it is go to the police? Not me, I would have been out of that room and that house in a matter of minutes, and instead of calling the police I would have called every exterminator in the yellow pages and then gone and bought all the mouse and rat killer I could find at Walmart. I hate rats and mice and bats and lots of other rodents, they hate me too but that's fine with me. But it doesn't seem like a police matter. Stranger still, once Hilda arrives they manage to catch one of the bats alive and she carries it down the hall into the storeroom and puts it into a shoebox that she ties with a string. No amount of money will get me to carry a live bat anywhere or a dead one for that matter. Then when a rat is killed she takes the body of the rat, puts it in her suitcase and takes the rat and bat to the Inspector. Remember that no amount of money line? Double it for the rat.
Another very strange thing, a few months before the dreaded creatures started showing up Mrs. Fairbanks had been poisoned and nearly died. Someone had put arsenic in the powdered sugar on her breakfast tray and the only thing that had saved her was the quick actions of the doctor living across the street. When Miss Adams asks her if she contacted the police Mrs. Fairbanks tells her no, she has spent her life keeping this family out of the newspaper she wouldn't let that tarnish the family name. So she wouldn't go to the police when someone poisoned her but she will go because rats and bats are in her room? That doesn't make sense to me.
It was fun trying to figure out where the horrible creatures are coming from, if someone is actually touching the things to sneak them into her room in the first place. There are lots of suspects, the son who wants money to buy a farm, his wife who doesn't like anyone in the family, the daughter who hates her mother, the ex-husband of the daughter, the granddaughter, the doctor, the servants, it is quite a list. Whether they actually manage to murder Mrs. Fairbanks by scaring her to death by rodents you will have to read the book and find out, it seems like an unusual and complicated way to kill someone, but it would probably work on me. There are all kinds of strange things, a safe in the closet that Mrs. Fairbanks only opens at night with her door locked, a radio that plays by itself, again in the middle of the night of course. Window screens that keep coming loose, fresh paint, all kinds of things, read the book. I liked this part, I'll end with it:
"You're a highly useful person, Miss Pinkerton," he said, smiling down at her. "If I didn't think you'd slap me, I'd kiss you."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"Which?" he said quizzically. "Slap or kiss?"
"Both," she said, and went out.
February 27, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an e-galley of this novel.
The introduction to this book, written by Otto Penzler, provides useful information about Mary Roberts Rinehart's writing career as well as information relating to this specific book, first published in 1942. I'm sure I must have read at least one Rinehart mystery over the course of my reading lifetime but I have never read this specific book. I was grateful for the information Penzler provided because his information regarding foreshadowing came to my attention in this story pretty quickly and very often. Learning that element was a part of her writing style helped to keep me from becoming quite so irritated by the frequency with which it was employed.
Nurse Hilda Adams is asked by the police to accept a nursing job in the Fairbanks household. Hilda has a rather unconventional relationship with the police which makes for an unusual dynamic. The family matriarch, Eliza Fairbanks, has told the police about strange happenings over the last few weeks which lead her to think someone is trying to frighten her into having a heart attack resulting in her death. Adams agrees to go to 10 Grove Avenue to keep an eye on the family, servants, and anyone else who might have a reason for wanting old Mrs. Fairbanks to die.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, maybe even more than I had expected. The uncovering of the clues about how the strange happenings are being done is handled satisfactorily and kept my attention focused on this book the whole time I was reading it. The Nurse Hilda Adams character is well thought out and she carries out her job as an observer well. I never did suspect who was pulling all the strings in the background. Overall an interestingly plotted and written novel that kept me entertained throughout. I will certainly be on the lookout for other Mary Roberts Rinehart novels.
The introduction to this book, written by Otto Penzler, provides useful information about Mary Roberts Rinehart's writing career as well as information relating to this specific book, first published in 1942. I'm sure I must have read at least one Rinehart mystery over the course of my reading lifetime but I have never read this specific book. I was grateful for the information Penzler provided because his information regarding foreshadowing came to my attention in this story pretty quickly and very often. Learning that element was a part of her writing style helped to keep me from becoming quite so irritated by the frequency with which it was employed.
Nurse Hilda Adams is asked by the police to accept a nursing job in the Fairbanks household. Hilda has a rather unconventional relationship with the police which makes for an unusual dynamic. The family matriarch, Eliza Fairbanks, has told the police about strange happenings over the last few weeks which lead her to think someone is trying to frighten her into having a heart attack resulting in her death. Adams agrees to go to 10 Grove Avenue to keep an eye on the family, servants, and anyone else who might have a reason for wanting old Mrs. Fairbanks to die.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, maybe even more than I had expected. The uncovering of the clues about how the strange happenings are being done is handled satisfactorily and kept my attention focused on this book the whole time I was reading it. The Nurse Hilda Adams character is well thought out and she carries out her job as an observer well. I never did suspect who was pulling all the strings in the background. Overall an interestingly plotted and written novel that kept me entertained throughout. I will certainly be on the lookout for other Mary Roberts Rinehart novels.
March 28, 2020
When repeated attempts to rattle or kill wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks occur, the police send nurse Hilda Adams to care for her. Greeted by a swarm of relatives with motives to kill the woman, Adams knows Eliza's imagination did not get carried away. When the woman turns up dead, the police and nurse Adams must sift through lies and clues to come up with the real murderer. Roberts drops too many obvious hints of future events. The mystery shows its age in some aspects, but it still presents an interesting puzzle for modern readers. I received an advance review copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.
August 5, 2020
The eponymous Haunted Lady is one Eliza Faircloth, a 72-year-old tough-as-nails curmudgeon who rules her household with an iron hand. It seems someone first tried to poison Mrs. Faircloth and then has been trying to frighten the old lady, who has a weak heart. Mary Roberts Rinehart litters the novel with plenty of twists and red herrings, and nurse Hilda Adams has her hands full in figuring out what’s happening. The novel was wonderful, but what else would you expect from the Queen of Mystery?
March 22, 2020
While I loved the first book in this series, and unreservedly recommend it. I cannot recommend this one for several reasons. First, there were more curse words than were in the first book. There was also one scene where a side character peruses a doctor’s books for sordid reasons. Finally, one hundred and four pages in the language became to foul for my personal standards. That's where I quit reading.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and American Mystery Classics. No favorable review was required. It was my pleasure to provide my honest opinions.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and American Mystery Classics. No favorable review was required. It was my pleasure to provide my honest opinions.
June 20, 2020
Great book 5 stars
I love everything about this book .the storyline was great. I will be reading more of her books. I am happy that i give this writer chance.
I love everything about this book .the storyline was great. I will be reading more of her books. I am happy that i give this writer chance.
July 18, 2020
The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart is part of The Hilda Adams Mysteries. Hilda Adams is looking forward to a relaxing evening after her latest assignment ends. Unfortunately, Hilda receives a call asking her to take a special assignment. Eliza Fairbanks claims there have been bats in her sealed bedroom as well as other creatures. Eliza is making some outrageous claims. Dr. Brooke wants Hilda to investigate. Hilda quickly packs a bag and heads to the Fairbanks home. Hilda meets Eliza and finds the elderly woman to be quite sane. Eliza believes someone is trying to kill her. Unfortunately, Eliza is soon proven correct when she is found dead in her room. Can Hilda find Eliza’s killer? The Haunted Lady was originally written in 1942. I enjoyed reading these older mystery novels. I thought it was well-written with an interesting cast of characters. I quickly found myself drawn into the story. I liked Nurse Hilda Adams who is a keen observer. The mystery was well-done and there were some clever details. I appreciated that it had a nice wrap-up with the strange happenings explained in an easy to understand manner. The mystery was fun to solve. I did find the ending to be a little odd and unsatisfying. I appreciated the introduction written by Otto Penzler with information about Mary Roberts Rinehart writing career and her style of writing. The Haunted Lady is a pleasing historical mystery with baffling bats, a fighting family, a secure room, a nosey nurse, and a mysterious murder
November 17, 2020
An enjoyable drawing room mystery from the golden age of detective fiction written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, America’s Agatha Christie.
Though many of the tropes used in the book feel shopworn to the modern reader, this is still a fun, closed-circle mystery that is nicely paced and fairly well plotted.
Rinehart keeps you guessing until the bitter end, and the solve checks out against some of the clues sprinkled throughout the narrative, though the puzzle would be tough to crack without a semi-frustrating info dump at the end.
The bit with the radio was convoluted and somewhat irritating, and the killer’s motive felt a little thin (especially compared to the motive some of the other suspects would have had), but it’s a fun read with solid setting.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Though many of the tropes used in the book feel shopworn to the modern reader, this is still a fun, closed-circle mystery that is nicely paced and fairly well plotted.
Rinehart keeps you guessing until the bitter end, and the solve checks out against some of the clues sprinkled throughout the narrative, though the puzzle would be tough to crack without a semi-frustrating info dump at the end.
The bit with the radio was convoluted and somewhat irritating, and the killer’s motive felt a little thin (especially compared to the motive some of the other suspects would have had), but it’s a fun read with solid setting.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
February 21, 2022
Very nice Miss Pinkerton mystery—Hilda is capable and stern, the inspector exasperated (and in love with Hilda), and everyone overacts perfectly for an entertainingly spooky locked-room mystery. Not classic detection here (how did they miss all these obvious things?), but that’s not really the point. The point is summed up by this edition’s cover—maybe the best mystery cover I’ve ever seen.
February 28, 2022
I love the concept of these Hilda Adams books. A nurse can go places in a house, seeing things and receiving confidences a detective could not. As well as being a nurse, Hilda Adams happens to work informally for the police.
Here Hilda goes to a house where the matriarchal Grandmother believes her life is endanger, She ends up Investigating a death.
Rinehart does these murder mysteries really well. It’s unmistakably American, but very golden age. This is a clever mystery, with a small cast. There’s some a ghostly goings on that really make it and I was guessing right up to the end:
Here Hilda goes to a house where the matriarchal Grandmother believes her life is endanger, She ends up Investigating a death.
Rinehart does these murder mysteries really well. It’s unmistakably American, but very golden age. This is a clever mystery, with a small cast. There’s some a ghostly goings on that really make it and I was guessing right up to the end:
May 8, 2022
I was rather disappointed with this one.
I had enjoyed the first two Hilda Adams mysteries I had read -- "Locked Doors" & "Miss Pinkerton", but this one was very different.
First of all, it was no longer written in the first person style... a change I found very jarring. It almost felt like the book was written by a different author. This sensation was intensified by the fact that the Inspector had a different name (1st Inspector was Patton, the 2nd was Fuller), but his relationship with Hilda Adams seemed to be the same as that of the previous of Inspector with her. I found it distracting, since I couldn't quite figure out if it was the same man or a different one… or if Rinehart randomly forgot her Inspector’s name, simultaneously forgetting that she could look it up in her previous works. Sadly, Fuller felt like a weak imitation of Patton, who I liked a lot better.
Finally, there was no sense of suspense. In the first two mysteries I read, sometimes Hilda would say things like "If only I knew how I would regret that later". This is not something I like in mysteries, but it worked in a first person account. It seemed like she was writing a journal or talking directly to the reader as things came to her mind. "The Haunted Lady" took this to a whole other level. Hilda would reference characters being killed before it happened, several times, completely killing the suspense. It was hard to get into what the characters were feeling when the narrative kept undercutting its own suspense. The head-hopping kind of annoyed me too; the author would at times change points of view randomly, which I found jarring and distracting. I much preferred her previous first-person style.
If the author had stayed with the first-person style and with Inspector Patton, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more. There was a lot of potential here that was not taken full advantage of. If the next novel is anything like this one, I probably will not be reading it. So disappointing.
I had enjoyed the first two Hilda Adams mysteries I had read -- "Locked Doors" & "Miss Pinkerton", but this one was very different.
First of all, it was no longer written in the first person style... a change I found very jarring. It almost felt like the book was written by a different author. This sensation was intensified by the fact that the Inspector had a different name (1st Inspector was Patton, the 2nd was Fuller), but his relationship with Hilda Adams seemed to be the same as that of the previous of Inspector with her. I found it distracting, since I couldn't quite figure out if it was the same man or a different one… or if Rinehart randomly forgot her Inspector’s name, simultaneously forgetting that she could look it up in her previous works. Sadly, Fuller felt like a weak imitation of Patton, who I liked a lot better.
Finally, there was no sense of suspense. In the first two mysteries I read, sometimes Hilda would say things like "If only I knew how I would regret that later". This is not something I like in mysteries, but it worked in a first person account. It seemed like she was writing a journal or talking directly to the reader as things came to her mind. "The Haunted Lady" took this to a whole other level. Hilda would reference characters being killed before it happened, several times, completely killing the suspense. It was hard to get into what the characters were feeling when the narrative kept undercutting its own suspense. The head-hopping kind of annoyed me too; the author would at times change points of view randomly, which I found jarring and distracting. I much preferred her previous first-person style.
If the author had stayed with the first-person style and with Inspector Patton, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more. There was a lot of potential here that was not taken full advantage of. If the next novel is anything like this one, I probably will not be reading it. So disappointing.
March 21, 2021
Nurse Hilda Adams (Miss Pinkerton, to some) is asked to watch over a wealthy old woman who seems to be having confused ideas. But Nurse Adams soon discovers that the woman is right--rats and bats are getting into what should be a sealed room. As the unhappy household around her seethes with discontent, the woman is found dead, stabbed in her bedroom, while Nurse Adams guards the door from the hall. The windows are barred and screened, and there's no other way in...Rinehart does a fair locked room mystery, but a lot depends on technology no longer in use, and which may just confuse the contemporary reader.
February 6, 2026
Mary Roberts Rinehart always delivers when I'm in the mood to be a little creeped out. Her writing comes off as the slightly spookier version of Agatha Christie, although some of her resolutions lack the punch that Christie's have. This is the first "Miss Pinkerton" mystery of Rinehart's I have read, and I definitely plan to seek out more. Miss Pinkerton is an excellent character.
March 1, 2012
There is just something amazing about the atmosphere that Mary Roberts Rinehart can pack into a small piece of real estate. Once again, she showcases her talent by setting a murder mystery in a home that is inhabited by some very strange people. You would think that after a while, all these mysteries that take place in spooky houses would become repetitive. I think with lesser authors, that is a real big possibility. With Rinehart at the quill, quite the opposite happens. There is something so refreshing about her motives, characters, and the structure of the murder itself. Her books are able to capture my imagination no matter how often I've encountered the basic plot line.
The Haunted Lady is no exception to that rule. For only the second time I had the pleasure of spending time with Hilda Adams, Miss Pinkerton. This book takes place a few years after Miss Pinkerton, which simply means I have some back reading to do. Hilda is older, a bit wiser, and the interest in her from "her" inspector seems to be getting the two of them closer together. She is, once again, sucked into a murder mystery by the inspector, though that's not what it appears to be at first. When Hilda is first approached to enter the home, it's a babysitting assignment. Figure out why Eliza Fairbanks thinks someone is out to get here. Sadly for Ms. Fairbanks, it's quickly becomes obvious that someone was out to get her.
It doesn't take long for our Miss Pinkerton to start putting her nose and intellect into the happenings in the house. She has a lot of characters and family dynamics to explore and she has no qualms about doing it. After only two encounters with her, Miss Pinkerton, much like her creator, has become one of my favorites to hand around with. I'm really looking forward to seeing her at work in the future.
The Haunted Lady is no exception to that rule. For only the second time I had the pleasure of spending time with Hilda Adams, Miss Pinkerton. This book takes place a few years after Miss Pinkerton, which simply means I have some back reading to do. Hilda is older, a bit wiser, and the interest in her from "her" inspector seems to be getting the two of them closer together. She is, once again, sucked into a murder mystery by the inspector, though that's not what it appears to be at first. When Hilda is first approached to enter the home, it's a babysitting assignment. Figure out why Eliza Fairbanks thinks someone is out to get here. Sadly for Ms. Fairbanks, it's quickly becomes obvious that someone was out to get her.
It doesn't take long for our Miss Pinkerton to start putting her nose and intellect into the happenings in the house. She has a lot of characters and family dynamics to explore and she has no qualms about doing it. After only two encounters with her, Miss Pinkerton, much like her creator, has become one of my favorites to hand around with. I'm really looking forward to seeing her at work in the future.
January 9, 2020
We've caught a murderer. What now?
This was Rinehart's second full-length mystery featuring Miss Hilda Adams, RN/sleuth. I read it soon after completing the first ("Miss Pinkerton") and my initial reaction was slight disappointment. I don't think it's as good and yet it's not bad, either. Rinehart was not only one of the most prolific American writers, she wrote for an amazing 44 years - from 1910 to 1954. "Miss Pinkerton" was published in 1930 and "The Haunted Lady" in 1942. Most writers falter in old age and she was no exception. She wrote some good books in the 1940's and 50's, but the quality is patchy.
In some ways, the two books are similar. Both involve "old" families headed up by elderly, strong-minded matriarchs. Before television and the internet, prominent families were the celebrities of their towns. Hilda Adams vividly remembers standing on the street outside the Fairbanks mansion when beautiful Marian Fairbanks married Frank Garrison with all the pomp and style that her wealthy family could muster. But twenty years have past and things are different.
The Fairbanks are still wealthy, but the domineering widow Mrs. Fairbanks holds the purse strings. Her daughter's marriage failed and so did her son's business. Both have returned to the family home - Marian with a grown daughter whom Mrs. Fairbanks adores and Carlton with a wife his mother hates. It's not a happy household and now Mrs. Fairbanks claims that someone is trying to murder her.
Inspector Patton of the Homicide Division pressures a reluctant Hilda Adams to accept a job as nurse/bodyguard to the old lady and Miss Adams quickly comes to the conclusion that she's NOT senile, but in danger. The rats and bats introduced into her bedroom could be a prank, but cyanide on her strawberries is attempted murder. Who wants her dead?
Her children stand to inherit a lot of money, always a good motive. Carlton wants to buy a chicken farm, although no one can imagine his flashy wife Susie as a farm girl. Marion receives a whopping amount of alimony from her former husband, but is still bitter about losing him to her daughter's nanny. She blames her mother for introducing Eileen in her home and Mrs. Fairbanks blames her daughter for not being able to keep her husband in line.
Frank and Eileen Garrison live in town. He's a favorite with the old lady, but the alimony keeps him broke., which puts a strain on his marriage. Still, how could either of them benefit from Mrs. Fairbanks' death? And what does she keep in that safe in her bedroom? And what's with the loud radio?
As in all of Rinehart's books, the servants play important roles. Mrs. Fairbanks claims to trust her servants more than she does her family, but they certainly aren't the stereotypical loyal retainers. The butler keeps his head down and any information he has to himself. The gloomy cook dislikes the whole family. The maid is stupid and chronically scared out of her wits. The driver is a sardonic jerk who's more amused by all the up-roar than concerned about it. Miss Adams is usually good at getting inside information, but she hits a blank wall with this bunch. Mrs. Fairbanks may trust them, but how much does she actually know about them?
My main gripe with this book is that it seems to be set in both the early 1930's and the early 1940's. There's mention of WWII and the possibility that the U.S. may go to war at some point. But the failure of Carlton's and Frank's businesses sounds more like 1930. By 1942, the U.S. economy had emerged from the Great Depression. War may be hell, but it generally revives economic conditions. And while charming Frank Garrison seems like he could have been a successful businessman, would anyone ever have bought stocks from Carlton Fairbanks? For that matter, would Susie have married him, even for his money?
There's a neat twist at the end, brought about by a strange codicil to a will. Rinehart knew that domineering parents hate to let go and look for ways to control their children's lives from the grave.
And then there's Hilda Adam's uncharacteristic "generosity" toward the murderer. In 1942, some might have disapproved of helping a murderer cheat the hangman. But today Hilda's reasoning would be attacked by many people who believe in both the death penalty and "the sanctity of life." And today the extended appeals when the death penalty is handed down would make Hilda's dilemma a moot point.
It's not Rinehart's best book, but Hilda Adams was one of her best characters. Marion Garrison's extended anger at her former husband and his new wife is tiresome and not too believable, but the romance between young Jan Garrison and her grandmother's doctor is sweet. Rinehart believed in love and marriage and was better than most mystery writers at portraying them. Susie is delightful - intelligent and slyly humorous. If you're a Rinehart fan, this one is well worth a read.
This was Rinehart's second full-length mystery featuring Miss Hilda Adams, RN/sleuth. I read it soon after completing the first ("Miss Pinkerton") and my initial reaction was slight disappointment. I don't think it's as good and yet it's not bad, either. Rinehart was not only one of the most prolific American writers, she wrote for an amazing 44 years - from 1910 to 1954. "Miss Pinkerton" was published in 1930 and "The Haunted Lady" in 1942. Most writers falter in old age and she was no exception. She wrote some good books in the 1940's and 50's, but the quality is patchy.
In some ways, the two books are similar. Both involve "old" families headed up by elderly, strong-minded matriarchs. Before television and the internet, prominent families were the celebrities of their towns. Hilda Adams vividly remembers standing on the street outside the Fairbanks mansion when beautiful Marian Fairbanks married Frank Garrison with all the pomp and style that her wealthy family could muster. But twenty years have past and things are different.
The Fairbanks are still wealthy, but the domineering widow Mrs. Fairbanks holds the purse strings. Her daughter's marriage failed and so did her son's business. Both have returned to the family home - Marian with a grown daughter whom Mrs. Fairbanks adores and Carlton with a wife his mother hates. It's not a happy household and now Mrs. Fairbanks claims that someone is trying to murder her.
Inspector Patton of the Homicide Division pressures a reluctant Hilda Adams to accept a job as nurse/bodyguard to the old lady and Miss Adams quickly comes to the conclusion that she's NOT senile, but in danger. The rats and bats introduced into her bedroom could be a prank, but cyanide on her strawberries is attempted murder. Who wants her dead?
Her children stand to inherit a lot of money, always a good motive. Carlton wants to buy a chicken farm, although no one can imagine his flashy wife Susie as a farm girl. Marion receives a whopping amount of alimony from her former husband, but is still bitter about losing him to her daughter's nanny. She blames her mother for introducing Eileen in her home and Mrs. Fairbanks blames her daughter for not being able to keep her husband in line.
Frank and Eileen Garrison live in town. He's a favorite with the old lady, but the alimony keeps him broke., which puts a strain on his marriage. Still, how could either of them benefit from Mrs. Fairbanks' death? And what does she keep in that safe in her bedroom? And what's with the loud radio?
As in all of Rinehart's books, the servants play important roles. Mrs. Fairbanks claims to trust her servants more than she does her family, but they certainly aren't the stereotypical loyal retainers. The butler keeps his head down and any information he has to himself. The gloomy cook dislikes the whole family. The maid is stupid and chronically scared out of her wits. The driver is a sardonic jerk who's more amused by all the up-roar than concerned about it. Miss Adams is usually good at getting inside information, but she hits a blank wall with this bunch. Mrs. Fairbanks may trust them, but how much does she actually know about them?
My main gripe with this book is that it seems to be set in both the early 1930's and the early 1940's. There's mention of WWII and the possibility that the U.S. may go to war at some point. But the failure of Carlton's and Frank's businesses sounds more like 1930. By 1942, the U.S. economy had emerged from the Great Depression. War may be hell, but it generally revives economic conditions. And while charming Frank Garrison seems like he could have been a successful businessman, would anyone ever have bought stocks from Carlton Fairbanks? For that matter, would Susie have married him, even for his money?
There's a neat twist at the end, brought about by a strange codicil to a will. Rinehart knew that domineering parents hate to let go and look for ways to control their children's lives from the grave.
And then there's Hilda Adam's uncharacteristic "generosity" toward the murderer. In 1942, some might have disapproved of helping a murderer cheat the hangman. But today Hilda's reasoning would be attacked by many people who believe in both the death penalty and "the sanctity of life." And today the extended appeals when the death penalty is handed down would make Hilda's dilemma a moot point.
It's not Rinehart's best book, but Hilda Adams was one of her best characters. Marion Garrison's extended anger at her former husband and his new wife is tiresome and not too believable, but the romance between young Jan Garrison and her grandmother's doctor is sweet. Rinehart believed in love and marriage and was better than most mystery writers at portraying them. Susie is delightful - intelligent and slyly humorous. If you're a Rinehart fan, this one is well worth a read.
November 12, 2018
Major characters:
Nurse Hilda Adams, "Miss Pinkerton"
Inspector Fuller
Eliza Fairbanks, 72, the widow
Carlton Fairbanks, her son
Susan "Susie" Fairbanks, nee Kelly; his wife
Marian Fairbanks Garrison, 38, her daughter (divorced)
Francis "Frank" Jarvis Garrison, Marian's ex-husband
Eileen Garrison, 35, Frank's second wife, pregnant
Janice Garrison, 19, daughter of Frank and Marian
Dr. Courtney Allen Brooke, 28, Eliza's doctor and neighbor
William, butler
Amos, handyman who lives above the garage
Margaret "Maggie" O'Neil, the cook
Ida Miller, 40, the maid
Helpful hint: If you get confused about the relationships of the players, refer to Chapter 16 which has a police report and full bio and dirt on everyone.
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: Frail, paranoid widow Eliza Fairbanks complains to the police that bats are getting into her bedroom, although there are no obvious apertures. She wants a police officer to resolve this, but Inspector Fuller sends Nurse Hilda Adams ("Miss Pinkerton") over instead, to stay with her and calm her down, and see what can be done about the bats. Nurse Adams does indeed come across a bat, and an occasional rat also. Although she searches the room thoroughly, she cannot find how they got in.
Eliza also states someone attempted to poison her with arsenic and there are also rats in the house in addition to the bats. Both statements are confirmed - Dr. Courtney Brooke (quite friendly with Eliza's granddaughter Janice Garrison) identified the arsenic, and Nurse Adams saw a rat herself.
Drama comes along: Frank Garrison is visiting to see his daughter Janice, and his ex-wife Marian Garrison disappears. His 2nd wife, pregnant Eileen Garrison, shows up at the door. She is not feeling well and is put to bed in Marian's bed, wearing Marian's nightgown. (Oh, this will be most awkward when Marian gets home!)
Hilda goes in to check her patient to find she has been murdered in her bed. Suspicion immediately falls on son Carlton, last person to enter her bedroom.
Review: It seems as if we have been here before. The dark old family manse, ruled by a frail, elderly (wait a minute - she's only 72!) widow dowager with loads of money in the bank - and inhabited by sniping relatives (don't these kids ever move out?); most of them impatient to get to the reading of the will. Mysterious sounds in the night, and doors that open and close by themselves add to the atmosphere.
We shall overlook the fact that having rodents in the house is not a police matter, and furthermore insufficient to justify placing an RN in residency*; when a cat would be the more appropriate choice. But Nurse Hilda is our investigator, and here she is. Mary Roberts Rinehart's signature "Had I But Known" teasers abound, pointing us to clues to remember as we go along.
Nice unexpected twist at the end reveals the murderer whom I did not suspect.
*This writer is fortunate to have an RN in residency, and she is adamant that rodent control is not in her job description.
Nurse Hilda Adams, "Miss Pinkerton"
Inspector Fuller
Eliza Fairbanks, 72, the widow
Carlton Fairbanks, her son
Susan "Susie" Fairbanks, nee Kelly; his wife
Marian Fairbanks Garrison, 38, her daughter (divorced)
Francis "Frank" Jarvis Garrison, Marian's ex-husband
Eileen Garrison, 35, Frank's second wife, pregnant
Janice Garrison, 19, daughter of Frank and Marian
Dr. Courtney Allen Brooke, 28, Eliza's doctor and neighbor
William, butler
Amos, handyman who lives above the garage
Margaret "Maggie" O'Neil, the cook
Ida Miller, 40, the maid
Helpful hint: If you get confused about the relationships of the players, refer to Chapter 16 which has a police report and full bio and dirt on everyone.
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: Frail, paranoid widow Eliza Fairbanks complains to the police that bats are getting into her bedroom, although there are no obvious apertures. She wants a police officer to resolve this, but Inspector Fuller sends Nurse Hilda Adams ("Miss Pinkerton") over instead, to stay with her and calm her down, and see what can be done about the bats. Nurse Adams does indeed come across a bat, and an occasional rat also. Although she searches the room thoroughly, she cannot find how they got in.
Eliza also states someone attempted to poison her with arsenic and there are also rats in the house in addition to the bats. Both statements are confirmed - Dr. Courtney Brooke (quite friendly with Eliza's granddaughter Janice Garrison) identified the arsenic, and Nurse Adams saw a rat herself.
Drama comes along: Frank Garrison is visiting to see his daughter Janice, and his ex-wife Marian Garrison disappears. His 2nd wife, pregnant Eileen Garrison, shows up at the door. She is not feeling well and is put to bed in Marian's bed, wearing Marian's nightgown. (Oh, this will be most awkward when Marian gets home!)
Hilda goes in to check her patient to find she has been murdered in her bed. Suspicion immediately falls on son Carlton, last person to enter her bedroom.
Review: It seems as if we have been here before. The dark old family manse, ruled by a frail, elderly (wait a minute - she's only 72!) widow dowager with loads of money in the bank - and inhabited by sniping relatives (don't these kids ever move out?); most of them impatient to get to the reading of the will. Mysterious sounds in the night, and doors that open and close by themselves add to the atmosphere.
We shall overlook the fact that having rodents in the house is not a police matter, and furthermore insufficient to justify placing an RN in residency*; when a cat would be the more appropriate choice. But Nurse Hilda is our investigator, and here she is. Mary Roberts Rinehart's signature "Had I But Known" teasers abound, pointing us to clues to remember as we go along.
Nice unexpected twist at the end reveals the murderer whom I did not suspect.
*This writer is fortunate to have an RN in residency, and she is adamant that rodent control is not in her job description.
March 11, 2024
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featuring a large clean copy of the cover.
Mary Roberts Rinehart, the author of many golden-age mysteries, has been called the American Agatha Christie (credited with originating the device "The Butler did it"), and is still republished in new editions. Her popular titles include The Circular Staircase, The Bat (which Bob Kane credits as an inspiration for his Batman character), The Man In Lower Ten, and The Case of Jennie Brice. The three Nurse Hilda Adams novels form a trilogy: Miss Pinkerton, Haunted Lady, and Episode of the Wandering Knife.
Personal nurse Hilda Adams was just coming off a case for the police, when Inspector Fuller calls. This time she is asked to nurse an eccentric old woman who thinks someone is trying to scare her to death. Matriarch Eliza Fairbanks has already survived sugar spiked with arsenic, and somehow, is waking up to find live bats, sparrows, and rats inside her locked room. Hilda settles outside her door to watch throughout the night. Of course, the large home is filled with a cast of characters: Eliza's daughter Marion; her ex-husband Frank, who taunts her wth his new wife; their daughter Janice - devoted to her grandmother and falling in love as she helps young Dr. Brooke; Eliza's son Carlton and his blowsy blonde wife, who makes it known she'd rather be somewhere else; and several household staff with their own agendas.
Hilda examines the room to find the windows and screens sealed, and no cause for the closet door to keep swinging ajar. Each night the room is locked from within, and the old woman turns up the radio and plays solitaire.
One night, after a bedtime visit from Dr. Brooke, Eliza is found stabbed through the heart with a knife, the radio still blaring.
After the confusion and shock, there follows about 150 pages of unexplained events involving: A dark figure carrying something bulky to the stable - a swaying and tinkling chandelier - a figure coming down from the closed third floor - an old birdcage - a can of white paint - a pack of playing cards - a rope tied to a window - and several instances where Hilda found "she had no idea that it was to be the last time she was the see (them) alive".
Hilda herself witnesses the strange scratching noises in the night, and as her patient has died, sees no reason she should remain, however, Inspector Fuller keeps her on the scene. Hilda shows herself very capable in a crisis, and disarms people with her pleasant cherubic face. It's surprising what people will confess while you are knitting. She is not a detective, or even a Police Nurse, but has the sharp capabilities to root out the truth.
There are a few references to the earlier mystery of Miss Pinkerton, but stands on its own.
The plot was overrun with clues, as any one of them could have done the murder, but you can relax as it will all be explained when the culprit is announced - skillfully left for the very last few pages.
Recommended for classic, golden-age entertainment.
featuring a large clean copy of the cover.
Mary Roberts Rinehart, the author of many golden-age mysteries, has been called the American Agatha Christie (credited with originating the device "The Butler did it"), and is still republished in new editions. Her popular titles include The Circular Staircase, The Bat (which Bob Kane credits as an inspiration for his Batman character), The Man In Lower Ten, and The Case of Jennie Brice. The three Nurse Hilda Adams novels form a trilogy: Miss Pinkerton, Haunted Lady, and Episode of the Wandering Knife.
Personal nurse Hilda Adams was just coming off a case for the police, when Inspector Fuller calls. This time she is asked to nurse an eccentric old woman who thinks someone is trying to scare her to death. Matriarch Eliza Fairbanks has already survived sugar spiked with arsenic, and somehow, is waking up to find live bats, sparrows, and rats inside her locked room. Hilda settles outside her door to watch throughout the night. Of course, the large home is filled with a cast of characters: Eliza's daughter Marion; her ex-husband Frank, who taunts her wth his new wife; their daughter Janice - devoted to her grandmother and falling in love as she helps young Dr. Brooke; Eliza's son Carlton and his blowsy blonde wife, who makes it known she'd rather be somewhere else; and several household staff with their own agendas.
Hilda examines the room to find the windows and screens sealed, and no cause for the closet door to keep swinging ajar. Each night the room is locked from within, and the old woman turns up the radio and plays solitaire.
One night, after a bedtime visit from Dr. Brooke, Eliza is found stabbed through the heart with a knife, the radio still blaring.
After the confusion and shock, there follows about 150 pages of unexplained events involving: A dark figure carrying something bulky to the stable - a swaying and tinkling chandelier - a figure coming down from the closed third floor - an old birdcage - a can of white paint - a pack of playing cards - a rope tied to a window - and several instances where Hilda found "she had no idea that it was to be the last time she was the see (them) alive".
Hilda herself witnesses the strange scratching noises in the night, and as her patient has died, sees no reason she should remain, however, Inspector Fuller keeps her on the scene. Hilda shows herself very capable in a crisis, and disarms people with her pleasant cherubic face. It's surprising what people will confess while you are knitting. She is not a detective, or even a Police Nurse, but has the sharp capabilities to root out the truth.
There are a few references to the earlier mystery of Miss Pinkerton, but stands on its own.
The plot was overrun with clues, as any one of them could have done the murder, but you can relax as it will all be explained when the culprit is announced - skillfully left for the very last few pages.
Recommended for classic, golden-age entertainment.
February 19, 2020
In many regards Mary Roberts Rinehart was the American Agatha Christie. Unfortunately after her death in 1958 interest in her work decreased. It is nice to see this reprint.
Description
Someone’s trying to kill the head of the Fairbanks estate, and only her nurse can protect her.
The arsenic in her sugar bowl was wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks’ first clue that somebody wanted her dead. The nightly plagues of bats, birds, and rats unleashed in her bedroom were the second indication, an obvious attempt to scare the life out of the delicate dowager. So instead of calling the exterminator, Eliza calls the cops, who send Hilda Adams — “Miss Pinkerton” to the folks at the bureau — to go undercover and investigate.
Hilda Adams is a nurse, not a detective — at least, not technically speaking. But then, nurses do have the opportunity to see things that the police can’t, and to witness the inner workings of a household when the authorities aren’t around. From the moment Adams arrives at the Fairbanks mansion, confronted by a swarm of shady and oddball relatives, many of whom seem desperate for their inheritance, it’s clear that something unseemly is at work in the estate. But not even she is prepared for the web of intrigue that awaits her therein.
Reissued for the first time in over twenty years, and featuring one of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s only series characters, The Haunted Lady is the thrilling follow-up to Miss Pinkerton, also available from American Mystery Classics. The books can be read in any order.
My Review
I truly enjoyed reading The Haunting Lady. There was a lot of fore-shadowing, the characters are well-crafted and enjoyable, and I just love nurse Adams.
This ARC was provided in exchange for my honest opinion, thank you.
Eliza Fairbanks complains to Inspector Fuller who inadvertently calls on nurse Adams to figure out what is going on at the mansion. Nurse Adams realizes there is some truth to Fairbank’s complaints. It appears someone has released rats and bats in her room in hopes of frightening her to death. There are various “ghostly” events which keep you entertained and guessing until the end. To me one of the most interesting aspects of the novel is how someone can be murdered in a locked room?
Highly recommend this book, giving it a 5 star!!!
Description
Someone’s trying to kill the head of the Fairbanks estate, and only her nurse can protect her.
The arsenic in her sugar bowl was wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks’ first clue that somebody wanted her dead. The nightly plagues of bats, birds, and rats unleashed in her bedroom were the second indication, an obvious attempt to scare the life out of the delicate dowager. So instead of calling the exterminator, Eliza calls the cops, who send Hilda Adams — “Miss Pinkerton” to the folks at the bureau — to go undercover and investigate.
Hilda Adams is a nurse, not a detective — at least, not technically speaking. But then, nurses do have the opportunity to see things that the police can’t, and to witness the inner workings of a household when the authorities aren’t around. From the moment Adams arrives at the Fairbanks mansion, confronted by a swarm of shady and oddball relatives, many of whom seem desperate for their inheritance, it’s clear that something unseemly is at work in the estate. But not even she is prepared for the web of intrigue that awaits her therein.
Reissued for the first time in over twenty years, and featuring one of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s only series characters, The Haunted Lady is the thrilling follow-up to Miss Pinkerton, also available from American Mystery Classics. The books can be read in any order.
My Review
I truly enjoyed reading The Haunting Lady. There was a lot of fore-shadowing, the characters are well-crafted and enjoyable, and I just love nurse Adams.
This ARC was provided in exchange for my honest opinion, thank you.
Eliza Fairbanks complains to Inspector Fuller who inadvertently calls on nurse Adams to figure out what is going on at the mansion. Nurse Adams realizes there is some truth to Fairbank’s complaints. It appears someone has released rats and bats in her room in hopes of frightening her to death. There are various “ghostly” events which keep you entertained and guessing until the end. To me one of the most interesting aspects of the novel is how someone can be murdered in a locked room?
Highly recommend this book, giving it a 5 star!!!
August 11, 2022
Rinehart truly deserves her epithet as the American Agatha Christie. This story is a classic locked-room mystery. An old woman is found dead in her room that is tightly sealed and guarded by a nurse outside the door. It's a traditional Victorian style house with many rooms, family members, servants, and regular visitors who may or may not have motives. Nurse Hilda Adams is the protagonist cum detective. The writing is sharp, old-fashioned, and refreshingly free of swearing and gore. The plot is convoluted and far-fetched. I doubt anyone figured it all out until the final reveal but I managed to guess one small piece in advance. It may be too tame and complex for some, but I enjoyed it.
The author does have one original stylistic trait that I found interesting: overt foreshadowing. For example, Hilda would meet someone and the author would write something like "She would later describe the person to the inspector as looking ill and upset," thus suggesting that this physical state is important to the mystery. Or maybe you're supposed to wonder if Hilda is mistaken or even intentionally describing the person inaccurately. She could have written that Hilda met the person and he looked ill and upset. Why write that she later told the inspector at that point? She could mention it later when Hilda actually talks to the inspector. The point is to alert the reader that this is a clue (or maybe a red herring!) She'd begin a chapter with "Mrs. Fairbanks was murdered on Saturday night." At that point in the story, it was still Saturday morning and the author proceeds to write about everything that happened on Saturday, but you're forewarned that you'd better pay attention to where everyone is at every point because you know the murder is about to happen. These are not spoilers because you are told very early on who is going to die. You lose the surprise element to an extent from the foreshadowing, but instead you get a sort of foreboding suspense which is at least as entertaining.
The author does have one original stylistic trait that I found interesting: overt foreshadowing. For example, Hilda would meet someone and the author would write something like "She would later describe the person to the inspector as looking ill and upset," thus suggesting that this physical state is important to the mystery. Or maybe you're supposed to wonder if Hilda is mistaken or even intentionally describing the person inaccurately. She could have written that Hilda met the person and he looked ill and upset. Why write that she later told the inspector at that point? She could mention it later when Hilda actually talks to the inspector. The point is to alert the reader that this is a clue (or maybe a red herring!) She'd begin a chapter with "Mrs. Fairbanks was murdered on Saturday night." At that point in the story, it was still Saturday morning and the author proceeds to write about everything that happened on Saturday, but you're forewarned that you'd better pay attention to where everyone is at every point because you know the murder is about to happen. These are not spoilers because you are told very early on who is going to die. You lose the surprise element to an extent from the foreshadowing, but instead you get a sort of foreboding suspense which is at least as entertaining.
October 25, 2020
Nurse Hilda Adams is asked by Inspector Fuller to take on a perplexing case: monitoring the situation at the Fairbanks mansion, where the elderly matriarch Eliza insists bats, sparrows, and rats keep appearing in her room (despite the fact that no one can find such creatures). The old woman's granddaughter Janice Garrison welcomes her to the house, relieved that someone besides herself will assist Mrs. Fairbanks. Also in the home are Eliza's son Carlton and his wife Susie (who have fallen on hard times) and Eliza's high-strung daughter (and Jan's mother) Marian, who cannot get past her ex-husband Frank's affair with the family nanny Eileen (now his second wife). There are also a small staff of servants. Mrs. Fairbanks doesn't seem too thrilled with Nurse Adams's presence at first, but Hilda's professional, no-nonsense manner gradually wins her over. Nevertheless, despite Hilda's best efforts, Mrs. Fairbanks is found dead in her locked bedroom. Inspector Fuller is not pleased. There seem to be a number of suspects -- including the young Dr. Courtney Brooke, who is sweet on Jan -- but Hilda cannot fathom a possible motive or figure out who might have had opportunity to commit murder with the door to the decedent's bedroom so closely monitored. Bit by bit, pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, as Nurse Adams uses her finely-tuned skills of observation and scientific analysis to bring things to a satisfactory (if not roundly triumphant) conclusion. -- I enjoyed this book. I am not as troubled as some commentators seem to be with Rinehart's use of foreshadowing throughout, but I do find that her plot solutions are sometimes so intricate to the point of being nonsensical and unrealistic. Still, this is a pleasurable mystery with well-drawn characters. And Nurse Hilda is a gem!
March 22, 2020
Nurse Hilda Adams receives a call from Inspector Fuller that he needs her to go to the home of Eliza Fairbanks. Mrs. Fairbanks has been to see the Inspector because, first someone tried to kill her with arsenic, and is now trying to scare her with bats and rats. It was verified by her granddaughter, Jan.
The home is a very large house. She is met at the door by Jan, and first meets Jan's father, Frank Garrison, and step mother, Eileen (Jan's former nanny) who are on the way out from a visit. Living in the house besides Mrs. Fairbanks and her granddaughter are her daughter Marion, divorced from Frank, her son Carlton the son's wife Susie, along with four staff, Maggie the cook, Ida, William, and Amos. Mrs. Fairbanks is very stingy with her money, and thus, someone's motivation probably has to do with money. The other important character is Doctor Courtney Brooke, who lives across the street and is in love with Jan.
Hilda very quickly finds that Eliza Fairbanks isn't imagining things. She soon finds a bat in Eliza's room, and hears strange noises in the house. She sits up outside Eliza's room during the night, and tries to catch her sleep during the day when the doctor or Jan are on watch. However, she can't prevent Eliza from being knifed before the book is half over. Hilda (Miss Pinkerton as she is called by the Inspector) stays on and continues sleuthing, while the police go from one suspect to another. When there is another death, Hilda realizes it's someone who knows too much and figures out all the connections.
This is a very clever mystery from 1941!
The home is a very large house. She is met at the door by Jan, and first meets Jan's father, Frank Garrison, and step mother, Eileen (Jan's former nanny) who are on the way out from a visit. Living in the house besides Mrs. Fairbanks and her granddaughter are her daughter Marion, divorced from Frank, her son Carlton the son's wife Susie, along with four staff, Maggie the cook, Ida, William, and Amos. Mrs. Fairbanks is very stingy with her money, and thus, someone's motivation probably has to do with money. The other important character is Doctor Courtney Brooke, who lives across the street and is in love with Jan.
Hilda very quickly finds that Eliza Fairbanks isn't imagining things. She soon finds a bat in Eliza's room, and hears strange noises in the house. She sits up outside Eliza's room during the night, and tries to catch her sleep during the day when the doctor or Jan are on watch. However, she can't prevent Eliza from being knifed before the book is half over. Hilda (Miss Pinkerton as she is called by the Inspector) stays on and continues sleuthing, while the police go from one suspect to another. When there is another death, Hilda realizes it's someone who knows too much and figures out all the connections.
This is a very clever mystery from 1941!
April 7, 2020
Mrs. Eliza Fairbanks is an elderly woman who lives in a large home and swears that bats, rats, and birds get in her bedroom at night. After a recent incident where she was poisoned with arsenic, but survived, she in convinced that someone is trying to kill her. After requesting that the police patrol her house at night, they suggest that she get a nurse/companion.
Hilda Adams, age 38, is a well qualified nurse who works often with the police department and is quite skilled in cases like this. So, she sets up a table outside Mrs. Fairbanks bedroom where she stays up all night to guard the woman. There are several other family members and servants also living in the home. As Hilda meets each member of the family, she tries to determine if they could be the person trying to harm Mrs. Fairbanks and if so, for what reason.
The days and nights are filled with drama from each of the strange characters which keeps Hilda on her toes treating them and their many ailments, self-inflicted or not.
When Mrs. Fairbanks is stabbed to death literally under Hilda’s nose, the young nurse is very determined to find the killer and how they got away with murder.
I enjoyed the story and the time period. In the introduction to the book, the readers is warned to look out for certain things that might be said or written as they may contain clues. I can’t really say that I found them helpful, but I did not figure out who the killer was either. However, this is a great, old-fashioned who-done-it that I enjoyed very much. I have read other books by this author but it has been quite awhile. Now, I must look for more of her books to read.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Hilda Adams, age 38, is a well qualified nurse who works often with the police department and is quite skilled in cases like this. So, she sets up a table outside Mrs. Fairbanks bedroom where she stays up all night to guard the woman. There are several other family members and servants also living in the home. As Hilda meets each member of the family, she tries to determine if they could be the person trying to harm Mrs. Fairbanks and if so, for what reason.
The days and nights are filled with drama from each of the strange characters which keeps Hilda on her toes treating them and their many ailments, self-inflicted or not.
When Mrs. Fairbanks is stabbed to death literally under Hilda’s nose, the young nurse is very determined to find the killer and how they got away with murder.
I enjoyed the story and the time period. In the introduction to the book, the readers is warned to look out for certain things that might be said or written as they may contain clues. I can’t really say that I found them helpful, but I did not figure out who the killer was either. However, this is a great, old-fashioned who-done-it that I enjoyed very much. I have read other books by this author but it has been quite awhile. Now, I must look for more of her books to read.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 16, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Haunted Lady is the fourth Hilda Adams mystery by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Originally released in 1942, this reformat and re-release from Penzler as part of the American Mystery Classics series was released 7th April, is 288 pages and available in ebook format (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Although ostensibly the fourth book in the series, these lovely classic mysteries can be read in any order. Rinehart was a really adept writer and all of these tales are wonderfully convoluted, the clues are fair-play, and the puzzles delightful.
As always, the introduction by mystery maven Otto Penzler, is erudite, incisive, informative, and interesting.
Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of the author, and for the insighful history lesson from Mr. Penzler. It's also very nice to see these classics (however dated) being re-released for a new generation of fans.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Haunted Lady is the fourth Hilda Adams mystery by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Originally released in 1942, this reformat and re-release from Penzler as part of the American Mystery Classics series was released 7th April, is 288 pages and available in ebook format (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Although ostensibly the fourth book in the series, these lovely classic mysteries can be read in any order. Rinehart was a really adept writer and all of these tales are wonderfully convoluted, the clues are fair-play, and the puzzles delightful.
As always, the introduction by mystery maven Otto Penzler, is erudite, incisive, informative, and interesting.
Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of the author, and for the insighful history lesson from Mr. Penzler. It's also very nice to see these classics (however dated) being re-released for a new generation of fans.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 20, 2022
Not recommended for: those who have a problem with heavy foreshadowing. I don't. The last time I encountered foreshadowing this heavy was in a literature class and the teacher pointed it out and had us practice spotting it and identifying it. I still remember the nature channel narration jokes that followed that class...anyway, this would be great for a lesson on foreshadowing.
Other notes: I picked my copy up at a thrift store, and although I have read and liked other work by MRR, this was my first encounter with Nurse Hilda Adams. I like her. It's cool to have a mature lady detective type from that era and making her a nurse makes sense as Nurses could find employment in all kinds of settings in those days. However, given that the author was a nurse, and the MC was a nurse, I expected a little more, well, nursing. For all the previously mentioned foreshadowing that goes on, Nurse Adams doesn't seem to offer much to readers in terms of a medical angle when occasion calls for it. Although it occurred to me that someone could fake a particular medical condition, I dismissed that early on because the MC was a Nurse and the author was a Nurse, and both were female, and no hint as to the truth of the matter until the very end when she says that anyone can say they have a pain. Now, I'm not saying that I want to solve the mystery before I'm halfway through the book here, but given the heavy handed foreshadowing, it does seem a bit much.
Do I want to read more Hilda Adams books? Yes. This was a fun little distraction.
Do I wish there were a TV series like there is for Agatha Christie's Marple? Very much. No idea why it hasn't already happened.
Other notes: I picked my copy up at a thrift store, and although I have read and liked other work by MRR, this was my first encounter with Nurse Hilda Adams. I like her. It's cool to have a mature lady detective type from that era and making her a nurse makes sense as Nurses could find employment in all kinds of settings in those days. However, given that the author was a nurse, and the MC was a nurse, I expected a little more, well, nursing. For all the previously mentioned foreshadowing that goes on, Nurse Adams doesn't seem to offer much to readers in terms of a medical angle when occasion calls for it. Although it occurred to me that someone could fake a particular medical condition, I dismissed that early on because the MC was a Nurse and the author was a Nurse, and both were female, and no hint as to the truth of the matter until the very end when she says that anyone can say they have a pain. Now, I'm not saying that I want to solve the mystery before I'm halfway through the book here, but given the heavy handed foreshadowing, it does seem a bit much.
Do I want to read more Hilda Adams books? Yes. This was a fun little distraction.
Do I wish there were a TV series like there is for Agatha Christie's Marple? Very much. No idea why it hasn't already happened.
August 2, 2024
Nurse Hilda Adams has been recruited again by police inspector Harlan Fuller to work semi-undercover looking after an elderly rich widow named Eliza Fairbanks, who has had bats, sparrows and a rat sneaked into her bedroom, presumably to try to scare her to death. She is known to have a bad heart. With her in her mansion are family members son Carlton Fairbanks and his wife Susie, daughter Marian and her daughter Janice ("Jan") Garrison. Marian is divorced from Jan's father, Frank Garrison who has remarried Jan's former governess, Eileen. Jan is friendly with Eileen, but Marian hates her - blames her for destroying her marriage. There are a bunch of servants - Maggie, Ida, and William who live in servants' quarters in the main house, and Amos who lives above in the old stable on the property. The family is horribly dysfunctional. A bit earlier, Mrs. Fairbanks had survived arsenic poisoning when someone put a bit of it in the sugar for her tea. She is being looked after by a young unmarried doctor named Courtney Brooke who lives nearby. He and Jan are at the beginning of falling in love with each other. About halfway through, Mrs. Fairbank is discovered murdered, with a kitchen knife in her chest. The police are called, and the usual forensic procedures are followed. Mrs. Fairbanks had a safe in her closet for which nobody knows the combination to, which contains her will, large amounts of cash and who knows what else. A number of people could have a motive for the murder. And Hilda (called "Miss Pinkerton" by her police friends) is in the middle of things trying to sort out what's going on. And there are more murders/attempted murders to come. A real page turner.
April 4, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
To my chagrin, I have to admit that I hadn’t read any of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s writing before this year. The author’s name sounded vaguely familiar, but it was only recently that I heard her being called the “American Agatha Christie.” Of course, that little phrase made me curious.
Hilda Adams is a nurse with a sharp eye and good problem-solving skills. In this particular book, she’s asked by the police- who she’s worked well with previously- to stay nights with the wealthy, older Mrs. Fairbanks, who is convinced that someone is trying to kill her. Hilda reluctantly agrees, expecting nothing more than the paranoia of a lonely woman. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a who dunnit, one that takes place within a locked room. I truly love locked room mysteries!
I thought the mystery itself was clever, and the author planted the clues along the way, so that- were I smart enough- I might have solved it on my own. Alas, I am not. Thankfully, Hilda was also on the case! The cast of suspects felt a little flat to me, however. I was hoping for more from them, as far as personality goes. I struggled to feel the sense of excitement or tension that I often find in Agatha Christie’s books. Hilda herself was fun to read, though. She was a no-nonsense sort, but she was also far from impervious to nerves.
I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it. It was a fun read, and a good way to pass some time, but I wasn’t blown away.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
To my chagrin, I have to admit that I hadn’t read any of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s writing before this year. The author’s name sounded vaguely familiar, but it was only recently that I heard her being called the “American Agatha Christie.” Of course, that little phrase made me curious.
Hilda Adams is a nurse with a sharp eye and good problem-solving skills. In this particular book, she’s asked by the police- who she’s worked well with previously- to stay nights with the wealthy, older Mrs. Fairbanks, who is convinced that someone is trying to kill her. Hilda reluctantly agrees, expecting nothing more than the paranoia of a lonely woman. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a who dunnit, one that takes place within a locked room. I truly love locked room mysteries!
I thought the mystery itself was clever, and the author planted the clues along the way, so that- were I smart enough- I might have solved it on my own. Alas, I am not. Thankfully, Hilda was also on the case! The cast of suspects felt a little flat to me, however. I was hoping for more from them, as far as personality goes. I struggled to feel the sense of excitement or tension that I often find in Agatha Christie’s books. Hilda herself was fun to read, though. She was a no-nonsense sort, but she was also far from impervious to nerves.
I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it. It was a fun read, and a good way to pass some time, but I wasn’t blown away.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
November 29, 2021
Number 36 for the Telephone Book Club!
I was pleasantly surprised when Dz. requested a mystery. And even more surprised when this was the title he picked from the list I provided. But, even so, I was really glad that we read this one. The story was incredibly interesting, with a large cast of characters. And I liked that there were multiple twists and turns, shocking surprises, and revelations to keep the reader glued to the page.
While Dz. and I always try to guess who the killer is (as any good mystery reader should do) we were both stymied by the ultimate reveal. While I would have liked to have guessed correctly, I always prefer to be surprised.
Our only complaint was that there were SO MANY characters in this book to keep track of! Not only did I have a hard time coming up with voices for everyone (I read these books aloud), but we had trouble just keeping them straight. In the end, I had to create a little chart so that I could differentiate Jan from Eileen from Susie from Marian, etc. And even then, Dz. and I were confused.
Still, this was a nice return to the mystery genre. We've been reading adventure stories for so long that it was nice to have a change of pace.
Readers might notice that this is #4 in the Hilda Adams/Miss Pinkerton series. And no, you do not need to read these in order. This was the first one we read and there were no questions, no confusion about who the detective was, nor were there any spoiler-laden references to previous titles.
I was pleasantly surprised when Dz. requested a mystery. And even more surprised when this was the title he picked from the list I provided. But, even so, I was really glad that we read this one. The story was incredibly interesting, with a large cast of characters. And I liked that there were multiple twists and turns, shocking surprises, and revelations to keep the reader glued to the page.
While Dz. and I always try to guess who the killer is (as any good mystery reader should do) we were both stymied by the ultimate reveal. While I would have liked to have guessed correctly, I always prefer to be surprised.
Our only complaint was that there were SO MANY characters in this book to keep track of! Not only did I have a hard time coming up with voices for everyone (I read these books aloud), but we had trouble just keeping them straight. In the end, I had to create a little chart so that I could differentiate Jan from Eileen from Susie from Marian, etc. And even then, Dz. and I were confused.
Still, this was a nice return to the mystery genre. We've been reading adventure stories for so long that it was nice to have a change of pace.
Readers might notice that this is #4 in the Hilda Adams/Miss Pinkerton series. And no, you do not need to read these in order. This was the first one we read and there were no questions, no confusion about who the detective was, nor were there any spoiler-laden references to previous titles.
May 28, 2023
Loved this interesting whodunit by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Originally published in 1942, this is another one of the "Miss Pinkerton" mysteries that were a great hit by the "American Agatha Christie" novelist.
In this story, nurse Hilda Adams is sent by Inspector Fuller to the home of wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks, who believes someone in her home is trying to frighten her to death by bats and rats. It hasn't worked on the feisty lady, and she wants the police to find out who is behind it all. Enter Nurse Adams - in the mansion ostensibly to care for the elderly lady, but really on the premises to sort through the truth-tellers from those who are not.
This was a page-turner right from the beginning. The family is the usual type in these books: the money and liquor flow just about as easily as the neuroses do! Which also means every character has reason to want the old lady dead. As the bodies pile up, the Reader is on a merry-go-round, changing ideas of who the murderer could be.
As books from this period are known to do, certain habits are glossed over: one of the characters tends to drink a lot of highballs, yet rarely gets drunk. With the exception of Eliza Fairbanks and "the household staff," everyone smokes (a lot; some characters almost chainsmoke, even in the police station).
*Note: There is one or two possibly triggering comment from the Inspector toward the (single) Nurse Adams that would never be considered appropriate in today's environment.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
In this story, nurse Hilda Adams is sent by Inspector Fuller to the home of wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks, who believes someone in her home is trying to frighten her to death by bats and rats. It hasn't worked on the feisty lady, and she wants the police to find out who is behind it all. Enter Nurse Adams - in the mansion ostensibly to care for the elderly lady, but really on the premises to sort through the truth-tellers from those who are not.
This was a page-turner right from the beginning. The family is the usual type in these books: the money and liquor flow just about as easily as the neuroses do! Which also means every character has reason to want the old lady dead. As the bodies pile up, the Reader is on a merry-go-round, changing ideas of who the murderer could be.
As books from this period are known to do, certain habits are glossed over: one of the characters tends to drink a lot of highballs, yet rarely gets drunk. With the exception of Eliza Fairbanks and "the household staff," everyone smokes (a lot; some characters almost chainsmoke, even in the police station).
*Note: There is one or two possibly triggering comment from the Inspector toward the (single) Nurse Adams that would never be considered appropriate in today's environment.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
December 16, 2017
It was great fun to read one of Mary Roberts Rinehart's classic "Had I But Known" mysteries again! Even more fun was that I was reading a 75 year old original Dell map back edition (not the first issued, but second, #814 to be exact, which has a different cover). I know all those map back collectors out there are probably appalled that I risked condition by reading my copy. My position is that it's already 'used' and I am gentle!
Plot has so many classic Rinehart elements: elderly rich woman ultimately murdered, motley lot of family and servants about with various bones to pick with her, a young star-crossed set of lovers (and an older pair too here), an odd assortment of clues, a locked room where the murder took place with no possible way it could happen, and, at least here, the indomitable Ms. HIlda Adams a/k/a Miss Pinkerton, there to solve it all. I had forgotten the whole 'had she but known' element to Rinehart's plots and was a little taken aback when I first encountered almost that exact phrase very early in the book.
I wonder if anyone writes those now? Must give it some thought.
Overall, a delightful read without being particularly engaging. Past time for Rinehart to experience a return to popularity as these are far superior to most of the cozy mysteries currently written. I read this as my book purchased at a used book sale for the 2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
Plot has so many classic Rinehart elements: elderly rich woman ultimately murdered, motley lot of family and servants about with various bones to pick with her, a young star-crossed set of lovers (and an older pair too here), an odd assortment of clues, a locked room where the murder took place with no possible way it could happen, and, at least here, the indomitable Ms. HIlda Adams a/k/a Miss Pinkerton, there to solve it all. I had forgotten the whole 'had she but known' element to Rinehart's plots and was a little taken aback when I first encountered almost that exact phrase very early in the book.
I wonder if anyone writes those now? Must give it some thought.
Overall, a delightful read without being particularly engaging. Past time for Rinehart to experience a return to popularity as these are far superior to most of the cozy mysteries currently written. I read this as my book purchased at a used book sale for the 2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
July 27, 2020
#2 in the Hilda Adams series. This 1942 Golden Age mystery by Mary Roberts Rinehart is the second novel in the series, a few novellas would follow. This novel is a faster read than the previous series entry Miss Pinkerton (1932) though it does slow down when the evidence for killing the old lady piles up against the four servants, the son and his wife, the divorced daughter, the daughter's ex-husband and his new wife, the granddaughter and her doctor boyfriend. I found it difficult at times to remember remember who did what when.
Last seen in Miss Pinkerton (1932), nurse Hilda Adams is again assisting the police by working in a patient's home where crime is afoot. As in Miss Pinkerton, the patient is an elderly lady in a dysfunctional home. Wealthy Eliza Fairbanks isn't exactly sick, but she claims to have recently suffered arsenic poisoning and, most worryingly for her family, says that bats, birds, and rats appear in her sealed room. Everyone from inheritance-seeking family members to shifty servants is suspected, with possible clues, red herrings, and innuendo confounding the nurse at every turn.
Last seen in Miss Pinkerton (1932), nurse Hilda Adams is again assisting the police by working in a patient's home where crime is afoot. As in Miss Pinkerton, the patient is an elderly lady in a dysfunctional home. Wealthy Eliza Fairbanks isn't exactly sick, but she claims to have recently suffered arsenic poisoning and, most worryingly for her family, says that bats, birds, and rats appear in her sealed room. Everyone from inheritance-seeking family members to shifty servants is suspected, with possible clues, red herrings, and innuendo confounding the nurse at every turn.
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