The Circular Staircase
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| Author | Mary Roberts Rinehart |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Bobbs-Merrill |
Publication date | 1908 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 362 |
The Circular Staircase is a mystery novel by American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart. The story follows dowager Rachel Innes as she thwarts a series of strange crimes at a summer house she has rented with her niece and nephew. The novel was Rinehart's first bestseller and established her as one of the era's most popular writers. The story was serialized in All-Story for five issues starting with the November 1907 issue, then published in book form by Bobbs-Merrill in 1908.
Rinehart was inspired to write the novel after a visit to Melrose, a Gothic Revival castle in Northern Virginia.[1]
The Circular Staircase pioneered what became known as the "had I but known" school of mystery writing, which often feature female protagonists and narrators who foreshadow impending danger and plot developments by reflecting on what they might have done differently. Rinehart employed this formula in many of her later works, and it inspired dozens of subsequent stories.[2][3][4] The novel was adapted for the screen twice: as a silent film in 1915, and for the television series Climax! in 1956.[5] Its best known adaptation was as the play The Bat, which became a major Broadway hit and inspired a number of later works, including several adaptations of its own.
Rachel Innes is a spinster who has had custody of her orphaned niece and nephew since they were children. The siblings Halsey and Gertrude are now 24 and 20, respectively, and they talk Rachel into renting a house in the country for the summer. The country-house is owned by the Armstrong family (who are currently away on vacation), and currently only has a housekeeper named Mary.
Upon arriving Rachel and her long-time maid Lydia set about hiring staff and setting up in the house before Halsey and Gertrude arrive the next day. They receive an ominous warning that there is a ghost in the house from Thomas, an older man who has worked for the Armstrongs for many years and agrees to return and work as a butler for Rachel. The first night Lydia and Rachel are awoken by the sounds of an intruder sneaking around and dropping a metal golf stick on a staircase. The next morning Gertrude and Halsey arrive along with Jack Bailey, a local banker who is a friend to Halsey and engaged to Gertrude.
The next night Rachel is again woken by a loud sound and a dead body is found at the bottom of a circular set of stairs. The police arrive led by Detective Jamieson and the body is identified as Arnold Armstrong, the estranged son of the house owner Paul Armstrong. Halsey and Jack are both missing and while searching for them Rachel discovers Halsey's pistol thrown into a tulip bed. She hides this discovery from the police who question both her and Gertrude. Gertrude provides an alibi for Halsey and Jack, claiming they left just before Arnold was shot to death.
Rachel is determined to remain in the house until the mystery is solved and her nephew is cleared of all suspicion despite the fact that there continue to be break-ins and mysterious tapping noises during the night. A few days later Halsey returns without Jack and refuses to provide any explanations. Jack and Halsey both had a poor relationship with Arnold because Arnold treated Gertrude badly. The day Halsey returns news breaks that the local bank (which is owned by Paul Armstrong, and where Jack works, and also where Halsey and Gertrude keep their substantial inheritance) has gone bankrupt because someone who worked there stole a bunch of money. Suspicion immediately falls on the missing Jack Bailey, who turns himself into police custody that day proclaiming his innocence.
Jack is released from police custody due to claimed illness. Rachel continues to investigate and hires a new gardener on the recommendation of Halsey. She discovers that Thomas and the housekeeper Mary have been hiding a very ill Louise Armstrong (the step-daughter of Paul Armstrong and fiance of Halsey) in the groundskeeper's house. News arrives that Paul Armstrong has died due to heart disease and poor health. Thomas the groundskeeper dies of a fright-induced heart attack not much later.
The stable is lit on fire as a distraction so someone can break into the house, but Rachel realizes this and manages to shoot the would-be-burglar in the foot but the burglar still gets away. Louise breaks off her engagement with Halsey against her own wishes to marry the local Dr. Walker. Late at night Detective Jamieson and the new gardener wake up Rachel and take her to a graveyard, where they dig up the grave of Paul Armstrong and determine that the body in the grave is not that of Paul Armstrong. When Halsey finds out he takes off angrily, and then his car is found crashed into a train with him still missing. Halsey remains missing for several days until finally being discovered tied up in a train car by a hobo. Investigation into the bank fraud determines it was Paul Armstrong who stole the money, not Jack Bailey. Paul Armstrong had then hid the money in his house in a secret room and faked his own death, promising Dr. Walker a marriage with his stepdaughter Louise if Walker would go along with the plan. Paul and Walker had been the burglars trying to break into the house over the past month.
Paul dies when he falls down the stairs while fleeing from the police after breaking into his mansion again. Arnold Armstrong was shot by the housekeeper Mary, who was the sister of Arnold's secret ex-wife. Mary's sister had died giving birth to Arnold's child and Mary had been raising the child without any help from Arnold for several years. After Arnold was disinherited from his family he began to blackmail Mary by threatening to take his child away from her if she did not give him money. He also beat her with a golf stick. Jack Bailey had disguised himself as the new gardener to help with the investigation and ultimately cleared his name of all charges and marries Gertrude. Halsey and Louise also got back together after her stepfather died.
