A very interesting lady, Mary Roberts Rinehart began her literary career with best-selling mysteries published in the early part of the 20th Century but she eventually branched out into comedy, several novels and short stories about nursing, Broadway plays, travel, and more before returning to mysteries in the last years of her life. Her early financial success also launched her sons into publishing and their company ended up creating an impressive part of that industry’s history in the U.S.
Always liking the chance to read novels that were popular with earlier generations, I had long ago placed Mary Roberts Rinehart on a list of authors I wanted to try. Well, now I have. And although I can’t say I was disappointed, neither can I say that I found her mysteries strong or compelling enough to recommend to others. Sorry, Mrs. Rinehart.
The three books of hers I read were The Frightened Wife, The Man in Lower Ten and Episode of the Wandering Knife (a collection of her short stories). They were okay. And interesting both for their merits and for their place in the development of American mystery/detective fiction. But I’ll probably not be re-reading them nor will I be looking for any more in the future.
However, a biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart? That I just might read because the varied, sometimes troubled life of this extremely popular author seems more interesting to me than her invented stories. There are, I understand, a couple of biographies out there on Mary Roberts Rinehart so I'll perhaps check them out before long.
