The Yellow Room

Rating:
Summary: Very classic and old fashioned.
Review: All ingredients of a first class Mary R. Rinehart are displayed in the first pages of the Yellow Room. A huge house in the country, belonging to a wealthy family : the first daughter is a "jet-set" woman, far from ordinary human feelings ; the second daughter Carol, the heroine, is more engaging, unaffected, a lovely girl. It seems the boy she was engaged to was killed in the Pacific, but it's not so sure. Her brother is a WWII hero, but it appears there's something not so clear in his past. The corpse of an unknown young woman is found in the house, and we discover she's connected with the family. Incidents and accidents, attempts of murder and murder occur more and more often at night, and the police net closes on Carol. Well, of course, here comes a man, an ex soldier but not a super-hero, who'll help Carol and solve the mystery. The girl falls obviously for him, and all's well that end's well, but there's no preciousness in the story. The conclusion, as always, is unexpected and great. Old fashioned, yes, but to be read with great pleasure.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for Agatha Christie & MM Kaye fans!
Review: I personally love mysteries set in the `40s and earlier with a female heroine. This fits the bill! I love the details of the era and the writing style that comes along with writing in that time period.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of twists and turns in the plot - typical of Rinehart
Review: This book is vintage Mary Roberts Rinehart -- upper-class family, grand summer home, all kinds of surprises and plot turns -- with an observant heroine who rises to the occasion and ends up escaping her stifling life as well. Lots of atmosphere and plenty of details to keep you guessing.