Publisher's Synopsis
Written by one of the readers: "'The Circular Staircase' is a terrific mystery! Despite having the constant cliffhanger chapters of a serial as well as the never-ending crises (the story was first published in 1907 in magazine installments), the story is truly engrossing, drawing one into reading a long time at night. At least, this one did! I never guessed whodunit, or why at all.Rachel Innes, wealthy spinster, narrates the story. She has rented a house in the town of Sunnyside for the summer unaware the family of the absent owner has been undergoing tumultuous events. The family members of the owner soon unexpectedly invade Rachel's life, but at first, she is more concerned with her own household. She has been raising her dead brother's children, Halsey and Gertrude, now grown up. They both finished their educations and have begun becoming interested in possible spouses, leading to interesting houseguests. Rachel is not a strict aunt or a martinet. She finds the people around her interesting and humorous, so she has a lighthearted view to the problems of servants and acquaintances even while seriously solving the problems for which she is responsible.Rachel has a very funny relationship with a longtime companion/servant, Liddie. They toss a lot of insults at each other throughout the book, and Liddie either threatens to quit or is fired at least once a week. I laughed out loud at these quips and arguments, usually showing Rachel on top of the game.The house is owned by Paul Armstrong, the president of a local bank, the Sunnyside Trader's Bank. He was living in California with his second wife and daughter, and a family doctor, when the story opens. The daughter, Louise, was being courted for a time by Halsey, but as far as Rachel knows, the relationship did not go anywhere. There also is a black-sheep son, Arnold, who is rumored to having forged his father's name to a paper.After a single night of peace in the house, the first night after the Innes household moved in, there are continuous break-ins and unknown visitors at night. Servants leave, obviously frightened. Finally, a body is discovered at the bottom of a circular staircase! Murder has been done! Rachel is determined to get to the bottom of it.Every of the original elements of older mysteries is included in this story - secret rooms, ghostly tappings and creaking doors, a visit to a cemetery at night, odd-looking strangers, terrifying deaths. Even though people have somewhat of an Edwardian sense of propriety, Rachel's wit, curiosity and feistiness create an atmosphere of fun and danger! I really enjoyed this novel.