The Circular Staircase
The Circular Staircase follows a middle-aged woman who retreats to a summer house, only to find herself entangled in a web of mystery, crime, and family secrets that threaten to unravel her peaceful escape. As tensions rise and dark truths emerge, the once serene setting becomes a backdrop for suspense and intrigue.
By Mary Roberts Rinehart · First published 1908 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Gothic Fiction · 34 chapters · 84,985 words
First lines
This is the story of how a middle-aged spinster lost her mind, deserted her domestic gods in the city, took a furnished house for the summer out of town, and found herself involved in one of those mysterious crimes that keep our newspapers and detective agencies happy and prosperous. For twenty years I had been perfectly comfortable; for twenty years I had had the window-boxes filled in the spring, the carpets lifted, the awnings put up and the furniture covered with brown linen; for as many summers I had said goodbye to my friends, and, after watching their perspiring hegira, had settled down to a delicious quiet in town, where the mail comes three times a day, and the water supply does not depend on a tank on the roof.
What this Textopian page supports
The Circular Staircase is listed on Textopian as a novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Mary Roberts Rinehart
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Detective Fiction, Historical Fiction
- Length: 84,985 words
- Structure: 34 chapters, 1,600 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Circular Staircase?
- How does this novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Passage In The Secret History Of An Irish Countess by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
- A Master Of Mysteries by L. T. Meade
- The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins
- The Man In Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- The Mystery Of The Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
- St Catherines Eve by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Genres
- Mystery — The plot revolves around a series of mysterious events and a murder investigation.
- Thriller — The suspenseful elements and tension throughout the narrative create a thrilling atmosphere.
- Gothic Fiction — The setting and themes include elements typical of Gothic literature, such as an old house and a sense of foreboding.
- Detective Fiction — The story features amateur sleuthing and investigation, characteristic of detective fiction.
Tags
Mystery · Thriller · Suspense · Detective Fiction · Gothic Fiction · Psychological Thriller · Family Drama · Social Commentary · Victorian Era · Estate Mystery · Inheritance · Deception
Contents
- I Take a Country House
- A Link Cuff-Button
- Mr. John Bailey Appears
- Where is Halsey?
- Gertrude's Engagement
- In the East Corridor
- A Sprained Ankle
- The other Half of the Line
- Just Like a Girl
- The Traders' Bank
- Halsey Makes a Capture
- One Mystery for Another
- Louise
- An Eggnog and a Telegram
- Liddy Gives the Alarm
- In the Early Morning
- A Hint of Scandal
- A Hole in the Wall
- Concerning Thomas
- Doctor Walker's Warning
- Fourteen Elm Street
- A Ladder out of Place
- While the Stables Burned
- Flinders
- A Visit from Louise
- Halsey's Disappearance
- Who is Nina Carrington?
- A Tramp and the Toothache
- A Scrap of Paper
- When Churchyards Yawn
- Between Two Fireplaces
- Anne Watson's Story
- At the Foot of the Stairs
- The Odds and Ends