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The Great Mistake

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( 984 ratings, 112 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in the grand Cloisters estate, The Great Mistake follows Maud Wainwright, the unchallenged queen of Beverly society. Pat Abbott, her innocent and kind confidante, is unwittingly drawn into dangerous social intrigues after falling in love with Tony, Maud's charming yet married son. As mysterious attacks and a shocking murder unfold, Pat must navigate a web of deceit and suspicion among a lengthy list of guests to save those she loves.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4600

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for enthusiasts of Golden Age mysteries, fans of atmospheric period dramas, and readers who appreciate intricate plots driven by complex social dynamics and murder intrigue.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Murder leads to scandal at a wealthy womanโ€™s mansion in this mystery from one of the best-selling authors of the 20th century

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In an elaborate house known as the Cloisters, Maud Wainwright rules supreme. The queen of society in the small town of Beverly, she has a table long enough to seat one hundred, and she keeps an iron grip on the guest list. Her right-hand woman is Pat Abbott, a local girl who is beautiful, innocent, and kind. Pat has no idea how cutthroat high society can be, but she's about to get a deadly first lesson.

Pat has fallen head over heels in love with Maud's son, Tony, a clever young rake with a single flaw: his vicious, gold-digging wife. At the same time that she is dangerously infatuated with a married man, Pat's world is turned upside down by a series of attacks on the estateโ€”and a truly shocking murder. To save Tony and Maud, Pat must find the killer. But the list of suspects is as long as one of Maud's guest lists: When a woman has room at her table for one hundred friends, she'll have more than her share of enemies.

Atmospheric writing, period detail, and characters caught in an intriguing murder plot make this Golden Age mystery one of Rinehart's best, exemplifying why she's known to her fans as the American Agatha Christie.

Series: An American Mystery Classic

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  • The Great Mistake
    In an elaborate house known as the Cloisters, Maud Wainwright rules supreme. The queen of society in the small town of Beverly, she has a table long enough to seat one hundred, and she keeps an iron grip on the guest list. Her right-hand woman is Pat Abbott, a local girl who is beautiful, innocent, and kind. Pat has no...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Unreservedly recommended by Midwest Book Review, this novel showcases Mary Roberts Rinehart's mastery of plot construction, characterisation, and mystification, praised by the New York Times as her finest work. Fans of classic Golden Age mysteries will find Rinehart's storytelling both atmospheric and compelling.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781613164600

Publisher: Penzler Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 December 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: American Mystery Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 434g

Pages: 450

About the Author

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) was the most beloved and best-selling mystery writer in America in the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Pittsburgh to the owner of a sewing machine factory, she wrote fiction in her spare time until a stock market crash sent her and her husband into debt, forcing her to lean on her writing to pay the bills. Her first two novels, The Circular Staircase (1908) and The Man in Lower Ten (1909), established her as a bright young talent, and it wasnโ€™t long before she was a regular on bestseller lists.Among her dozens of novels were The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry (1911) and The Bat (1932), which was among the inspirations for Bob Kaneโ€™s Batman. Today, Rinehart is often called an American Agatha Christie, even though she was much more popular than Christie during her heyday.

Also by Mary Roberts Rinehart

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  • The Album
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