Description
In this twisty whodunnit from "the grand dame of American crime fiction" (CrimeReads), the murder of a wealthy widow brings the secrets of her aristocratic neighbors to light
Even in the early 1930s, Crescent Place is a neighborhood out of the past. The five Victorian mansions and the remote patch of pasture placed between them have the air of the 1890s, even as the city—once miles away from this idyllic retreat—encroaches and surrounds the enclave. But while these rarified residences may appear calm on the outside, their isolated interiors contain dark secrets, prolonged feuds, and generations of high-toned trouble.
In these houses are a husband and wife who fight constantly, and another couple who hasn’t spoken to each other in two decades. There is a widow in permanent mourning and a daughter whom the newspapers call psychotic. And there is a bedridden old woman who is about to be killed with an ax.
When her murder shatters the well-mannered quiet of the cul-de-sac, the tabloids delight in trumpeting Crescent Place’s peculiarities. But as the search for the killer intensifies, it becomes clear that the area’s strangest secrets have yet to be revealed.
A suspenseful mystery enriched by sly social satire and set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, The Album is a memorable whodunnit from one of the most beloved and best selling authors of the Golden Age era.
Reviews
"All Mary Roberts Rinehart mystery stories are good, but this one is better" — New York Times
"[Rinehart’s] mysteries keep the reader guessing" — Strand Magazine
"Rinehart’s exploration of the psychological effects of the repressed atmosphere of Crescent Place on its residents elevate this beyond a clever closed-circle puzzle. This American Crime Classic is another meritorious revival of a now obscure talent." — Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
"This lengthy, engaging, complex mystery filled with odd but memorable characters and an unexpected ending, is well deserving of a revival." — Booklist
"A memorable and classic whodunnit by the late Mary Roberts Rinehart—one of the most beloved and popular mystery authors of the Golden Age era." — Midwest Book Review