Wealthy, middle-aged spinster Rachel Innes is persuaded by her niece Gertrude and nephew Halsey to take a house in the country for the summer. Rachel is unaware that the house hides a sinister secret, and soon unexplained happenings and murder follow.



The Circular Staircase is perhaps Mary Roberts Rinehart's most famous story. The tale mixes bone-chilling suspense and romance with good humor to produce an absorbing and entertaining mystery.