Mary Roberts Rinehart has often been called the mistress of mystery. In fact, the phrase 'The butler did it' originated in one of her books. In 1905 Rinehart entered a field exclusive to men: detective fiction. Now, nearly a century after she began her ground-breaking career, her celebrated thrillers still remain un-put-down-able masterpieces.



Rinehart's The Man in Lower Ten, the first American detective novel to make the bestseller list, follows the investigation of the murder of a man in a sleeping car on a train. In this fast-paced thriller, the investigating detective builds up a network of clues that absolutely incriminate three entirely different people—only one of whom can be guilty.