Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Album
Mary Roberts Rinehart
1933
4/5 stars
A bedridden woman is brutally axed to death on Crescent Avenue, a secluded and highly respectful suburban neighborhood of five homes, and it appears that it was someone she knew, and knew well. Soon, the Crescent's deepest secrets are being unearthed, and, perhaps as a result, the body count continues to rise.
The Album is told from the point of view of Louisa Hall, one of the youngest of the Crescent at twenty-something, as she slowly learns the facts of the case from those doing the detecting. It's well-written, engaging, and completely entertaining as Rinehart's novels generally are. She is the master of the "had I but known" plot, and this is one of the best and most humorous examples. The hints and clues and red herrings of the complex plot are dropped thickly, so that by the end, the reader has all that is needed to solve the crime before the denouement. It's thoroughly engrossing, and such fun, despite the gruesome crime. While it may not be five star literature, I got that much enjoyment out it and definitely recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries written during this period.
