The Nurse Hilda Adams Mysteries by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Mary Roberts Rinehart wrote three novellas and two novels about Nurse Hilda Adams, who was recruited to work undercover with the homicide department.

Mary Roberts Rinehart

The Buckled Bag and Locked Doors  (1914) 3/5 stars
These two novellas introduce Hilda Adams, a nurse who is engaged by a Police Inspector to do undercover work.  Told from the first-person point-of-view of Nurse Adams, they are at times both delightful and amusing.  The mystery in both is quite interesting, and the stories were enjoyable overall.

Miss Pinkerton  (1932)  4/5 stars

When an elderly lady's nephew commits suicide, Police Inspector Patton is skeptical and arranges that Nurse Hilda Adams should be the nurse in charge of the old woman's care.  This well-written novel is told in Nurse Adams' delightful and amusing voice, and is both engrossing and entertaining.

The Haunted Lady (1942)  4/5 stars

A family matriarch, convinced that someone in her own house is trying to scare her to death, requests police assistance, and Nurse Hilda Adams is sent in undercover.  Unlike the previous stories featuring Nurse Adams, this one is not told from her point of view.  It's understandable, as the reader will need more information than Hilda could give in first-person, but I certainly missed her delightful, amusing voice.  The mystery itself was nicely twisted and satisfying.

Episode of the Wandering Knife  (1950)  4/5 stars

This is a collection of two novellas (The Episode of the Wandering Knife and The Secret) and one short story ("The Man Who Hid His Breakfast").  The first novella was laugh-out-loud funny and a true pleasure, worthy of five stars.   The second novella, featuring Nurse Hilda Adams, was implausible, though certainly interesting, but only three star material.  They sandwich the entertaining and well-written short story, following a retiring Police Inspector's final case, which was not fully satisfying, earning four stars from me.

July 2023 Wrap Up

Books Read:

The Strange Case of Harriet Hall by Moray Dalton (1936)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Death in the Dark by Moray Dalton (1938)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Art School Murders by Moray Dalton (1943)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly (1940)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Deadly Nightshade by Elizabeth Daly (1940)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Murders in Volume 2 by Elizabeth Daly (1941)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The House without the Door by Elizabeth Daly (1942)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert (1950)  3/5 stars

This murder mystery is well-written and generally enjoyable, but the combination of a most unlikely disposal of the victim and a not fully convincing motive made it only an average read for me.

The Chignon Scarf  by Mignon G. Eberhart (1939)  3/5 stars

This mystery is improbable and, at times, silly, with a case of love-at-first-sight, a remote and cut-off location, and overdone drama.  It's not Eberhart's best, but is still undeniably entertaining for those who enjoy the light suspense novels of this era.

The Canary Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (1927)  3/5 stars

Georgette Heyer

This is an interesting, mostly entertaining, and generally well-written locked room mystery with a clever solution.  Unfortunately, Philo Vance, the amateur detective and hero, only figured it out by accident and that lessened my enjoyment.

Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer  (1933)  4/5 stars

Heyer's Regency novels are better known than her Golden Age mysteries, and rightly so, but this one was quite enjoyable.  It has a solid and twisty plot with plenty of clues, and is filled with Heyer's typically excellent dialogue and signature wit.   The culprit is obvious early-on, but the journey to the solution is where the fun lies.  

Audio Books Completed:

Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by  Deborah Cadbury (2017)  4/5 stars

This is a nonfiction discussion of European politics during the late Victorian era as seen through the lens of the marriages of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren.  The title suggests that it will tell of the Queen's personal involvement in the marriages, which was not actually a lot, but the subtitle truthful shows that it only features those marriages that affected European politics.  I found both aspects to be somewhat disappointing, as I would have enjoyed learning about some of the Queen's lesser-known children and grandchildren.  Nonetheless, I found it generally well-written and thoroughly entertaining and informative; I would certainly recommend it to other armchair historians also interested in this area.

In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire by Laurence Bergreen (2021)  3/5 stars

This is a nonfiction account of Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe,  his role in defeating the Spanish Armada, and his relationship with Queen Elizabeth I.  The topic itself is fascinating, but Bergreen didn't do it full justice.  The narrative rambles at times, tends to repeat itself, and, while detailing some events, gives very little information on others.  So, while I liked it and learned new-to-me information, I can only recommend it with the caveat that it is not a lively or completely enjoyable book.

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