I stumbled upon this book while browsing around Project Gutenberg. I started reading it and liked the narrator's voice and kept going. The story is told from the perspective of a wealthy socialite woman that at first I thought might be flat and stereotypical of the time period, but instead, to me anyway, it seemed fresh and engaging. Rinehart uses racial terms that are dated such as "darkies"(the book came out in 1908, after all) and at first I thought her use of race was stereotypical, but upon reflection I think she used it in a more complex way, to play upon the racial attitudes of the time period in a way that may be eventually enlightening to readers. ( )

Rinehart apparently intended this as a parody of mystery stories, which is clear in how intentionally convoluted it can get. However, it became a bestseller not for the parody aspect but for the mystery. Badass older lady bickers with her maid/companion and shows no fear. Loses a star for a handful of casual 1908 racism. ( )

This was an enjoyable read. ( )

My second read of this book and it's almost as good as the first.

I continue to like Rachel; I'd like to think she comes closest to how I'd act in a parallel situation. The humour held up too and I still marvel at Rinehart keeping all the plot points of her story straight. I've read too many contemporary books that have half the plot complexity and holes you could drive a train through.

But the racism is still confronting enough to take me out of the story; Thomas might have been well respected by the characters, and the story a product of its time, but the descriptions and use of vernacular were the bruises on what would have been a perfect peach of a story in my time. And on this second read, I marvelled at how anyone believed so pitiful a disguise could have worked so thoroughly for so long.

Still, this is a great story; a gem that shows some things transcend time (in this case almost 110 years): there have always been crafters of labyrinthine plots, there have always been strong women with resourceful intellects, and there is always a place for humour and wit, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.

I'll continue to heartily recommend this book to lovers of a great mystery. ( )

cartoonish; like an episode of Scooby Doo but with racism ( )