Mary Roberts Rinehart books

Anthologies

Collections

Hilda Adams Reading Order

Miss Cornelia Van Gorder Reading Order

Non-Fiction

Standalone Novels

Tish Reading Order

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) was one of the most popular American authors of the early twentieth century. A trained nurse who turned to writing to pay off family debts, she became a prolific novelist, playwright, and war correspondent. Her mystery novels, beginning with The Circular Staircase in 1908, helped define the American mystery genre and influenced writers for decades.

Rinehart created several recurring characters, including the nurse-detective Hilda Adams (known as “Miss Pinkerton”), the adventurous spinster Tish Carberry, and Miss Cornelia Van Gorder. She also wrote more than thirty standalone novels, eight non-fiction books, and numerous short story collections. Her work blends mystery with romance and gothic atmosphere, and her narrative technique of having the protagonist hint at coming dangers became known as the “Had-I-But-Known” style. She remained active as a writer into the 1950s, producing work across five decades.