Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an e-galley of this novel.

The introduction to this book, written by Otto Penzler, provides useful information about Mary Roberts Rinehart's writing career as well as information relating to this specific book, first published in 1942. I'm sure I must have read at least one Rinehart mystery over the course of my reading lifetime but I have never read this specific book. I was grateful for the information Penzler provided because his information regarding foreshadowing came to my attention in this story pretty quickly and very often. Learning that element was a part of her writing style helped to keep me from becoming quite so irritated by the frequency with which it was employed.

Nurse Hilda Adams is asked by the police to accept a nursing job in the Fairbanks household. Hilda has a rather unconventional relationship with the police which makes for an unusual dynamic. The family matriarch, Eliza Fairbanks, has told the police about strange happenings over the last few weeks which lead her to think someone is trying to frighten her into having a heart attack resulting in her death. Adams agrees to go to 10 Grove Avenue to keep an eye on the family, servants, and anyone else who might have a reason for wanting old Mrs. Fairbanks to die.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, maybe even more than I had expected. The uncovering of the clues about how the strange happenings are being done is handled satisfactorily and kept my attention focused on this book the whole time I was reading it. The Nurse Hilda Adams character is well thought out and she carries out her job as an observer well. I never did suspect who was pulling all the strings in the background. Overall an interestingly plotted and written novel that kept me entertained throughout. I will certainly be on the lookout for other Mary Roberts Rinehart novels.

Thank you to American Mystery Classics for giving me a free digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

I've never read a Mary Roberts Rinehart book before. I knew a little bit about her - she was a very popular and very prolific writer of cozy, pleasantly creepy mysteries, contemporary with Agatha Christie but writing in America.

But this one didn't quite work for me, and I'm having trouble explaining why. It had an air of old-fashioned cozy mystery that I think might be appealing, but for me, this week, it fell flat. Was it that I couldn't connect myself with the intrepid nurse sleuth? That I never really sympathized with the put-upon old lady whose family was plotting against her, so I didn't really care that she was murdered? Or was it just one of those inexplicable cases of 'wrong book, wrong day?'

It wasn't for me, but it might be just right for someone else.

In many regards Mary Roberts Rinehart was the American Agatha Christie. Unfortunately after her death in 1958 interest in her work decreased. It is nice to see this reprint.

Description
Someone’s trying to kill the head of the Fairbanks estate, and only her nurse can protect her.
The arsenic in her sugar bowl was wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks’ first clue that somebody wanted her dead. The nightly plagues of bats, birds, and rats unleashed in her bedroom were the second indication, an obvious attempt to scare the life out of the delicate dowager. So instead of calling the exterminator, Eliza calls the cops, who send Hilda Adams — “Miss Pinkerton” to the folks at the bureau — to go undercover and investigate.
Hilda Adams is a nurse, not a detective — at least, not technically speaking. But then, nurses do have the opportunity to see things that the police can’t, and to witness the inner workings of a household when the authorities aren’t around. From the moment Adams arrives at the Fairbanks mansion, confronted by a swarm of shady and oddball relatives, many of whom seem desperate for their inheritance, it’s clear that something unseemly is at work in the estate. But not even she is prepared for the web of intrigue that awaits her therein.
Reissued for the first time in over twenty years, and featuring one of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s only series characters, The Haunted Lady is the thrilling follow-up to Miss Pinkerton, also available from American Mystery Classics. The books can be read in any order.

My Review
I truly enjoyed reading The Haunting Lady. There was a lot of fore-shadowing, the characters are well-crafted and enjoyable, and I just love nurse Adams.

This ARC was provided in exchange for my honest opinion, thank you.

Eliza Fairbanks complains to Inspector Fuller who inadvertently calls on nurse Adams to figure out what is going on at the mansion. Nurse Adams realizes there is some truth to Fairbank’s complaints. It appears someone has released rats and bats in her room in hopes of frightening her to death. There are various “ghostly” events which keep you entertained and guessing until the end. To me one of the most interesting aspects of the novel is how someone can be murdered in a locked room?

Highly recommend this book, giving it a 5 star!!!

I am a fan of the authors mysteries glad this one has been reissued.A whirlwind of a story a nurse who must protect her patient from being murdered, very entertaining.#netgalley#w.w.norton

Its a enjoyable book. It is a little dated in the mannerisms of the people and the living situations, but only a little. Otherwise it's a good book. The mystery is interesting, as it's a locked door murder, as is the interesting ways of putting on the radio and interjecting animals into the room. #TheHauntedLady #NetGalley