THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE

Intrigue villainy and suspenseRachel Innes has rented a country house for the summer when a series of disturbing and violent events threaten to upset her. Strange shadowy figures appear in the twilight menacing rattling resounds in dark halls and to crown it all a bloody corpse is found at the bottom of a circular staircase.Before this spine-chilling tale is done five linked deaths shatter the calm of the retreat. Rachel's devoted niece and nephew are among the prime suspects in one of the murders; stolen securities and a bank default complicate matters; and Rachel ultimately fights for her life in an airless secret room.A clever blend of intrigue villainy and heart-pounding suspense leavened with traces of wry humour this immensely popular novel will delight today's crime fiction buffs as much as it galvanized readers a century ago.