Intrigue, villainy and suspense

Rachel 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