Scan barcode
pkadams's review against another edition
2.0
In 1909 this book was a top 10 best seller for the year. Famous as the grand dame of the American mystery genre ("the butler did it..." is attributed to Rhinehart), I have stumbled over references to her books and plots a number of times. I was curious to read it and found it an exquisite period piece that allows you to be swept into the world of 1909 America that is modern enough for you to see the rich details and differences with 100 years ago. Mundane descriptions and actions about traveling in a sleeper coach are fascinating and provide a vivid account of every day life.
The mystery starts in a Pullman coach and involves a sympathetic and attractive, bachelor, lawyer who is traveling with valuable papers. He finds his sleeper, the lower-ten, occupied by another man and upon waking the next morning discovers the other man murdered, his documents and clothes missing, and blood stains on his bed linens. Suspicion falls on the lawyer and then the train wrecks, allowing the lawyer and the beautiful, young, fresh-faced, modern, plucky but devastating feminine heroine to escape and begin clearing his name. Of course suspicion is thrown on everyone and Rhinehart isn't above using spooky and creepy scenes of candles, mysterious stranger, and darkened buildings to build the suspense and atmosphere.
But despite the characters, and wonderful descriptions, F. Scott Fitzgerald was right when he wrote in This Side of Paradise about Mary Roberts Rhinehart: “My God! Look at them, look at them—Edna Ferber, Gouverneur Morris, Fanny Hurst, Mary Roberts Rinehart—not producing among ’em one story or novel that will last ten years."
It is hard to read through this novel because of the melodramatic and overly sentimental nature of the writing. Perhaps in the right hands, a wonderful screen play could be created, but alone the writing makes it clear why it hasn't stood the ravages of time.
The mystery starts in a Pullman coach and involves a sympathetic and attractive, bachelor, lawyer who is traveling with valuable papers. He finds his sleeper, the lower-ten, occupied by another man and upon waking the next morning discovers the other man murdered, his documents and clothes missing, and blood stains on his bed linens. Suspicion falls on the lawyer and then the train wrecks, allowing the lawyer and the beautiful, young, fresh-faced, modern, plucky but devastating feminine heroine to escape and begin clearing his name. Of course suspicion is thrown on everyone and Rhinehart isn't above using spooky and creepy scenes of candles, mysterious stranger, and darkened buildings to build the suspense and atmosphere.
But despite the characters, and wonderful descriptions, F. Scott Fitzgerald was right when he wrote in This Side of Paradise about Mary Roberts Rhinehart: “My God! Look at them, look at them—Edna Ferber, Gouverneur Morris, Fanny Hurst, Mary Roberts Rinehart—not producing among ’em one story or novel that will last ten years."
It is hard to read through this novel because of the melodramatic and overly sentimental nature of the writing. Perhaps in the right hands, a wonderful screen play could be created, but alone the writing makes it clear why it hasn't stood the ravages of time.
marystevens's review against another edition
3.0
Clever but not as good as the Nurse Hilda Adam’s stories. Cornelia van Gorder never makes an appearance that I could tell.
persey's review against another edition
2.0
Entertaining enough, but the mystery itself was lacking. It's appealing mostly as a period piece and it's fun on that level.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
A fun who-dunnit, with some clever, amusing characters. There are just so many great pieces in the puzzle. We have a mix up in sleeping compartments, several mysterious women and a missing man, a train wreck, an amusing amateur detective. And of course the woman Blakely’s best friend hopes to marry, who is obviously mixed up in the whole situation, and who Blakely himself quickly falls in love with. Romance, mystery, danger, it’s got it.
thenaptimewriter's review against another edition
3.0
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.
Attorney and bachelor Lawrence Blakeley’s returning from a trip to Pittsburgh with evidence in a case involving forgery. On the train, he’s robbed, accused of the murder of a man in berth lower 10, and injured in a subsequent train crash. Once he returns home, dazed, he, his law partner, and an amateur detective named Hotchkiss must piece together who took the evidence/who murdered the man in lower 10/and who framed Lawrence for the crime.
Complicating this high-stakes, delightfully complicated mystery is the three women who circulate throughout the mystery, one of whom—Alison West—quickly captures Lawrence’s heart and rouses his protective instincts. How is she involved with the murder and does she care for Lawrence in return?
Throughout The Man in Lower Ten, Rinehart deliciously makes use of foreshadowing to amp up suspense. This mystery has a lot of moving parts which she handles adeptly, and I wasn’t sure of the murderer’s identity until Lawrence was sure. I’d enjoy reading the novel again, now that I know all the secrets.
But as impressive as the mystery actually is, the narrator’s occasionally racist language and misogynistic actions are off-putting and offensive, and while Alison’s a pretty nuanced character (and her actions, to me, often suspicious & therefore interesting), the other females seem pretty flat and easily reduceable to their one prominent characteristic. I wanted more firsthand from the women, especially since the women are central to the mystery and the romance between Lawrence and Alison is no small part of the book.
This was my first time reading a Mary Roberts Rinehart book, and I’m excited to have discovered a new-to-me female mystery writer honing her craft at the beginning of the twentieth century. And one who shows a lot of promise based on this debut, even if I have reservations about it.
Attorney and bachelor Lawrence Blakeley’s returning from a trip to Pittsburgh with evidence in a case involving forgery. On the train, he’s robbed, accused of the murder of a man in berth lower 10, and injured in a subsequent train crash. Once he returns home, dazed, he, his law partner, and an amateur detective named Hotchkiss must piece together who took the evidence/who murdered the man in lower 10/and who framed Lawrence for the crime.
Complicating this high-stakes, delightfully complicated mystery is the three women who circulate throughout the mystery, one of whom—Alison West—quickly captures Lawrence’s heart and rouses his protective instincts. How is she involved with the murder and does she care for Lawrence in return?
Throughout The Man in Lower Ten, Rinehart deliciously makes use of foreshadowing to amp up suspense. This mystery has a lot of moving parts which she handles adeptly, and I wasn’t sure of the murderer’s identity until Lawrence was sure. I’d enjoy reading the novel again, now that I know all the secrets.
But as impressive as the mystery actually is, the narrator’s occasionally racist language and misogynistic actions are off-putting and offensive, and while Alison’s a pretty nuanced character (and her actions, to me, often suspicious & therefore interesting), the other females seem pretty flat and easily reduceable to their one prominent characteristic. I wanted more firsthand from the women, especially since the women are central to the mystery and the romance between Lawrence and Alison is no small part of the book.
This was my first time reading a Mary Roberts Rinehart book, and I’m excited to have discovered a new-to-me female mystery writer honing her craft at the beginning of the twentieth century. And one who shows a lot of promise based on this debut, even if I have reservations about it.
tim_worldofsleuths's review against another edition
3.0
You can read my review at http://world-of-sleuths.blogspot.com/2018/05/projec-pd-mysteries-thrillers-man-in.html.
kirstensviews's review against another edition
3.0
This book is dated as it should be written in the early 1900s. There is too much racism for me in this book and I wish it wasn’t there as story is rather clever.
kate_b's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
2.0
the story was pretty slow paced and a bit hard to get through. it was hard to keep track of all of the different characters and i found the ending a bit underwhelming, i left the book with a confused perception of what happened.
krikketgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Plotwise, this is a little light, leaving me with a few questions remaining at the end. Still, reading it reminded me of all I love about Mary Roberts Rhinehart: sparkling humor, interesting characters, suspense and action. Yes, it has the tropes of fiction from the early 1900s, but it is delightful nonetheless.
More...