The Wall
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4.3 • 38 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Murder visits a seaside mansion in this gothic mystery from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author known as the American Agatha Christie.
The house called Sunset has been Marcia’s summer home for her entire life. Both of her parents died there, and she and her brother spent their youth exploring its rambling hallways and seaside grounds. They love the old house, but Marcia’s sister-in-law has never taken to it. Juliette loathes the sea, and soon comes to loathe her husband, as well. After they divorce, Juliette pays a final visit to Sunset, demanding alimony. She is there for a few tense days before she disappears. It takes them a week to find her body.
The peace at Sunset has been shattered, and Marcia must work quickly to keep her beloved childhood home from being forever spoiled. Somewhere in the creaky old mansion, a murderer lurks. Will Marcia be accused of the crime? Or will she be the next victim?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This cleverly constructed mystery from Rinehart (1876–1958) is as fresh and suspenseful as when it was first published in 1938. Marcia Lloyd is spending the summer at Sunset House, her family home on an island off the New England coast. With her parents dead and her brother, Arthur, living in New York with a family of his own, Marcia is alone in the house, save for four faithful retainers, some of whom have served the Lloyd family for decades. Tensions explode with the unannounced arrival of Juliette Ransom, Arthur's rapacious ex-wife, who tells Marcia that Arthur must sell Sunset to pay her a lump sum in lieu of her exorbitant monthly alimony. During her marriage to Arthur, Juliette often visited the island, where she cut a wide swath through its male population. When she's found murdered, suspects abound. The local district attorney focuses on Arthur as the guilty party, but Sheriff Russell Shand has other ideas, and he and Marcia work together to uncover the truth. Rinehart does a fine job balancing the various plotlines, false trails, and subtle clues. This entry in the American Mystery Classics series is essential reading for genre fans.
Customer Reviews
Pass
This novel doesn’t stand the test of time. It went on and on interminably. I did a great deal of skimming to get to the end. Too many unlikeable characters as well.