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"There were bad times coming. The old peaceful quiet days were gone, for age and obstinacy had met youth and the arrogance of youth, and it was to be a battle."Birth, death, and renewal are the themes that Mary Roberts Rinehart tackles in this emotional and thought-provoking novel set during the first World War. ... Read more

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MysteryLarge Print EditionNeither threats nor unearthly sounds could budge Miss Cornelia from the isolated country mansion she shared with her pretty niece, hysterical maid, laconic butler, and the nice young man who just might be a fugitive. Even knowing that she was a prime target for the vicious, elusive killer known as The Bat didnt faze this spirited spinster. Miss Cornelia longed to play detective, and on a storm-swept night, she got her chance at the gameand her turn at The Bat! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Melodramatic but readable mystery
The book under review was not originally conceived of as a novel ,but is,to use modern parlance,a "novelisation " of the author's long running Broadway play,which also made it to the screen around the same time as the book was published (1926).Some scholars have claimed that it was actually ghost written and should more properly be classed as being by the eminent poet Stephen Vincent Benet,rather than its declared author.

Its origins on stage doubtless account for declamatory feel of the dialogue andfor its restricted setting -one chapter apart ,all scenes takes place in one setting -and its cast of cardboard ,stock characters .

The Bat is a master criminal -a thief and murderer whose crimes have caused alarm amongst the wealthy section of society that he appears to be targetting .Events take place in the rented vacation home of the an elderly patrician maiden lady named Cornelia Van Gorder.She is staying there with Lizzie,her Irish maid and an inscrutable japanese butler ,named Billy.Also present is her niece ,Dale .Corneliareceives a series of letters ,warning her to leave the property or else face the consequences .

A robbery has recently taken place and it is believed the robbber has stashed the loot away in the house.Possible suspects include the chief cashier of the robbed bank ,secretly engaged to Dale and working as a gardener on the estate ,under an alias andthe local Doctor .The investigation is in the dull and unimaginative hands of Detective Anderson.

The book is fast paced but never remotely plausible and the characters are strictly one dimensional "types" rather than credible human beings .cornelia herself is the standard indomitable spinster unfazed by the mayhem going on all around her and might be seen as a prototype for late characters like Hildegard Withers or even Miss Marple.

Some will not like the casuaal racial stereoptyping .Overall ,this book is showing its age .The plot is creaky ,the writing flat but the pace helps keep one reading and disguises the very average story

It should be taken as asocial document and used to illustrate how much better most current writing in this Gothic vein is compared to suchperiod pieces as this.It's readable but only just

Generally speaking, don't read "The Bat" -- here's why...
"The Bat" was originally written by Mary Roberts Rinehart as a play in 1926 -- it ultimately emerged as a silent film, additional remakes, etceteras. It's a cool mystery story, albeit the text/dialogue is notably stilted (justifiably) due to its intended purpose for the stage.

However, "The Bat" is clearly a re-working of a far superior story (an actual novel, which was also later made into a film), brilliantly written by Rinehart in 1908 and entitled: THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE.

So here's the deal. I'm pretty sure that if you're a huge Rinehart fan and assuming you've already read "The Circular Staircase," (Rinehart's Magnum opus) then you're not going to care much for "The Bat," due chiefly to the writing style and additionally considering the fact that it comes off as a watered-down version of its genesis.

Here's the basic story of "The Bat": An elite, rich, and spunky older lady rents a country house for the summer along with her skittish Irish maid and her niece. Some servants sort of come with the property but most soon abandon their new matron due to happenings within this large mansion. A converging plot concerns the homeowner (a banker) who has recently died and whose bank has just coincidentally failed -- the suspicion falls upon a youthful bank clerk who is the heart-throb of the old lady's niece. The central plot revolves around a mysterious and effective murder/burglar dubbed by the frustrated police as The Bat, (a character who does not appear in the original novel form) and who has been operating in the vicinity of this country home. The subsequent happenings in the house are almost slapstick in nature, in the old lady's efforts in solving the mystery of both the infamous Bat's activities and the bank embezzlement.

Rinehart is nowadays generally lauded as the "If I had but known" school of mystery writing and she was infinitely successful in carrying out that novelistic endeavor. Her mysteries typically focus upon the happenings within some mysterious edifice, ergo: The Yellow Room and The Red Lamp. Both of these well-known mystery novels are terrific and the former may arguably be the greatest mystery of all time, (in fact, Agatha Christie's renowned fictional detective, Hercule Poirot, asserts this as fact in The Clocks (Hercule Poirot).)

If you wish to read "The Bat" as a pure Rinehart fan, I heartily endorse your decision to do so. And if you prefer a more pulp-fiction era detective approach to mystery writing, conveying the ambiance of Ellery Queen and/or Raymond Chandler, then you may actually prefer "The Bat" over "The Circular Staircase." But if you favor a Christie/Sayers cozy murder, then go for the former alternative. One final difference between the two works is this: "The Circular Staircase" is conveyed in First Person, while "The Bat" is yielded up in Third Person.

In any case, just because the marketers have published this edition to "appear" to be a novel, don't be fooled -- this one is a re-tread, and was originally intended for production as a play. A minor point, I should also mention that the text contains some fairly mild racist language which was very typical of the fiction of this period.

the Batis old fashioned, yet well written
Good old fashioned mystery thriller, a little corny since it was written 100 years ago, but nice relaxing reading that has some mystery to it.

A mystery/suspense classic.
The Bat is probably the most popular of all of the novels of America's great female mystery writer, Mary Roberts Rinehart, and it is quite simply one of the finest mystery/suspense novels ever written. The plot is outstanding, the atmosphere is unremittingly tense and apprehensive, and the conclusion is totally surprising without being contrived. If you like good mysteries you will probably love The Bat.

Great imagery, characters, plot - high moments of wonder
I always enjoy reading her books due to the imagery and variety of different character types and personalities she incorporates into her story lines.The Bat was my favorite...it had the "old" mystery feel.The characters were very well described and therefore, easy to imagine.I began feeling what the characters felt and encountered in that dark, old estate.It is hard for me to get through a book without getting bored and starting on another.However, The Bat traveled with me towork, the gym and house each day, just so I could finish it.I couldn't seem to put it down. Great piece of literature...one I would highly recommend for those who love a good mystery! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

My all-time favorite book!
When I was a little girl, I would go stay with my Granny each summer.A reader, Granny had lots of books, and I loved to read them.One old book was called "More Tish", by Mary Roberts Rinehart.I loved thatbook and read it every summer while I was at Granny's.I have beensearching for the others in the series for years.I still have that oldbook--its pages are yellow and crackling with age, but it remains myall-time favorite book!I love Tish and her buddies, and have laughedaloud many times while reading their exploits!

A fantastic humorous book
Tish is a strong feminist character, with much intelligence and spirit. The other characters, and the plot are just as wonderful. Please e-mail if you have read it or plan to. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not nearly as dated in style as it could be
Often, stories from this period move at a sedate pace, but this one moved pretty quickly. Starting with a flood helped, my interest was caught by the surroundings and the differences in our eras while the plot started up; and after that, the story moved with surprising speed. No complaints about the Kindle-izing.

COMPLETE TEXT
This is a version where the text is complete.(I had left a review previously on this title when the text on that one was missing portions.)
I enjoyed this little read.I liked the style of the author, and it was interesting. However, it was a rather predictable mystery.The price is right.
... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This Halcyon Classics ebook collection includes twenty-three novels and stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart, often called the "American Agatha Christie."Rinehart is probably the source of the phrase "The butler did it", although she did not actually use this exact phrase in her writings.Rinehart originated the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing in her first book, THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE.Other noteworthy mysteries include THE BAT and THE CASE OF JENNIE BRICE.

This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.


Contents

The Circular Staircase
The Window at the White Cat
When a Man Marries
Where There’s a Will
The Case of Jennie Brice
The Street of Seven Stars
The After House
K
Bab, A Sub-Deb
Long Live the King
The Amazing Interlude
Dangerous Days
A Poor Wise Man
The Bat
The Breaking Point
The Truce of God
Tish
More Tish
Affinities and Other Stories
Love Stories
Sight Unseen
The Confession
The Man in the Lower Ten
... Read more

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An excerpt:

Customer Reviews (2)

Agree & Disagree
I have to agree with the previous review that this is not the typical Mary R. Rinehart murder mystery.I, also, thought I was buying a mystery novel written by one of my favorite authors, but was grossly misled as to the genre of this book.It is plain to see that the person who wrote the review that we see on the back of the book NEVER READ IT!There are no murders, no mystery and the only suspense is the normal kind found in all lives. But I have to disagree with the 2-Star Rating, because it is still a wonderful story.I enjoyed it as much as I do her mystery novels.It is the best account that I have ever read of the period leading up to the depression in America, and the hard struggle to hold on and persevere afterwards. It makes that period real, versus the dry, boring accounts that we have read in our history books.For the first time in my very long life, I feel that I understand how and why so many people were ruined, their large amounts of money wiped out by the stock market. For the wealthy in America, it was pure greed and for the poor people, it was the backlash of the wealthy losing their assets. The poor and middle classes were employed by the wealthy and well-to-do, and they lost their jobs when the masters lost their money, and no jobs could be found because the high and mighty had no money to hire menial labor to do their work for them anymore. It took WWII to bring the nation back to prosperity, with the jobs in the factories that were manufacturing war goods, and employing the lower classes, giving them a chance at a decent life, finally, after nearly starving during the depression when there were no jobs available. The people in this story are above average money wise, but they have the same feelings and problems that are universal, love, marriage, birth and death, a blend of happiness and sadness.It is a very entertaining story, one where you get caught up in the lives of this family, and are sad to leave them when the book comes to it's end.MRR's gift is in making her characters real, and that is the same in this book as in the mysteries that she so skillfully weaves. So in spite of this not being the murder mystery that I was expecting, I have to give it the highest rating posssile, as I loved the story!

A good story, but certainly not a mystery or a thriller
I read the back of the book and thought I would love it so I bought it. The book had a good story but had no mystery, murder or thrill. The backcover led you to believe the book was filled with all three. This book wasbasically a life story of one family with many hardships to overcome. I donot recommend it as a murder mystery. There is NONE. Not to mention thenumerous spelling mistakes in my paperback edition. ... Read more

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Books for All Kinds of Readers. ReadHowYouWant offers the widest selection of on-demand, accessible format editions on the market today. Our 7 different sizes of EasyRead are optimized by increasing the font size and spacing between the words and the letters. We partner with leading publishers around the globe. Our goal is to have accessible editions simultaneously released with publishers' new books so that all readers can have access to the books they want to read. To find more books in your format visit www.readhowyouwant.com ... Read more

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Why I Believe in Scouting for Girls by Mary Roberts Rinehart

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Rinehart is often called the American Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," and also considered to have invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing. ... Read more

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A family's humorous and lively camping adventure through Montana's Glacier National Park and Washington's North Cascades in 1916. The sequel to Rinehart's "Through Glacier Park in 1915." ... Read more

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"You've got to get him, boys - get him or bust!" said a tired police chief, pounding a heavy fist on a table. The detectives he bellowed the words at looked at the floor. They had done their best and failed. Failure meant "resignation" for the police chief, return to the hated work of pounding the pavements for them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A classic from America's queen of mystery writers
Mary Roberts Rinehart was the American Agatha Christie. Both were great mystery writers. While Christie was justifibly famous for her ingeneous plots, in my opinion Rinehart was the better writer. Furthermore, Rinehart had an uncanny ability to creat and sustain throughout each of her books an atmosphere not merely of suspence but of foreboding. Although reading a Rinehart novel is great fun, it is also rather scary. Her classic story The Bat is no exception. If you like well-written mystery novels that make you want to keep the door locked while you read them, read The Bat -- and all of Mary Roberts Rinehart's other classics. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Detective and mystery stories; Fiction / Mystery ... Read more

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This book an EXACT reproduction of the original book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Short introduction: This is the story of how a middle-aged spinster lost her mind, deserted her domestic gods in the city, took a furnished house for the summer out of town, and found herself involved in one of those mysterious crimes that keep our newspapers and detective agencies happy and prosperous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great cozy
Of course this is a little dated, but good cozies are hard to find and this one is as good today as it was when it was written.There are a few politically incorrect phrases that make one cringe a little, but nothing that was meant to be mean or degrading.

Add it to your kindle and know you won't run out of mysteries--her books are so old there should be several available at little or no cost. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1914Original Publisher: Houghton Mifflin CompanySubjects: Fiction / EspionageFiction / Mystery ... Read more