The Great Mistake - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Great Mistake by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  In an elaborate house known as the Cloisters, Maud Wainwright rules supreme. The queen of society in the small town of Beverly, she has a table long enough to seat one hundred, and she keeps an iron grip on the guest list. Her right-hand woman is Pat Abbott, a local girl who is beautiful, innocent, and kind. Pat has no idea how cutthroat high society can be, but she’s about to get a deadly first lesson. Pat has fallen head over heels in love with Maud’s son, Tony, a clever young rake with a single his vicious, gold-digging wife. At the same time that she is dangerously infatuated with a married man, Pat’s world is turned upside down by a series of attacks on the estate—and a truly shocking murder. To save Tony and Maud, Pat must find the killer. But the list of suspects is as long as one of Maud’s guest When a woman has room at her table for one hundred friends, she’ll have more than her share of enemies.

Genre: Mystery - Classic    

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm reading more classic mysteries and Mary Roberts Rinehart is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors in this genre. 

My Impression: I am really enjoying Mary Roberts Rinehart's books.  Her writing style has a bit of Gothic, a touch of noir but still has a touch of coziness and the main characters are almost always sympathetic.  

Pat Abbott is a likable young woman.  She's had quite a bit of tragedy and as well as a loss of fortune but is sympathetic and a hard worker.  Her arrival at The Cloisters comes at the beginning of a catastrophic series of events all of which lead to a dramatic conclusion.  

Rinehart is incredibly readable and fantastic at creating just the right atmosphere for her stories.  She has a unique voice and a good balance of a bit of noir without being too heavy handed.  My main issue with this book is that at time the events and characters get a bit jumbled and sometimes a bit confusing.  The end was not what I expected in the best possible way and I'm already looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  I can't wait to decide what to read next!

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy classic mysteries this author is a great choice and this was an entertaining read.