The Man in Lower Ten

Washington, D.C.-based attorney Lawrence Blakely has been asked by his partner to deliver some important documents to a client in Pittsburgh. In the course of his return trip, the occupant of the train berth opposite his ― the lower ten, which Blakely was supposed to have taken — is savagely murdered. Was Blakely the intended victim, and did the crime have something to do with his briefcase full of vital evidence? When the murder weapon turns up underneath his pillow, Blakely becomes the prime suspect and is forced to stay one step ahead of the police in an increasingly deadly mystery.
Written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, "the American Agatha Christie," this was the first detective novel to crack national bestseller lists. According to The New York Times, "[Rinehart's] literary distinction lies in the combination of love, humor, and murder that she wove into her tales … She helped the mystery story grow up." The Man in Lower Ten was Rinehart's debut novel, and it remains a thrilling tale of homicide, mayhem, and romance.

Known as the American Agatha Christie, Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) is reputed to have originated the expression, "the butler did it" (although she didn't). She is also credited with inventing the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing. Many of her books and plays have been adapted for movies, and her classic mystery, The Circular Staircase, is available from Dover.

I. Go to PittsburghII. A Torn TelegramIII. Across the AisleIV. Numbers Seven and NineV. The Woman in the Next CarVI. The Girl in BlueVII. A Fine Gold ChainVIII. The Second SectionIX. The Halcyon BreakfastX. Miss West's RequestXI. The Name was SullivanXII. The Gold BugXIII. Faded RosesXIV. The TrapdoorXV. The Cinemat graphXVI. The Shadow of a GirlXVII. At the Farmhouse AgainXVIII. A New WorldXIX. At the Table NextXX. The Notes and a BargainXXI. McKnight's TheoryXXII. At the BoardinghouseXXIII. A Night at the LaurelsXXIV. His Wife's FatherXXV. At the StationXXVI. On to RichmondXXVII. The Sea, the Sand, the StarsXXVIII. Alkison's StoryXXIX. In the Dining RoomXXX. Finer DetailsXXXI. And Only One Hand