The Door

By Mary Roberts Rinehart

Book Overview

A landmark of classic American mystery and early psychological suspense, The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a gripping tale of secrets, fear, and the dangerous illusions of domestic safety. Set in a quiet household where routine masks hidden tensions, the novel begins with a shocking discovery: a loyal housekeeper is found murdered, and every room, every conversation, and every memory becomes a potential clue-or a lie.

As suspicion tightens around the family home, Rinehart unravels a mystery built on psychological domestic suspense, revealing how guilt, resentment, loyalty, and fear twist together behind closed doors. Narrated with the author's signature blend of traditional whodunit structure and rising emotional tension, the story moves between intimate family drama and vintage crime fiction, creating a narrative where the truth feels close enough to touch-and just as dangerous.

Widely recognized as a precursor to the modern domestic suspense genre, The Door showcases Rinehart's mastery of early twentieth-century American mystery, where the quietest moments can carry the most terrifying implications, and the smallest detail may be the key to survival. With an atmosphere thick with dread and a solution that once stunned the literary world, this is essential reading for fans of:

classic American mystery novelshousehold-set psychological suspenseGolden Age detective fictionearly domestic thrillersvintage crime fiction with emotional depth

Perfect for libraries, book clubs, and readers who enjoy mysteries driven by character and consequence, The Door remains a compelling example of how fear, memory, and motive intersect in ordinary lives-and how even a familiar home can become a labyrinth of secrets.

Chilling, tense, and brilliantly constructed, The Door traps readers in a world where every answer leads to another question-and the most ordinary moments hide the darkest truths.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1515469654
• ISBN13: 9781515469650
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Positronic Publishing
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Another classic from a great mystery writer.

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 Door 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 Door -- and all of Mary Roberts Rinehart's other classics.

THE DOOR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE READ THIS BOOK! MARY ROBERTS RINEHART WEAVES A STORY LIKE NO OTHER AUTHOR I HAVE READ. THE SET UP, THE CLUES, THE VICTIMS, THE MURDERER AND THE FINALE! ALL FANTASTIC! I CANT WAIT TO READ THE YELLOW ROOM!