The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart in 1908
From 1st Chapter "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. For twenty years I had been perfectly comfortable; for twenty years I had had the wind-boxes filled in the spring, the carpets lifted, the awnings put up and the furniture covered with brown linen; for as many summers I had said good-by to my friends, and, after watching their perspiring hegira, had settled down to a delicious quite in town, where the mail comes three times a day, and the water supply does not depend on the tank on the roof. And then -- the madness seized me..."
Book is in poor condition and a youngster took a pencil to a few noted in the picture. I believe that one could simply erase the marks but I didn't want to take chance in wrecking the book. The illustration had not met the same fate so it is intact with the tissue paper page protector in place.
I love this book and it is also a good story!
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