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''The Circular Staircase'' (1908) is a mystery novel in the "Had I but known" genre by American author Mary Roberts Rinehart. She wrote the book, which became her first best-seller, at her home at 954 Beech Avenue in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, now part of Pittsburgh. The "HIBK" genre is associated with several works of Rinehart,〔Rzepka, Charles J. (2005). ''Detective Fiction'', p.20. ISBN 0-7456-2942-3〕 specifically ''The Circular Staircase'', in which "a middle-aged spinster is persuaded by her niece and nephew to rent a country house for the summer. The house they choose belonged to a bank defaulter who had hidden stolen securities in the walls. The gentle, peace-loving trio is plunged into a series of crimes solved with the help of the aunt. This novel is credited with being the first in the 'Had-I-But-Known' school."〔Roseman, Mill et al., ''Detectionary'' (New York: Overlook Press, 1971) ISBN 0-87951-041-2〕 ==Plot== Rachel is a spinster who has had custody of her orphaned niece and nephew since they were children. Halsey and Gertrude are now 20 and 24, respectively, and they talk Rachel into renting a house in the country for the summer. The first night Rachel is there, there is a mysterious trespasser and something falls down the stairs in the middle of the night. The second night, after Halsey and Gertrude have arrived, there is a murder, and Halsey and the friend he’s brought to stay disappear. Halsey returns a few days later, without his friend and without an explanation, but by then many other developments have occurred, to the chagrin of the residents. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Circular Staircase」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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