of what is generally known as the “Had-I-But-Known” school, Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) regularly had her plucky heroines put themselves in situations from which they needed to be rescued. That school of detective story has often been parodied and maligned, but it was so well handled by Rinehart that she was, for decades, one of the most successful and beloved mystery writers in America, producing the first mystery novel ever to appear on the bestseller list, The Man in Lower Ten (1909). She had written it as a serial published in The All-Story Magazine (January–April 1906), which then published The Circular Staircase (November, December 1907, January–March 1908), which was then published in book form, a year before her first book, The Man in Lower Ten.
Probably her most successful work, The Circular Staircase was adapted by Rinehart and Avery Hopwood for the stage as The Bat in 1920, by which time she had become the highest-paid writer in America. The book had already served as the basis for a silent film, The Circular Staircase (1915); the play, which had some differences from the novel, inspired more than one film, including the silent The Bat (1926) and a sound version titled The Bat Whispers (1930).
Rinehart’s most famous character is Hilda Adams, whose propensity for getting involved in crimes and mysteries garners her the nickname “Miss Pinkerton” after Allan Pinkerton, the famous real-life detective. She is encouraged in her sleuthing endeavors by George Patton, a small-time country detective who goes on to become a police inspector. He is a recurring presence in the series and appears to be interested in deepening his relationship with the dedicated nurse; she calls it “nonsense,” though there are numerous hints that she welcomes the attention and returns some of the attraction. She overhears private conversations, listens to people who are sick or wounded and therefore not at their peak strength, and provides information to Patton. It is her stated conviction that she is betraying no trust and, since criminals act against society, society must use every means at its disposal to bring them to justice.
“Locked Doors” was originally published in her short story collection Mary Roberts Rinehart Crime Book (New York, Farrar & Rinehart, 1925).