Minnie grew up at Hope Springs and inherited the care of its famous spring from her father, who tended it before her. She is grieved at the early death of its owner and fears for its future existence when its care falls to a man who is known to lack the will and desire to pursue any serious endeavor. Dismayed when he fails to appear and assume his duties, she endeavors to save the spa by enlisting his family and a group of friends and actors to trick the spa’s lawyer and guests and to keep the spa running. Unfortunately, the true heir shows up with an unexpected surprise and Minnie and her co-conspirators are forced to weave an even further web of lies to cover his presence. To make matters worse, the guest list includes a wealthy heiress destined to marry an Austrian prince (who happens to be staying at the hotel under a false name), a group of gossiping crones and a conniving hotel owner intent on taking over the spa as soon as it fails. Minnie, true to her red-haired and red-blooded nature, fights to stay on top and keep the deception going…but can she save the spa or are her attempts doomed to failure?
About the author
Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876 – September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie, although her first mystery novel was published 14 years before Christie’s first novel in 1920.
Rinehart is considered the source of the phrase ‘The butler did it’ from her novel The Door (1930), although the novel does not use the exact phrase. Rinehart is also considered to have invented the ‘Had-I-But-Known’ school of mystery writing, with the publication of The Circular Staircase (1908).
She also created a costumed super-criminal called ‘the Bat’, cited by Bob Kane as one of the inspirations for his ‘Batman’.
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