THE FRIGHTENED WIFE and Other Murder Stories de Rinehart, Mary Roberts - 1953

N.Y.: Rinehar & Company, Inc, 1953. First edition, third printing so stated on front inside jacket flap. The book is bound in black boards with bright red & white letters on the spine. Pages are age toned else a near fine copy in dust jacket, light wear along folds, small chip out at head of spine, not price clipped, in protective mylar cover. Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie, although her first mystery novel was published 14 years before Christie's. She is considered to have invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing. She also created a costumed supercriminal called "the Bat", who was cited by Bob Kane as one of the inspirations for his "Batman." This volume contains five of Mary Roberts Rinehart's finest - two long stories and three shorter ones, told with skill and finesse. In addition to THE FRIGHTENED WIFE, this collection includes: THE BURNED CHAIR, MURDER AND THE SOUTH WIND, THE SCANDAL, and IF ONLY IT WERE YESTERDAY. . First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good-Near Fine. Book.