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Alibi for Isabel and Other Stories
Needing only an airtight alibi to complete her plot to murder her husband, Isabel Eaton calls upon respected socialite Sally Fielding to provide it--a request Sally cannot refuse because Isabel had already done the same for her
285 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1941
About the author
Mary Roberts Rinehart
599 books444 followersMysteries of the well-known American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart include
The Circular Staircase
(1908) and
The Door
(1930).
People often called this prolific author the American version of Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," though the exact phrase doesn't appear in her works, and she invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing.
Rinehart wrote hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues, and special articles. Many of her books and plays were adapted for movies, such as The Bat (1926), The Bat Whispers (1930), and The Bat (1959). Critics most appreciated her murder mysteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ro...
People often called this prolific author the American version of Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," though the exact phrase doesn't appear in her works, and she invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing.
Rinehart wrote hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues, and special articles. Many of her books and plays were adapted for movies, such as The Bat (1926), The Bat Whispers (1930), and The Bat (1959). Critics most appreciated her murder mysteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ro...
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 12, 2012
There are two things I love in life, well more than that but only two that have anything to do with what I'm doing here, short stories and Mary Roberts Rinehart. Now granted, when I got a hold of this book, I did not know that it was a collection of 9 short stories. I thought I would be in store for another great mystery set around a wonderful heroine and an intriguing storyline. What I ended up with was so much better.
Each one of the stories, mystery or not, showcases what Mary Roberts Rinehart was so good at. In a rather short span of time, each story is around 13-15 pages, she was able to capture not only the characters but the atmosphere as well. Each character, regardless of their circumstances, are fully fleshed out and capable of starring in their own full length novel.
The "feel" of the stories though is where, as usual, Rinehart shines for me. She is capable of bottling the tension in the air in a way that I'm not sure most other authors could. Every emotion and reaction are palpable as each page is turned. The fear and desperation these characters feel, at times, chocked the air I was breathing. It made me lose my sense of time and place as I got lost in their lives.
Since they aren't all mysteries, I would think this would be a good introduction to her writing style for those who have not read her before. I think it would give somebody new to Rinehart a good sense of what she was capable of, without becoming too invested in a story that you may not like as much. For anyone who hasn't been swayed by my previous reviews, I hope you will give this one a try.
Each one of the stories, mystery or not, showcases what Mary Roberts Rinehart was so good at. In a rather short span of time, each story is around 13-15 pages, she was able to capture not only the characters but the atmosphere as well. Each character, regardless of their circumstances, are fully fleshed out and capable of starring in their own full length novel.
The "feel" of the stories though is where, as usual, Rinehart shines for me. She is capable of bottling the tension in the air in a way that I'm not sure most other authors could. Every emotion and reaction are palpable as each page is turned. The fear and desperation these characters feel, at times, chocked the air I was breathing. It made me lose my sense of time and place as I got lost in their lives.
Since they aren't all mysteries, I would think this would be a good introduction to her writing style for those who have not read her before. I think it would give somebody new to Rinehart a good sense of what she was capable of, without becoming too invested in a story that you may not like as much. For anyone who hasn't been swayed by my previous reviews, I hope you will give this one a try.
March 7, 2023
This collection is one that highlights Rinehart's versatility, since not all of them are the mystery stories she was known for. Of the nine stories, only "The Clue in the Closet" and "The Lipstick" are actual whodunits, though a couple of the others do have an element of suspense. The rest are straight ordinary drama/relationship stories.
The unifying element is that they are all 1940s stories, and that consequently World War II plays a role in most of them. In some it's merely the subtle background effect of ration points, travel complications, and characters either in uniform or disqualified from service; in others the effect of war on the characters' lives is front and center. "The Portrait," "The Temporary Death of Mrs. Ayres," and "The Butler's Christmas Eve" all have an extremely similar central theme, and that distinctive written-during-the-war brand of patriotism verging almost on propaganda.
All of the stories, though, share Rinehart's characteristically good writing and character development (though readers' mileage may very in evaluating the plausibility of the relationship dynamics in the opening story, "Once to Every Man"), and provide the intriguing firsthand glimpse at wartime life that only comes from actual writing of the period.
The unifying element is that they are all 1940s stories, and that consequently World War II plays a role in most of them. In some it's merely the subtle background effect of ration points, travel complications, and characters either in uniform or disqualified from service; in others the effect of war on the characters' lives is front and center. "The Portrait," "The Temporary Death of Mrs. Ayres," and "The Butler's Christmas Eve" all have an extremely similar central theme, and that distinctive written-during-the-war brand of patriotism verging almost on propaganda.
All of the stories, though, share Rinehart's characteristically good writing and character development (though readers' mileage may very in evaluating the plausibility of the relationship dynamics in the opening story, "Once to Every Man"), and provide the intriguing firsthand glimpse at wartime life that only comes from actual writing of the period.
September 5, 2019
Stories from the WWII Homefront.
Mary Roberts Rinehart knew all about the horrors of war. In WWI, she was a war correspondent in Belgium and she saw that small country torn apart, its economy destroyed and his citizens left with nothing. And her oldest son was in uniform. She knew what it was like to wonder if she would still have three sons when the war ended, or only two.
When WWII started, Rinehart was an old woman and it was her grandchildren's generation (boys and girls) who went off to war. During his time, some writers simply ignored the war, but Rinehart was too tough to believe in hiding from reality and too intelligent not to realize that this war threatened America and all Americans. Anyone who believed that he/she wouldn't be touched by the war was a fool and Rinehart used her platform as a popular writer to tell them so.
There are men who long to fight but are pushed aside in favor of younger men and young men whose loving womenfolk are determined to keep them safe at all costs. There is the bitterness of men who will never come home and the terror of young women left to face raising children alone.
Rinehart's message is simple: every American should be committed to winning this war and no sacrifice was too great. Her stories of home front espionage seem overly dramatic, but the fear was very real at the time. The Japanese were (shamefully) interned, but there was no possible way to isolate the one-fourth of all Americans with German blood or the neighborhoods of close-knit Italian families who were suspected of being more loyal to their home country than to their adopted one.
There were prominent Americans who fiercely opposed U.S. involvement in WWII and their followers were willing to do anything to make Americans lose their resolve and pull out of the war. The danger was real.
Rinehart was past her prime when she wrote these stories, but she could still spin a good yarn with recognizable characters and unexpected plot twists and lots of wry humor. She was a professional and she was always true to her beliefs. Maybe that's why her novels and stories are still such fun to read.
Mary Roberts Rinehart knew all about the horrors of war. In WWI, she was a war correspondent in Belgium and she saw that small country torn apart, its economy destroyed and his citizens left with nothing. And her oldest son was in uniform. She knew what it was like to wonder if she would still have three sons when the war ended, or only two.
When WWII started, Rinehart was an old woman and it was her grandchildren's generation (boys and girls) who went off to war. During his time, some writers simply ignored the war, but Rinehart was too tough to believe in hiding from reality and too intelligent not to realize that this war threatened America and all Americans. Anyone who believed that he/she wouldn't be touched by the war was a fool and Rinehart used her platform as a popular writer to tell them so.
There are men who long to fight but are pushed aside in favor of younger men and young men whose loving womenfolk are determined to keep them safe at all costs. There is the bitterness of men who will never come home and the terror of young women left to face raising children alone.
Rinehart's message is simple: every American should be committed to winning this war and no sacrifice was too great. Her stories of home front espionage seem overly dramatic, but the fear was very real at the time. The Japanese were (shamefully) interned, but there was no possible way to isolate the one-fourth of all Americans with German blood or the neighborhoods of close-knit Italian families who were suspected of being more loyal to their home country than to their adopted one.
There were prominent Americans who fiercely opposed U.S. involvement in WWII and their followers were willing to do anything to make Americans lose their resolve and pull out of the war. The danger was real.
Rinehart was past her prime when she wrote these stories, but she could still spin a good yarn with recognizable characters and unexpected plot twists and lots of wry humor. She was a professional and she was always true to her beliefs. Maybe that's why her novels and stories are still such fun to read.
January 31, 2016
Mary Rinehart has some dated notions in her short stories, but it wasn't enough to detract from the obvious talent she told them with. Some of the best written female characters I've ever come across. Strong, resilient, feminine while not pandering to a trope of either being a damsel in distress or a tomboy.
Rinehart may have some far-fetched ideas that start to strain when it comes to plausibility, but she makes you care about the people in the stories so much and makes them so three-dimensional, that the you end up making an effort to ignore it and rooting for protagonists.
A solid read for anyone who likes good writing.
Rinehart may have some far-fetched ideas that start to strain when it comes to plausibility, but she makes you care about the people in the stories so much and makes them so three-dimensional, that the you end up making an effort to ignore it and rooting for protagonists.
A solid read for anyone who likes good writing.
March 22, 2014
Nine short stories that were written during the Golden Age of Mystery that reflect some of the the pressures at work in society during World War II and the Great Depression. Some of the attitudes are dated, but the strong writing will keep readers interested.
June 4, 2011
At first I was a little confused. I didn't realize this was a book of short stories. Once I got that settled in my mind I really enjoyed each a everyone.
September 13, 2017
Short story anthology from author Rinehart. 9 stories that take place during WWII. The stories were copyright between 1941 and 1944. Wartime rationing, military service, and civilian participation play a part. Period feel for a time when the middle class had large houses and live-in servants. Enjoyable.
SS - 1. Once To Every Man - man decides to divorce his wife in favor of a party girl. 2. The Fishing Fool - the tarpon fishing community is upset when their champion is distracted by a female golfer. 3. The Clue In The Closet - police lieutenant brings his girlfriend to a crime scene. 4. Test Blackout - feeling useless, an older man signs up to be an air warden. 5. The Portrait - matriarch has estranged herself from her offspring. 6. Alibi For Isabel - woman puts spin on self defense shooting. 7. The Temporary Death Of Mrs. Ayres - seclusion is prescribed for burdened matriarch. 8. The Butler's Christmas Eve - elderly butler is summarily fired. 9. The Lipstick - woman is sure her cousin was murdered.
SS - 1. Once To Every Man - man decides to divorce his wife in favor of a party girl. 2. The Fishing Fool - the tarpon fishing community is upset when their champion is distracted by a female golfer. 3. The Clue In The Closet - police lieutenant brings his girlfriend to a crime scene. 4. Test Blackout - feeling useless, an older man signs up to be an air warden. 5. The Portrait - matriarch has estranged herself from her offspring. 6. Alibi For Isabel - woman puts spin on self defense shooting. 7. The Temporary Death Of Mrs. Ayres - seclusion is prescribed for burdened matriarch. 8. The Butler's Christmas Eve - elderly butler is summarily fired. 9. The Lipstick - woman is sure her cousin was murdered.
October 20, 2018
An interesting collection of stories set in the WWII time period. A few were mysteries, but mostly just psychological character sketches. Mostly enjoyable, although there were a few with some inappropriate language (about Japanese and Germans because of the war), and several which discussed class distinctions. Had it been set in England, it probably wouldn't have been so noticeable that most people referred to servants or live-in help of some sort, but set in the US it felt more like a distinct class difference than what I am used to.
February 15, 2021
Initially I though this to be a romantic mystery, as the description is about “Alibi for Isabel.” What I found is a collection of short stories. Isabel is only one of them.
In “Once To Every Man,” a man decides he wants a divorce. The marriage isn’t working for him. He’s met another woman who loves going out, looking beautiful and puts him on a pedestal. He’s fallen out of love with his wife.
He’s set things up for her to go to Reno to get the divorce. He can’t leave as his business has really taken off and he needs to be around to keep on top of it all. The wife isn’t wanting a divorce but she goes along with it.
On the day she leaves, he is at work, she has all set and the housekeeper knows all that needs to be taken care of in her absence…including the care of their active one year old boy.
When the husband comes home, that night, he finds that the wife didn’t take the boy as that would be a complication for her. This means the husband is responsible for the boy. To top it off, the housekeeper lets the husband know that she needs to go stay with her ailing sister for a short while and has cleared it with the wife.
Looks like the husband is going to find out what his wife really does in order to give him a good domestic life, care of his son and still love the man. He is also going to see the true colours of the new ‘love of his life.’
Each story is a slice of life and what it involves. People dealing with some sort of difficulty and trying to make sense of it and life at the time. Nine stories, each one well written in characters and story line.
In “Once To Every Man,” a man decides he wants a divorce. The marriage isn’t working for him. He’s met another woman who loves going out, looking beautiful and puts him on a pedestal. He’s fallen out of love with his wife.
He’s set things up for her to go to Reno to get the divorce. He can’t leave as his business has really taken off and he needs to be around to keep on top of it all. The wife isn’t wanting a divorce but she goes along with it.
On the day she leaves, he is at work, she has all set and the housekeeper knows all that needs to be taken care of in her absence…including the care of their active one year old boy.
When the husband comes home, that night, he finds that the wife didn’t take the boy as that would be a complication for her. This means the husband is responsible for the boy. To top it off, the housekeeper lets the husband know that she needs to go stay with her ailing sister for a short while and has cleared it with the wife.
Looks like the husband is going to find out what his wife really does in order to give him a good domestic life, care of his son and still love the man. He is also going to see the true colours of the new ‘love of his life.’
Each story is a slice of life and what it involves. People dealing with some sort of difficulty and trying to make sense of it and life at the time. Nine stories, each one well written in characters and story line.
January 23, 2024
This book shows Ms. Rinehart's scope as a writer, and it's genius! This book is one of short stories, and it's the first book of short stories where I enjoyed every one of them. Not all mysteries, there are romance, holiday and interesting portraits of her character's lives. This book has taken me from merely being a fan of Ms. Rinehart to being a superfan. It's a masterpiece. Brava, Ms. Rinehart, Brava! I gave it five stars, 5***** because there wasn't ten! I highly recommend this book.
December 26, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. A strange but nice mix of stories about 1930s Americans dealing with WW2, malice domestic, and tales with twist endings. I say strange because Rinehart hasn't stuck to one genre. So each story has a different tone and style, which makes for a slightly jerky experience if you read the stories in one sitting. However, they're good—the characterization especially.
July 2, 2017
So much better than the Fleming works,
at least the short stories I read. I wonder if they were written very early in her career. They certainly typified an early type of detective story that I had never read before. These were powerfully written.
at least the short stories I read. I wonder if they were written very early in her career. They certainly typified an early type of detective story that I had never read before. These were powerfully written.
June 25, 2018
Just terrific! Much as I have enjoyed her novel-length mysteries, these short stories are even better. They are well-crafted little gems, revealing insights into human nature and lingering in thought long after one finishes reading them. Rinehart really shines in the short-story genre.
May 16, 2019
Based on the cover and back side, I was expecting this to be a novel about a haunted house. Nope! I do not love short stories. Even though they are shorter, I never can get involved with the stories.
My favorite story was the first one.
My favorite story was the first one.
May 24, 2019
Light and Engaging
Reading these is like having a new friend. Plausible yet suspenseful the stories pull you in with soft gloves. By a rustic lake with a hot chocolate this book would make the afternoon.
Reading these is like having a new friend. Plausible yet suspenseful the stories pull you in with soft gloves. By a rustic lake with a hot chocolate this book would make the afternoon.
June 6, 2021
An excellent book
A book of very interesting and thrilling short stories. Very unique. I chose it randomly and am very glad I did. A little bit of everything shows up in this book.
A book of very interesting and thrilling short stories. Very unique. I chose it randomly and am very glad I did. A little bit of everything shows up in this book.
May 16, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It is a collection of short stories from the 1930's era. They were quite progressive for the day, had some humor, and a lot of emotion. I highly recommend it since it's a fun unique genre.
January 5, 2020
Good read
Fun book with several stories and mysteries included. Stories are short enough to be read in one sitting on busy days.
Fun book with several stories and mysteries included. Stories are short enough to be read in one sitting on busy days.
April 7, 2023
Nothing special
November 20, 2015
When I picked up this book, I didn't realise that it is a collection of short stories. I was therefore disappointed. The stories are okay but not memorable and at least two of them left me with a feeling of 'Huh? What was the point of that?'. This made a two only because I'm being generous.
December 11, 2015
Fun stories! Some mysteries, some not. All entertaining.
Interesting note: Author likes to re-use names, especially Elinor. And Louise. And they're always the same type of person. It's like a character short-hand.
Interesting note: Author likes to re-use names, especially Elinor. And Louise. And they're always the same type of person. It's like a character short-hand.
Want to Read
June 4, 2026Read so far:
Once To Every Man--
*The Fishing Fool--
The Clue In The Closet--
*Test Blackout--
The Portrait--
*Alibi For Isabel--
*The Temporary Death Of Mrs. Ayres--
The Butler's Christmas Eve--3
The Lipstick--3
Once To Every Man--
*The Fishing Fool--
The Clue In The Closet--
*Test Blackout--
The Portrait--
*Alibi For Isabel--
*The Temporary Death Of Mrs. Ayres--
The Butler's Christmas Eve--3
The Lipstick--3
July 16, 2015
Good collection stories - sentimental, emotional, family and thrillers.
I like the writing style, but sometimes, if you are not focused, we loose who is talking to whom.
I like the writing style, but sometimes, if you are not focused, we loose who is talking to whom.
February 15, 2019
Slice of life short stories not her usual suspense. Some are quietly humorous.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews