Sight Unseen

"Sight Unseen" by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story explores themes of psychical research and the deep intricacies of the human mind through the lens of a peculiar investigation into the death of Arthur Wells, conducted by a group referred to as the Neighborhood Club, comprised of neighbors and friends. The opening of the novel sets the stage for a mysterious investigation initiated by the Neighborhood Club, highlighting the allure and complexities of psychical phenomena. The narrator, a participant in these investigations, reflects on the group’s recent séance involving a medium named Miss Jeremy, who appears to have made eerily accurate revelations about Arthur Wells's demise. The gathering of characters, including skeptical but engaged participants such as Sperry, the heart specialist, and Mrs. Dane, who acts as the gracious host, creates an atmosphere filled with tension and curiosity about the supernatural. As the narrative unfolds, the members of the club delve deeper into their inquiry, wrestling with both the psychological implications and the factual details surrounding Wells's tragic end, setting the stage for a rich blend of mystery and human emotion. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie. Rinehart published her first mystery novel The Circular Staircase in 1908, which introduced the "had I but known" narrative style. Rinehart is also considered the earliest known source of the phrase "the butler did it", in her novel The Door (1930), although the exact phrase does not appear in her work and the plot device had been used prior to that time. She also worked to tell the stories and experiences of front line soldiers during World War I, one of the first women to travel to the Belgian front lines.