The Confession

"The Confession" by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a psychological thriller written in the early 20th century that delves into themes of fear, obsession, and the complexities of human emotion. The narrative follows Agnes Blakiston, a woman who retreats to the Benton house in the countryside, only to find herself embroiled in a web of unsettling occurrences and secrets stemming from the house and its last resident, Miss Emily Benton. The opening of the story establishes a tone of unease as Agnes begins her summer in the isolated Benton house, remarking on its peculiarities and the long history that seems to haunt it. She is accompanied by her loyal servant Maggie, who expresses her discomfort about the house. Unseen tensions arise as Agnes receives an enigmatic letter from Miss Emily, urging her to occupy the house, suggesting that something is amiss. As unsettling events unfold, including strange telephone calls and an inexplicable fear that grips Agnes, the stage is set for a psychological unraveling. The dynamics between Agnes, Miss Emily, and Maggie suggest a deeper story involving past violence, as a hidden confession is gradually revealed, setting the plot in motion for a complex exploration of fear and its manifestations. (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.