The Mistress
of Mystery


Mabel Seeley (March 25, 1903 Herman, Minnesota – 1991) was an American mystery writer who wrote ten novels between 1938 and 1954, all period pieces set in the Midwest. Often referred to as “The Mistress of Mystery,” Seeley’s work included the acclaimed The Crying Sisters (1939) and seven other mysteries. In the 30’s and 40’s, she was heralded as the most popular crime writer of the century, receiving rave reviews from such arbiters of literary fashion as the New York Times, the Saturday Review and the New Yorker, as well as the Mystery of the Year award in 1941 for The Chuckling Fingers. Literary critic James Gray once described her as “a high priestess in the cult of murder as a fine art.” Read More …

 
 

The Books

 

 

THE LISTENING HOUSE
1938

THE CRYING SISTERS
1939

THE WHISPERING CUP
1940

THE CHUCKLING FINGERS
1941

SEALED-ROOM MURDER
1941

ELEVEN CAME BACK
1943

WOMAN OF PROPERTY
1947

THE BECKONING DOOR
1950

THE STRANGER BESIDE ME
1951

THE WHISTLING SHADOW
1954