Hopwood, Avery

Often called the American Agatha Christie, Mary Roberts Rinehart was a prolific author who wrote hundreds of books, short stories, poems, travelogues, plays, and special articles. While many of her books were best-sellers, critics were most appreciative of her murder mysteries. Many of her books and plays were adapted for movies. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," although she did not actually use the phrase herself.