While the Patient Slept

by Mignon G. Eberhart, Lisa Unger (Introduction)

Overview

The “timing and gothic atmosphere are second to none” in this classic mystery where “the suspense steadily builds . . . until the satisfying denouement” (Publishers Weekly).

From the moment nurse Sarah Keate arrives at the gloomy mansion of Adolph Federie, she senses trouble afoot, from the mysterious occupants of the house to the penetrating stare of a black cat named Genevieve. But Mr. Federie has just suffered a stroke and needs a live-in aid and Sarah is not one to shirk her duties.

When a murder occurs in the same room as her patient, Sarah starts investigating along with the help of a local police officer. But how will she sleep at night knowing she’s sharing a house with a killer?

An early title in the career of a crime writer whose many novels landed on bestseller lists for much of the twentieth century, While the Patient Slept a creepy and atmospheric whodunit sure to please any fan of classic mysteries. It was included in the legendary Haycraft-Queen list of the greatest mystery novels of all time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613167441
Publisher:	Penzler Publishers
Publication date:	02/03/2026
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mignon G. Eberhart (1899–1996) wrote dozens of mystery novels over nearly sixty years. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, she published her first novel, The Patient in Room 18, in 1929 and by the end of the 1930s she was one of the most popular mystery writers on the planet. Eight of her books—including Murder by an Aristocrat—were adapted for film; later in her career, she was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America for lifetime achievement.

Lisa Unger is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author. With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is widely regarded as a master of suspense.

Editorial Reviews

"Eberhart's timing and gothic atmosphere are second to none. As the suspense steadily builds, Federie House's darkness and decay seep from the pages until the satisfying denouement."— Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Eberhart also won the Scotland Yard prize for this novel, "deservedly," according to Will Cuppy of Books. In this novel, Keate is working as a private nurse at Federie house when her patient is murdered, and she and O'Leary must track down the killer. A reviewer forBookman said, "This book places detective fiction on a higher level than ever before and is heartily recommended to fans." Like The Patient in Room 18, described by the New York Times as a "good, creepy yarn," While the Patient Slept builds what would become the trademark Eberhart atmosphere.

Gale Research