"While the Patient Slept" is a chilling Golden Age mystery that features the introduction of one of fiction's most enduring amateur sleuths, Nurse Sarah Keate. Set within the somber and claustrophobic walls of the Federie mansion, the story follows Nurse Keate as she is summoned to care for an elderly patriarch lying in a profound coma. As the household waits for the inevitable, the heavy atmosphere of the isolated estate grows increasingly tense.<BR>The silence of the sickroom is shattered when a body is discovered just outside the patient's door-murdered while the nurse watched over her unconscious charge. Keate must navigate a tangled web of family secrets, inheritance greed, and long-buried motives to identify a killer hiding in plain sight. Known for her keen powers of observation and no-nonsense demeanor, Nurse Keate teams up with the astute Detective Lance O'Leary to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.<BR>This novel is a masterclass in atmospheric suspense, blending elements of the gothic thriller with the intricate deduction of classic detective fiction. "While the Patient Slept" remains a foundational work in the mystery genre, showcasing Mignon G. Eberhart's exceptional talent for crafting psychologically complex and gripping tales.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.