kathyscottage's review
challenging
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
I have mixed feeling about this book. I thought the beginning was boring and slow. Once the victim was killed the pace picked up and it was very good. 3 stars for the first half of the mystery and 4 stars for the second half of the book.
jbleyle63's review
4.0
Bravo to Otto Penzler's American Mystery Classics series for dusting off another mostly forgotten title from the first half of the 20th century. This well written fair play puzzler represents the collaborative work of same sex couple Evelyn Page and Dorothy Blair writing under the pen name of Roger Scarlett. Curtis Evan's introduction, another huge asset for this AMC edition, provides a fascinating biography of these New England academics and their brief crime writing career.
julia_may's review
3.0
A pretty good locked room mystery from the 1930s but... I kept wishing it would hurry up and get to the good part (the investigation). The dead body doesn't make an appearance until the halfway point so the first half of the book is just a straight family drama with no investigation. It also does this thing where the genius detective has noticed clues that are never disclosed to the audience so then when the solution is revealed, it feels like a trick. In that way it's kind of Agatha Chritie-esque but set in the US.
amandajeanne's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bev_reads_mysteries's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
An unconventional country house murder. Scarlett gives us the story in four parts. In the short prologue, we meet Underwood, a lawyer and Inspector Kane's Watson, who gives us a bit of background and tells us how Kane will come into the investigation. The next section, dubbed "The Evidence," shows us exactly what happened at the house of wealthy, elderly bachelor Martin Greenborough in the days leading up to the murder. We meet his extended family--nieces and nephews who are all dependent on Uncle Mart for everything. He holds the purse strings and expressly forbids them from finding other means of support. He doesn't mind doling out the money...on his own terms, of course. We also meet the essential staff--butler and valet--as well as Martin's "companion" (for which, read mistress), Mrs. Warden. We learn about the temperament of the old gentleman and his relations--who is greedy, who is a spendthrift, who has a quick temper, and who has a quick brain. Every interaction will be important to discovering the motive and the murderer.
As often happens in these country house mysteries, the domineering old man gathers his dependents around him for a birthday celebration. He also plans to deliver up a big surprise. A surprise that may well affect their future expectations (under any dispensations of a will). He announces his plans to marry and to meet with his lawyer "tomorrow." Now any good mystery fan knows that Martin is never going to see his lawyer...As a wrap-up to the birthday festivities, the relatives go ahead with a planned fireworks display and when the celebration is over, they all troop up to Uncle Martin's bedroom to find out how he liked them. But he's dead...shot though the temple...and apparently shot from outside the window during the fireworks.
The third section of the book, "The Case," follows Sergeant Moran and Officer McBeath as they take statements and follow up clues. Each time Moran thinks he's found his culprit, new evidence or a new statement comes along to make him rethink everything. By the time he's done, he can't see how he can pinpoint anyone as the murderer. Then Inspector Kane, just returned from a trip, arrives. He hears everything from his friend Underwood and immediately sees a glimmer of the truth. He follows up three clues: the note, the necklace, and the cards. And when he's thoroughly investigated those, he (and the astute reader) knows who done it and why.
I have to say...I was half an astute reader. I knew who did it. I should have known why (I had actually noted certain aspects that would point to it), but didn't really formulate it properly before Kane explained it. Overall, an interesting mystery, though I'm not completely sold on the way Blair & Page chose to set it up. I prefer to have my "Holmes and Watson" center stage for the whole investigation, bringing Kane in for just the last third-ish of the book doesn't suit me as well. But the murder and the motive is definitely well worth the read.
leandrathetbrzero's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
↓ Similar Mansion Murders ↓
- Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham
- Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles
- Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game
Much mystery and awe surround Mr. Martin Greenough and his Bostonian estate. When he is discovered murdered on his seventy-fifth birthday with the mansion filled with his relatives, all benefiting from his death, the police call on Inspector Kane to untangle the events leading up to his birthday celebration. It soon becomes clear that no one is telling the truth, and no one is completely innocent.
I received Roger Scarlett’s Cat’s Paw as part of my monthly subscription with the Mysterious Bookshop. Each month, I am sent the newest addition to the Otto Penzler American mystery classics collection And, without fail, each package brings me such joy! Fun fact about Roger Scarlett: this is a pseudonym used by same-sex couple Dorothy Blair and Evelyn Page. The duo wrote five mysteries together, following the amazing triumphs of Inspector Kane. Cat’s Paw was my first experience with Kane, but hopefully not my last!
While I prefer my detective to be an active participant throughout the entire narrative, I respect Blair and Page’s nonconventional choice to only include Inspector Kane at the beginning (post-murder but pre-solution) and then at the end (with final interviews before the reveal). The middle section of the novel rewinds to the days leading up to the murder as guests arrive and tensions steadily rise. This design forces the reader to gather their own clues and deductions as Kane’s right-hand man, Underwood, narrates the events without interruption. In a way, I felt like I had stepped into the shoes of the detective rather than watching the mystery unfold through the eyes of a sidekick character.
For the most part, we as readers should come to our own solution before Kane steps in to reveal the culprit(s). In the book’s introduction, written by Curtis Evans, Roger Scarlett’s books became popular in Japan as “authentic” (i.e., fair play) detective fiction after World War II. And Cat’s Paw is no exception. The writers 100% play fair, and the solution is within reach of the reader. I can attest to this fact as I correctly answered the questions “Whodunnit?” and “Whydunnit?” With that said, I do believe there is a good level of complexity to this narrative. Everyone is a believable suspect with motive and lies galore, not to mention the red herrings carefully placed in our way.
My only critiques for this story are (1) the slow pace, and (2) I wanted more space devoted to Anne, the determined, money-savvy niece who took no sh*t from her ruthless uncle Martin. I definitely recommend this if you are in the mood for a mansion murder setting!
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