↓ Similar Mansion Murders ↓

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!