Cat's Paw (An American Mystery Classic)
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- 12,99 €
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- 12,99 €
Publisher Description
When a wealthy bachelor is murdered in his baroque Boston mansion, a bizarre clue holds the key to whodunnit
Martin Greenough’s walled-off mansion is the last remaining holdout in the Boston parkland known as the Fenway—and the fact that it eluded condemnation by the city is a testament to the elderly bachelor’s great wealth. Childless and nearing the end of his life, he surrounds himself with only his cat, his servants, and a friend, Mrs. Warden—to say nothing of the circle of extended family members whose lives he both subsidizes and rules from afar, the nieces and nephews who all seem to be more fond of Uncle Mart’s money than they are of his character.
On the eve of his birthday, Greenough requests the presence of his heirs at his home, insisting that he has something important to discuss. Before that discussion can take place, though, the man is murdered in his study. In one way or another nearly everyone there would benefit by his death, and none gathered seem terribly upset by it, so finding the culprit is no easy task for Inspector Kane of the Boston PD. But as he untangles the threads and unburies dark family secrets, the discovery of a bizarre clue might hold the key to solving the crime.
A classical “closed circle” mystery featuring a colorful cast of characters, Cat’s Paw exemplifies the puzzling, house-bound tales for which Roger Scarlett is remembered today. It is sure to delight any fan of pure, Golden Age detective stories—especially those with a love of architecturally-focused plots.
Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Who killed wealthy cat-loving Bostonian Martin Greenough? Scarlett, the joint pseudonym of Dorothy Blair (1903–1976) and Evelyn Page (1902–1977), provides the clever answer in this ingenious whodunit first published in 1931. For his 75th birthday, Greenough has invited family members dependent on his largesse to his mansion, only to reveal that he intends to alter the long-standing terms of his will, which may impoverish some of them. Sure enough, that unspecified threat leads to someone fatally shooting Greenough in his study, where his corpse is found near a wide-open window. The police conclude that the murder weapon was fired from the outside, and Bureau of Criminal Investigation inspector Norton Kane is called in to probe motives and alibis. The novel's structure, which alternates between the first-person narration of an attorney friend of Kane's and third person, allows key evidence to be concealed, even as the ultimate solution makes plain that Scarlett has played fair with the reader. Distinctive characters people the vividly detailed Greenough mansion. This reissue is another gem in the American Mystery Classics series.