Cat's Paw (An American Mystery Classic)

If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, you should read works by Roger Scarlett. Perhaps you will pick up certain clues, but I dare you to guess the truth.

No realistic or sympathetic characters and way too many of them to start with. After slogging through three-fourths of the book, I finally flipped to the end to see who the killer was. Maybe the style and plot are simply evidence of when the book was written, around the 1930's. I'm sure this is someone's cup of tea, just not mine.

First of all, I would like to say that by the final 25% to 30% of CAT'S PAW, the mystery part of the plot gets better.....if you can manage to get that far. The writing is tedious throughout, with stilted phrasing and awkward dialog. The characters, despite the authors' efforts, are not well defined and their actions often make it confusing to the reader as to who is doing what. The detective is bland, the action is limited and there is no character to easily root for or despise.I would give this work a passby.

“Roger Scarlett” was actually two women, partners in writing and life, who thought they could write better detective stories than certain others who wrote crime fiction. Cat’s Paw (1931) is evidence that they were correct.They set-up is not exactly original — tyrannical rich man with greedy, conniving, untrustworthy heirs who are waiting for him to die. Or do they wait? But the characters are so well developed and well-drawn, it’s hard not to get interested in them and their peccadillos. This is a deeply dysfunctional family, spoiled by too much wealth. It’s hard to find anybody to like inside this gothic mansion. It’s also hard to figure out who shot the old man.The authors weave an excellent puzzle, made more puzzling by the bumbling sergeant who keeps jumping to wrong conclusions. Only towards the end of the book does Inspector Kane appear — the brilliant sleuth who will solve the crime through insightful character analysis and dazzling deductions.Kane isn’t especially likable. But since none of the characters are very likable either, this doesn’t interfere with the fun of the puzzle or the twists and turns at the end. Besides, the cat is personable, and obligingly provides a clue. The authors were animal lovers.