Murder Among the Angells – Roger Scarlett (1932)

Rewind to 2017 and Golden Age mystery fans were abuzz about finally getting their hands on Murder Among the Angells; a revered classic in Japan that somehow wallowed in obscurity throughout the rest of the world.  And what’s not to get excited about?  A mansion with a unique floor plan, nine maps, a bizarre will, and an impossible crime to top it all off.  I was pumped to read it, and so I immediately purchased it, and then let it rot in my TBR pile for nearly six years.

Well, that last part is because I always lose track of stories in these multi-novel collections, and Murder Among the Angells comes in the form of a twofer from Coachwhip Publications alongside Cat’s Paw.  Due to stacking issues, I end up stashing these bigger books somewhere else and then forget I have them.  Anyways, I finally got around to reading Cat’s Paw last year, and I’ve been eager to get back to Roger Scarlett ever since.

Cat’s Paw – Roger Scarlett (1931)

Ah 2018…  Pre-covid and the Golden Age of Detective Fiction corner of the universe was abuzz with the recent republishing of Murder Among the Angells by Roger Scarlett.  Put me down as one of those who lined up for a copy – well, I put it on my Christmas wish list and eventually got my hands on it – which came in the form of a two story volume along with Cat’s Paw.  And as with all of these multi-story compilations, I kind of lost track of it, simply because the bulky format doesn’t accommodate being stacked in a pile with a bunch of smaller form factor books that I plan to read next.

Out of sight is kind of out of mind when it comes to my library, and I actually forgot that I owned this.  I stumbled upon it at the base of a stack of books and realized that I still really want to read Murder Among the Angells.  Cat’s Paw comes first though, because if I don’t read it now, I’m likely to forget again that it even exists.