Curmudgeonly bachelor Martin Greenough has long been the legal guardian of his adult nephews and niece, who have voluntarily relinquished their financial independence under the assumption that he'll split an inheritance between them at his death. Tensions flare, however, when Martin summons them to his vast gray stone mansion in Boston to announce that he's getting married. When Martin is shot during a fireworks display, it's up to Inspector Kane to sift through the evidence and uncover the culprit. First published in 1931, Cat's Paw is a delightfully character-focused whodunit.