Catt out of the Bag

I have to say straight off that you will not discover the meaning behind the punning title until almost the end of the book. I'm glad we have got that out of the way. This is the second book that I have come across from this British Golden Age crime writer. Witting’s books have slipped into relative obscurity although collectible (pricey, in other words) to those ‘in the know.’ This novel is part of a series reissued by Galileo Publishing, featuring Inspector Harry Charlton with sterling support from Sergeant Martin and his team.

Catt out of the Bag is set just before Christmas, during a seasonal house party in the fictional town of Paulsfield. Guests have been persuaded by their formidable hostess into joining a fund-raising Carol singing evening, which is to wend its way around the town. During the event, Tom Vavasour, who was one of the collectors, vanishes along with his collection box and its contents. The box later turns up empty, discarded on the common, but where is Vavasour? Did he steal the collection for the local cottage hospital? And why would he anyway, as it was hardly a huge sum of money.

There ensues a bout of amateur detection from two of the house party Christmas guests (one of whom, John Rutherford, just happens to be married to the Inspector's niece) before the local constabulary is called into the case. The case proves puzzling, not least because it seems difficult to pin Vavasour down and find a motive for his disappearance and possible murder. The reader must suspend disbelief that the police would share an investigation with amateurs, even if one of them is a family member! The case proved to be a complicated web and I didn’t manage to guess the motive or the culprit.

Despite the seriousness of the crime, this is a witty and lighthearted read with a good leading character in Charlton. Rutherford describes Charlton as having a ‘comforting air’ which was ‘his most deadly weapon.’ He explained that the criminal elements ‘feared it desperately, yet never failed to fall for it again’ after having believed they were only having a friendly chat. I presume that he had an excellent clear up rate as a consequence. I will certainly read more of this series and look forward to encountering Charlton’s ‘comforting air’ in a future case.