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Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #9
The Cat's Eye
When Andrew Drayton, a collector of jewellery, is found stabbed to death and the young woman who tried to stop the murderer is wounded, Dr Thorndyke is called in to investigate. But although the scene of the crime seems awash with the fingerprints of the attacker, there may be good reason why the police can’t trace the killer. But not only are the facts of the case proving to be vexing but the discovery of a secret chamber and its sinister contents help to reveal that this is no ordinary murder and no ordinary murderer is behind it.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1923
73 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
609 books86 followersRichard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862, the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard, and later added the Austin to his name.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 24, 2025
As usual, very detailed and complicated. Freeman's description of the detection process is masterful. I really enjoyed it. It was fairly easy to figure out the who and the why but this didn't affect my enjoyment.
Why hasn't anyone ever made a TV series of these books. The situation where you have two doctors who are also barristers with a fully operational laboratory, workshop and darkroom upstairs from their chambers with a multi talented factotum (Polton) is so original.
Brilliant stuff!
Why hasn't anyone ever made a TV series of these books. The situation where you have two doctors who are also barristers with a fully operational laboratory, workshop and darkroom upstairs from their chambers with a multi talented factotum (Polton) is so original.
Brilliant stuff!
August 18, 2018
Thorndyke is in prime form in this entry in the series. The main reason I didn't rate this higher was the fact that I managed to figure out most (though not all) of the solution before the big reveal.
February 13, 2025
The Cat's Eye provides Thorndyke with a murder to solve and an inheritance to unravel. All the action -- and there is action in this outing -- is focused and well-motivated.
First-rate.
* * *
Characters
Robert Anstey: A King's Counsel and the narrator of the story.
John Thorndyke: A famous medical-legal authority and criminal lawyer.
Sir Lawrence Drayton: A well-known Chancery lawyer whose brother is murdered.
Andrew Drayton: Sir Lawrence's brother, a collector of inscribed jewels and other objects.
Winifred Blake: A young woman who is an artist and the sister of the direct heir to the Blake estate.
Percival Blake: Winifred's younger brother.
Mr. Halliburton: A mysterious man who visits Andrew Drayton to see his collection.
Moakey (Joe Hedges): A career criminal suspected of the murder.
Mr. Saltwood: A curator at the College of Surgeons.
Mr. Brodribb: A solicitor who represents the current owner of the Blake estate.
Arthur Blake: The current owner of the Blake estate.
Hugh Owen: An Australian adventurer who is a friend of Arthur Blake.
Laura Levinsky: A woman associated with Hugh Owen.
Settings
London: The story takes place primarily in London, including the areas of Hampstead, the Temple, and Whitechapel.
Beauchamp Blake: An estate in Buckinghamshire that is the subject of a dispute over ownership.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter I: The narrator, Robert Anstey, witnesses a murder on Hampstead Heath and discovers the body of Andrew Drayton.
Chapter II: Sir Lawrence Drayton, the brother of the victim, arrives and declares a vendetta against the murderers.
Chapter III: John Thorndyke, a medical-legal expert, takes up the inquiry and begins to investigate the crime scene.
Chapter IV: The focus shifts to Winifred Blake, a young woman who is an artist and the sister of the direct heir to the Blake estate.
Chapter V: Mr. Halliburton, a mysterious man who visited Andrew Drayton to see his collection, is introduced.
Chapter VI: Thorndyke visits the College of Surgeons to examine a specimen of an Echidna, which is relevant to the investigation.
Chapter VII: Winifred Blake reveals that a valuable heirloom, the Cat's Eye pendant, has been stolen from her family.
Chapter VIII: The history of the Blake family and the lost inheritance is recounted.
Chapter IX: The police identify one of the suspects as a career criminal named Moakey.
Chapter X: Thorndyke warns Winifred Blake that she is in danger from the murderers.
Chapter XI: Thorndyke discovers a blue hair in the locket that was stolen from Andrew Drayton's collection.
Chapter XII: Winifred Blake is nearly murdered by the criminals, but is saved by Robert Anstey.
Chapter XIII: Thorndyke reveals that he has been investigating the case independently of the police.
Chapter XIV: Thorndyke and Anstey visit Beauchamp Blake, the estate that is the subject of the dispute over ownership.
Chapter XV: The squire of Beauchamp Blake, Arthur Blake, is introduced.
Chapter XVI: Mr. Brodribb, the solicitor for Arthur Blake, reveals that his client is trying to sell the property.
Chapter XVII: Thorndyke and Anstey discover a secret chamber in Beauchamp Blake.
Chapter XVIII: The criminals are killed in the secret chamber.
Chapter XIX: The mystery of the Cat's Eye pendant is solved.
Chapter XX: Thorndyke explains how he solved the case.
First-rate.
* * *
Characters
Robert Anstey: A King's Counsel and the narrator of the story.
John Thorndyke: A famous medical-legal authority and criminal lawyer.
Sir Lawrence Drayton: A well-known Chancery lawyer whose brother is murdered.
Andrew Drayton: Sir Lawrence's brother, a collector of inscribed jewels and other objects.
Winifred Blake: A young woman who is an artist and the sister of the direct heir to the Blake estate.
Percival Blake: Winifred's younger brother.
Mr. Halliburton: A mysterious man who visits Andrew Drayton to see his collection.
Moakey (Joe Hedges): A career criminal suspected of the murder.
Mr. Saltwood: A curator at the College of Surgeons.
Mr. Brodribb: A solicitor who represents the current owner of the Blake estate.
Arthur Blake: The current owner of the Blake estate.
Hugh Owen: An Australian adventurer who is a friend of Arthur Blake.
Laura Levinsky: A woman associated with Hugh Owen.
Settings
London: The story takes place primarily in London, including the areas of Hampstead, the Temple, and Whitechapel.
Beauchamp Blake: An estate in Buckinghamshire that is the subject of a dispute over ownership.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter I: The narrator, Robert Anstey, witnesses a murder on Hampstead Heath and discovers the body of Andrew Drayton.
Chapter II: Sir Lawrence Drayton, the brother of the victim, arrives and declares a vendetta against the murderers.
Chapter III: John Thorndyke, a medical-legal expert, takes up the inquiry and begins to investigate the crime scene.
Chapter IV: The focus shifts to Winifred Blake, a young woman who is an artist and the sister of the direct heir to the Blake estate.
Chapter V: Mr. Halliburton, a mysterious man who visited Andrew Drayton to see his collection, is introduced.
Chapter VI: Thorndyke visits the College of Surgeons to examine a specimen of an Echidna, which is relevant to the investigation.
Chapter VII: Winifred Blake reveals that a valuable heirloom, the Cat's Eye pendant, has been stolen from her family.
Chapter VIII: The history of the Blake family and the lost inheritance is recounted.
Chapter IX: The police identify one of the suspects as a career criminal named Moakey.
Chapter X: Thorndyke warns Winifred Blake that she is in danger from the murderers.
Chapter XI: Thorndyke discovers a blue hair in the locket that was stolen from Andrew Drayton's collection.
Chapter XII: Winifred Blake is nearly murdered by the criminals, but is saved by Robert Anstey.
Chapter XIII: Thorndyke reveals that he has been investigating the case independently of the police.
Chapter XIV: Thorndyke and Anstey visit Beauchamp Blake, the estate that is the subject of the dispute over ownership.
Chapter XV: The squire of Beauchamp Blake, Arthur Blake, is introduced.
Chapter XVI: Mr. Brodribb, the solicitor for Arthur Blake, reveals that his client is trying to sell the property.
Chapter XVII: Thorndyke and Anstey discover a secret chamber in Beauchamp Blake.
Chapter XVIII: The criminals are killed in the secret chamber.
Chapter XIX: The mystery of the Cat's Eye pendant is solved.
Chapter XX: Thorndyke explains how he solved the case.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
Jan. 2025 - narrated by Yoganandt T. on LibriVox
I just reviewed all my ratings for Freeman's books and was surprised to find that I like his work more consistently than Doyle's. While Sherlock smirkingly pulls some nonsense out of his bag at the end and gloats over your imbecility, Thorndyke is convinced that if you just thought about it for a bit, you could figure it out. Eventually, once he gathers all his facts, he lays everything on the table and by then you have all the broader strokes, though not the details, which he helpfully supplies. Now if only his ladies were as varied as Christie's. Ah, well. One can't have everything.
I just reviewed all my ratings for Freeman's books and was surprised to find that I like his work more consistently than Doyle's. While Sherlock smirkingly pulls some nonsense out of his bag at the end and gloats over your imbecility, Thorndyke is convinced that if you just thought about it for a bit, you could figure it out. Eventually, once he gathers all his facts, he lays everything on the table and by then you have all the broader strokes, though not the details, which he helpfully supplies. Now if only his ladies were as varied as Christie's. Ah, well. One can't have everything.
August 8, 2018
My first experience reading a Dr. Thorndyke novel, and I was really surprised by how consciously it imitates Sherlock Holmes. Thorndyke and Anstey are definitely a down-market version of Holmes and Watson, but still, while this can't touch Conan Doyle's best work, it is better than some of those stories. Thorndyke is a little too cute about keeping his deductions to himself, Anstey is a little too clueless, so the reader is sometimes annoyed by being too far ahead of the narrator. But nearly all of the relevant information to the mystery is provided, and so the attentive reader is rewarded to some extent by anticipating developments. On the whole, not at all a bad read. And another Thorndyke is next in this anthology I'm reading, so I'll get to see whether Freeman can build on his positives and leave out his negatives in future works pretty soon.
November 7, 2021
Wonderful mystery listening 🎧
Another will written British thriller adventure mystery novel book 9 in the Dr Thorndyke Mystery Series by R. Austin Freeman. The characters are interesting very British and will developed. Who owns the estate is the question and Dr Thorndyke must discover with the help of friend, New Scotland Yard, and Australian police what the truth is. It all comes together very quickly. I would highly recommend this novel and the series to readers of mystery, Enjoy the adventure of reading 📘 or listening t🎧o books 🕵️♂️💕😎🎉
Another will written British thriller adventure mystery novel book 9 in the Dr Thorndyke Mystery Series by R. Austin Freeman. The characters are interesting very British and will developed. Who owns the estate is the question and Dr Thorndyke must discover with the help of friend, New Scotland Yard, and Australian police what the truth is. It all comes together very quickly. I would highly recommend this novel and the series to readers of mystery, Enjoy the adventure of reading 📘 or listening t🎧o books 🕵️♂️💕😎🎉
August 17, 2010
A most mysterious mystery. Dr. Thorndyke claims you have all the facts he does, and it is true that you have all the information about things he sees and hears during his investigation. What the reader lacks, however, is his amazing store of knowledge, such as what could cause hair to turn a strange shade of blue, or when it is valuable to use the Latin Vulgate version of the scriptures to decipher a clue. Still, a lot of fun.
February 23, 2016
Originally written in 1923 it is Thorndyke at his best. Narrated by Robin Anstey KC, who is acting as Thorndyke's counsel as Jervis is away in America. It is well crafted using the stricter form of langue of the times. There is murder, love, and a form of code to be deciphered to prove an inheritance. There is also Polten in the background with his gadgets and experiments as well as being the indefatigable man servant. A good read.
November 17, 2020
Thorndyke and his current assistant Antsey get themselves involved with solving the murder of the brother of their friend Sir Drayton. His brother lived in the country where he supervised a private museum. Nothing in the museum is of great value but much of it is what we today would call "chatkas". He has jewelry from the Medieval period that were types of keepsakes, special spoons, glassware, ceramics, etc. A story about his collection is printed in a local periodical and from time to time people inquire as to seeing it.
One night two men break into the house and in the process of the robbery, the shoot Drayton's brother to death. There is little evidence to who it was and to what was taken. On that night, a Miss Blake has made an appointment to see some of the collection that may have belonged to her family and lost over one hundred and fifty years before. She has an encounter with one of the thieves who then stabs her in the side. When she gets to the house she finds Drayton's brothers body.
From herein it gets very convoluted, except to Thorndyke who understands everything that is going on. What did the robbers steal, and why? The babbles they took have no special value, why would they kill for it?? Well it's impossible to describe the rest of the story without giving you the whole book, except to remark about a love story between Anstey and the "Damsel".
One night two men break into the house and in the process of the robbery, the shoot Drayton's brother to death. There is little evidence to who it was and to what was taken. On that night, a Miss Blake has made an appointment to see some of the collection that may have belonged to her family and lost over one hundred and fifty years before. She has an encounter with one of the thieves who then stabs her in the side. When she gets to the house she finds Drayton's brothers body.
From herein it gets very convoluted, except to Thorndyke who understands everything that is going on. What did the robbers steal, and why? The babbles they took have no special value, why would they kill for it?? Well it's impossible to describe the rest of the story without giving you the whole book, except to remark about a love story between Anstey and the "Damsel".
September 9, 2018
Another Thorndyke novel and well done again. He does give you most of the clues but it's difficult to work it out and I tend not to bother too much I must admit as I know he'll reveal all at the end! This one hinged on knowing French assay marks - not something I know anything about! Still a good mystery which is what you want.
August 5, 2021
Thorndyke investigates a mystery involving jewellery, inheritances, kidnapping and hidden chambers. I found it hard to get into this one, although I’m still fond of the author’s writing and Thorndyke’s methods. Freeman’s meticulous details also make this an odd read at points, because there are a few high-drama scenes that end up lacking in drama! Onto the next Thorndyke…
March 3, 2024
I am getting familiar with Freeman's style now. He has a fancy for pendants and baubles, injuries and diseases, disguises and forgeries. There is always a love interest, and so far she has always been innocent of the crime.
August 18, 2017
I rather liked this addition to Dr Thorndyke's casebook.
January 6, 2019
An excellent mystery. The plot moves along very quickly. The chatacters are all well fleshed out. There is plenty of action in the story with a very satisfying conclusion.
December 31, 2020
Andrew Drayton, jewellery collector has been stabbed to death at his home, Rowen Lodge, While a Miss Blake has been wounded in the surrounding area was discovered by Robert Anstey, KC, leading council to Dr Thorndyke who investigates the case.
An enjoyable story
Originally published in 1923
An enjoyable story
Originally published in 1923
April 19, 2017
Significant improvement over "Helen Vardon's Confession." The protagonist, Robert "Robin" Antsey is rather a clone of Jervis; he too is a lawyer who works in Kings Court though he doesn't have much medical knowledge. Therefore, the story was much closer to the first few novels, which I enjoyed because of their originality in terms of plot as well as the devices and knowledge Thorndyke draws on to create his hypotheses. This one is also enjoyable because it has more present action, taking after one of the previous volumes, "A Silent Witness", which I found to be my favorite of all the volumes thus far.
September 1, 2015
Interesting two-face problem, although the identity of the criminals is obvious for the reader (it isn't for the narrator), and the novel includes a love story that becomes as important as the mystery plot. Some of the actions of the main characters are a little stupid, as when the girl falls in the trap the criminals have prepared for her. Also, Thorndyke's behavior near the end is reckless. He says he was all the time in control, but I don't agree.
I won't say more, because this review would become a spoiler.
I won't say more, because this review would become a spoiler.
July 18, 2023
A middling Thorndyke investigation, a potpourri of elements with lots of romance and some thrillerish moments, dashes ofJacobite and family history, poisoning and biblical quotations,as well as fingerprints and footprints.
It rattles along quite pacily for Freeman, but the villains are pretty obvious as are the connections between the opening murder/robbery and the property inheritance mystery.
The narrator is a trifle too thick and love-addled to convince as an eminent KC and as usual cannot keep up with the logical deduction of the medico-legal detective.
3.5 stars.
It rattles along quite pacily for Freeman, but the villains are pretty obvious as are the connections between the opening murder/robbery and the property inheritance mystery.
The narrator is a trifle too thick and love-addled to convince as an eminent KC and as usual cannot keep up with the logical deduction of the medico-legal detective.
3.5 stars.
January 15, 2017
Once again a pair of thoroughly evil colonials are the bad guys. This must have played well in early 20th c England. Well, they do get their comeuppance, and not in a good way. In what seems to be a series veering into romantic suspense and away from the mystery of the thing, another one of the regulars is married off. Far worse, the prose, once sleek and enticing has become rotund, indeed flabby.
April 16, 2014
This dragged a little in places - I do think Thorndyke is better suited to the short story, as was Holmes - but it's very readable, and supplied me with the fascinating derivation of the word 'cobalt'. You learn something every day!
June 5, 2017
Murder-Mystery-Romance – 4.5 stars
This story begins with Robert Anstey, KC coming across a man and a woman struggling on Hampstead Heath one dark evening. The man runs away and Anstey helps the woman to the nearest house, which also happens to be the one she was visiting. Upon arrival they find the housekeeper ringing the police to say that her employer, Mr Drayton, has been murdered. Drayton is a collector of inscribed objects, including jewels and ornaments. The police arrive, and shortly thereafter, Drayton’s brother, Sir Lawrence Drayton, who calls on Dr Thorndyke to help solve the crime. There are some pieces taken, and although it appears the crimes were committed by amateurs, they have escaped capture.
The story is told in the third person from the point of view of Mr Anstey, who is staying with Thorndyke while Jervis is away. He is involved in the investigation with Thorndyke, and he soon learns from Miss Blake (the young woman he rescued), the reason she had been at Drayton’s house and her personal interest in one of the items stolen, which is of historical importance to her family.
This is a very complex mystery, skilfully plotted, with a secondary mystery interwoven with the first. The solution to these multiple mysteries lies in clues, some of which are obscure until another clue sheds some light. The whole being much like a jigsaw puzzle, where you have a piece that fits nowhere, until another piece is found to give the first one context. Thorndyke and Polton are in their element with all their clues and Polton’s laboratory is a hive of activity.
The story moves at a slower pace than modern murder-mysteries, but I find that a plus, rather than a drawback. It is fascinating to watch Thorndyke find clues in things that most people wouldn’t give a second thought to, and when he elucidates on his findings, it seems incredible how much information he can glean. While the pacing of the story is slower, there are also bursts of tension-filled drama that are all the more gripping for coming infrequently.
The conclusion is very satisfying and when Thorndyke expounds the sequence of events, the clues and the interpretation of them, it is so breathtakingly obvious that one wonders why it is Thorndyke only who could put everything together and arrive at the correct answer to everything.
This story, based on clues and the interpretation of them, is one that I enjoyed very much, even though I failed abysmally with the clues, and I recommend it to all those who like the slower-paced murder-mysteries of the early half of last century. It was a pleasure to read such a story with no gratuitous violence or bad language, and apart from a few digitisation errors, well-written and edited
This story begins with Robert Anstey, KC coming across a man and a woman struggling on Hampstead Heath one dark evening. The man runs away and Anstey helps the woman to the nearest house, which also happens to be the one she was visiting. Upon arrival they find the housekeeper ringing the police to say that her employer, Mr Drayton, has been murdered. Drayton is a collector of inscribed objects, including jewels and ornaments. The police arrive, and shortly thereafter, Drayton’s brother, Sir Lawrence Drayton, who calls on Dr Thorndyke to help solve the crime. There are some pieces taken, and although it appears the crimes were committed by amateurs, they have escaped capture.
The story is told in the third person from the point of view of Mr Anstey, who is staying with Thorndyke while Jervis is away. He is involved in the investigation with Thorndyke, and he soon learns from Miss Blake (the young woman he rescued), the reason she had been at Drayton’s house and her personal interest in one of the items stolen, which is of historical importance to her family.
This is a very complex mystery, skilfully plotted, with a secondary mystery interwoven with the first. The solution to these multiple mysteries lies in clues, some of which are obscure until another clue sheds some light. The whole being much like a jigsaw puzzle, where you have a piece that fits nowhere, until another piece is found to give the first one context. Thorndyke and Polton are in their element with all their clues and Polton’s laboratory is a hive of activity.
The story moves at a slower pace than modern murder-mysteries, but I find that a plus, rather than a drawback. It is fascinating to watch Thorndyke find clues in things that most people wouldn’t give a second thought to, and when he elucidates on his findings, it seems incredible how much information he can glean. While the pacing of the story is slower, there are also bursts of tension-filled drama that are all the more gripping for coming infrequently.
The conclusion is very satisfying and when Thorndyke expounds the sequence of events, the clues and the interpretation of them, it is so breathtakingly obvious that one wonders why it is Thorndyke only who could put everything together and arrive at the correct answer to everything.
This story, based on clues and the interpretation of them, is one that I enjoyed very much, even though I failed abysmally with the clues, and I recommend it to all those who like the slower-paced murder-mysteries of the early half of last century. It was a pleasure to read such a story with no gratuitous violence or bad language, and apart from a few digitisation errors, well-written and edited
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