A Case of the Claws: Classic Tales of Feline Crime

by Catherine Aird

It's deep winter and time to light the fire, pull up a blanket and curl up with your cat. But has it occurred to you that your feline companion might be licking blood from its paws? Slink through shadows and brush with death in these three classic cat-themed mystery tales from beloved crime authors Catherine Aird, Edmund Crispin, Patricia Highsmith and Ellis Peters. A Case of the Claws brings a thrilling winter chill to the festive season and asks: are these furry friends the guardians of our secrets or omens of misfortune?

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Christmas, Cats, Crime, Animals

92 pages, Hardcover

Published October 23, 2025

About the author

Kinn Hamilton McIntosh, known professionally as Catherine Aird, was an English novelist. She was the author of more than twenty crime fiction novels and several collections of short stories. Her witty, literate, and deftly plotted novels straddle the "cozy" and "police procedural" genres and are somewhat similar in flavour to those of Martha Grimes, Caroline Graham, M.C. Beaton, Margaret Yorke, and Pauline Bell. Aird was inducted into the prestigious Detection Club in 1981, and is a recipient of the 2015 Cartier Diamond Dagger award.

Reviews

[Helga چـو ایـران نباشد تن من مـباد · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book consists of 4 classic mystery stories whose main character is a cat. Don't worry! The cats in these short stories aren't the culprits, but inadvertent witnesses or in one case solver of the mysteries.

The Trinity Cat by Ellis Peters (obviously, my favorite) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ming's Biggest Prey by Patricia Highsmith ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Touch Not the Cat by Catherine Aird ⭐⭐⭐
The Hunchback Cat by Edmund Crispin ⭐⭐⭐

[Emmy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short story murder mysteries with the combined theme of "cats".

I thought the idea was actually rather cute, and enjoyed the collection for the most part. I had read all but one of these authors before (Catherine Aird is the one I hadn't come across previously).

I don't like Edmund Crispin, who strikes me as the sort of person who, being a medium-level intelligence of high education fancies himself much cleverer than he really is, which makes his stories incredibly annoying to read for me (Gervase Fen would be only enjoyable to read as a murder victim, IMO). His story was, happily, the shortest and can be missed.

The other three were really enjoyable, and I'd look up some of Aird's books.

[Heather Varnadore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Either I’m just ancient or there are worse ways to spend a bitterly cold snowy afternoon than reading these cat-adjacent short mysteries. It’s a very slim book, four stories in all. The highlights are “Trinity Cat” by Ellis Peters and “Ming’s Biggest Prey” by Patricia Highsmith. The latter is filtered through the perspective of a Siamese, and I was really rooting for him in a way I don’t always with Siamese. “The Hunchback Cat” by Edmund Crispin begins promisingly, though the resolution is unsatisfying and rushed. All in all, a good quick read.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 short stories

The Trinity Cat ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ming’s Biggest Prey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Touch Not The Cat ⭐️⭐️
The Hunchback Cat ⭐️⭐️

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars overall

The Trinity Cat - 3.5 stars
Mings Biggest Prey - 5 Stars
Touch Not The Cat - 3 stars
Hunchback Cat - 1 star

[Lee Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming collection of festive morsels of suspense featuring our feline friends.

‘A Case of the Claws’ is a short story collection of Christmas mysteries in the tradition of cosy crime fiction, collecting four stories by four leading crime writers, each an entertaining, well-written tale with a shared theme – the narrative is led by our clawed feline familiars, demonstrating their unique brand of crime-fighting.

In “The Trinity Cat”, Ellis Peters recounts how a vagabond, somewhat adopted by Holy Trinity Church and neighbours, leads police straight to a murderer’s door when one of his benefactors is brutally murdered; Patricia Highsmith follows with “Ming’s Biggest Prey” – a battle of wills between Ming and his mistress’ cruel boyfriend who is intent on his demise; “Touch Not the Cat” by Catherine Aird tells how a cat’s futile attempts to save his human parent’s life nevertheless provides crucial forensic value; and, finally, Edmund Crispin’s “The Hunchback Cat” presents a fireside locked room mystery with a flourish of feline psychology.

A delightful selection of short, razor-sharp tales, ‘A Case of the Claws’ is an entertaining treat for the festive season, celebrating our favourite furry companions, and perfect for enjoying during a wintry afternoon or evening.

[Bente · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfectly cozy for christmas time.
the story of the trinity cat was definitely the best!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ghislaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first two stories

[Sophie Annett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred the first few stories but overall they were a nice cosy collection of feline stories.

[Lounge505 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars for the content, but for a wintery furry read, I’m just going round it up to 5 😼

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A black cat should rule the world- peace would be restored

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, quick read for a wintery day and I actually really enjoyed it. In fact it was close to being purr-fect (sorry). “A Case of the Claws” consists of four short stories, all murder mysteries, with a cunning cat twist to each one. Every tale was well written but they did get slightly weaker for me as the book progressed. My favourite of the stories was “The Trinity Cat” by Ellis Peters. It was the longest of the ones in the book and full of clever plot twists. I didn’t guess the ending at all. “Ming’s Biggest Prey” was also relatively enjoyable and I’d not expected the ending either. The cat, Ming, is also the most prominent character in this one whereas cats play more of a supporting role in the other stories. “Touch not the cat” was fun but I felt it needed to be a bit longer and a few elements weren’t rounded off satisfactorily for me. The last tale (or should that be tail) was “The Hunchback Cat” and this was the shortest and the least gripping for me. It just didn’t have the strength of the others and wasn’t very memorable. It probably would have worked better if it was a bit longer. Overall though I dug my claws in and finished this book in one sitting so it’s definitely worth a look and would make a great gift for cat lovers. I’ve gone 4 stars overall because I did like it a lot, just would not purr-sonally read it again. (Sorry)

[DiscoSpacePanther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four cat-related short stories of murder is a great stocking-filler for the cat-owning detective fiction lover in your life.

All of the stories have plausible feline behaviour, although I feel that Patricia Highsmith credits Ming, the cat of her story, with more intelligence and internal life than is realistic, although it serves the story well.

Ellis Peters’ tale feels the most traditional, and is a cosy piece in the modern era that sadly lacks any medieval Welsh monks.

Edmund Crispin’s offering is the shortest and weakest of the stories, with an over-smug and condescending detective, but the actual setting and crime are enjoyably country-house grim.

Overall, my favourite of the four tales was the one by Catherine Aird with the scratchy Pusskins - it was the most satisfying and the one with the most cat versimiltude.

A fun four stars.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with wonderfully charming stories about cats who end up helping to solve crimes, whether they intend to or simply stumble into it with their natural curiosity. As someone who has always adored cats, these tales made me love them even more. Each story highlights their mischievous nature, quiet intelligence, and uncanny ability to be in exactly the right (or wrong) place at the perfect moment.

The collection includes four short stories, all of which are entertaining and delightfully written. My favourite was the first one; it drew me in immediately with its humour, mystery, and irresistible feline antics, but every story has its own unique charm. If you enjoy light-hearted mysteries, lovable cat characters, and quick, engaging reads, this book is a real treat.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a gift from my husband - he bought it for me when in London at a corner bookstore. This is a treasure.

Charming short stories about cats and mysteries. Classics - writing a bit dated but still fun.
The Trinity Cat: takes place at Christmas time in an English village. Traditional detective story with the detective being smart enough to know to follow the cat.
Ming's Biggest Prey: my favorite - Be nice to cats...they know how to even if you are unkind to them and no one will be the wiser.
Touch Not the Cat - just okay
The Hunchback Cat - least favorite - the detective was way too smug though I liked the cat (of course)

[El’s Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories about murder, mystery, and cats. I picked this up quite cheap in the Waterstones sale, and what a treat it turned out to be.

Admittedly, I was less intrigued by the subject matter as I’m more of a dog person, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Each story is packed with just enough intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat, and each author shines through in their own unique way.

A great little book to get anyone out of a reading slump, would definitely recommend!

[Voluntarystress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published for the Christmas market in 2005, this delightful little hardback copy is smaller than a paperback. It contains four cat mystery/murder short stories by well-known authors, Catherine Aird, Edmund Crispin, Patricia Highsmith, and Ellis Peters. The authors are obviously cat lovers. Each description of a look, a movement, or a sound of a cat is perfect. There are also delightful pen and ink cat drawings by Joanna Lisowiec. A real mood lifter. Itwould make a perfect present for a cat lover who likes a mystery

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are actually only four cat tales presented in this volume. I expected them to be a vintage selection, but in fact two were written in the early 2000s. My favourite was 'Ming's Biggest Prey'. The weakest for me was 'Touch Not the Cat'. That took another rereading before I got the twist. I can think of other stories that might be included in a follow up volume. But all in all an enjoyable read, particularly over the festive period.

[Sheena · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Bought as a Christmas present for my husband 2025 and he has read two stories so far and I secretly purloined it while he is out and have read the whole very short book. I had already read the Patricia Highsmith story. Well the three tales of cats and murder were ok and the first one was appropriately set at Christmas. Nice illustrations of cats which probably means I will keep it rather than pass it on. As I should know by now I never really rate short stories.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four very amusing short stories featuring murders and cats, in a lovely slim hardback Christmas edition. What's not to like? And I learnt that one of the authors, Ellis Peters, was actually Edith Mary Pargeter, a Czechophile after a visit to Czechoslovakia in the late 1940s, who taught herself Czech and later became a well respected translator of Czech books/poems into English! I also discovered the excellent writer, Catherine Aird, who I'll definitely have to read more of ...

[Alexandra Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, quick read with cats. Thought it would be more Christmassy but don’t judge a book by its cover I suppose!

Each story was very different which I liked. The cats played different roles and had their own distinct personalities as in real life.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and such a cosy crime read. Short and sweet.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort collection. Some better than others. But the cat were always right!

[Victoria Beningfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

cosy crime and cats, two of my favourite things

[Zoë Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom and I have been reading these aloud to each other! My favourite was Ming's story!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastical finds for fine festive feline friends.

I enjoyed each short story & though all four had quite a different flavour, I enjoyed the cats in each one.

[han · Rating 4 out of 5]

festive little collection of four short stories. the first two were my faves, but each story has such a different style it’s almost hard to compare. i did enjoy

[Amy Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is a really good light read, all of the stories were very well written although I definitely prefer the plot to some more than others but thats just personal preference

[Kate Leeming · Rating 4 out of 5]

very amusing, nice little catkins book