Murder at Arroways

Inspector McKee #20

by Helen Reilly

Mystery fiction.

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Helen Reilly was an American novelist. She was born Helen Kieran and grew up in New York City in a literary family. Her brother, James Kieran, also wrote a mystery, and two of her daughters, Ursula Curtiss and Mary McMullen, are mystery writers.

Reilly's early books were police procedurals based on her research into the New York Homicide squad. Her most popular character is Inspector Christopher McKee. Reilly also used the pseudonym Kieran Abbey.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Arroways (1950) by Helen Reilly is the eighteenth book in her Inspector McKee series. Like many of the later books, McKee doesn't show up until the book is well over half finished. However, I liked this one much more than Compartment K (where he doesn't appear until the end). Arroways is full of suspense and atmosphere and I like Damien Carey (our heroine) quite a lot. But--I get a bit ahead of myself.

Damien Carey is the estranged granddaughter of Maria Mont, iron-willed matriarch of the Mont family. When her daughter made an ill-advised marriage, Maria wrote her and her granddaughter off. But when the old lady dies, it is discovered that Grandfather Mont had willed the family estate to Maria for her lifetime and then to his granddaughter when Maria passed on. The family lawyer calls upon Damien to come to Arroways and claim her inheritance and that's when things get interesting and Damien wonders what sort of family she's come back to.

The first to die is Anne Giles, the production manager of Mont Fabrics--formerly Maria's right-hand woman and spy. Did Anne know something dangerous? Or did someone want her out of the Mont family business? When the prime suspect in Anne's murder winds up dead as well and then an attack is made on Anne's cousin, the police have to wonder what kind of killing spree they have on their hands.

Inspector McKee gets involved when there are threads to follow up in New York City and his friend, the local prosecutor asks for his assistance down at Arroways. But will he be in time to save Damien and others from the killer's traps?

The pacing of the novel is nearly pitch-perfect and the suspense is also carried off very well. Classic mystery fans will be a bit disappointed in the clueing--or lack thereof. It would be difficult to identify the culprit strictly by clues in the story. One might have ideas that point in the right direction, but they would be more intuitive than deductive. Still, it is a fine story and well-told. ★★★ and 3/4.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this clean whodunit. I never figured out who the culprit was and I really like how the police detectives were portrayed. Has a little bit of romance about it but the story is mainly about the mystery. Read this on openlibrary.org

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad story, but the way the romance was thrown in was disappointing, and I saw the ending coming long before the last page. Damien was way too predictable.
The version I read was printed/copyrighted 1949, by Random House.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Excellent twisting and turning. Well plotted clever puzzle!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The curious thing--other than learning that "Damien" can be a woman's name--is the use of character perspective. Despite the billing as an "Inspector McKee mystery", the aforementioned Damien Carey is the main character and for the most part provides the point of view for the reader. This isn't much different from Holmes and Watson, except that Carey and McKee aren't associated with one another and rarely interact. The benefit is that it doesn't feel like McKee is unnecessarily withholding information from Carey and by extension the reader, a pet peeve with the Sherlock Holmes stories. Then again even with his associate Luttrell, McKee never seems to dramatically withhold the keys to the mystery.

The mystery holds together, with an honestly surprising twist that does explain the Mont family's strange behavior. I'd be curious to see how the rest of the series works.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not let the cheesy book cover make you avoid reading this very good, rollicking, fast paced mystery! The book's main drawback is the ever increasing amount of characters. The paperback edition that I read gave a main characters list with descriptions just before the title page. I referred to it a few times while reading. The book's fast pace reminded me of an old pulp mystery book, but without all the sex! I wish there were more than a few of the 31 Inspector McKee books still available. McKee is the quiet, unassuming, brilliant detective I enjoy. He reminded me of Anna Katharine Green's Mr. Gryce. Remember to add Helen Reilly to your mystery reading list. Enjoy!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damien Carey has inherited Arroways from the wealthy grandmother who disowned her daughter for marrying against her wishes. All of the surviving Monts--the daughter-in-law, her two children, and some of their local friends--are waiting to turn the mansion over to Damien, who just wants a little cash to help care for her beloved cousin Jane, who is gravely ill. Arroways is a huge, sinister place, but the last thing Damien expects to find there is murder. Fortunately, New York City's Inspector McKee is a friend of the local prosecutor, and comes to help out--and find the real killer.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purloined this book out of Macy's furniture department while my mother was buying a sofa. I started reading it in the store and the salesman let me take it.
I was more interested in the books the store had in the floor sample bookshelves than the furniture on the floor.

This is a real cosy up in big comfy chair with tea kind of book. It'a a prize possession - they can bury me with it.

By the way the jacket shown on GR is not the original jacket which showed Arroways.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love country house murder mysteries, and this is a fine example of the genre. Rich people running around getting drunk and acting like jackasses is appealing--when it's fiction.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta love those 1950s mystery/suspense/romance novels.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Inspector McKee gets involved in a strange murder case and the threads lead to New York City.