The Mysterious Half Cat

The Mysterious Half Cat by Margaret Sutton (1936) This was the first Judy Bolton title I read, a number of years back—so it’s the book that got me excited about the Judy Bolton series. Re-reading it now really points out how much you gain by reading them in order—there are a lot of characters who appear from book to book, and it helps to have the background. This is a good story involving Judy’s friend Scottie—and her sister, Carol, who has some kind of illness that keeps her from speaking. As usual, Judy gets into hot water with everyone before finally making the bold move to solve the mystery, based on her powers of deduction, and following her instincts. I was impressed, going back to this book, by some mature and complex ideas. There’s a lot of stuff about dreams, and at one point Judy suspects: “…the old man’s dreams, like many other person’s, were only half remembered and the rest reconstructed from the imagination after he was awake.” That’s a concept you might be hearing for the first time, regardless of your age. I also like the overarching theme about the corrupting nature of wealth, from the miser’s hoarding and paranoia—to his shame, after being robbed of his treasures, and his inability to ask for help. These books aren’t merely adventures and mysteries, they also contain a bit of social commentary, for sure. Plus, Judy’s cat, Blackberry, also plays a significant role in this story, which could almost be goofy at one point, and sentimental at another, but because it’s Blackberry that’s all okay because we love Blackberry!