When Archer Coe, a collector of Chinese ceramics, is found dead in his bedroom with the door bolted on the inside, everybody from the district attorney to the medical examiner regards it as suicide. But detective Philo Vance suspects a sinister and carefully crafted murder. Although the circumstances surrounding the death of Archer Coe are so mysterious and contradictory that for a time no solution seems possible, the brilliant Philo Vance brings the case to an unexpected but satisfying conclusion in the end.
The Kennel Murder Case, first published in 1933, moves swiftly with one mystery following another until the clever resolution. It is considered one of the best of Philo Vance novels in the series for its interesting characterization and gripping action and suspense.