The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern

Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery #4

by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

There's been another murder on the Cape, and the keen and salty Asey Mayo is on the trail again. The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern is both a mystery and a genuine New England novel, full of Yankee horse sense and Cape Cod culture.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Fiction, Cozy Mystery

283 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Taylor is an American mystery author. She is best known for her Asey Mayo series, based in Cape Cod. She additionally wrote and published under the pen names Alice Tilton and Freeman Dana.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor, born in 1909 in Boston, Massachusetts, was the first member of her family to have been born off Cape Cod in more than 300 years. Upon graduating from Manhattan's Barnard College, she moved to Weston, Massachusetts, to pen her first work, The Cape Cod Mystery (1931), which was published when she was 22. The book was written while Taylor was caring for her invalid aunt, Alice Tilton (the source of one of her two publishing pseudonyms, the other being Freeman Dana). Taylor was one of the first mystery writers to give a regional and rural rather than urban focus during the time known as the "golden age" of mystery writing (1918 - 1939). Gone with the Wind's author, Margaret Mitchell, was a great fan of the Asey Mayo series, and encouraged Taylor to pack the books with Cape Cod detail. In all, she authored 33 books. She died in 1976 at age 67.
- Bio by The Countryman Press

https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL685...

Reviews

[Erik Tolvstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of the Asey Mayo mysteries now, and have enjoyed each one. The characters are interesting and often unique. Sometimes, with Taylor's characters, she first presents some of them as almost stock cardboard cutouts from the mysteries-are-us shop; but then as the story goes on, you find more depth and often surprises within the character. You think you know what to expect at first, but that changes quickly.

This tale is a well-done twist on the locked-room mystery. There are some not-so-secret passages, that some characters know about, but not others. What makes this spin on the locked-room idea work for me is that the solution is complicated, but it makes sense - unlike some crazy, utterly convoluted mess that so many of those tales end with.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid classic mystery--truly mystifying, with real characters, quick pacing, and a great Cape Cod setting. I generally hate dialect and "country" characters but Asey Mayo is much better than the usual caricature. More, please!

[Phillip Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in the Asey Mayo series. This book is set in fictional Weesit, MA on Cape Cod, probably Wellfleet, MA. I have enjoyed the series so far and learned some fun 1930's slang, classical Greek references, and other various unknown vocabulary. I have enjoyed my side-trips to Wikipedia and Google to look 1930s current events that were before my time. So a warning dear reader, if you don't like looking references up you can ignore them and it won't effect the plot too much. Also, a mention of a warning that these books are from a different time with different sensibilities. There is the occasional "N" word and slang like "that's mighty white of ya." Also to echo others, the dialect of Cape Cod takes some practice to master.

The story is based at the literary hangout Prence Tavern in Weesit and centers around the melodramatic owner Eve Prence. She is convinced someone is trying to kill her. Is she just trying to get some free publicity for her inn or is her life in danger. Asey Mayo who just happens to handyman/bartender at the inn. Aided by a Boston coffee heiress, Asey must prove the innocence of a young woman and find the real killer by Monday morning. It's a long 4 day weekend and the plot rolls out like a 30's screwball comedy movie. Satisfying conclusion and I can't wait to start number 5!

[Michael Reilly]

This 1934 novel is the fourth Asey Mayo mystery. I am enjoying reading my was through the series.

Mayo is a classic Cape Cod type. He again finds himself investigating a murder. Eve Prence, the owner of the famous Cape Cod Tavern, is a high maintenance celebrity hotelier. She loves to plant outrageous stories in the newspapers to attract business to her inn.

Pence is found stabbed to death upstairs at the tavern in a common room. The young blind man in the room with her heard nothing. All of the quests at the inn are suspects. Mayo unravels the complicated story of Pence's life and the romantic entanglements of the guests.

Taylor had a very specific pattern to these books. A sensible upper-class Boston woman visits the Cape for some reason. A murder happens. She ends up working with Mayo to solve the murder. In each book so far, it is a different Boston woman. Each Boston woman has some male family member, brother or son, who does not approve of her involvement in this type of thing.

This is a good solid mystery but not as good as the first three. The plot is very complicated, and I found it difficult to keep all of the characters straight.

Taylor seems to share some of the racist views of her Yankee characters. A new group of politicians have captured the District Attorney's office on Cape Cod. They are not good old-fashioned Cape Codders. They are corrupt and dishonest. Taylor describes them as having "bull necks, red faces and prognathous jaws". In short, they are Irish. The new DA is named Quigley.

She also has "that's white of you" several times as a compliment.

One of the most interesting things about reading older popular literature is the chance to get a feel for the views which were considered perfectly acceptable. It is why I am so opposed to sanitizing older books. It is healthy to appreciate that we have made progress, which we don't know if we don't know where we came from.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery novel, set near Wellfleet, MA on Cape Cod. It moves along quickly, although as with the other mysteries by this author, there tends to be a lot of characters that blend together. In addition, these books have NOT been "updated for the modern reader," so certain phrases and sayings come across as extremely crude to our present-day ears and eyes.

With all of these disclaimers noted, I highly encourage other mystery-lovers and Cape Cod lovers to try this series out!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This littler gem from 1934 rates 4 and a half stars from me. When a Cape Cod tavern owner is killed, there are suspects a plenty, but they all seem to have alibis. Worse yet, the local police run by a crooked sheriff and his acolytes are determined to railroad an innocent woman for the murder. Determined to prove the woman's innocence, amateur sleuth Asey Mayo is on the case. This one has humor, and an ending you won't see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Otto Penzler has chosen a great book for the American Mystery Classics with The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern. This book kept me guessing right up to the last chapter. I loved it. Can't wait to read more books by Phoebe Atwood Taylor.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. A bit confusing with many characters and a cape cod dialect that was hard to read at times. I had to reread the conclusion to make full sense of it. I did enjoy the little surprises throughout, but I don't feel this was anything extraordinary.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the way Asey says "n'en" as well as other things!

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, period piece written with characters using a somewhat distracting Cape Cod "dialect." Despite that, I enjoyed this cozy mystery and might try another of Taylor's books.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: an elderly woman encounters a murder, and handyman Asey Mayo comes to her assistance. Someone at the inn is the culprit.

[Ron Kastner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the style is not what we expect these days, but the mystery is ingenious - even if a bit contrived.

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Prince, owner of the Cape Cod Tavern, has been telling everyone someone is trying to murder her. She tells of being shot at in the woods and about a trip wire at the top of the stairs. Being such a publicity hound, people find it hard to believe her. Until she is found stabbed to death.

Suspects are aplenty at the tavern. Mark Adams, nephew of Kay Adams who is called by Mark to come to the tavern. A request that paused her planned winter in Capri. Ann Bradford, Eve Prence’s step-sister and hopes-to-be wife of Mark Adams. Tony Deen, a play-write and his blind son, Noris, who writes poetry. Alex Stout, a writer of banned books and the ex-husband of Eve. Lila Talbot, children’s author and her young son Eric. All the guests had had Eve involved in their lives and not necessarily in a good way. Eve Prence was a person who had to be the center of it all.

Asey Mayo finds himself with not only too many suspects, but also some unusual weapons, a convenient suspect and some odd clues.

The characters, setting and plot lines are entertaining and not so simple. Elements that make Phoebe Atwood Taylor’s Asey Mayo series an enjoyable read.

[Kay C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am reading this because of an upcoming trip to Cape Cod. Novels often bring a location to life - which is what I hope happens with this novel. Unfortunately, the first few pages don't look promising in terms of writing style. I hope it improves. Many readers give it 4 stars. Later....Alas, I cannot extoll the merits of this book because after 4 pages, I put it down for good.It was originally written in 1934 and doesn't fit my reading style - at least these days. The conversational style (and there's a lot of it) is likely stereotypical Cape Codder, but I couldn't find it charming. There also seemed to be holes in the story, where characters appeared with no tie in at all to the story. I usually stick with books no matter what but was unable to do so with this.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, published in 1934 is only the second P.A. Taylor I’ve read (the other was the debut in the series). We meet a different middle-aged spinster narrator who stumbles into a murder and happens to have handyman Asey Mayo at hand. This is a closed room mystery in that the culprit has to be one of the Tavern’s (aka Inn) guests. Or does it? There are a lot of comings and goings and secret passages for a house under police observation. It’s that that weakens the enjoyability of this mystery. I can suspend my disbelief only so far.

Read this if: you’re a fan of this series, or of tart New England ways. 2½ stars

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bostonian Elspeth Adams travels down to Cape Cod to help her nephew, Mark. The young woman he'd like to marry is suspected of attempting to kill her step-sister, the famous Eve Prence, who runs her family's historic inn in Weesit. She joins forces with Asey Mayo, who's always a step or two ahead of the police--and certainly of Elspeth! Another charming Atwood Taylor, from before the books got quite so baroque.

[Jan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asey Mayo is out solving mysteries again.

In this case, Eve Prence, owner of the Cape Cod Tavern, keeps telling him that someone is trying to kill her. Sure enough, she gets killed.

The local corrupt police department has decided that her sister is responsible and Asey only has a few days to prove him wrong. And this will be tough because these cops have been known to substitute evidence before.

I didn't get it.

[Keaton Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first one the cape cod mystery and it was really good . But this one wasn't as good it was average but there was something I didn't like . The characters were me so good and all and didn't serve any purpose in the story and the ending was very confusing of who did it I didn't understand it and I'm still trying to figure out what happened . But besides that it was. A great book and I loved the classic character Asey mayo he brings life to the story !

Overall it was good ( average )

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Asey Mayo but the broken English got to me in this story. I had. Way too much of nen for then, particularly when it was not used consistently and nunno for don't know. What I liked was the The Countryman Press edition.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am somewhat amused that the 50 year narrator is several times referred to as aged or elderly in the first few pages. And then she is favorably, I think, described as having visited with Hitlerites in Germany (publication date 1934). Not entirely sure how this is going to pan out.

[Cat]

brilliant story idea. nice twist on the "locked room" motif. the person whodunit was almost the last person I'd've suspected. only problem was the 1930s lingo. they had a lot of nicknames for the kid in the story, and I kept thinking they were talking about yet another character

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid enough, but stronger in the settings and characters than the mystery. Conversational dialect interfered with smooth reading at times. Published in 1934.

[ND · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun, but a bit attenuated

[Denise M.]

AKA: Alice Tilton, Freeman Dana

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

See previous entry.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, old fashioned cozy mystery-- loved the sly humor