# Spotswoode — The Canary Murder Case character guide

> Spotswoode in The Canary Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mr. Spotswoode, Kenneth Spotswoode

**First appearance:** 0008-v-the-bolted-door

## Snapshot

Old Puritan money married to a senator's daughter, Spotswoode was the Canary's most respectable suitor — and the last known man to see her alive before the lights went out.

## Who they are

Spotswoode carries the weight of New England aristocracy into a sordid murder case, his affair with Margaret Odell a quiet scandal among the bluebloods. He left her apartment after the theatre and spent the fatal hour with Judge Redfern, an alibi so clean it practically gleams — which is precisely why Vance refuses to stop tugging at the thread of his character. His Puritan inheritance and his taste for nightlife make him a walking contradiction the detectives can't quite dismiss.

## Relationships

### [John F.-X. Markham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/john_f_x_markham)

_professional_

Spotswoode, Vance's impeccably proper butler, assists Markham by relaying messages and maintaining order at Vance's home.

### [Philo Vance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/philo_vance)

_professional_

Spotswoode serves Vance with flawless loyalty and discretion, acting as his trusted household manager and occasional assistant.

### [Philo Vance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/philo_vance)

_professional_

Spotswoode serves Vance with flawless loyalty and discretion, acting as his trusted household manager and occasional assistant.

### [John F.-X. Markham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/john_f_x_markham)

_professional_

Spotswoode, Vance's impeccably proper butler, assists Markham by relaying messages and maintaining order at Vance's home.

### [John F.-X. Markham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/john_f_x_markham)

_professional_

Spotswoode, Vance's impeccably proper butler, assists Markham by relaying messages and maintaining order at Vance's home.

### [Philo Vance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/philo_vance)

_professional_

Spotswoode serves Vance with flawless loyalty and discretion, acting as his trusted household manager and occasional assistant.

## In the story

### [The Canary Murder Case](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/the-canary-murder-case)

A wealthy man who confesses to a relationship with Odell, becoming a person of interest.

### [IX: The Pack in Full Cry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/ix-the-pack-in-full-cry)

Confesses his relationship with Margaret Odell and provides an alibi for the murder night, corroborated by Judge Redfern.

### [XI: Seeking Information](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xi-seeking-information)

Approaches Markham at the club; is informed he may be called as a witness to establish the time of Odell's return and the screams heard.

### [Four Possibilities](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xv-four-possibilities)

One of the four suspects; described as old Puritan stock with a watertight alibi involving Judge Redfern.

### [Checking an Alibi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xvii-checking-an-alibi)

Confesses his relationship with Margaret Odell to Markham, expresses desire to keep some of her trinkets.

### [XXVI: Reconstructing the Crime](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxvi-reconstructing-the-crime)

Mentioned as part of Vance's proposed poker game and as the escort who was told the scream was a mistake.

### [A Game of Poker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxvii-a-game-of-poker)

Plays a masterful bluff in poker, raising the limit with nothing, and explains the reasoning behind his and Vance's plays.

### [XXVIII: The Guilty Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxviii-the-guilty-man)

Identified by Vance as the murderer; his bold bluff in poker revealed a gambler's psychology consistent with the crime.

### [XXIX: Beethoven's "Andante"](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxix-beethoven-s-andante)

Identified as the murderer of Margaret Odell and Tony Skeel; his alibi using a phonograph record is explained by Vance.

### [XXX: The End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxx-the-end)

Arrested for murder, calmly confesses his calculated gamble and motive, then commits suicide by gunshot.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters/spotswoode
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/characters