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John Coffin Mystery #24
Cracking Open A Coffin
A series of apparently indiscriminate murders reveals the work of a very patient, calculating criminal, and Chief Commander John Coffin must discover the link between the victims from an elite London university and a refuge for battered women.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Gwendoline Butler
89 books18 followersGwendoline Williams Butler (aka Jennie Melville)
Gwendoline Williams was born on 19th August 1922 in South London, England, UK, daughter of Alice (Lee) and Alfred Edward Williams, her younger twin brothers are also authors. Educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she read History, and later lectured there. On 16th October 1949, she married Dr Lionel Harry Butler (1923-1981), a professor of medieval history at University of St. Andrews and historian, Fellow of All Souls and Principal of Royal Holloway College. The marriage had a daughter, Lucilla Butler.
In 1956, she started to published John Coffin novels under her married name, Gwendoline Butler. In 1962, she decided used her grandmother's name, Jennie Melville as pseudonym to sign her Charmian Daniels novels. She was credited for inventing the "woman's police procedural". In addition to her mystery series, she also wrote romantic novels. In 1981, her novel The Red Staircase won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Gwendoline Williams was born on 19th August 1922 in South London, England, UK, daughter of Alice (Lee) and Alfred Edward Williams, her younger twin brothers are also authors. Educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she read History, and later lectured there. On 16th October 1949, she married Dr Lionel Harry Butler (1923-1981), a professor of medieval history at University of St. Andrews and historian, Fellow of All Souls and Principal of Royal Holloway College. The marriage had a daughter, Lucilla Butler.
In 1956, she started to published John Coffin novels under her married name, Gwendoline Butler. In 1962, she decided used her grandmother's name, Jennie Melville as pseudonym to sign her Charmian Daniels novels. She was credited for inventing the "woman's police procedural". In addition to her mystery series, she also wrote romantic novels. In 1981, her novel The Red Staircase won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 29, 2022
This seems to be a very good series
September 4, 2014
Two students go missing from the university and this brings Coffin into contact with someone from his own past. James Dean's daughter, Amy is one of the missing students and he himself used to be a policeman.
Coffin knows his life was saved by Dean but at the same time he believes he was betrayed by him so he must do his best to remain detached. Not easy when he has good reason to think Dean is working behind the scenes to get him into trouble in the present. His relationship with actress Stella Pinero has also come to a crisis point so he must deal with that too.
This is a tense crime novel with many red herrings and many genuine clues which the reader is likely to overlook. I like the way Coffin and Stella's relationship is developed - it doesn't run in a straight-line and they are frequently at odds with one another usually over matters connected with his job. I also liked the way all the events dovetail together making a satisfying whole.
If you like well written crime novels with more psychological depth than many then try Gwendoline Butler's John Coffin series.
Coffin knows his life was saved by Dean but at the same time he believes he was betrayed by him so he must do his best to remain detached. Not easy when he has good reason to think Dean is working behind the scenes to get him into trouble in the present. His relationship with actress Stella Pinero has also come to a crisis point so he must deal with that too.
This is a tense crime novel with many red herrings and many genuine clues which the reader is likely to overlook. I like the way Coffin and Stella's relationship is developed - it doesn't run in a straight-line and they are frequently at odds with one another usually over matters connected with his job. I also liked the way all the events dovetail together making a satisfying whole.
If you like well written crime novels with more psychological depth than many then try Gwendoline Butler's John Coffin series.
April 6, 2012
An interesting series, very British. The author is in her 80's and her style has more literary ruffles and flourishes than is the norm these days, but I enjoy these tales very much. While realistic, they are somehow less grim than most European whodunits I've read recently.
March 1, 2024
A real play on the title give Coffin gets to crack open ones. Good mystery.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews