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Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #11
Coffin Corner
To a man, the members of the LAPD homicide department were yawning with unaccustomed inactivity. Then everything happened at once - a cop killed by a hit-and-run driver; the questionable suicide of a young girl; and the victim (apparently) of a heart attack found in the clutter of her 'second-hand' shop.
It was the last that led Lieutenant Luis Mendoza to the Celtic Hotel, where events moved swiftly and with about as much clarity as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. But, in this case, the tea party was lethal.
It was the last that led Lieutenant Luis Mendoza to the Celtic Hotel, where events moved swiftly and with about as much clarity as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. But, in this case, the tea party was lethal.
- GenresMysteryProcedural
254 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
18 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Dell Shannon
154 books23 followersPseudonym of Elizabeth Linington.
Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist. She was awarded runner-up scrolls for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America for her 1960 novel, Case Pending, which introduced her most popular series character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for Edgars in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.
Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was also a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society
Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist. She was awarded runner-up scrolls for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America for her 1960 novel, Case Pending, which introduced her most popular series character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for Edgars in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.
Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was also a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 24, 2021
Lieutenant Mendoza and the other Homicide cops are caught up in a very unusual case. An old, dilapidated hotel, occupied by an eccentric family and their boarders, is the setting for the main crime. The investigation is necessarily mingled with other crimes and lots of routine, everyday investigations. Descriptions of the Los Angeles environs, herbal lore, the police officers and their families contribute interest to this installment of the popular series.
September 13, 2016
One of the Luis Mendoza series. I read this several years ago along with others in the series. I remember this was one of the best. Overall though, I enjoyed all of the books I read in the series.
May 13, 2024
The tenth and may be my favorite in the series so far. It has the normal lesser cases mixed in, but Mendoza and the boys at LA Homicide have a doozy on their hands. An older lady dies, looks like a heart attack, in her second hand shop. However the coroner finds out she is actually poisoned and it's foxglove which is something he has never seen plus there is very little case study about it. So now Mendoza has to figure out who wants her dead and where the foxglove came from. The only thing is she lives with several family members and other tenants in an old motel turned private residence and they are all kinds of crazy to say the least. It's like herding cats to try to get any answers plus it seems the old broad is actually worth a ton of money even though they all lived hand to mouth.
Highly recommended, very interesting, and just a really well done detective novel.
Highly recommended, very interesting, and just a really well done detective novel.
May 9, 2023
This one is just flat-out fun. But then, like Mendoza and Angel Hackett, I have always appreciated Charles Addams, too.
I believe that there is a future book that will give the Homicide office a sharp lesson in "Be careful what you wish for." It's been rather slow at the office, and Hackett makes the mistake of saying that he's bored.
Fate promptly obliges, but this first case isn't fun at all--the death of an officer on duty. Even worse, it appears to be the deliberate death of an officer, with a traffic cop hit by a car. Moments later, a rather dull-sounding incident comes along--DOA in a store of some sort.
Hackett and Higgins take the first, and it's about what you'd expect--a host of bystanders anxious to get in their two cent's worth. The car was black, dark green, royal blue, and dark red. It was a Dodge, a Mercury, a Buick, an Olds, a Ford Galaxie, a Chrysler Newport, and a Chevrolet. It was ten years old, five years old, and brand new. It was a four-door sedan, a two-door sedan, a coupe, and a convertible. It had turned left on Seventh, gone straight up Broadway, and turned right on Seventh. (This, by the way, is why cops and lawyers often find circumstantial evidence more reliable than witnesses.) They do get a license number, but it is clearly the wrong one. Higgins and Glasser start noting down all the possible combos of letters and numbers that the witness might have seen.
Mendoza and Grace take the second case--all very dull, woman dropping dead of a heart attack or stroke or some such. They head to her home at the Celtic Hotel to bring the sad news, and are poleaxed by her brother's reaction: "Ellie DEAD? You don't mean to tell me Ellie's gone and died, just like that, AWAY FROM HOME? Now that is just too thoughtless of her! I really thought she'd have managed better than that!"
Right down the rabbit hole. Or into the Twilight Zone. Or across the threshold of a Charles Addams' spook house. Take your pick. I won't spoil the pleasure of new readers of meeting the whole host of inhabitants at the Celtic Hotel, with all their peculiarities, obsessions...and livestock.
Just beware of Beelzebub....
Landers is on a separate case, just some more routine, poor young girl committing suicide...only there's no note, and women usually do write them. And the receptionist at the hotel commented on how happy and excited she was, coming to town to be married. Well, the guy must have jilted her. But she died from prescription sleeping pills, and who takes sleeping pills on a wedding trip? And where is all her I.D?
HIggins has sucessfully pulled off the trick of paying for most of little Laura Dwyer's piano lessons without her mother knowing, and now is trying to figure out a way of getting her brother Stevie to summer camp. In the midst of doggedly running down the cars from his list of possible license plates, he comes across a man who is involved with Y.M.C.A. summer camps. Higgins explains his dilemma, and the man agrees to do what he can.
Landers puts in a lot of hard work on his case, but the solution comes down to luck, with an unexpected friend of the dead girl showing up. It's a sad old story, and Shannon puts her finger right on it, as usual:
"He'd got in a bind, after the years of his furtive
playing around away from home; and in a little
panic at the threat of being exposed, of losing all
of what, probably, he genuinely valued, he'd done
a sly, sneaking little crime, and thus inevitably
shown himself a sly sneaking little man."
The killing of the police officer also comes down to luck, with a man arrested for an unrelated charge, angry at his circumstances and feeling vengeful at someone who "done him wrong" gives them the necessary information. It's sad, and so, so stupid.
Another case slips in near the end, but it's one we will never hear the end of. I'm wondering if Shannon was a little bit absent-minded at this point, because this case greatly resembles the juvenile break-ins of the elderly pensioners in DEATH BY INCHES, where the Homicide department came into it simply because a victim had been hit a little too hard.
El Senor is still at the rye (and I don't understand why Mendoza calls him an alcoholic, as he only drinks when Mendoza does!) Sheba is still pouncing, and, rare for a cat, will also go after strangers.
('"She did it to the Helms Baker driver this morning. He dropped two loaves of bread and a box of coffeecake and said she was a public menace.")
I hope everyone enjoys exploring the Celtic Hotel....
I believe that there is a future book that will give the Homicide office a sharp lesson in "Be careful what you wish for." It's been rather slow at the office, and Hackett makes the mistake of saying that he's bored.
Fate promptly obliges, but this first case isn't fun at all--the death of an officer on duty. Even worse, it appears to be the deliberate death of an officer, with a traffic cop hit by a car. Moments later, a rather dull-sounding incident comes along--DOA in a store of some sort.
Hackett and Higgins take the first, and it's about what you'd expect--a host of bystanders anxious to get in their two cent's worth. The car was black, dark green, royal blue, and dark red. It was a Dodge, a Mercury, a Buick, an Olds, a Ford Galaxie, a Chrysler Newport, and a Chevrolet. It was ten years old, five years old, and brand new. It was a four-door sedan, a two-door sedan, a coupe, and a convertible. It had turned left on Seventh, gone straight up Broadway, and turned right on Seventh. (This, by the way, is why cops and lawyers often find circumstantial evidence more reliable than witnesses.) They do get a license number, but it is clearly the wrong one. Higgins and Glasser start noting down all the possible combos of letters and numbers that the witness might have seen.
Mendoza and Grace take the second case--all very dull, woman dropping dead of a heart attack or stroke or some such. They head to her home at the Celtic Hotel to bring the sad news, and are poleaxed by her brother's reaction: "Ellie DEAD? You don't mean to tell me Ellie's gone and died, just like that, AWAY FROM HOME? Now that is just too thoughtless of her! I really thought she'd have managed better than that!"
Right down the rabbit hole. Or into the Twilight Zone. Or across the threshold of a Charles Addams' spook house. Take your pick. I won't spoil the pleasure of new readers of meeting the whole host of inhabitants at the Celtic Hotel, with all their peculiarities, obsessions...and livestock.
Just beware of Beelzebub....
Landers is on a separate case, just some more routine, poor young girl committing suicide...only there's no note, and women usually do write them. And the receptionist at the hotel commented on how happy and excited she was, coming to town to be married. Well, the guy must have jilted her. But she died from prescription sleeping pills, and who takes sleeping pills on a wedding trip? And where is all her I.D?
HIggins has sucessfully pulled off the trick of paying for most of little Laura Dwyer's piano lessons without her mother knowing, and now is trying to figure out a way of getting her brother Stevie to summer camp. In the midst of doggedly running down the cars from his list of possible license plates, he comes across a man who is involved with Y.M.C.A. summer camps. Higgins explains his dilemma, and the man agrees to do what he can.
Landers puts in a lot of hard work on his case, but the solution comes down to luck, with an unexpected friend of the dead girl showing up. It's a sad old story, and Shannon puts her finger right on it, as usual:
"He'd got in a bind, after the years of his furtive
playing around away from home; and in a little
panic at the threat of being exposed, of losing all
of what, probably, he genuinely valued, he'd done
a sly, sneaking little crime, and thus inevitably
shown himself a sly sneaking little man."
The killing of the police officer also comes down to luck, with a man arrested for an unrelated charge, angry at his circumstances and feeling vengeful at someone who "done him wrong" gives them the necessary information. It's sad, and so, so stupid.
Another case slips in near the end, but it's one we will never hear the end of. I'm wondering if Shannon was a little bit absent-minded at this point, because this case greatly resembles the juvenile break-ins of the elderly pensioners in DEATH BY INCHES, where the Homicide department came into it simply because a victim had been hit a little too hard.
El Senor is still at the rye (and I don't understand why Mendoza calls him an alcoholic, as he only drinks when Mendoza does!) Sheba is still pouncing, and, rare for a cat, will also go after strangers.
('"She did it to the Helms Baker driver this morning. He dropped two loaves of bread and a box of coffeecake and said she was a public menace.")
I hope everyone enjoys exploring the Celtic Hotel....
February 20, 2019
I agree with the readers of this series for whom this is a favorite. The centerpiece is a group of four siblings living in a faded and now seedy Los Angeles hotel along with eight tenants, all scattered about the eighty rooms. Each of these twelve characters is eccentric and unique, and often amusing,
the first touch of humor I have seen in the Mendoza series so far.
There are a lot more people to keep track of -- the usual range of LAPD officers, at least four neighbors and three women who lunch with one of the siblings every Sunday.
There are a range of red herrings, and the solution comes through a clue the reader is not given in advance. So, the plot is not the best, but the interplay of all these odd people makes the book fun to read.
And, as usual, there are two other cases the police deal with during the course of the book: a LAPD traffic cop dies in a hit and run, and a sweet and attractive 20-year-old woman dies in an apparent suicide. There is a sense of reality in the Mendoza books in that the police do not deal with just one case at a time. Also as usual, Shannon has fun reproducing the idiosyncratic speech patterns of her characters.
the first touch of humor I have seen in the Mendoza series so far.
There are a lot more people to keep track of -- the usual range of LAPD officers, at least four neighbors and three women who lunch with one of the siblings every Sunday.
There are a range of red herrings, and the solution comes through a clue the reader is not given in advance. So, the plot is not the best, but the interplay of all these odd people makes the book fun to read.
And, as usual, there are two other cases the police deal with during the course of the book: a LAPD traffic cop dies in a hit and run, and a sweet and attractive 20-year-old woman dies in an apparent suicide. There is a sense of reality in the Mendoza books in that the police do not deal with just one case at a time. Also as usual, Shannon has fun reproducing the idiosyncratic speech patterns of her characters.
April 20, 2024
The LAPD, after a quiet spell, has been hit with a number of unusual cases. Much of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza 's work activity seems to suddenly center around an old hotel and its strange inhabitants.
When 65-year-old Eliza McCann is poisoned, her family is questioned at the above mentioned Celtic Hotel.
Mendoza and his detectives soon discover more than Robespierre the monkey and Gertrude the goat in residence.
After searching the hotel, they find coffins in the attic, complete with embalmed corpses! And the jail cells begin to fill with the hotel's former inhabitants for various crimes.
Additionally, the hit-and-run of a patrolman and apparent suicide of a young woman keep the Homicide team busy as they unravel multiple cases.
To the end of the book, the detectives keep coming back to the ramshackle hotel they have dubbed Coffin Corner.
This is a rollicking good tale as these deaths end up being committed for seemingly mundane reasons.
When 65-year-old Eliza McCann is poisoned, her family is questioned at the above mentioned Celtic Hotel.
Mendoza and his detectives soon discover more than Robespierre the monkey and Gertrude the goat in residence.
After searching the hotel, they find coffins in the attic, complete with embalmed corpses! And the jail cells begin to fill with the hotel's former inhabitants for various crimes.
Additionally, the hit-and-run of a patrolman and apparent suicide of a young woman keep the Homicide team busy as they unravel multiple cases.
To the end of the book, the detectives keep coming back to the ramshackle hotel they have dubbed Coffin Corner.
This is a rollicking good tale as these deaths end up being committed for seemingly mundane reasons.
May 6, 2021
Detective stories are not my preferred genre. But I had to read this one because it was written in 1966, and this year my goal is to read all of the books that I own that were written before 1970.
"Coffin Corner" has been staring me down for over 30 years and the title always intrigued me so it was now or next month's read.
While the plot was interesting, the writing style was not.
But what a complete set of characters--really fascinating!
However, I was upset about the way the law treated the poor people, the goat, and the little monkey who lived in and around the hotel they called home. These detectives really upset the little cosmos that these folks had existed in under the radar for nearly 50 years. Quite unnecessary I thought.
"Coffin Corner" has been staring me down for over 30 years and the title always intrigued me so it was now or next month's read.
While the plot was interesting, the writing style was not.
But what a complete set of characters--really fascinating!
However, I was upset about the way the law treated the poor people, the goat, and the little monkey who lived in and around the hotel they called home. These detectives really upset the little cosmos that these folks had existed in under the radar for nearly 50 years. Quite unnecessary I thought.
October 21, 2019
A Luis Mendoza book is always a treat to read; police procedural with all the behind-the-scenes process laid out for you. But what really makes them fun to read is all the personal day-to-day happenings in the detectives' lives, especially Mendoza and his home menagerie with several cats, the twins, his lovely wife Alison and their live-in housekeeper Mairie. Since he is independently wealthy, he can afford it! This one also has information on a couple of poisonous plants; if I had an oleander in my yard, I'd get rid of it if there were any children around, even other people's. Mendoza's 'crystal ball' works again and the bad guys are caught. Recommended.
April 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book. This is one of Dell Shannon's series featuring LAPD detective Luis Mendoza. I enjoy this series - I've read quite a few of them. This particular book was written in 1966, so it gives a look back at those times. The characters are unique and interesting, and the plot(s) are good - this book has one main mystery plus a few other crimes being investigated at the same time.
May 9, 2022
Very enjoyable. More of a mystery in this one than a straight up procedural.
Read
December 31, 2022Too many lunatics?
November 24, 2025
Well, that was different.
Highly recommended.
Pity about all the smoking.
Highly recommended.
Pity about all the smoking.
January 20, 2012
This is probably my favorite book from the Dell Shannon LAPD series. Quirky and fast moving, it is a fun read and continues the storyline of the LAPD officers very well.
February 13, 2014
Not my favorite. I had a tough time getting into it.
November 7, 2020
I always end up smiling at some of the things that happen in these books; however, I found myself laughing out-loud while reading this one. This is my favorite one in this series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews