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John Coffin Mystery #27
A Dark Coffin
When Joe and Josie Macintosh are found stabbed to death, John Coffin has to discover not only their killer, but their true identities. The answers seem to lie in the past - bizarre, terrifying and horribly real.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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
July 21, 2022
I enjoy reading this series
October 21, 2025
This entry in the John Coffin series finds John Coffin involved in a complex series of doubles. There is the issue of former associate Harry Trent, now acting somewhat strange, and claiming an identical twin Coffin never heard of before. Is he real or does Harry Trent have some split personality issue? Then there is the double murder in the St. Luke's Theater of his wife Stella. Followed by the revelation that the pair killed are not the original pair using that name. Finally, early in the novel, there are short chapters involving a Jekyll and Hyde personality. But, who is it?
This is a well-spun tale with several layers that contains a number of twists and turns that will keep the reader turning pages.
This is a well-spun tale with several layers that contains a number of twists and turns that will keep the reader turning pages.
January 21, 2016
Haven't read a John Coffin story in a long time - I liked it. England's theatre and Jeykll/Hyde type character makes for a good read. In this one Coffin is married to Stella. I like the way Butler captures the mood and atmosphere of London, and the way she keeps the reader 'jumpy' from the insane, dark and menacing suspense of the story.
June 18, 2012
Inspector John coffin solves the double murder mystery involving his wife's theater in the London. OK
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews