Coffin Knows The Answer (Commander John Coffin Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Gwendoline Butler (Author)

Book Description

Series: Commander John Coffin Mysteries | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

A package containing disturbing pornographic material is sent anonymously to Chief Commander John Coffin's wife, Stella. So he enlists the help of a trusted colleague and the search for the stalker is on. Meanwhile Coffin is investigating a spate of brutal murders across London - is there a serial killer on the loose? Similarities between the two cases soon emerge and a chilling discovery is made in the grounds of the theatre where Stella is working. Suddenly it seems as though all Coffin holds dear is under threat...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Butler distils her own brand of disquiet: omnipresent and irresistible.' The Sunday Times; 'Hauntingly atmospheric... explores the dark geography of a fictional London with almost Dickensian intensity' The Times; 'Her inventiveness never seems to flag' Times Literary Supplement --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Praise for the John Coffin series

“Butler has been compared to the ‘Fearsome Foursome,’ the founding mothers of the genre: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Dorothy L. Sayers. It is an apt assessment. She offers her readers atmospheric settings, vivid characters, and a command of the English language that most contemporary writers can only dream of.”
---Bookpage on Coffin’s Ghost

“Butler’s style has grown ever more cryptic.... This outing will be heartily welcomed by Coffin’s legion of admirers.”
---Kirkus Reviews on Coffin’s Ghost

“Butler has built her considerable reputation on superbly crafted psychological thrillers that examine the bleaker aspects of human nature.... A fine crime novel.”
---Booklist on Coffin’s Game

“As always, Butler can be counted upon for an imaginative plot, gritty realism, tantalizing clues, stylish writing...a fine series by a talented author.”
---Booklist on A Double Coffin

“A neat surprise in the tortuous puzzle’s resolution, and more than enough menacing suspense to grip the reader to the end.”
---Kirkus Reviews on A Dark Coffin

“By turns haunting, baffling, and breathlessly abrupt, another satisfying rich, entry in this offbeat, underrated series.”
---Kirkus Reviews on A Coffin for Charley

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373265050
• ISBN-13: 978-0373265053
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,227,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sadly disappointing, October 22, 2004

By 

F. Robson (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coffin Knows The Answer (Commander John Coffin Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Having read so many of Gwendoline Butler's 'John Coffin' series, I was eagerly anticipating a great read. Unfortunately, the book does not deliver. Gratuitous grisly imagery, and a great deal of self-absorped (and questionable) sentimentality on the part of Coffin - used to poor effect because the resulting text never makes you connect with the characters in this mystery. Not a recommended read for those who have not been introduced to Coffin's appealing detection in other works by Butler.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Strange Dichotomy, June 9, 2007

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coffin Knows the Answer (Hardcover)

This is a rather short police procedural type mystery novel. The crimes are multiple and horrid. The supporting characters seem pretty bland, minimally competent, & even a bit depressing. The main characters aren't much better IMHO. The ending is rather sudden. I had my suspicions (some few clues are provided) but somehow not very satisfying. This was my 1st Coffin Series book & 1st G. Butler one as well. I know another of her books made the Black Dagger series--must be better than this one.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AN EMPTY COFFIN, May 21, 2003

By 

charles falk (Novato, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coffin Knows the Answer (Hardcover)

If one is to believe her blurbs Gwendoline Butler has written good mystery stories. COFFIN KNOWS THE ANSWER is not one of them. Even #1 appears to realize this, departing from her standard five-star rating. Sleuth Coffin is a crashing bore.

To call this a police procedural is a joke. CC Coffin tells DCI Phoebe Astley to take charge of an important case and then gives her his Pekinese to walk. A rumor wafting mysteriously around police headquarters in the early pages alerts the reader where to look for the villain -- but not the cops. We are shown the detective team assigned to the case mostly sitting aimlessly in meetings devoting most of their time to talking about the boss and his wife. Chief Commander Coffin and DCI Phoebe are the only police officers the reader sees doing legwork. And in the end it would appear to be chance encounter rather than good police work or detection that brings the murderer down.

The story is a showcase of bad trends in current mystery fiction:
1. Making the sleuth and his/her loved ones the prime target of the criminal.
2. Piling up corpses like cordwood.
3. Providing only flimsy or preposterous motivation for a horrendous series of crimes.