A Dark Coffin (John Coffin, Book 26) [Paperback]

Gwendoline Butler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

Opening night at St. Luke's Theater is a happy occasion for everyone, with the exception of Joe and Josie Macintosh, who are found dead in their theater box. Though a suicide note is found next to the bodies, Commander John Coffin of London's Second City suspects that there is another player in this tragedy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dualities and duplicities are threaded like filaments throughout Butler's latest in the long-running John Coffin series (The Coffin Tree, etc.). Commander Coffin, head of the Second City of London's police force, is both professionally and personally challenged by this Jekyll/Hyde puzzler. First, Harry Trent, a police colleague from Greenwich whom he had worked with earlier in his career, shows up with vague warnings about his identical twin, Mark (Merry) Trent. Then, two bodies are found in the theater run by Coffin's wife, Stella Pinero, after an opening night performance. The victims, Joe and Josie Macintosh, are not who they seemed; but in one of many conundrums in this convoluted mystery, who they seemed to be are also victims. Furthermore, Harry Trent and, perhaps, his unseen identical twin were once involved with the Macintoshes. While the police proceed with their routine searches and analyses, Coffin probes the single or dual identity of Harry and Merry Trent and that of the real and the phony Macintoshes. Butler's minor characters are sharply etched and the brooding, thoughtful Coffin watches over his wife and his city like a fallible, but effective, guardian angel. After 40 years and 25 adventures, Coffin appears far from the end of his journey.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Commander John Coffin faces his most challenging case yet when a bizarre double suicide takes place in a local theater. The case becomes all the more intriguing when Coffin discovers that the victims, Joe and Josie Macintosh, were a same-sex couple whose deaths were not suicide but murder. Baffled, Coffin enlists the aid of an old colleague, Inspector Harry Trent, who's visiting the area to look for his missing twin brother. Before long, Coffin begins to think Trent is hiding something, especially when he discovers Trent's been drinking heavily and is on medical leave. Then Coffin learns that the murdered Macintoshes were once foster parents to Harry and his mysteriously missing brother. Coffin's well-developed instincts, sound investigative techniques, and pure doggedness lead him to the surprising solution. Gritty realism, characters of depth and complexity, innovative plots, and a look at the darker side of humanity characterize Butler's fine series. The latest entry is a treat for serious mystery fans looking for a literate, challenging read. Emily Melton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373262655
• ISBN-13: 978-0373262656
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,232,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars engrossing, January 6, 2007

By 

Jacqueline D. Brown (Phila Pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dark Coffin (Commander John Coffin Mysteries) (Paperback)

A dark Coffin revealed some of the backround of coffin'first marriage

and how it crumbled. A must read for cOFFIN FANS