Death Lives Next Door is the sixth novel in the John Coffin series by Gwendoline Butler. The 34 books in the series were published from 1956 to 2002. In this book, published in 1960, Coffin is a Divisional Detective Inspector in South London. So, in a sense, this is a police procedural.
Dr. Marion Manning is a well-known and respected professor at Oxford University. She has a watcher who follows her around and watches her house, yet she is reluctant to complain to the police about it. (Now he would be called a stalker I am sure, although initially people in the neighborhood were afraid that they would all be watched, and the focus was not immediately on Marion.)
The story starts with Ezra Barton, on his way to see Marion, and thinking about whether he likes his life as a perpetual student. Marion has been his mentor since he came to Oxford and is not in any hurry for him to leave. On the other hand, his girlfriend is pushing him to move on and make something of himself. Since Ezra is 35, that seems reasonable, but he likes his life fine as it is. This is an important thread in the plot, but the story really centers around Marion, her neighborhood, her relationships, and her mysterious past.
In this book of about 250 pages, the crime does not take place until page 100 and Inspector Coffin does not show up until even later. He comes to Oxford for an unrelated missing person case. So you can see that not much of this novel is a standard police procedural.
My Thoughts:
Why did I read this book at this time? Partly because I acquired the book nearly 15 years ago. At that time, I had read about the author and I like police procedurals and I wanted to try the series. Then I just let the book sit. But another reason is that I have another book from the same series, set in Malta and published in 1964, and I want to read that one soon too.
This is a strange mystery, with an emphasis on personal relationships, but I enjoyed it and liked the writing style. Because it is unusual, I don't know if I will like later books in the series, but I will read the one I have and look for more. I am sure the series changes over the years since it was published over four decades.
Readers who like the crime to happen early on in a book may not be pleased with the crime occurring later in the book. I liked the first portion of the book best, leading up to the death of one of the characters. Other reviewers did not like that section of the book and preferred the later portions of the book, as the crime is investigated and Coffin shows up.
In the first four books, Coffin is only a background character, and another detective, William Winter, is the protagonist. This novel was published in the U.S. as Dine and Be Dead. Actually neither title makes much sense to me in the context of the book, but that is not unusual.
Has anyone else had any experience reading this author? She also wrote under the pseudonym Jennie Melville.
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Publisher: Worldwide, 1994 (orig. pub. 1960).
Length: 253 pages
Format: Paperback
Series: John Coffin #6
Setting: Oxford, England
Genre: Mystery / Police Procedural
Source: On my TBR pile since 2005.
19 comments:
No, never read or heard of the author but somehow or other I have heard of John Coffin. And recently too, just not sure where. The Malta one would be good for the European challenge but I can't remember if you're doing that?
Cath, I am doing the European Challenge and I will count that book for the challenge. It supposedly is a good depiction of Malta. I recently found another book that could be good for Malta. It is A Prisoner in Malta by Phillip DePoy, a historical mystery. I am going to look into that one more. Also, a few years ago I read The Information Officer by Mark Mills, which is set entirely on Malta, in 1942. Very good book, but very tense.
Butler depicted odd people from odd angles. I rather enjoy the way character - even with the central character - is only partly shown - only what is relevant to the story - which is often the way we know people in reality. Do we ever learn what Marion Manning is a professor of? I could imagine Butler leaving it out if she thought it didn't matter.
At that time in the UK Ezra Barton's life as a "perpetual student" was possible, especially with a mentor who found them useful. Now and then, a "perpetual student" produced academic discoveries that made them rich and famous (by academic standards), but usually they eventually wandered away and found a job.
As I remember, Marion's first field was archaeology, and then later she changed over to philology. (in one place it says linguistics) That is very interesting about the "perpetual student." I can see that. Myself I did not think it mattered which decision he made, he should just decide one way or the other. It was a very interesting story.
I thought you were doing the European one but couldn't quite remember. I've made a note of those other two Malta books you mention, thanks very much.
I used to read this series quite regularly. Can't remember if this was one of them.
I have to admit, this would be a new-to-me author, Tracy, 'though I've heard the name. It sounds like an unusual approach to telling a police procedural story, but it also sounds effective. And if that's the most effective approach to telling the story, then it really can work. Not sure whether I want to 'sign up for' a long series like that (I'm the sort of person who prefers to read series consecutively), but this does sound interesting.
Patti, I think this series is worth continuing and I will be sampling from whatever books I can find. Probably later ones.
Margot, I have a good overview article about Butler in Great Women Mystery Writers (1994) edited by Kathleen Gregory Klein, and it says her later books are as good or better than the earlier ones, so I will content myself with starting with some later books. Somewhere I read that the Charmian Daniel Series (also a police procedural series) that she wrote as Jennie Melville was better known.
I am keen on the later ones in which John Coffin is in charge in a fictional region of London. She has a flavour all her own, Tracy, and she is a writer I sometimes re-read.
Christine, I am so glad to hear that, and thanks for letting me know. I am sure the later ones will be easier to acquire.
Though I've heard of this series, I haven't read any of the books.
Rick, it took me long enough to pull this book out and read and I am glad I did. I am hoping that I can find more to read.
A new author and series for me too, Tracy. Thanks for the review.
Prashant, this is an author you might like, but probably hard to find.
I read a few of these years ago but didn't really take to them. But this one sounds intriguing. And I had no idea she was also Jenny Melville! Read a couple of hers too - but didn't really take to them.
Moira, I do plan to read more books by Gwendoline Butler (and Jennie Melville if I find them). The ideal place to find them would be the book sale, of course.
I like the cover and the Maltese setting - I holidayed there last year, but probably not one I'll seek out. I would like to read something set in Malta one day, but probably more contemporary.
Col, I envy you having a holiday on Malta. And I don't see this as your kind of mystery.
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