Gwendoline Butler (1922–2013)
Author of Coffin Underground
About the Author
Gwendoline Butler, née Williams was born on August 19, 1922 in South London, England. She was a British writer of mystery fiction and romance novels since 1956. She also used the pseudonym Jennie Melville. Credited for inventing the "woman's police procedural", is well known for her series of show more Inspector John Coffin novels as Gwendoline Butler, and by female detective Charmian Daniels as Jennie Melville. She was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she read History, and later lectured there. In 1956, she started to publish John Coffin novels under her married name, Gwendoline Butler. In 1962, she decided to use her grandmother's name, Jennie Melville as pseudonym to sign her Charmian Daniels novels. 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. Her titles include Receipt for Murder, Coffin Following, Coffin's Ghost, Coffin Knows the Answer and Loving Murder. She died on January 5, 2013. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Gwendoline Butler aka Jennie Melville
Image credit: B&W image, no credits given.
Series
Works by Gwendoline Butler
Coffin for Coffin 1 copy
Associated Works
The Edinburgh Mystery: And Other Tales of Scottish Crime (2022) — Contributor — 126 copies, 7 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Butler, Gwendoline Williams
- Other names
- Butler, Gwendoline
Melville, Jennie - Birthdate
- 1922-08-19
- Date of death
- 2013-01-05
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
- Occupations
- academic (Oxford University)
- Organizations
- Crime Writers' Association
Detection Club - Awards and honors
- Crime Writers’ Association’s Silver Dagger Award
top two hundred crime writers in the world by The London Times. - Relationships
- Butler, Lionel (husband)
- Short biography
- 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. - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Deptford, London, Middlesex, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, Middlesex, England, UK
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Surrey, England, UK - Map Location
- England, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- Gwendoline Butler aka Jennie Melville
Members
Reviews
Crisply written, well-constructed murdr mystery told through an exercise in social fiction as the rape and murder of a young woman strikes at the heart of a community in the process of what we'd now call gentrification, and was probably called yuppification back in the early eighties, when this was published. Excellent narration in the audio book.
This is the 20th in the John Coffin series. Scotland Yard has promoted Coffin to head the new London district of the Docklands.
After moving into a flat in an old church converted to flats and a theatre, an urn with a severed head in it is found in the street outside, addressed to the church. Thus begins the quest to answer all the obvious questions, which eventually leads to undiscovered murders from long ago. Although Coffin's police career began in post-WWII London, he is regarded by the show more locals as an outsider keeping them tight-lipped. The puzzle is further complicated by a mysterious illness affecting many of the people connected.
Apart from Coffin and his friend Stella, the characters are not developed particularly well. However, the authentic description of the London streets makes up for any lack in characterization. One of the strong points of the story is that it portrays credible police work, there are no great coincidental discoveries that are the undoing of many mysteries. I enjoyed the story but have not read any of Butler's other works so I can't compare. show less
After moving into a flat in an old church converted to flats and a theatre, an urn with a severed head in it is found in the street outside, addressed to the church. Thus begins the quest to answer all the obvious questions, which eventually leads to undiscovered murders from long ago. Although Coffin's police career began in post-WWII London, he is regarded by the show more locals as an outsider keeping them tight-lipped. The puzzle is further complicated by a mysterious illness affecting many of the people connected.
Apart from Coffin and his friend Stella, the characters are not developed particularly well. However, the authentic description of the London streets makes up for any lack in characterization. One of the strong points of the story is that it portrays credible police work, there are no great coincidental discoveries that are the undoing of many mysteries. I enjoyed the story but have not read any of Butler's other works so I can't compare. show less
Inspector John Coffin has his hands full.
His wife, actress Stella Pinero, is being stalked. There appears to be a serial killer on the loose. Killers from a twenty-year-old murder have served their time and are coming back home. Will they want revenge on the young girl, now an adult, who witnessed their crimes and testified against them? Life in London's Second City is bubbling.
Things only seem worse when his niece goes missing. His sister withdraws a large sum of cash and goes after the show more girl without leaving word of where she is going.
Is there a relationship between all these happenings? Little by little, Coffin peels away the layers to find not only the solution to the current events but also some hidden information from the earlier events.
Haven't read a Coffin mystery for a while but plan to read more. I enjoyed this one. show less
His wife, actress Stella Pinero, is being stalked. There appears to be a serial killer on the loose. Killers from a twenty-year-old murder have served their time and are coming back home. Will they want revenge on the young girl, now an adult, who witnessed their crimes and testified against them? Life in London's Second City is bubbling.
Things only seem worse when his niece goes missing. His sister withdraws a large sum of cash and goes after the show more girl without leaving word of where she is going.
Is there a relationship between all these happenings? Little by little, Coffin peels away the layers to find not only the solution to the current events but also some hidden information from the earlier events.
Haven't read a Coffin mystery for a while but plan to read more. I enjoyed this one. show less
Unexceptional mystery. More of a classic 70s gothic (governess, nightgowns, brooding rich men, glimpses of women in capes, etc.) than a whodunnit, and no hint whatsoever that this was part of a mystery series, Inspector Coffin himself is vestigial at best.
Enjoyable enough, but never thrilled, never deepened, never blossomed. Inert.
Would try another of hers, as the writing is good, the plot and characters just didn't take off in a particularly memorable way.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, show more wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). show less
Enjoyable enough, but never thrilled, never deepened, never blossomed. Inert.
Would try another of hers, as the writing is good, the plot and characters just didn't take off in a particularly memorable way.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, show more wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 80
- Also by
- 13
- Members
- 1,818
- Popularity
- #14,144
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 20
- ISBNs
- 394
- Languages
- 4
- Favorited
- 4