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
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
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Deptford, London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Surrey, England, UK - Education
- Oxford University (Lady Margaret Hall)
- Occupations
- academic (Oxford University, Oxford, England, UK)
- Relationships
- Butler, Lionel (husband)
- Awards and honors
- Crime Writers’ Association’s Silver Dagger Award
top two hundred crime writers in the world by The London Times. - 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. - Disambiguation notice
- Gwendoline Butler aka Jennie Melville
Members
Reviews
Cracking Open A Coffin by Gwendoline Butler
two students disappear, tied to earlier murders and crisis in Coffin's career and his affair with Stella
death of University girl connects to another death of 20 yrs earlier, Coffin faces career and personal crises.
Complex series of deaths in Greenwich neighborhood revolves around fantasy game acted out.
Lists
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 78
- Also by
- 9
- Members
- 1,666
- Popularity
- #15,409
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 19
- ISBNs
- 393
- Languages
- 4
- Favorited
- 4