Coffin, Scarcely Used
Colin Watson
In the respectable seaside town of Flaxborough, the equally respectable councillor Harold Carobleat is laid to rest. Cause of death: pneumonia.
But he is scarcely cold in his coffin before Detective Inspector Purbright, affable and annoyingly polite, must turn out again to examine the death of Carobleat’s neighbour, Marcus Gwill, former prop. of the local rag, the Citizen. This time it looks like foul play, unless a surfeit of marshmallows had led the late and rather unlamented Mr Gwill to commit suicide by electrocution. (‘Power without responsibility’, murmurs Purbright.)
How were the dead men connected, both to each other and to a small but select band of other town worthies? Purbright becomes intrigued by a stream of advertisements Gwill was putting in the Citizen, for some very oddly named antique items…
Witty and a little wicked, Colin Watson’s tales offer a mordantly entertaining cast of characters and laugh-out-loud wordplay.
Other books in the series
Bump in the Night
When vandalism turns to murder in the quiet town of Chalmsbury, Inspector Purbright is called in to investigate.
Hopjoy Was Here
The inhabitants of 14 Beatrice Avenue have disappeared, and something very disagreeable seems to be lurking in the drains…
Lonelyheart 4122
When the Flaxborough butcher's sister-in-law disappears, the trail leads to a local lonely hearts agency...
Charity Ends at Home
When one of Flaxborough's most tireless charity workers is found the wrong way up in her pond, DI Purbright investigates.
The Flaxborough Crab
An elderly sex-pest, nicknamed the ‘Flaxborough crab’, is at large in Flaxborough. Will DI Purbright catch him in his net?
Broomsticks over Flaxborough
When freethinking Edna Hillyard goes missing at the Folklore Society's "revels", could evil forces be at play?
The Naked Nuns
When the bitter rivalry between Flaxborough's leading fat-cat businessmen ends in murder, DI Purbright is on the case.
One Man’s Meat
A charming conman has more than dodgy dog food on his plate when ruthless villainy and murder break out in Flaxborough.
Blue Murder
A pornographic movie leads investigative journalists to Flaxborough, but before long the subject has switched to murder...
Plaster Sinners
A knock-out plaster cottage at Flaxborough’s antiques auction leads to a tale of heirlooms and murder.
Whatever’s Been Going on at Mumblesby?
When an art-loving solicitor dies in the posh neighbouring village of Mumblesby, a tale of blackmail emerges...












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