Thu 15 May 2014
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: JOAN COGGIN – Who Killed the Curate?
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[5] Comments
William F. Deeck
JOAN COGGIN – Who Killed the Curate? Hurst & Blacken, UK, hardcover, 1944; paperback reprint, no date. Rue Morgue Press, US, softcover, 2001.
At first sight, and at second and third I would argue, Lady Lupin Lorrimer would seem an unlikely person to become the wife of a clergyman. At twenty-two she is a social butterfly, indeed possesses the brain of that creature, one moreover that was dropped on its head when it was a baby. But marry she does, to the Rev. Andrew Hastings, vicar of Glanville, somewhere on the English coast.
With no preparation, Lady Lupin is thrust into the parish’s affairs — the Mother’s Union, the Girl Guides, Foreign Missions — of which she knows little, that usually in error, and learns less. She also has to deal with the death of the parish’s curate, who may or may not have died from eating fish at the vicarage. Sort of a dimwitted Pamela North, Lady Lupin, along with her friends, becomes embroiled in the investigation.
Not a particularly good mystery, but a quite amusing novel.
Editorial Note: For a long informative essay on the life of Joan Coggin, check out the Rue Morgue Press page for her on their website here. In recent years Rue Morgue has published all four of the titles below, each one for the first time in the US.
The Lady Lupin Hastings series —
Who Killed the Curate? Hurst 1944.
The Mystery of Orchard House. Hurst 1947.
Why Did She Die? Hurst 1947.
Dancing with Death. Hurst 1949.
May 15th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
“Sort of a dimwitted Pamela North, Lady Lupin”
Good point. Pam North was never dimwitted, despite being played by Gracie Allen, she was just a lateral thinker. She actually did some good detective work, albeit in her own style. (Nor was Gracie dimwitted, but she was scatterbrained on screen.)
I’ll have to look into these since they seem like fun. I have greater tolerance for British cozies than for American ones.
May 15th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
Re your last sentence, David, I’ve never thought of it in quitethat way, but there’s a lot of truth in what you say. I wonder if British cozies have more of an edge to them, or as in the case of Lady Lupin, the characters are more interesting. Worth thinking about, I think.
May 15th, 2014 at 8:36 pm
I’ve always been a fan of Mr and Mrs North. “Murder in a Hurry” (1950) and “Voyage into Violence” (1956) are two favorites. Agree with David and Deeck that Pam North was more a zany than dimwitted – and a good thing too!
Tried to read “Who Killed the Curate?” some years back – and failed. The comedy drove me right up the wall. Lady Lupin is just not my cup of tea.
May 16th, 2014 at 5:53 am
I must say I’m with Mike. I got a couple of these for Bill Deeck and tried a few pages but, though Lady Lupin may be an aquired taste, I had [and have] no interest in acquiring it.
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