The Strange Death of Mistress Coffin

by Robert J. Begiebing

Book Overview

New England. 1648. The Piscataqua Settlement. A young woman has been found dead, her violated body stripped naked and thrown in a river. Her husband, a reclusive and learned man, has mysteriously... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0945575564
• ISBN13: 9780945575566
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Author is adept at creating atmosphere of time and place

The story unwinds somewhat tediously at first, but the author has an excellent feel for metering out suspense. A few of the references/passages are a bit over-the-top, but overall the plot unwinds with a good deal of "who done it" intrigue through the description of tense scenes between the story's main characters, and in the wretched rape and murder of Mistress Coffin. As for plotting, the end is a bit of a let down, but I would read it again for the writing alone, which is quite good.

Come for the Mystery, Stay for the History

Robert J. Begiebing's The Strange Death of Mistress Coffin is ostensibly a murder mystery but that is not the true delight of the story. The basic story is that of the investigation of the murder of a young woman found naked in a river in 1648 New England by Richard Browne. Onto this basic mystery-thriller narrative is attached the tale of Puritan New Englanders living and surviving in an hostile territory with all their beliefs and superstitions tested, preserved and adapted. The characters are vivid and the writing is both moody and evocative. It was a joy to read and it does truly transport the reader to a different time. It is also a pleasure that the author never resorts to black and white portrayals. Everything and everyone is vividly complex. The mystery, whodunit, element per se is not the strongest element in the book but it is an effective hook to initially capture the reader and take her into this fascinating world.

Early America - Cursed and Blessed

Unique and haunting. A difficult novel to categorize - even harder to describe accurately without spoiling its effect for the prospective reader. Impressively depicts a time and place and, most importantly, the people who settled New England. Very few stories can compare: The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, come to mind. Strange and hypnotic, bordering on a metaphysical tale -- this mystery has more to do with tormented hearts and hungers of the soul than with the solving of a tragic murder. And Mr. Begiebing almost makes it work completely...but not quite.Somehow there was something lacking in the last section, some shift of emphasis away from the central story and its characters' dilemma that left me wanting. Perhaps a re-reading will change my opinion. Undoubtedly there is much splendid writing here, the kind you pause to savor a couple more times before proceeding with the story. And the story itself, for the majority of its length, fascinates: the true mystery here belonging to the motives of men and women of faith - or its lacking - in the unfathomable wilderness of 17th century New England. Unfathomable landscapes without and within. Mr. Begiebing draws you into America's antique soul to reveal its present day shadows. A splendid book that deserves many readers!

Intriguing, mysterious look into 17th-Century colonial life.

I happened upon this book by accident, but am glad I did. It is a mystery that pulls you from page to page. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is the language in which it is written: I frequently had to grab for the dictionary, but the word was always there. While understandable, the Colonial-era terminology used made it all the more authentic. An easy, enjoyable read, thick with atmosphere and imagination. It lingered on in my mind a good week after I had finished it.

A book for all readers, not just mystery fans.

It is a shame that this well-writtne novel is shelved with the mysteries, because it deserves a wider audience. I began it looking for an entertainingg "whodunit", but I was quickly engrossed in the world of colonial New England, which the author describes like one who has lived there! The plot was good, but the setting was better, and best of all were the characters, whose personal and ethical problems grew from and gave me insight into their age.