- Hardcover: 286 pages
- Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (Oct 1 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1590581296
- ISBN-13: 978-1590581292
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.2 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 544 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #741,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this well-crafted whodunit from veteran British crime writer Edwards (All the Lonely People), Daniel Kind, a popular historian best known for a TV series that tries to solve historical mysteries using classic Holmesian deductive methods, decides to retreat from Oxford academia with his new love, Miranda. By chance, Miranda falls for a cottage in the Lake District that had once been the home of Kind's late friend Barrie Gilpin, a young sufferer of Asperger's syndrome. Gilpin was suspected of the gory ritualistic murder of an attractive woman on the Sacrifice Stone, a local landmark, but fell to his death before the police could question him. By yet another coincidence, Kind's late father was the senior investigating officer involved. Thanks to an anonymous informant, the father's protégé, DCI Hannah Scarlett, is about to reopen the old case. The renewed inquiry stirs up a hornet's nest and foments resentment toward Kind, whose amateur sleuthing is aimed at exonerating Gilpin. Despite the implausible setup and thin characterizations, Edwards's book is an interesting fair-play puzzler that will engage fans who like their contemporary crime in an English village setting.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
In Brackdale, a small town in England's Lake District, a woman is murdered, and the prime suspect, an autistic young man, dies before he can be questioned. Years later, Oxford history professor Daniel Kind and his lover, Miranda, buy a cottage in Brackdale, hoping to simplify their lives. But that's not going to happen. The local constabulary has established a cold-case squad, and one of the cases is the woman's murder. And Daniel, who vacationed in Brackdale with his family when he was younger and befriended the autistic boy, has never believed his friend was capable of murder. Can Daniel keep his memories from consuming him and resolve his confusion over the way his father, the detective on the original case, handled the investigation? The author, either moving on or taking a break from his successful Harry Devlin series, has crafted a poignant mystery: atmospheric, haunting, and so tactile you can almost smell the moist air. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Coffin Trail,
By
This review is from: The Coffin Trail (Paperback)
The book arrived in good time and the condition of the book is in very good condition as well, I am pleased.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews) 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well written but Old Hat,
By R. Mitra "author" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Coffin Trail (Hardcover)
Starts off with a young Oxford Historian and his girl friend getting fed up and 'retiring' to live at a place where Daniel Kind, the historian, lived and remembers a brutal murder. His father, the policeman was never convinced of the guilt of the man presumed to have committed the crime, but who died-accidentally or by suicide. He left our hero and his family and Daniel exhibits the usual angst of sons in this situation.One of his father's old flames, Hannah Scarlett, now is in charge of 'cold crimes' and reopens the case. She has a relationship which began at the time of the murder. Nicely written, very atmospheric, and lyrical language which enhances the Cumbrian landscape. But the characters behave in predictable ways, the domestic squabbles of Daniel and Miranda are hackneyed. The usual village gossipers want to let well alone. 'No good will come out of digging into the past,' etc. It actually reads like Christie's Hercule Poirot tackling old mysteries. Unfortunately for the author, while Mrs. Christie's books ran to about two hundred pages, this one, at twice the length, fails to totally snare the readers' attention. But in the end, it is a solid mystery, none too distinguished but then everyone cannot be another Reginal Hill. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
fine amateur sleuth police procedural rivalry,
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Coffin Trail (Hardcover)
Miranda persuades her lover Oxford historian and TV host Daniel Kind to leave the school that she insists is stifling him and she would quit her detestable job so that they can relocate and move in together. She further convinces Daniel to buy notorious Tarn Cottage in a relatively isolated Lake District Valley. Daniel is familiar with Tarn Cottage once home to Asperger's syndrome sufferer Barrie Gilpin, whom he knew.Barrie was suspected by the police led by Daniel's father of a violent ritual murder, but before he was questioned he fell to his death. Daniel has solved mysteries on his TV show using Holmesian logic and always felt that Barrie was innocent. Additionally, Detective Chief Inspector Hannah Scarlett has reopened this cold case because of a recent anonymous tip. Although Hannah and her team do not want Daniel interfering, he also makes inquiries as he plans to prove Barrie was innocent. The two adjoining investigations upset several residents of Brackdale, who want their dirty laundry left hidden from view. Although coincidence is over-killed to bring the son and the protégé in competition, readers will appreciate this fine amateur sleuth police procedural rivalry in which the who-done-it is cleverly devised. The story line is fun to follow as Daniel and Hannah employ similar methods as both learned from his dad. They also share in common the fear that their teacher bungled this case when he bet on Barrie exclusively. Miranda adds just the right additional touch so that the audience obtains a strong mystery that tracks THE COFFIN TRAIL, the path the dead are taken on to leave the isolated valley for burial. Harriet Klausner 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Only okay.,
By L. J. Roberts - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Coffin Trail (Hardcover)
Daniel Kind and his lover, Miranda, buy a house in the Lake Country; a house once lived in by a boy accused of murder, who was found dead of an accident. Daniel's policeman father investigated the case, but Daniel never believed the boy was guilty. Now Daniel is asking questions and causes the police to take a new look at the murder. The locals are not happy, particularly when someone else dies.The basic story, the descriptions of the Lake District and the overall writing were enjoyable. But this was offset by lack of character development, being irritated by the relationships of the two main couples, and the coincidences. The scene exposing the killer just wasn't realistic. I found myself having trouble caring about the story or the characters. It wasn't a terrible read, but there are many better out there. |
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