Book Review: Who Killed the Curate? by Joan Coggin

Who Killed the Curate?
Joan Coggin
The Rue Morgue Press, 2001
ISBN 0915230445
Trade Paperback

It’s Christmas 1937 and the small English village of Glanville is gearing up for the festivities. Central to the villages activities is Lady Lupin, the lovely scatterbrained wife of Andrew, vicar of St. Marks Parish. Lady Lupin, having come from a world of wealth and entitlement, is eager to fit in as the vicar’s wife but is totally bewildered by the Girl Guides, the Mothers’ Union, and all the other parish groups the ladies of the parish expect her to lead. Andrew, meanwhile, quietly smiles and assures Lady Lupin (known as Loops to her friends) she’s doing quite well, occasionally giving her a little nudge in the right direction.

When Andrew’s curate, Charles, is found dead, it quickly becomes apparent
that he was poisoned. Who could have done such a thing and why? Was it in
the fish served at Loops’ table the night before? Why was Charles
wandering around in her house? Could his obsession with foreign missions
have anything to do with his death? Surely, Loops thinks, the guilty party
couldn’t be Diana, author of children’s stories and mysteries, even though
her recent activities have been rather suspicious. Loops enlists her
houseguests to help her solve the murder. Perhaps the biggest problem is
that all the potential suspects seem so likable, much more so than the
victim. Loops announces that she’ll help the murderer escape if he or she
will only confess to the dastardly deed.

Lady Lupin is a complete delight, one of the best cozy characters I’ve
ever encountered. Watching her navigate the pitfalls of being the vicar’s
wife in a small village is hilarious, especially since she’s usually
oblivious to what’s really going on. Like many such addlepated people,
though, there is much more to Loops than meets the eye.

First published in 1944, this is the first of a series of four mysteries
featuring Lady Lupin. I read the remaining three books with just as much enjoyment and only wish that Joan Coggin had written many more.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, 2001.В  Slightly revised 2010.
Review first published on murderexpress.net in 2001.

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July 31, 2010  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews, My Reviews

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