The Strange Death of Mistress Coffin - Hardcover

Robert J. Begiebing was born in Massachusetts and holds degrees from Norwich University, Boston College, and the University of New Hampshire. He is a professor of English at New Hampshire College, where he teaches writing and American literature. He lives with his wife and their family in Newfields, New Hampshire.

Inspired by an actual unsolved murder in 17th-century New Hampshire, Begiebing's moody, atmospheric mystery unfolds tantalizingly slowly. A young woman is brutally raped and murdered. Her scholarly husband accuses Jared Higgins of the crime, then suddenly withdraws his accusation. Higgins disappears, abandoning his family. The husband disappears. The facts of the case are laboriously pieced together by Englishman Richard Brown, a newcomer with legal training asked by leading citizens to investigate the crime that so disturbs their peace. Brown, however, finds his investigation hampered by his growing love for Higgins's wife. The novel succeeds as an examination of the complex roots of a crime and its painful aftereffects. Literate and introspective, this will appeal to the thoughtful reader rather than the sensation seeker.
- Beth Ann Mills, New Ro chelle P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.