Synopses & Reviews
The time is the late 1640s, the place, the New England coast. A young woman has been found dead, stripped naked and thrown in a river. Her husband has mysteriously halted his legal proceedings against the most likely suspect, who has disappeared into the wilderness. Based on an actual unsolved murder that took place in colonial New Hampshire, Robert J. Begiebing's THE STRANGE DEATH OF MISTRESS COFFIN is at once a spellbinding mystery and a fascinating evocation of life in early America. "Unusual and mesmerizing. A striking and original work by a gifted writer with an extraordinary feeling for the past."--E. Annie Proulx, The New York Times Book Review; "Begiebing illuminates 'the dark and wonderful intricacy' of the human heart."-- Yankee. A MYSTERY BOOK CLUB MAIN SELECTION and a LITERARY GUILD SELECTION.
Review
"This is, as the title suggests, a strange story and not the usual mystery fare. An excerpt from John Winthrop's journal for 1648 described the discovery of a dead woman in a river north of Boston whose body showed that 'she had been much abused.' This scrap of information and a few court records led the author to recreate the circumstances of the crime and to offer a persuasive solution. The slow pace and attention to historical detail will put off most mystery buffs, but those who enjoy historical fiction will appreciate this lean and supple tale of Puritan New England." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
A spellbinding mystery and a fascinating evocation of early American life.
About the Author
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.