Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Coffin Underground  By  cover art

Coffin Underground

By: Gwendoline Butler
Narrated by: Nigel Carrington
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

The syrupy voice of veteran performer Nigel Carrington drips out of this production of Coffin Underground, luring listeners into the haunting and suspenseful world John Coffin. From the mind of Gwendoline Butler comes another exciting chapter in the life of Scotland Yard’s Chief Superintendent. The house at No. 22 Church Row has garnered a reputation of late for being haunted, but as Coffin finds out, there is something more complex and sinister afoot than anyone could imagine. With Carrington’s eerie and compelling delivery, listeners will find it’s only a matter of minutes before they’ve become absorbed with John Coffin and his quest for the truth behind No. 22 Church Row.

Publisher's summary

It is 1978 and senior police John Coffin has been drafted back to South London to oversee the Local Detective branch. Here, he becomes involved in a game so deadly that everyone is a possible victim...

©1988 Gwendoline Butler (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Coffin Underground

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    80
  • 4 Stars
    73
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    102
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    73
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Coffin underground

This book was interesting and had. good ideas but just wasn't my cup of tea.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Narrator!

Nigel Carrington really made Coffin Underground! Now I want all 13 Coffins. I think this book is better than Coffin In Fashion, but that was my first Coffin & I opted for a second. I think Nigel Carrington is one of the best if not THE best narrator of all the many I have heard. And I thought no one could top John Lea or Simon Prebble....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Small Town Intrigue

I have read several of Coffin mysteries and greatly enjoyed them, but I couldn't get interested in this story's characters. The narration was good but I was having a difficult time remembering who was who.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

F word

I did not finish the book. I hate cursing and the F word is one I will not tolerate in my reading. Up to that point the story was good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Confusing if you didn't start with the first.

very good mystery. Very good character development. Now I have to go back to the first book, try to forget what I just read in order to make sense of it all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

1978 English Murder Mystery

This is my first Detective John Coffin mystery, and for a long time I was sure it was a horror story, which is outside my taste in books. But I stuck with it and sure enough, it was a murder mystery, which took a lot of twists and turns, The whole town thinks that a big house down the street is haunted, because at times there are spots of blood on the steps. Long ago a student was murdered, but the case was never resolved, nor the body recovered. John Coffin can't properly do his own laundry, so his housekeeper finds a neighbor girl to do it for him. The girl is raising all her siblings after an automobile accident killed both her parents. As John Coffin goes about doing his job, he also learns about his new neighbors, all of which have stories of their own. When a former prisoner is released and soon afterward is murdered, John begins to investigate who killed him. And the subject of the unlucky house keeps resurfacing. There is a huge build up to the end, which reveals a lot, but I was a little disappointed that it cut off some of the story by trying to lead us into the next book in the series. Very good story, but didn't appreciate the abrupt end with the tease for the next book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worst ending ever

Good narration good story like the twist and turns but really hated the abrupt ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well worth the time

During the first chapter, I found the performance touching on the blasé, almost as if mr Carrington was bored. But, if perhaps an aquired taste, I soon found his performance adding a very particular atmosphere and a singular caracter to Coffin, and not least highlighting Ms Butler’s distinctive way with words and storytelling. Part of the story is dated in its views - the gaming bit is naive - but overall the book is still interesting. And worth the time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

too wordy

didn't enjoy this one too much a little too long and wordy for me with no substance the narrator was ok

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Confusing but good

This story was one you had to pay attention to. Twists and turns and keeps you guessing till the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful