Gwendoline Butler
Gwendoline Butler (1922-2020) was a notable British author, best known for her contributions to the mystery and crime fiction genres. Born in Blackheath, South London, she grew up in a literary family, with all her siblings pursuing writing careers. Butler was an avid reader from a young age and developed a passion for mystery novels, which later inspired her own writing. After studying history at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she also lectured, she married historian Dr. Lionel Harry Butler, with whom she had one daughter.
Butler's literary career began in 1956 with her debut novel, *Receipt for Murder*, and she became particularly recognized for her series featuring Chief Inspector John Coffin, which debuted in 1960. This series featured over twenty-five titles, highlighting her talent for crafting engaging crime narratives. Writing under the pseudonym "Jennie Melville," she also created another successful series that included several standalone novels, encompassing various themes such as Victorian mysteries and romances.
Her work earned her numerous accolades, including the British Crime Writers Association Silver Dagger Award and recognition as one of the top crime writers in the world by *The Times*. Butler's books have been translated into multiple languages, reflecting her widespread appeal and influence in the literary community. Throughout her career, she remained active in judging literary competitions and was known for her engaging public speaking.
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Gwendoline Butler
Writer
- Born: August 19, 1922
- Birthplace: Blackheath, London, England
- Died: January 5, 2013
Biography
Gwendoline Butler was one of twin girls born in 1922 in the fashionable Blackheath section of South London, England. Her sister died shortly after birth. She grew up with younger twin brothers (one was a Member of Parliament and the other was a professor at Cambridge). All three siblings eventually became authors.
An avid reader from an early age, Butler discovered mystery and crime novels when she was eight, and concentrated almost exclusively on them. She was educated at Haberdashers’ and studied history at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she later lectured. She married medieval historian and author Dr. Lionel Harry Butler, a fellow of All Souls and principal of Royal Holloway College from 1973 to 1981, and the couple produced one daughter before Dr. Butler’s death in 1982.
Gwendolin Butler’s first novel, Receipt for Murder, appeared in 1956, beginning a prolific career that has seen the publication of more than seventy books. In 1960, in Death Lives Next Door (also known as Dine and Be Dead), she introduced the character for which she is best known, Chief Inspector John Coffin of the Second City, who operates out of a fictionalized section of London very much like Blackheath. Coffin appeared in more than twenty-five full-length works—the majority of them containing the character’s name in the title. The critically acclaimed Coffin series was optioned for television. Under the pseudonym “Jennie Melville” (the name of her grandmother), Butler began a second series with the publication of Come Home and Be Killed (1962). The series comprised more than fifteen entries, such as Murder Has a Pretty Face (1981), Footsteps in the Blood (1993), andStone Dead (1998).
Besides the two popular series, Butler also wrote more than a dozen stand-alone novels, including Victorian mysteries, romances and Gothics. Her A Coffin for Pandora (also known as Sarsen Place, 1973) received the British Crime Writers Association Silver Dagger Award, one of many honors the author was accorded, along with the Romantic Novelist’s Association Silver Rose Bowl. The Times selected Butler as one of the top two hundred crime writers in the world. She served as chairman of the Gold Dagger Awards judging panel, as a judge in the Ellis PetersCompetition. She also contributed to English and American references and was renowned as a public speaker and broadcaster.
Considered an equal to the British Golden Age women crime writers such as Agatha Christie, Gwendoline Butler was widely praised, and her books are in print in more than twenty countries worldwide. She lived in a nineteenth century house in Runnymede that featured an impressive library of crime and detective fiction.