Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for allowing me to read a digital galley of this novel.

In late February 2018, Farrago will begin releasing e-books of the Flaxborough Chronicles series by Colin Watson. Originally published in 1958 these gems will once again be easily available for readers of historical mysteries who enjoy a lighter touch but a seriously interesting police procedural. Colin Watson has written a series which is lightly comedic without crossing over to the satirical. One of my many favorite passages is here: "The waitress drifted near, eyed them with sad disapproval, and retired to lean against the further wall like a martyr turned down by fastidious lions."

Six months ago a prominent member of the Flaxborough community, Mr. Harold Carobleat, passed from that small town realm to another unknown one. Now there has been a death in the home of the late Mr. Carobleat's neighbor. This one has some seriously mysterious signs that set Detective Inspector Purbright and Detective Sergeant Love on a trail that seems to have no beginning that would lead to murder. Naturally that changes through the special investigative acumen of our intuitive duo.

This story kept me slightly off balance all the way through because the deeper Purbright and Love got into their investigation the more they uncovered of what was happening in sleepy little Flaxborough under all the olde English village trappings. While the story is noticeably dated by the 1958 publication time period this is still a grand mystery for readers to use in finding out if they can figure out what is going on before the police do. I freely admit that the twist at the end caught me completely by surprise.

I picked up this first book of the series because I adore cozy mysteries with a good dose of humor. Unfortunately I found it to be very flat and unenjoyable as the plot just slowly plodded along. The storyline was a bit of a pain to follow and the humor was so dry that I couldn't bring myself to chuckle at it. I did like the main detective but not enough to feel the need to finish the book (a crime in and of itself with a mystery) or to pick up the remaining books in the series. I enjoy British procedurals on the scene but that didn't translate to enjoying this book though. I'm sure there are others that would like it though as it might be that old-timey mysteries aren't for me.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Farrago, and the author Colin Watson for the opportunity to do so.

The British detective series is one of my favorite genres, and this one is a gem. Inspector Purbright, his cohorts, and even some of the suspects gave me many "laugh out loud" moments. The plot was interesting, the characters engaging, and I am looking forward to reading more from Colin Watson.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1173808.Coffin_Scarcely_Used" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Coffin Scarcely Used (Flaxborough Chronicles, #1)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343070552m/1173808.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1173808.Coffin_Scarcely_Used">Coffin Scarcely Used</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50259.Colin_Watson">Colin Watson</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2290253118">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I have a new series to enjoy! Mr. Watson had a gift for sharp-witted dialog and engaging characters that I'm looking forward to seeing again in the next book. Some of my favorite offerings from just a couple of pages:<br /><br />- He found the inspector examining the plaster statuette of a yellow-haired Venus, petrified into Art while apparently picking a corn.<br /><br />- The Chief Constable shook his head and devoutly wished the world were a great dog show with policemen having nothing to do but guard the trophies and hold leads.<br /><br />- ‘You’re surely not afraid of being unfrocked or disbarred or something,’ said Mrs Carobleat, warily testing the almost red-hot handle of a teapot that contained, paradoxically, lukewarm tea. <br />‘We coppers never quite reconcile ourselves to living in a perpetual draught of uncharitable thoughts.’<br />‘That’s what comes of being such a suspicious lot yourselves.’ She spooned sugar evenly into both cups without asking if Purbright took it, added milk and poured the tea. She took a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of her suit, lit one, and pushed the packet across the table. ‘Now then, what are you after?’ she asked, as if Purbright were a small boy suspiciously anxious to wash up.

It took some time, but it finally dawned on me that I was reading what I love to watch on TV – a British mystery a la the BBC. I did a little research and found out that some of the Flaxborough novels were indeed adapted for television by the BBC, including COFFIN, SCARCELY USED. Before this aha moment, I was actually considering not finishing the book. The realization that all that is missing are the British accents meant everything.

Here we have a gentler, kinder police procedural that harkens to a time when politeness was paramount. In its pages you will meet Inspector Purbright, Sergeant Love, and Chief Constable Chubb along with an array of sedate, but murderous, villains. It is a tangled tale that will keep you guessing almost till the end.

Of late, I have found myself reading books with less grit and more gentility. If you need a break from raw, modern crime stories, you might just consider getting to know the town of Flaxborough and its inhabitants. I think you might find it similar to Midsomer and the purvue of Father Brown, quiet places with more than their fair share of murder.

This was not the story I was expecting from the description. I was promised humor, which was a big selling point, and a cozy English mystery. I found this to be more of a plodding police procedural, with flat characters and an uninspired plot. Further research showed me that these are reprints of a series first published in the 1950s, and I would have approached them differently had I known that beforehand. I've also read other reviews that promise more humor later in the series, and more engaging stories and characters. I will try a few more of these books and hope they improve, but I don't think I would recommend starting with Coffin, Scarcely Used.

I love vintage mystery and I can't seem to be able to get enough of these good oldies. "Coffin, Scarcely Used" has an unique, pacy plot that is thoroughly entertaining. What's better is having clever humorous remarks here and there to lighten the heaviness of reading death and murders. The prose and language do need a little time to get used to but not at all an issue to me. In a way, this is a classic "British" kind of read- elegant, witty and refined in many different aspects.

Thank you Netgallary and Farrago for the generosity of giving me a chance to preview "Coffin, Scarcely Used" before the official re-release date.

Reminds Me Of Sherlock Holmes With A Little Columbo Mixed In

This is a superbly written and witty mystery, which has a deeply woven plot. How does Detective Inspector Purbright go about finding the reason behind the death of several of the town’s so-called upstanding citizens? What secret were they hiding? Why are people sneaking around in the night?

If you like dry, Holmes style mysteries and humor you will enjoy the dialog, the cast of characters, and the convoluted plot. Although not my usual choice of detective mystery, I enjoyed this book, but it did take a little while for me to get in the rhythm of the dialog. I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Coffin, Scarcely Used. It is exceptionally well written and a decent mystery to boot.

Originally published in 1958, this book introduces Inspector Purbright of the Flaxborough police. Flaxborough is a (fictional) small coastal English town where outward respectability conceals Untoward Goings-On. The discovery of a second body, this time a murder staged as a suicide causes Purbright and the equally admirable sergeant Sid Love, to investigate. They are a very engaging pair, with Purbright as a seemingly slightly hapless, polite investigator, and the whole thing is a pleasure to read.

It is decently, if slightly implausibly, plotted. The characters are well drawn, with pointed wit but genuine thoughtfulness, so that although it is genuinely funny in places, it has an essential believability and insight into the character and mores of the time which make it a very involving read as well as just an entertaining one. It's perhaps a bit like a much less donnish Michael Innes or a 1950s version of Simon Brett in tone. I marked this little exchange between Purbright and Mr Smith, the local bank manager which gives a flavour of the style:
'"We should be glad to have your help, sir…"
Mr Smith inclined his head and continued to register delight. "Anything we can do, we shall only be too pleased."
"…in a somewhat delicate matter," Purbright added, and the tiniest flake of frost settled upon Mr Smith's manner.'

If you like that, you'll like the book. I like it very much, and I'm looking forward to catching up with more of Inspector Purbright, whom I haven't read before. I'm grateful to Farrago Books for making available and introducing me to a third series of excellent but nearly forgotten books which are very well written and entertaining, the others being Miss Seeton and the Bandy series by Donald Jack. All are warmly recommended.

(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)

Thank you to the publisher for offering this series. This novel is a wonderful old-time mystery with eccentric characters and a well-drawn protagonist . In addition the word-play and satire are very funny.

Requested this as part of my quest for more cozy crime series and it's a good one. Originally published in the 1950s, these are being reissued. It's a gentle (as in don't expect gruesome details of gory violence) police procedural set in a sleepy English town with an interesting detective and some nice split pov stuff which means that the reader knows more than the police do. I'd happily read more of these.

As soon as I read this book's description, I thought of one of my favorite English towns, Midsomer. Charming and quaint on the outside, but worth your life if you live there. Flaxborough, the setting for Coffin, Scarcely Used seemed like it could be a sister town for Midsomer, though so far there have only been 2 deaths in 6 months.
The story is definitely an ode to days gone by since Colin Watson's book was published in the 1950s, which explains the much gentler language, class distinctions, and character interactions. When a man dies of a heart attack and then his neighbor is electrocuted, Inspector Purbright becomes suspicious and begins interviewing friends, co-workers and family members. Mr. Watson perfectly captures the feeling of living in a small village where everything appears proper and idyllic on the outside, but underneath secrets, jealousies, lies and even murders bubble to the surface.
The story is told with humor and the characters are extremely well written. I have yet to meet a mystery set in a small English town that I didn't like and Coffin, Scarcely Used was no exception. The book title alone had me smiling and the unique characters were a delight. If you like cozy English mysteries, I would recommend this book.
Thank you Farrago and NetGalley for the digital copy to read and review. While looking into other books he had published, I discovered he died in 1983. Luckily for lovers of this type of book, his words and works live on.

This is a captivating who done it! The twists and turns keep you guessing. There is a list of interesting characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for the advance digital review copy.

I first read this a number of years ago and also recall the television adaptations. I was very pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed re-reading it. Although firmly rooted in the English countryside and social mores of the late nineteen fifties, this murder mystery has stood the test of time pretty well.

Mainly this is due to Chief Inspector Purbright whose sterling qualities and shining honesty make him timeless. He has no truck with social position and deftly and subtly elicits information with a twinkle in the eye and a touch of irony on the tongue.

Colin Watson was for many years a reporter in East Anglia and knew well the workings of small town elites. The humour displayed here is gentle but clear-eyed.The writing and characterisation are so good that it matters little that the central mystery is not difficult to work out.

A most enjoyable and entertaining read.

This was a very entertaining English mystery with a great setting--a kind of minor faded seaport that doesn't even boast a local gentry. The book is quite witty and charming, the mystery adequate. All in all a very enjoyable read with a humorous set of characters

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for an advance copy of Coffin Scarcely Used, the first of the Flaxborough series of police procedurals, originally published in 1958.

The novel opens with the death from a heart attack of Councillor Harold Carobleat and Inspector Purbright nosing around to no avail. Six months later Carobleat's next door neighbour, newspaper owner, Marcus Gwill is electrocuted and this time Inspector Purbright is seriously investigating as it's murder. What he uncovers is the meat of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed Coffin Scarcely Used which is a humorous cozy from a bygone age with a good, if fairly transparent to modern eyes, plot. It is a straightforward third person narrative from Purbright's point of view so the reader knows no more or less than he does. I found it quite easy to guess some of the angles and twists but it has some clever touches I didn't see.

The humour comes from the arch tone of the writing, the suspects' verbal fumbling for answers and Purbright's assessment of them. It's all very gentle and well bred so clever as well. I suspect that the characters' names also have humorous references but I'm not smart enough to work them all out.

The novel is very firmly set in 1950s middle class England so the Chief Constable has trouble suspecting Gwill's friends of wrongdoing as they're not those kind of people. Purbright, on the other hand, has no problem with it but he's the suspicious type. There are some lovely period gems like builder Jonas Bradlaw believing that his television set rather than his personality is what has attracted a series of young live-in housekeepers.

Purbright is not, perhaps, the smartest detective, or so Mr Watson would have the reader believe, but he's acute enough to work out and solve this, his first, murder. As befits the period and tradition there is no mention of his life outside the investigation as his role is to propel the plot forward. I like this approach as it makes a change from my more usual fare of character centric crime fiction.

Coffin Scarcely Used is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

First published 60 years ago in England, the Flaxborough Chronicles feature Inspector Purbright and the inhabitants of the town Flaxborough. In this first book of the series, Purbright is looking into the mysterious death of man who seems to have left his house in the middle of the night and been electrocuted. Could he have actually been climbing the pylon for the electrical lines in his slippers? It doesn't make sense, and the longer the investigation goes on, the stranger things become. What do a newspaper editor, a doctor, an undertaker, a lawyer, and a broker have in common? With conflicting accounts from those closest to the deceased, interviews with the housekeeper that show she believes in ghosts and supernatural beings, and pressure from the Chief Constable and the Coroner's Court to wrap things up, it seems that Purbright may never find out what really happened and why. With smiles and apologies for the inconvenience, he still manages to question everyone involved and slowly put together a picture that is not what anyone would have suspected.

There are death and suspicions to deal with, but there are also many humorous points in the book. Sometimes it is the words or actions of the characters, but at others it is simply the writing. For instance, the newspaper's owner is described as a man who "spoke only one-sidedly, as though half his lips had been sewn up to prevent waste of words and body heat." And readers learn that the doctor's "head was perched on the great promontory of his chest as though it had separate existence and might tumble off if it strained forward any further." Descriptions like that create a vivid mental image and a sense of the farcical. Which of these individuals should readers take seriously as suspects and which are simply there for comic relief? Perhaps they are both.

Readers who enjoy Miss Marple and mysteries set in small English towns full of eccentric residents will welcome having this series drawn to their attention.

An out of the park home run in the classic crime genre. Mr. Purbright is an absolute gem.

Excellent! A throughly enjoyable mystery .