The Crime at Black Dudley · Character

Colonel Gordon Coombe

The ailing master of Black Dudley whose long subservience to a criminal patron and sudden death set the whole tangle in motion.

supporting

Also known as Colonel Coombe, Coombe, the late Colonel

First appearance: The Crime at Black Dudley

As a supporting figure in The Crime at Black Dudley, Colonel Gordon Coombe is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The murdered host, whose death sets the events of the chapter in motion.

In the storyThe Crime at Black DudleyOpen this moment free

Colonel Coombe is the nominal host whose seizure and death transform a weekend party into a locked-house mystery, but his real significance lies in the life that preceded it. For years he had been dominated by von Faber and had been trying to open negotiations with the Simister gang, a double game that made him valuable to some and expendable to others. His death is the pivot on which the plot turns, and the question of who killed him — and why the certificates were signed so readily — drives the investigators through the middle of the book.

See Colonel Gordon Coombe in The Crime at Black Dudley Book page

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Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Colonel Gordon Coombe sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Black Dudley House Party
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt represents the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak wher…

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In the story

Colonel Gordon Coombe appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Crime at Black Dudley
The murdered host, whose death sets the events of the chapter in motion.
Candlelight
Wyatt's uncle and host, an invalid with a flesh-colored mask covering a war injury, sits at the head of the table.
II: The Ritual of the Dagger
The invalid host, wheeled into a corner; initially dubious about the game but does not strongly object.
In the Garage
Suffers a suspected heart attack during the ritual; his car's hidden Rolls-Royce engine is discovered by Abbershaw.
IV: Murder
The Colonel is deceased, lying under a sheet in his bed. Abbershaw's examination of the body confirms his suspicion that the death was not due to heart disease.
Doctor Abbershaw's Deductions
Posthumously identified as the criminal mastermind who designed crimes for the gang.
XXVIII: Should a Doctor Tell?
The deceased; Whitby confirms he was cremated and claims he was murdered by a member of the Simister gang.
XXIX: The Last Chapter
The murder victim; Abbershaw's investigation centers on his death, revealed to have been killed by Wyatt.

Chapter companion notes

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See Colonel Gordon Coombe in The Crime at Black Dudley