The Paradise Mystery · Character
Collishaw
A verger whose name surfaces in Flood's confession as the man paid fifty pounds to hold his tongue — and who died soon after receiving it.
supporting
Also known as Mr. Collishaw, James Collishaw, This Collishaw, The Collishaw
First appearance: i only the guardian
As a supporting figure in The Paradise Mystery, Collishaw is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Mason's labourer found dead in Paradise; confirmed poisoned with hydrocyanic acid.
Collishaw belongs to the shadowy margin of the case, a man whose silence was worth money to Wraye, or Folliot, and whose sudden death turns a bribe into something far darker. Flood's account of the fifty pounds, and of his own fear of Wraye, places Collishaw at the hinge between petty hush-money and murder. He never speaks for himself in the passages, yet his fate is what pushes the investigators toward Folliot's guarded garden and the secret he keeps there.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
23 connectionsA slice of how Collishaw sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Professional
- Other
Character groups
- Central Investigation Figures
- Protagonist
+18 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Mary reaches an emotional and psychological peak as she confronts her deepest fear—Bryce’s dogged pursuit—and…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Mary Bewery
professional · ambivalent
Collishaw, likely a servant or employee, interacts with Mary in a subordinate capacity,… How this plays out →
- Inspector Mitchington
professional · ambivalent
- Dr. Mark Ransford
professional · ambivalent
- Inspector Mitchington
professional · ambivalent
- Mary Bewery
professional · ambivalent
Collishaw, likely a servant or employee, interacts with Mary in a subordinate capacity,… How this plays out →
- Dr. Mark Ransford
professional · ambivalent
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Collishaw in i only the guardianIn the story
Collishaw appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Collishaw unlock in the free preview.
See Collishaw in i only the guardian