The Trail of the Serpent · Character

Dr. Tappenden

The headmaster of the Slopperton school.

minor

Also known as June Dr. Tappenden

First appearance: The Good Schoolmaster

Dr. Tappenden shows up with force in The Good Schoolmaster. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Mentioned as the head of the academy where Jabez North works.

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In The Good Schoolmaster: Mentioned as the head of the academy where Jabez North works. Later, in The Usher Washes His Hands: The schoolmaster who trusts Jabez and asks him to break the news of the boy's death to…

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Character Web

4 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Supporting Cast and Subplots
Investigation and Witnesses
French Mystery Entanglement
Slopperton Crime Circle

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Valerie’s s…

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In the story

Dr. Tappenden appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Good Schoolmaster
Mentioned as the head of the academy where Jabez North works.
The Usher Washes His Hands
The schoolmaster who trusts Jabez and asks him to break the news of the boy's death to Allecompain Major.
I: Blind Peter
His school breaks up for the midsummer holidays; he hosts a ball on the evening of June 17th.
The Usher Resigns His Situation
Returns home to Slopperton and discovers the disappearance of Jabez North and the theft of his chequebook.
Book III: Holy Institution
The physician overseeing the asylum, representing the medical authority that has declared Richard insane.
One Step Further on the Right Track
Dr. Tappenden arrives to identify the impostor and reveals he can prove a circumstance linking the man to Montague Harding's murder.
I: Father and Son
The doctor from Slopperton who accompanies the police to identify and arrest Raymond as Jabez North.

Chapter companion notes

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See Dr. Tappenden in The Good Schoolmaster