Colin Dexter – författare

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesLast Seen Wearing is the second Inspector Morse novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Why now? Why Friday 12th September – two years, three months and two days after Valerie Taylor had left home to return to afternoon school?He frowned. ‘Something’s turned up, I suppose.’Strange nodded. ‘Yes.’After leaving her home in Oxford to return to school in London, seventeen-year-old Valerie Taylor completely vanished. Despite the efforts of the police and Chief Inspector Ainley, the trail went cold and she was never found.Two years on, Ainley is dead, and Inspector Morse is handed the case. But now, someone has decided to supply some surprising new evidence . . .Last Seen Wearing is followed by the third Inspector Morse book, The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn.

The first intriguing case that began Colin Dexter’s phenomenally successful Inspector Morse series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.‘Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?’Lewis was nobody’s fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity.‘Yes, sir.’An engaging smile crept across Morse’s mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon’s edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening, Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man.But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .Last Bus to Woodstock is followed by the second Inspector Morse book, Last Seen Wearing.

Ten years since it was first published in hardback, and now for the first time as an eBook, this volume of short stories by the cream of British crime writing talent celebrates 75 years of the quintessential Detection Club.The Detection Club represents the cream of British crime writing talent. Founded on the cusp of the 1930s, the Club’s first President was G.K. Chesterton, and since then the mantle of Presidency has passed to some of the most significant names inthe history of crime fiction, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Julian Symons. The Club meets three times a year - to dine, to plot, and to exchange ideas.This anthology includes eleven new stories by the Best of British: Robert Barnard, Lyndsey Davis, Colin Dexter, Clare Francis, Robert Goddard, John Harvey, Reginald Hill, P.D. James, H.R.F. Keating, Michael Ridpath and Margaret Yorke, and has been edited by the Club’s President, Simon Brett. Among the authors are a number of bestsellers, as well as winners of both Diamond and Gold Daggers.This outstanding collection is a must for crime lovers everywhere.

Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. Written for secondary and adult students the Oxford Bookworms Library has seven reading levels from A1-C1 of the CEFR.Chief Inspector Morse is drinking a pint of beer. He is thinking about an attractive woman who lives not far away. The woman he is thinking of is hanging, dead, from the ceiling of her kitchen. On the floor lies a chair, almost two metres away from the woman's feet. Chief Inspector Morse finishes his pint, and orders another. Perhaps he will visit Anne, after all. But he is in no particular hurry. Meanwhile, Anne is still hanging in her kitchen, waiting for the police to come and cut her down. She is in no hurry, either.

For a year, the murder of Mrs. Yvonne Harrison at her home in Oxfordshire had baffled the Thames Valley CID. The manner of her death--her naked handcuffed body left lying in bed--matched her reputation as a women of adventuresome sexual tastes. The case seemed perfect for Inspector Morse. So why has he refused to become involved--even after anonymous hints of new evidence, even after a fresh murder? Sgt. Lewis''s loyalty to his infuriating boss slowly turns to deep distress as his own investigations suggest that Mrs. Harrison was no stranger to Morse. Far from it. Never has Morse performed more brilliantly than in this final adventure, whose masterly twists and turns through the shadowy byways of passion grip us to the death. . . .From the Paperback edition.

Why would a sniper shoot suburban physiotherapist Rachel James as she sips her morning coffee? Inspector Morse''s hunt for answers kicks off with a tabloid journalist, winds through the strip clubs of Soho, then returns to Oxford, where two senior dons and their wives battle for a plum promotion. Then, on the personal front, Inspector Morse receives intimations of his own mortality.And while Morse muses on life, he reveals his first name at last. . . .From the Paperback edition.

"Superbly clue-laden...A complex and satisfying puzzle."THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBEThe case seems so simple, Inspector Morse deemed it beneath his notice. A wealthy, elderly American tourist has a heart attack in her room at Oxford''s luxurious Randolph Hotel. Missing from the scene is the lady''s handbag, which contained the Wolvercote Tongue, a priceless jewel that her late husband had bequeathed to the Ashmolean Museum just across the street. Morse proceeds to spend a great deal of time thinking--and drinking--in the hotel''s bar, certain the solution is close at hand--until conflicting stories, suspicious doings, and a real murder convince him otherwise...."It is a delight to watch this brilliant, quirky man [Morse] deduce."MINNEAPOLIS STAR & TRIBUNEFrom the Paperback edition.

"DELIGHTFUL."--The Wall Street JournalIn short mysteries so brilliantly plotted they''ll confound the cleverest of souls, Inspector Morse remains as patient as a cat at a mouse hole in the face of even the most resourceful evildoers. Muldoon, for instance, the one-legged bomber with one fatal weakness . . . the quartet of lovers whose bizarre entanglements Morse deciphers only after a beautiful woman is murdered . . . and those artful dodgers who catch the cunning and very respectful Morse with his pants down. There are mysteries featuring new characters and some familiar ones, including the great Sherlock Holmes, and a royal flush of American crooks. "BRILLIANT . . . Inspector Morse is back, and more than welcome."--Houston Chronicle"Fear not. In Dexter''s dexterous hands, the short-form Morse is every bit as wily and irascible as he is in the the popular Morse novels and the long-running PBS Mystery! series."--The Raleigh News & ObserverFrom the Paperback edition.

"AUDACIOUS AND AMUSING. . . MAY BE THE BEST BOOK YET IN THIS DESERVEDLY CELEBRATED SERIES."--The Wall Street JournalIt was only the second time Inspector Morse had ever taken over a murder enquiry after the preliminary--invariably dramatic--discovery and sweep of the crime scene. Secretly pleased to have missed the blood and gore, Morse and the faithful Lewis go about finding the killer who stabbed Dr. Felix McClure, late of Wolsey College. In another part of Oxford, three women--a housecleaner, a schoolteacher, and a prostitute--are playing out a drama that has long been unfolding. It will take much brain work, many pints, and not a little anguish before Morse sees the startling connections between McClure''s death and the daughters of Cain. . . ."VERY CLEVERLY CONSTRUCTED. . . Dexter writes with an urbanity and range of reference that is all his own."--Los Angeles Times"YOU DON''T REALLY KNOW MORSE UNTIL YOU''VE READ HIM. . . . Viewers who have enjoyed British actor John Thaw as Morse in the PBS''Mystery!'' anthology series should welcome the deeper character development in Dexter''s novels."--Chicago Sun-Times"A MASTERFUL CRIME WRITER WHOM FEW OTHERS MATCH."--Publishers WeeklyFrom the Paperback edition.

"Cunning...Your imagination will be frenetically flapping its wings until the very last chapter."THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLDMorse is enjoying a rare if unsatisfying holiday in Dorset when the first letter appears in THE TIMES. A year before, a stunning Swedish student disappeared from Oxfordshire, leaving behind a rucksack with her identification. As the lady was dishy, young, and traveling alone, the Thames Valley Police suspected foul play. But without a body, and with precious few clues, the investigation ground to a halt. Now it seems that someone who can hold back no longer is composing clue-laden poetry that begins an enthusiastic correspondence among England''s news-reading public. Not one to be left behind, Morse writes a letter of his own--and follows a twisting path through the Wytham Woods that leads to a most shocking murder.From the Paperback edition.

The first intriguing case that began Colin Dexter’s phenomenally successful Inspector Morse series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.‘Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?’Lewis was nobody’s fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity.‘Yes, sir.’An engaging smile crept across Morse’s mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon’s edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening, Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man.But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .Last Bus to Woodstock is followed by the second Inspector Morse book, Last Seen Wearing.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesService of All the Dead is the fourth novel in Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series.The sweet countenance of Reason greeted Morse serenely when he woke, and told him that it would be no bad idea to have a quiet look at the problem itself before galloping off to a solution.In the quiet parish of St Frideswide's, most people could still remember the murder of the churchwarden. A few could still recall the murderer's suicide. Even the police closed the case.But Chief Inspector Morse was alone among the congregation in suspecting that not everything might be so tidily put to rest. And a chance meeting among the tombstones reveals startling new evidence of a conspiracy to deceive . . .Service of All the Dead is followed by the fifth Inspector Morse book, The Dead of Jericho.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Daughters of Cain is the eleventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Bizarre and bewildering – that's what so many murder investigations in the past had proved to be . . . In this respect, at least, Lewis was correct in his thinking. What he could not have known was what unprecedented anguish the present case would cause to Morse's soul.Chief Superintendent Strange's opinion was that too little progress had been made since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The victim had been killed by a single stab wound to the stomach. Yet the police had no weapon, no suspect, no motive.Within days of taking over the case, Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of Dr Felix McClure. When another body is discovered Morse suddenly finds himself with rather too many suspects.For once, he can see no solution. But then he receives a letter containing a declaration of love . . .The Daughters of Cain is followed by the twelfth Inspector Morse book, Death is Now My Neighbour.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Dead of Jericho is the fifth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set Inspector Morse series.Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger Award.Morse switched on the gramophone to 'play', and sought to switch his mind away from all the terrestrial troubles. Sometimes, this way, he almost managed to forget. But not tonight . . .Anne Scott's address was scribbled on a crumpled note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit. As he turned the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 3rd October, he hadn't planned a second visit. But he was back later the same day – as the officer in charge of her suicide investigation.Following another local death, Morse is not convinced of Anna’s suspected suicide and begins the search for answers . . .The Dead of Jericho is followed by the sixth book in the detective series, The Riddle of the Third Mile.

The Jewel That Was Ours is the ninth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.He looked overweight around the midriff, though nowhere else, and she wondered whether perhaps he drank too much. He looked weary, as if he had been up most of the night conducting his investigations . . .For Oxford, the arrival of twenty-seven American tourists is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until one of their number is found dead in Room 310 at the Randolph Hotel.It looks like a sudden – and tragic – accident. Only Chief Inspector Morse appears not to overlook the simultaneous theft of a jewel-encrusted antique from the victim's handbag . . .Then, two days later, a naked and battered corpse is dragged from the River Cherwell. A coincidence? Maybe. But this time Morse is determined to prove the link . . .The Jewel That Was Ours is followed by the tenth Inspector Morse book, The Way Through the Woods.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and final novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.'Where does this all leave us, sir?' 'Things are moving fast.' 'We're getting near the end, you mean?' 'We were always near the end.'The murder of Yvonne Harrison had left Thames Valley CID baffled. A year after the dreadful crime they are still no nearer to making an arrest. But one man has yet to tackle the case – and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels.So why is he adamant that he will not lead the re-investigation, despite the entreaties of Chief Superintendent Strange and dark hints of some new evidence? And why, if he refuses to take on the case officially, does he seem to be carrying out his own private enquiries?For Sergeant Lewis this is yet another example of the unsettling behaviour his chief has been displaying of late . . .‘A character who will undoubtedly retain his place as one of the most popular and enduring of fictional detectives’ – P. D. James

The Secret of Annexe 3 is the seventh novel in the Oxford-set detective series from Colin Dexter. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fateful evening had been wearing some sort of disguise – a change of dress, a change of make-up, a change of partner, a change of attitude, a change of life almost; and the man who had died had been the most consummate artist of them all . . .Chief Inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder inquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal – it was a crime worthy of the season.With the corpse still in fancy dress – albeit bloodsoaked – and hardly a single guest at the Hadworth hotel having checked in under their real name, Morse is faced with his toughest mystery yet.The Secret of Annexe 3 is followed by the eighth Inspector Morse book, The Wench is Dead.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .They called her the Swedish Maiden – the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved – pending further developments.On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.The Way Through the Woods is followed by the eleventh Inspector Morse book, The Daughters of Cain.

Winner of the CWA Gold Dagger award, The Wench is Dead is the eighth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.That night he dreamed in Technicolor. He saw the ochre-skinned, scantily clad siren in her black, arrowed stockings. And in Morse's muddled computer of a mind, that siren took the name of one Joanna Franks . . .Early in the morning of the 22nd of June, 1859, the body of Joanna Franks was found floating at Duke’s Cut along the Oxford Canal – an event which led to the trial and hanging of two suspected murderers.A hundred and thirty years later Chief Inspector Morse is bedbound and recovering from a perforated ulcer at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital when he is handed an old book to read, one that recounts the trial of a murder aboard the Barbara Bray canal boat: the murder of Joanna Franks. Investigating the account of the trial, Morse begins to question whether the two men hanged were truly guilty and sets out to prove his suspicions from the confines of his hospital bed . . .The Wench is Dead is followed by the ninth Inspector Morse book, The Jewel That Was Ours.

The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact, nobody would miss most of them at all. . .Dr Browne-Smith passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody has heard from him since. By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale is concerned, but not yet worried. Plenty of time to disappear, think Chief Inspector Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . .As bodies begin to pile, Morse sets out on a journey through intricate and complicated history, from World War Two Egypt to present-day London, in search of answers.The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the third novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.When the newly-appointed and gifted member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate is murdered in his north Oxford home, so starts a formidably complicated homicide case for Chief Inspector Morse.For tracking down the killer will involve navigating the insular and labyrinthine world of Oxford colleges . . .The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is followed by the fourth Inspector Morse book, Service of All the Dead.

Morse had solved so many mysteries in his life. Was he now, he wondered, beginning to glimpse the solution to the greatest mystery of them all . . . ?How can the discovery of a short story by a beautiful Oxford graduate lead Chief Inspector Morse to her murderer? What awaits Morse and Lewis in Room 231 of the Randolph Hotel? Why does a theft at Christmas lead the detective to look upon the festive season with uncharacteristic goodwill? And what happens when Morse himself falls victim to a brilliantly executed crime?Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories is a dazzling collection of short stories from Inspector Morse's creator, Colin Dexter. It includes six ingenious cases for the world's most popular fictional detective – plus five other tantalizingly original tales to delight all lovers of classic crime fiction.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Daughters of Cain is the eleventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Bizarre and bewildering – that's what so many murder investigations in the past had proved to be . . . In this respect, at least, Lewis was correct in his thinking. What he could not have known was what unprecedented anguish the present case would cause to Morse's soul.Chief Superintendent Strange's opinion was that too little progress had been made since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The victim had been killed by a single stab wound to the stomach. Yet the police had no weapon, no suspect, no motive.Within days of taking over the case, Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of Dr Felix McClure. When another body is discovered Morse suddenly finds himself with rather too many suspects.For once, he can see no solution. But then he receives a letter containing a declaration of love . . .The Daughters of Cain is followed by the twelfth Inspector Morse book, Death is Now My Neighbour.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesThe Dead of Jericho is the fifth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set Inspector Morse series.Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger Award.Morse switched on the gramophone to 'play', and sought to switch his mind away from all the terrestrial troubles. Sometimes, this way, he almost managed to forget. But not tonight . . .Anne Scott's address was scribbled on a crumpled note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit. As he turned the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 3rd October, he hadn't planned a second visit. But he was back later the same day – as the officer in charge of her suicide investigation.Following another local death, Morse is not convinced of Anna’s suspected suicide and begins the search for answers . . .The Dead of Jericho is followed by the sixth book in the detective series, The Riddle of the Third Mile.

‘A giant among fictional detectives’ – The TimesDeath is Now My Neighbour is the twelfth novel in Colin Dexter’s Oxford-set detective series.As he drove his chief down to Kidlington, Lewis returned the conversation to where it had begun. ‘You haven't told me what you think about this fellow Owens – the dead woman’s next-door neighbour.' ‘Death is always the next-door neighbour,’ said Morse sombrely. The murder of a young woman, a cryptic ‘seventeenth-century’ love poem, and a photograph of a mystery grey-haired man is more than enough to set Chief Inspector Morse on the trail of a killer.It’s a trail that leads him to Lonsdale College, where the contest between Julian Storrs and Dr Denis Cornford for the coveted position of Master is hotting up.But then Morse faces a greater, far more personal crisis . . .Death is Now My Neighbour is followed by the thirteenth and final Inspector Morse book, The Remorseful Day.

The Jewel That Was Ours is the ninth novel in the Oxford-set detective series from Colin Dexter. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.He looked overweight around the midriff, though nowhere else, and she wondered whether perhaps he drank too much. He looked weary, as if he had been up most of the night conducting his investigations . . .For Oxford, the arrival of twenty-seven American tourists is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until one of their number is found dead in Room 310 at the Randolph Hotel.It looks like a sudden – and tragic – accident. Only Chief Inspector Morse appears not to overlook the simultaneous theft of a jewel-encrusted antique from the victim's handbag. Two days later, a naked and battered corpse is dragged from the River Cherwell. A coincidence? Maybe. But this time Morse is determined to prove the link . . .The Jewel That Was Ours is followed by the tenth Inspector Morse book, The Way Through the Woods.