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99th out of 262 books
—
42 voters
Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1)
by
Colin Dexter
Beautiful Sylvia Kaye and another young woman had been seen hitching a ride not long before Sylvia's bludgeoned body is found outside a pub in Woodstock, near Oxford. Morse is sure the other hitchhiker can tell him much of what he needs to know. But his confidence is shaken by the cool inscrutability of the girl he's certain was Sylvia's companion on that ill-fated Septemb...more
Paperback, 282 pages
Published
August 1996
by Ivy Books
(first published 1975)
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It's summer. I'm reading mysteries - and this was grand! As I reflected a day later, though, on the characters, I thought of how every single man, despite his flaws, was an engaging character of some sympathy, even the young man addicted to porn. (His mother loved him, remember?) But the women, without exception, were protrayed in a negative light. None of them seemed lovable. I checked the publication date: 1975. Depressing. How much of this did we absorb as young women?
The other factor which m...more
The other factor which m...more
Suffering from Morse deprivation on the TV I decided to reread all Colin Dexter's novels, in order this time. This first one I found a little disappointing. It is very much of its time as regards prevailing attitudes to women, and Colin Dexter's masculinity is rather too present. In fact it feels rather oldfashioned even for 1975 - more like the late 60's. It would be interesting to see if this series is still around in another couple of decades' time.
Having said that, it is a fiendishly good pl...more
Having said that, it is a fiendishly good pl...more
I was unsure of what to expect when approaching Colin Dexter. Would he be an heir of Christie, Sayers, even P.D. James? Would this book be a murder mystery, a police procedural, a combination, something else entirely? It was a combination, as it turned out, and a pretty decent one at that.
I recently reviewed P.D. James's Cover Her Face, in which I didn't really mention the police procedural aspect of the storytelling. I wonder whether that was the turning point for detective fiction: when the de...more
I recently reviewed P.D. James's Cover Her Face, in which I didn't really mention the police procedural aspect of the storytelling. I wonder whether that was the turning point for detective fiction: when the de...more
I read the entire Morse series ages ago and wanted to re-read one now that I’m temporarily living near Oxford. Overall, the book held up to the test of time – I enjoyed the mystery and I have a soft spot for the hard drinking Morse (I can’t help but picture John Thaw from the tv series now). However, the one aspect that was glaringly dated was the commentary on woman and sexuality. The victim is basically a slut – the signposts being that she’s not wearing a bra and she’s on the pill. The workin...more
It's a bit hard to rate this book. One the one hand there are things that make it quite clear that this book was written in the 70s...and by things I mean some blatant sexism. While it (fortunately) never goes so far to blame the murdered girl for getting murdered it becomes quite clear that both Morse and Lewis clearly disapprove of her lifestyle-choices (i.e. being sexually active) and there are somne cringeworthy conclusions (she didn't wear a bra! -> Perhaps she was a prostitute!) which l...more
I never listen to abridged audios but downloaded this from audible.com before I realized it. Since I was about to begin working my way through the series I didn't want to dump it. So I thought of it as an experiment, one which ultimately confirmed my suspicion that these are lacking. Having watched much of the televised Morse and Lewis programs, the main characters and format of this British police procedural were familiar, but the plot seemed jumpy. The denouement which included a soliloquy by...more
Feb 19, 2011
Charlotte (Buried in Books)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime
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I came to the Inspector Morse novels by a round-about route. We visited my in-laws over Labor Day weekend, and on Sunday evening wound up watching a bit of TV. Usually I do my best to ignore the television---engrossing myself in a crossword or a good book. But this particular evening a show called Inspector Lewis was on. At first I didn't pay too much attention but I wound up getting sucked in. It had interesting characters, and the setting---in and around Oxford, England was a familiar blend of...more
This was the first Inspector Morse book, and Colin Dexter also chose to make it the first time Morse worked with Sgt. Lewis, who would become his long-suffering partner in solving crime. Morse treated Lewis slightly more considerately in this book than in some of the later books. Slightly.
We learn in this book that Lewis is older than Morse. (I put this in italics because Dexter always puts unexpected facts in italics.) The people who translated the Morse stories into TV theater for the PBS "My...more
We learn in this book that Lewis is older than Morse. (I put this in italics because Dexter always puts unexpected facts in italics.) The people who translated the Morse stories into TV theater for the PBS "My...more
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Te critics are right--you may have seen Chief Inspector Morse on "Masterpiece Mystery", but you won't truly know him until you have read him. This book was a delight. A complex mystery with twists, turns, loads of red herrings, and an outcome that was unexpected on several levels. The ultimate delights, howver, were in getting to know Chief Inspector Morse and his patient, stalwart sidekick Sergeant Lewis. This is the first of many Morse mysteries, so we see Morse as a relatively young man takin...more
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Read this having watched a few episodes of the TV series. Thought it was pretty good. The characters of Morse and Lewis are different from those in the TV series in a good few ways, but the main traits are essentially the same.
Morse's character is a very interesting one - he is not altogether an especially likeable personality, but I think the reader is drawn to sympathize with him. However,this is the first book in the series and not all that much is revealed about his background. I do plan to...more
Morse's character is a very interesting one - he is not altogether an especially likeable personality, but I think the reader is drawn to sympathize with him. However,this is the first book in the series and not all that much is revealed about his background. I do plan to...more
The Last Bus To Woodstock is first in the Morse series and the first Colin Dexter I've read. The book centres on the murder and rape of a young woman and the detection of her killer. I came by it ironically after watching Endeavour a written for television prequel of Inspector Morse. I enjoyed it so much I decided to investigate and hence read this book. I say read. I consumed it in a day and I enjoyed it. Having said that, I have to admit the enjoyment was aided by my remembrance of the televis...more
I rather suspect that, had I not already possessed a mental picture of John Thaw's interpretation of Inspector Morse, I would not have enjoyed this detective novel quite as much as I did. The Morse which emerges in this somewhat lurid, rather tortuous whodunit is complex, difficult and undoubtedly alcoholic. Now, I will concede that these are all faithfully integrated in the Thaw character. Thaw's expressive face, however, has a way of mitigating the abrasiveness which on the page, especially wi...more
Colin Dexter ha scritto una serie di libri che hanno come protagonista l'ispettore Morse. Si tratta di 13 romanzi pubblicati dal 1975 al 1999 che in Inghilterra hanno avuto un notevole successo e vengono adesso ripubblicati da Sellerio.
Molti anni fa, andavo in biblioteca e mi portavo a casa di libri di Ellery Queen. Immergermi nella lettura di quei piccoli gioielli del mistero, sempre architettati alla perfezione secondo un meccanismo ampiamente consolidato, era un piacere immenso. Poi ho scoper...more
Molti anni fa, andavo in biblioteca e mi portavo a casa di libri di Ellery Queen. Immergermi nella lettura di quei piccoli gioielli del mistero, sempre architettati alla perfezione secondo un meccanismo ampiamente consolidato, era un piacere immenso. Poi ho scoper...more
Mi stupisce che in Italia siano famosi l'ispettore Colombo e la Fletcher, ma non Morse. Ho letto che la BBC ne aveva fatto anche una serie che noi però avevamo snobbato, rifiutandoci di acquistarla. Bah. Per me è stata una piacevole scoperta, un personaggio estremamente intrigante e persino divertente, burbero e irascibile, scapolone e pronto a flirtare con la cavallona di turno. Il suo alter ego Lewis mi ricorda un po' l'assistente di Barnaby, seppur più anziano - non sa mai cosa passa di testa...more
A woman has been murdered in the Oxfordshire village of Woodstock. It appears she has been raped as well. There are several suspects and it is up to Inspector Morse of Oxfordshire police to solve the crime
Inspector Morse, the character immortalised by John Thaw in the British ITV series, is ably assisted by his sidekick Sergeant Lewis.
The character as portrayed in the series is slightly different from the character as he appears in the novel. The drinking is the same but Morse also smokes. He al...more
Inspector Morse, the character immortalised by John Thaw in the British ITV series, is ably assisted by his sidekick Sergeant Lewis.
The character as portrayed in the series is slightly different from the character as he appears in the novel. The drinking is the same but Morse also smokes. He al...more
I am going to read all the Morse books, I think there are over 20. I like the PBS mysteries with Inspector Lewis, which developed out of the Morse TV adaptation, so why not? Time to break out of this Christie/Sayers/Grafton/George mystery rut. So this was number one! What did I think? Well, Morse is quite a character and Lewis is definitely the Watson to Morse's sometimes crotchety, erudite, Wagner loving Holmes. The mystery itself was ok, a bit thin on characterization of the suspects et al, bu...more
Colin Dexter is one of my favorite authors. His books tell the adventures of Inspector Morse and his side kick Sargent Lewis. I discovered Inspector Morse while watching A&E mystery movies on Monday night. Once they ran out of old Columbos and McCloud, they started running old English series, two of my early favorites where Inspector Morse and Inspector Frost. Sad but there were many more tv episodes than actual books. Morse was set in Oxford, the tv series was magnificent, blending the crim...more
Inspector Morse takes on the case of a young woman found raped and murdered in a pub parking lot. The list of suspects gets longer as Morse and Sergeant Lewis, working together for the first time, discover that the victim was far from innocent.
This is the first of the Inspector Morse series, and the second that I've read (The Dead of Jericho a few months ago). The mystery here is done really well and is hard to figure out. The cons:the romance between Morse and a suspect's roommate is sudden and...more
This is the first of the Inspector Morse series, and the second that I've read (The Dead of Jericho a few months ago). The mystery here is done really well and is hard to figure out. The cons:the romance between Morse and a suspect's roommate is sudden and...more
I'm such a fan of the Morris and Lewis Mystery series...and on impulse I wanted to read the novels that first conceived these complicated and engaging characters. I'm still a huge fan of the TV series, but I feel that the acting was what really gave life to these characters--not so much their creator.
The story was engaging and interesting enough, but the ending had a couple of unrevealed informational tidbits which I felt was just a bit deliberate. Dislike! Seriously, I learned much more about L...more
The story was engaging and interesting enough, but the ending had a couple of unrevealed informational tidbits which I felt was just a bit deliberate. Dislike! Seriously, I learned much more about L...more
"Last Bus to Woodstock"
This is the first in the Inspector Morse & Lewis series and my 10Th in the series.
May I simply say...SUPERB. From the first page on I became involved and then as the story went on more involved. The derogatory remarks made by Morse towards Lewis due to his short temper almost made me wince. But then again this isn't my first Morse & Lewis so I've grown accustom to their bantering. It's all part of what makes them, as a team, so lovable.
In this story two girls are...more
This is the first in the Inspector Morse & Lewis series and my 10Th in the series.
May I simply say...SUPERB. From the first page on I became involved and then as the story went on more involved. The derogatory remarks made by Morse towards Lewis due to his short temper almost made me wince. But then again this isn't my first Morse & Lewis so I've grown accustom to their bantering. It's all part of what makes them, as a team, so lovable.
In this story two girls are...more
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Eh, bravo Colin Dexter. Per quasi tutto il romanzo ti fa credere che l'assassino sia uno, pensi di aver capito tutto, che la Sellerio sia impazzita a pubblicare una tale banalità, e invece no.
Primo romanzo del ciclo con protagonista l'ispettore Morse, che si ritrova a dover scoprire l'assassino di una giovane ragazza, il cui cadavere è stato trovato nel parcheggio di un pub. E' ambientato a Oxford, nelle strade e campagne inglesi piovose e malinconiche, molto british. Interessante anche questo...more
Primo romanzo del ciclo con protagonista l'ispettore Morse, che si ritrova a dover scoprire l'assassino di una giovane ragazza, il cui cadavere è stato trovato nel parcheggio di un pub. E' ambientato a Oxford, nelle strade e campagne inglesi piovose e malinconiche, molto british. Interessante anche questo...more
Well, I can see why a TV producer thought that the characters in this book were interesting enough to bring to the screen, but I did not enjoy this book. Yes, the sexism was annoying, but I could forgive that as being a product of its time (1975). What I especially didn't like was how much of the evidence was hidden from the reader. Morse would talk to someone, and the author would not write about what was said. Or Morse would read a ledger, and we wouldn't get to see what was on it. So much was...more
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Chi ha ucciso Sylvia Kaye? Un classico giallo all'inglese dalla trama ben congeniata e di ottima qualità narrativa. L'autore però concentra la sua attenzione non solo sulla soluzione dell'enigma e sui sentieri che porteranno l'ispettore Morse a risolvere il caso, ma anche sui motivi, spesso striscianti e latenti, che spingono qualcuno a commettere un delitto. Non il puro e semplice movente (importante per l'indagine), ma il malessere che può portare una persona al punto di rottura e di non ritor...more
This is the first in the Inspector Morse series. I enjoyed these books for not only the mystery, but for Morse himself and his relationship with his colleague, Lewis. Morse is a snob who drinks too much, loves opera, and is very protective of his Jaguar. Poor Lewis, his long-suffering sergeant, admires Morse's talents for solving the cases, but recognizes that Morse has serious flaws. There's often an undertone of classism as suspects stereotype Morse as working class and Morse returns their dis...more
Not sure what to say about this book. As a detective novel, I'd give it 4 or 5 stars. But the portrayal of the female characters really detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I realize that it was first published in 1975, but still! Most of the women are nothing but sexual objects. I was also very irritated by the Inspector Morse character--what a jerk! I'm planning to give Colin Dexter another chance, since the mystery story was first-rate, but if the next book is as dismissive of women as t...more
Morse, Kurt Wallander, Dave Robicheaux – I don't who I'd choose if I was allowed only one on my Desert Island. All three authors are masters at painting atmospheric backgrounds in which these depressive and lovable detectives do their work.
Morse is immersed in opera, the city of Oxford and the Times crosswords. He solves grizzly, chilling murders by hunch as much as science. Colin Dexter's writing is sometimes pedantic; his women characters lack warmth, but I still found it very difficult to put...more
Morse is immersed in opera, the city of Oxford and the Times crosswords. He solves grizzly, chilling murders by hunch as much as science. Colin Dexter's writing is sometimes pedantic; his women characters lack warmth, but I still found it very difficult to put...more
I had loved the Inspector Lewis series so mcuh on PBS that I thought I'd check out the inspiration. At the same time, I ordered the BBC production of this book. Perhaps it's because I'd seen the production first, but I found this a bit plodding. I tired of Morse's constant ogling of women--I know it was written in the mid-70s, but Dalgliesh didn't do it so obviously! I stopped reading about a third of the way through. I may try the next one in the series, although there are so many other contend...more
La quarta di copertina dice che "a detta dei critici siamo ai piani alti dell’arte del poliziesco" e paragona Dexter a P.D. James e Ruth Rendell, considerando i suoi scritti come una prova, tra le più interessanti e riuscite, di rinnovamento del giallo inglese tradizionale.
Questa è la prima di 13 storie che hanno come protagonisti l’ispettore Morse e il sergente Lewis, e non mi ha convinta del tutto, anche se voglio dargli una seconda possibilità.
Lo “svalvolato” ispettore Morse (mi spiace defini...more
Questa è la prima di 13 storie che hanno come protagonisti l’ispettore Morse e il sergente Lewis, e non mi ha convinta del tutto, anche se voglio dargli una seconda possibilità.
Lo “svalvolato” ispettore Morse (mi spiace defini...more
My mum watched a program on tv called Inspector Morse, a few years ago (I don't know when it was released). It's plot was based on the novels of the same name by Colin Dexter. My mum really enjoyed this program, so when she spotted the whole Inspector Morse collection for only a tenner on thebookpeople.com, she insisted I bought it (its only £5 now, if you're interested!). I am a massive Sherlock Holmes fan, so I hoped it would be of the same vein.
Alas it wasn't, where Sherlock is witty and shar...more
Alas it wasn't, where Sherlock is witty and shar...more
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Norman Colin Dexter, OBE, (born 29 September 1930 in Stamford, Lincolnshire) is an English crime writer, known for his Inspector Morse novels.
He started writing mysteries in 1972 during a family holiday: "We were in a little guest house halfway between Caernarfon and Pwllheli. It was a Saturday and it was raining - it's not unknown for it to rain in North Wales. The children were moaning ... I was...more
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He started writing mysteries in 1972 during a family holiday: "We were in a little guest house halfway between Caernarfon and Pwllheli. It was a Saturday and it was raining - it's not unknown for it to rain in North Wales. The children were moaning ... I was...more
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