"[Morse is] the most prickly, conceited, and genuinely brilliant detective since Hercule Poirot."
--The New York Times Book Review
... read full description
--The New York Times Book Review
... read full description
reviews
Jul 14, 2011
Mary Helene
rated it: 
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 fact More...
The other fact More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Oct 06, 2011
Carol/Bonadie
rated it: 
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
More...
Feb 19, 2011
Charlotte (Buried in Books)
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 26, 2011
Keith
rated it:
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 ble
More...
Feb 11, 2010
John
rated it:
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 P 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 P More...
Sep 07, 2011
Giovanni
rated it:
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 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 More...
Apr 07, 2011
Sara
rated it:
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...
Oct 20, 2011
Ruthiella
rated it:
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...
Dec 26, 2011
#4
Endeavour Morse
Colin Dexter
There are too many TV cops, yet Morse endures. He does so because he’s not just using “the procedural” – a point so winningly emphasised in his interplay with superiors – but brains and hunches. In Morse’s case – perhaps fortuitously, what with him living in Oxford – he has what we call the “benefits of a classical knowledge”, coupled with a fine distrust of humanity and of himself. Again, it’s sleuthing, it’s leaps, it’s sudden synaptic jumps tha More...
Endeavour Morse
Colin Dexter
There are too many TV cops, yet Morse endures. He does so because he’s not just using “the procedural” – a point so winningly emphasised in his interplay with superiors – but brains and hunches. In Morse’s case – perhaps fortuitously, what with him living in Oxford – he has what we call the “benefits of a classical knowledge”, coupled with a fine distrust of humanity and of himself. Again, it’s sleuthing, it’s leaps, it’s sudden synaptic jumps tha More...
Feb 28, 2011
jennifer
rated it:
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 i 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 i More...
May 22, 2011
Luca
rated it:
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...
Mar 28, 2009
Monica
rated it:
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...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jun 02, 2010
Sps
rated it:
Morse is a bit mysterious in this first Morse novel. Certainly not a caricature. Dexter sets up the tragically unavailable beauty, the opera records, the crosswords, the rough handling of besotted Lewis, the physical infirmity, and the drinking which will all play large parts in other Morse books.
I found the sex-murder, and the way Dexter has his characters respond to it, tawdry and antifeminist: 'easy' girl gets what's coming to her. The unmooring quality of the women's liberation m More...
I found the sex-murder, and the way Dexter has his characters respond to it, tawdry and antifeminist: 'easy' girl gets what's coming to her. The unmooring quality of the women's liberation m More...
May 07, 2011
Adam
rated it:
Somewhat okay for a first time read. I bought the collection for a pretty good price on a trip to Wales and thought that I'd introduce myself to Morse. The dialogue, I found, was sometimes a bit heavy and in parts, far too many for my liking, in fact, the book was a bit slow. The plot, however, was incredibly interesting. Worth a read for anyone who's looking out for a nice, good old murder mystery.
Jan 20, 2009
Kathy
rated it:
Inspector Morse appeared on PBS long before I read any of Colin Dexter's mysteries. Having enjoyed many of the series, and the portrayal of the inspector by John Thaw, I will now delve into some of the books, beginning with the first and considering whether to get them in chronological order.
The first in the series is none too spectacular but quite enjoyable.
The first in the series is none too spectacular but quite enjoyable.
Jul 13, 2011
Nick
rated it:
The plot is great, Dexter plays fair, the recurring characters are in the early stages of their development but recognizable, and Dexter's sense of humor adds a touch of levity, but this novel left me wondering whether I would read any more in the series--can't really say why that it, but that's my reaction.
Oct 07, 2011
Jeanne
rated it:
This is the first Inspector Morse mystery!
On September 29, two young women hitched a ride to Woodstock. That night, one of those women is found raped and murdered. The other woman? She has yet to come forward with any information about that fateful evening.
Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis have few leads and fewer witnesses. How will they find the person who killed Sylvia Kaye?
I’m hooked on the PBS series, Inspector Lewis, which is inspired by the Morse n More...
On September 29, two young women hitched a ride to Woodstock. That night, one of those women is found raped and murdered. The other woman? She has yet to come forward with any information about that fateful evening.
Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis have few leads and fewer witnesses. How will they find the person who killed Sylvia Kaye?
I’m hooked on the PBS series, Inspector Lewis, which is inspired by the Morse n More...
Feb 18, 2010
Christine
rated it:
This book confused the hell out of me. I had absolutely no idea what was going on for about 3/4 of the story. I liked the way it all shook out, but it made me feel dumb while I was reading it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Morse & Lewis continues to develop.
Feb 12, 2009
This was the first in the Inspector Morse series that spawned a successful television series (and a spin-off for his sidekick Lewis). The setting in Oxford is well-done, and the plot interesting, but I'm not particularly keen on Morse as a character.
Aug 13, 2010
John
rated it:
This was the first full-length Morse book I've read, after seeing most of the stories on video; were I not a already a fan, it wouldn't inspire me to become interested in the series. Part of the problem lay with Dexter's erudite word choices, which the Spanish translator duly put through in high-falutin' Spanish, along with the occasional Argentinean slang/usage. Beyond that, however, the plot seemed incredibly convoluted, introducing a slew of characters, whose relationships came together (sort
More...
Jul 05, 2011
Brad
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 24, 2011
Jari
rated it:
Still sick-bed reading, but detective stories don't come better than Morse stories. And, I emphasise, the books, not the TV films (however great they are). I've read this many times but it doesn't matter, since the charm is in the narrative details.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 25, 2011
Corrie
rated it: 
As an Oxford girl, Morse has always been part of my staple reading. I was even lucky to serve the author his pint and packet of dry roasted peanuts on a regular basis in a pub in Summertown. Quite simply the master of the crime novel
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 16, 2011
Radha
rated it: 
The protoganist's racist and sexist attitude struck a jarring note throughout the book, whatever else be its merits. The grammar lessons that Colin Dexter weaves in the story are not useless though. Litotes, indeed.
Mar 08, 2010
Herzog
rated it:
Overall, a disappointment. The suspects seemed too scattered and the story ill-focused. Morse had his moments, but even he left me flat. Unsure if I'll try another.
Jun 30, 2011
Trisha
rated it:
I love inspector Morse!! It was nice to be able to picture the more recent people (PBS Masterpiece Mystery) since I haven't really seen the old ones. It was a great little mystery!
Jun 13, 2011
troppo lento per essere un giallo! La trama abbastanza interessante risente un po' troppo dell'epoca in cui è stato scritto 1975 e dell'età dell'autore
Jun 28, 2010
Wendy
rated it:
This is the first title in Dexter's series featuring Chief Inspector Morse. Morse, aided by Sergeant Lewis, solves crime in modern day Oxford, England.
Jan 31, 2012
Jenn
rated it:
This is the original series behind the Inspector Lewis series on Masterpiece Mystery. It was a good mystery and the characters were well done.
Aug 03, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Excellent police procedural series.If you like intelligent troubled detectives who are obsessed with crosswords you will love all of Colin Dexter's Morse novels.
