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Inspector Morse #1
Last Bus to Woodstock
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 September evening. Shrewd as Morse is, he's also distracted by the complex scenarios that the murder set in motion among Sylvia's girlfriends and their Oxford playmates. To grasp the painful truth, and act upon it, requires from Morse the last atom of his professional discipline.
282 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
805 people are currently reading
9524 people want to read
About the author
Colin Dexter
176 books711 followersNorman Colin Dexter was 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 sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do, and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel." Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and introduced the world to the character of Inspector Morse, the irascible detective whose penchants for cryptic crosswords, English literature, cask ale and Wagner reflect Dexter's own enthusiasms. Dexter's plots are notable for his use of false leads and other red herrings.
The success of the 33 episodes of the TV series Inspector Morse, produced between 1987 and 2001, brought further acclaim for Dexter. In the manner of Alfred Hitchcock, he also makes a cameo appearance in almost all episodes. More recently, his character from the Morse series, the stalwart Sgt (now Inspector) Lewis features in 12 episodes of the new ITV series Lewis. As with Morse, Dexter makes a cameo appearance in several episodes. Dexter suggested the English poet A. E. Housman as his "great life" on the BBC Radio 4 programme of that name in May 2008. Dexter and Housman were both classicists who found a popular audience for another genre of writing.
Dexter has been the recipient of several Crime Writers' Association awards: two Silver Daggers for Service of All the Dead in 1979 and The Dead of Jericho in 1981; two Gold Daggers for The Wench is Dead in 1989 and The Way Through the Woods in 1992; and a Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in 1997. In 1996 Dexter received a Macavity Award for his short story Evans Tries an O-Level. In 1980, he was elected a member of the by-invitation-only Detection Club.
In 2000, Dexter was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature.
From Wikipedia
Series:
* Inspector Morse
Awards:
Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger
◊ 1979: Service of all the Dead
◊ 1981: The Dead of Jericho
Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger
◊ 1989: The Wench is Dead
◊ 1992: The Way Through the Woods
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 sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do, and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel." Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and introduced the world to the character of Inspector Morse, the irascible detective whose penchants for cryptic crosswords, English literature, cask ale and Wagner reflect Dexter's own enthusiasms. Dexter's plots are notable for his use of false leads and other red herrings.
The success of the 33 episodes of the TV series Inspector Morse, produced between 1987 and 2001, brought further acclaim for Dexter. In the manner of Alfred Hitchcock, he also makes a cameo appearance in almost all episodes. More recently, his character from the Morse series, the stalwart Sgt (now Inspector) Lewis features in 12 episodes of the new ITV series Lewis. As with Morse, Dexter makes a cameo appearance in several episodes. Dexter suggested the English poet A. E. Housman as his "great life" on the BBC Radio 4 programme of that name in May 2008. Dexter and Housman were both classicists who found a popular audience for another genre of writing.
Dexter has been the recipient of several Crime Writers' Association awards: two Silver Daggers for Service of All the Dead in 1979 and The Dead of Jericho in 1981; two Gold Daggers for The Wench is Dead in 1989 and The Way Through the Woods in 1992; and a Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in 1997. In 1996 Dexter received a Macavity Award for his short story Evans Tries an O-Level. In 1980, he was elected a member of the by-invitation-only Detection Club.
In 2000, Dexter was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature.
From Wikipedia
Series:
* Inspector Morse
Awards:
Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger
◊ 1979: Service of all the Dead
◊ 1981: The Dead of Jericho
Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger
◊ 1989: The Wench is Dead
◊ 1992: The Way Through the Woods
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,227 reviews
April 9, 2024
Suffering from Morse deprivation on the TV I decided to reread all Colin Dexter's novels, in order this time. This first one, Last Bus To Woodstock 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 plot and I doubt very much whether I would have remembered the perpetrator of the crime had I not vaguely remembered the TV dramatisation.
It is impossible to read these novels now without visualising the TV characters, even though we learn very early on that Morse is younger than Lewis and is "lightly built and dark haired." (Otherwise though Morse's maverick grouchiness which is clearly indicated right at the start of this series of novels is spot on.)
Also welcome in the book is the sense of place the author depicts. It is amusing to watch the TV episodes where Morse and Lewis seem to spend an inordinate amount of time wandering around the Radcliffe Camera - why? The Oxford Police station is nowhere near this (I used to live nearby), the crimes take place all over the place and even the Colleges are spread around a fair bit. Made with an eye to the US market perhaps? But the book itself was far more accurate; perhaps Dexter should have challenged the producers of the programmes.
Back to the book, and all in all I find myself looking forward to the next one, and suspecting that this series will grow in stature as it progresses.
Having said that, it is a fiendishly good plot and I doubt very much whether I would have remembered the perpetrator of the crime had I not vaguely remembered the TV dramatisation.
It is impossible to read these novels now without visualising the TV characters, even though we learn very early on that Morse is younger than Lewis and is "lightly built and dark haired." (Otherwise though Morse's maverick grouchiness which is clearly indicated right at the start of this series of novels is spot on.)
Also welcome in the book is the sense of place the author depicts. It is amusing to watch the TV episodes where Morse and Lewis seem to spend an inordinate amount of time wandering around the Radcliffe Camera - why? The Oxford Police station is nowhere near this (I used to live nearby), the crimes take place all over the place and even the Colleges are spread around a fair bit. Made with an eye to the US market perhaps? But the book itself was far more accurate; perhaps Dexter should have challenged the producers of the programmes.
Back to the book, and all in all I find myself looking forward to the next one, and suspecting that this series will grow in stature as it progresses.
August 22, 2023
Inspector Morse mystery #1: A mystery is what it is, as Morse and Lewis have to dig through a load of disinformation, secrets and lies to unearth what appears to be the rape and murder of a young woman in a pub car park during opening hours! A good mystery read and a solid debut for this series. A 6 out of 12, Three Stars from me.
2012 read
2012 read
December 31, 2022
This is the first book in Colin Dexter's Oxford based Inspector Morse series, I listened to the audio, narrated wonderfully by the actor Samuel West, and is 7 hours and 43 minutes long. We see Morse meet Sergeant Lewis, a man whose honesty he appreciates enough to want him working with him on an infernally complicated and personally painful case he finds himself in charge of. The body of young hitchhiker Sylvia Kaye has been discovered murdered outside a Woodstock pub, she has been seen at a bus stop with another woman. I found the sexism and misogyny written about in this story really hard to stomach, even if much of it illustrates the attitudes of the period. It is partially responsible for the 3 star rating of the first book that established Morse as a character that women fall for, along with the relationship he has with Lewis.
August 30, 2016
The first book in the series that brought us the great television series starring John Thaw as the irascible yet brilliant Inspector Morse, a spin-off with Inspector Lewis and a prequel series, Endeavour, leaves me, well, underwhelmed. As a police procedural it is okay but not something that will remain long in my memory. To its credit, the plot was sufficiently complex to keep me guessing, incorrectly, until the very end.
I expected Morse to be quirky yet brilliant. I guess he was that but there were times when I was tempted to replace the word quirky with something more along the lines of unhinged.
What struck me, and other readers that I talked to, most about the book is that Dexter's treatment of gender issues is far from enlightened. Granted, it was written in the 1970s but I came of age back then and I don't remember the people I encountered being quite so -neanderthal - as the characters in this book are. Their thoughts about rape are frightening and the old idea that women who act or dress in a certain manner deserve what they get is, if not said outright, at least inferred more than once. One can make certain allowances for when a book was written but there are limits.
And if all that isn't enough, Morse doesn't even drive his signature burgundy Jaguar! He drives a beat-up old Lancia, whatever the heck that is.
I'm not sure at this point if I will read more Morse books. If I do, I will probably skip forward to a point where Collins writing, and Morse's character, are better developed.
My thanks to M.L. and the The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group at for creating the opportunity to read and discuss this book with other Goodreads members.
I expected Morse to be quirky yet brilliant. I guess he was that but there were times when I was tempted to replace the word quirky with something more along the lines of unhinged.
What struck me, and other readers that I talked to, most about the book is that Dexter's treatment of gender issues is far from enlightened. Granted, it was written in the 1970s but I came of age back then and I don't remember the people I encountered being quite so -neanderthal - as the characters in this book are. Their thoughts about rape are frightening and the old idea that women who act or dress in a certain manner deserve what they get is, if not said outright, at least inferred more than once. One can make certain allowances for when a book was written but there are limits.
And if all that isn't enough, Morse doesn't even drive his signature burgundy Jaguar! He drives a beat-up old Lancia, whatever the heck that is.
I'm not sure at this point if I will read more Morse books. If I do, I will probably skip forward to a point where Collins writing, and Morse's character, are better developed.
My thanks to M.L. and the The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group at for creating the opportunity to read and discuss this book with other Goodreads members.
September 30, 2015
This is the book that introduced Colin Dexter's famous protagonist, Chief Inspector Morse of the Oxford Homicide Division. Morse is a confirmed bachelor who is attracted to women, liquor and complex homicide investigations. Here we also meet the man who would be Morse's sidekick throughout the series, the much put-upon Sergeant Lewis.
As the book opens, two attractive young women are waiting for a bus. One of them, Sylvia Kaye, grows impatient and decides to hitch a ride instead. She is later discovered murdered in the parking lot of a pub in Woodstock. Morse is assigned to the case and his first challenge is to find the young woman who was waiting for the bus with the victim. The woman turns out to be particularly elusive and when Morse narrows down the list to the woman he KNOWS must be Sylvia's friend, the young woman steadfastly insists that Morse is wrong. Why won't she own up to the obvious truth?
Other obstacles block Morse's investigation and along the way, he will become enamored with one of the women central to the case. He will be forced to discard one theory after another until it seems possible that there will never be a solution to the case, but Morse will never be one to give up.
This is a solid introduction to the series and the characters of Morse and Lewis, once established here, will remain virtually constant through the remainder of the series. Many Americans first met Morse when this series was adapted for television and exported to the U.S. and those who enjoy British crime fiction are almost certainly guaranteed to like this book and the rest that follow.
As the book opens, two attractive young women are waiting for a bus. One of them, Sylvia Kaye, grows impatient and decides to hitch a ride instead. She is later discovered murdered in the parking lot of a pub in Woodstock. Morse is assigned to the case and his first challenge is to find the young woman who was waiting for the bus with the victim. The woman turns out to be particularly elusive and when Morse narrows down the list to the woman he KNOWS must be Sylvia's friend, the young woman steadfastly insists that Morse is wrong. Why won't she own up to the obvious truth?
Other obstacles block Morse's investigation and along the way, he will become enamored with one of the women central to the case. He will be forced to discard one theory after another until it seems possible that there will never be a solution to the case, but Morse will never be one to give up.
This is a solid introduction to the series and the characters of Morse and Lewis, once established here, will remain virtually constant through the remainder of the series. Many Americans first met Morse when this series was adapted for television and exported to the U.S. and those who enjoy British crime fiction are almost certainly guaranteed to like this book and the rest that follow.
March 4, 2023
Actual rating 2.5/5 stars.
Growing up, it seemed like a rerun of either Morse or Midsomer Murders was always on the TV. Whilst I can't recall the narrative for any episode I do still harbour some nostalgic feelings towards both. When I found the first instalment to the Inspector Morse book series added to my library app I was delighted to get a chance to experience the original. Hindsight is a lovely thing and could have saved me the energy needed to consume this, however.
I did not go into this novel with the highest expectations for contemporary accuracy, in regards to the police force's approach to crime solving. I also did not go into it expecting a grizzly and twisted thriller. Neither are present here but this did not negatively impact my reading. I still found the crime horrifying and mystery satisfying enough. I also appreciated that a multitude of perspectives were included, although the largest portion remained with the grouchy yet lovable character of Inspector Morse.
Where this book failed for me was in its sexist attitudes towards women and the toxic masculinity that is both portrayed and admired, throughout the book. Throwaway comments littered the story-line that made it difficult for a modern-day reader to overlook and I found myself particularly grimacing at both the expected and expressed macho idealism. I do understand that this novel was very much a product of its time, but this still made it no less uncomfortable to read, almost 50 years after its original publication.
Growing up, it seemed like a rerun of either Morse or Midsomer Murders was always on the TV. Whilst I can't recall the narrative for any episode I do still harbour some nostalgic feelings towards both. When I found the first instalment to the Inspector Morse book series added to my library app I was delighted to get a chance to experience the original. Hindsight is a lovely thing and could have saved me the energy needed to consume this, however.
I did not go into this novel with the highest expectations for contemporary accuracy, in regards to the police force's approach to crime solving. I also did not go into it expecting a grizzly and twisted thriller. Neither are present here but this did not negatively impact my reading. I still found the crime horrifying and mystery satisfying enough. I also appreciated that a multitude of perspectives were included, although the largest portion remained with the grouchy yet lovable character of Inspector Morse.
Where this book failed for me was in its sexist attitudes towards women and the toxic masculinity that is both portrayed and admired, throughout the book. Throwaway comments littered the story-line that made it difficult for a modern-day reader to overlook and I found myself particularly grimacing at both the expected and expressed macho idealism. I do understand that this novel was very much a product of its time, but this still made it no less uncomfortable to read, almost 50 years after its original publication.
March 13, 2024
March 2024 lunchtime Listen
Well I have added this to my favourites for a couple o reasons I suppose; one, because it is a wonderful story ( actually considerably better than the brilliant tv episode surprisingly) and two, because it is just so fantastically read by Samuel West.
This is the first nove in the seriesl and is the first time that Morse and Lewis work together, Lewis admitting he is not too keen to work with the surly Chief Inspector. However despite a few ups and downs, and some raised voices between them, the combination works and both are aware of the others strong points.
So who did kill the girl found in the pub car park, how did she get there given she and a friend walked away from the bus stop to hitch to Woodstock, and where is the friend, why has she not come forward ? Morse and Lewis doggedly pursue every tiny clue as they gradually put together theory after theory before the clues fit and the final theory is borne out.
As I said, an excellent story and brilliantly read
Well I have added this to my favourites for a couple o reasons I suppose; one, because it is a wonderful story ( actually considerably better than the brilliant tv episode surprisingly) and two, because it is just so fantastically read by Samuel West.
This is the first nove in the seriesl and is the first time that Morse and Lewis work together, Lewis admitting he is not too keen to work with the surly Chief Inspector. However despite a few ups and downs, and some raised voices between them, the combination works and both are aware of the others strong points.
So who did kill the girl found in the pub car park, how did she get there given she and a friend walked away from the bus stop to hitch to Woodstock, and where is the friend, why has she not come forward ? Morse and Lewis doggedly pursue every tiny clue as they gradually put together theory after theory before the clues fit and the final theory is borne out.
As I said, an excellent story and brilliantly read
August 2, 2024
Buddy read with Simon. A trip down memory lane! We've watched all of the television series several times over the years, and have watched all of the two companion series - Inspector Lewis, and Endeavour. Now, it is time for the books!
Updated on 2 August, 2024. We finished listening this evening. While it was a complex tale and we had to listen carefully to get all the details, it was enjoyable and we will continue on with the next volume in the series. We recognized the narrator, Samuel West, from various TV shows over the years, he did an excellent job narrating the various characters including Morse and Lewis. I enjoyed listening to their first case together.
Standout quotes:
"He was fishing patiently in the troubled waters of his mind."
"Now the horror of it all was gradually seeping into his mind, like a pool of ink into blotting paper."
Updated on 2 August, 2024. We finished listening this evening. While it was a complex tale and we had to listen carefully to get all the details, it was enjoyable and we will continue on with the next volume in the series. We recognized the narrator, Samuel West, from various TV shows over the years, he did an excellent job narrating the various characters including Morse and Lewis. I enjoyed listening to their first case together.
Standout quotes:
"He was fishing patiently in the troubled waters of his mind."
"Now the horror of it all was gradually seeping into his mind, like a pool of ink into blotting paper."
June 12, 2021
5 Yes, Cheating- Endeavour Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free-A Masterpiece Theater/Amazon Video Review
Yes, I am at it again. Also, I am late to the party when it comes to discovering Inspector Morse and the actor who plays him, Shaun Evans. With my Amazon Prime Video, I happened on Endeavour. It was based on characters created by Colin Dexter. The pilot was done in 2012 with the first season happening in 2013. It has seven more completed and there are actually plans for an eighth, too.
This is done through Masterpiece Theater. It takes place in Oxfordshire, England, home of the infamous University of Oxford, and covers the years of around 1966 and on. It is a police procedural but so much more. Totally captivating and I ended up binge-watching all the seasons. I couldn't stop watching.
I went in blind and what a joyful discovery. If you like police procedures, some vintage references, and incredible acting, this is for you.
Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * * Spoiler Free-A Masterpiece Theater/Amazon Video Review
Yes, I am at it again. Also, I am late to the party when it comes to discovering Inspector Morse and the actor who plays him, Shaun Evans. With my Amazon Prime Video, I happened on Endeavour. It was based on characters created by Colin Dexter. The pilot was done in 2012 with the first season happening in 2013. It has seven more completed and there are actually plans for an eighth, too.
This is done through Masterpiece Theater. It takes place in Oxfordshire, England, home of the infamous University of Oxford, and covers the years of around 1966 and on. It is a police procedural but so much more. Totally captivating and I ended up binge-watching all the seasons. I couldn't stop watching.
I went in blind and what a joyful discovery. If you like police procedures, some vintage references, and incredible acting, this is for you.
Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
November 17, 2019
I have long wanted to read some of the Morse novels. I am a huge fan of the PBS series...all three in fact, Morse, Lewis and Endeavor. This was a good story, well-written, but not up to the TV series itself. Of course, this is the first novel. I have to assume that they get better as the characters become more fleshed out and build. I will probably read others in the series and see.
May 3, 2018
I read this book in anticipation of going to Oxford this summer. I wanted to visit the world of Inspector Morse, as he is so beloved in Oxford.
The book started strong- a grizzly rape/murder. We meet lots of potential suspects- red herrings are thrown in and the murderer is revealed! I didn't believe the ending at all- There were no dropped clues on the murderer till the big reveal. All clues were closed to us the reader. The ending left me shaking my head in disbelief and feeling disappointed after such a build up. Sorry Inspector Morse-I did like you and your sidekick Lewis, so I may give you another try. I have read that your plot lines do become stronger, but this one left me perplexed.
The book started strong- a grizzly rape/murder. We meet lots of potential suspects- red herrings are thrown in and the murderer is revealed! I didn't believe the ending at all- There were no dropped clues on the murderer till the big reveal. All clues were closed to us the reader. The ending left me shaking my head in disbelief and feeling disappointed after such a build up. Sorry Inspector Morse-I did like you and your sidekick Lewis, so I may give you another try. I have read that your plot lines do become stronger, but this one left me perplexed.
July 14, 2011
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 makes the mystery, despite its excellent plotting and engaging male characters, difficult to recommend was the constant drinking. Every third page someone ordered a pint, offered a whiskey, or poured himself a stiff drink. I got to hankering after one myself. Was that the point?
The other factor which makes the mystery, despite its excellent plotting and engaging male characters, difficult to recommend was the constant drinking. Every third page someone ordered a pint, offered a whiskey, or poured himself a stiff drink. I got to hankering after one myself. Was that the point?
June 11, 2014
I can't stand when a mystery is solved in the end with information not previously given to the reader. Part of the enjoyment of reading mysteries is trying to figure out what has happened while the story progresses. If the author keeps vital information from the reader, that is impossible.
May 20, 2023
Definitely a book of it’s time… and the 70s were definitely very un-PC. I enjoyed the characterisation in the book, especially of Morse and Lewis, as well as Dexter’s writing style, the slow burn and descriptions were fab… but for me the overt sexism and lewdness towards women tainted the entire novel and made it hard to enjoy. Maybe I’m just too sensitive but I didn’t enjoy the lengthy diatribes on women’s shapely legs or the convenience of all the single women in the story shacking up with married men. *sigh* it really was a man’s world back then!
January 22, 2010
A book that reeks of 1975. Horny, hard drinking Morse falls for a murder suspect 20 years his junior. Also, a man and a woman in bed together raise important metaphysical questions about rape:
Man: Do you believe a young girl can get raped?
Woman: It must be jolly difficult for the man.
Man: Mm.
Woman: Have you ever raped a woman?
Man: I could rape you, any day of the week.
Woman: But I wouldn't let you. I wouldn't put up any resistance. Peter.....rape me again!
Man: Do you believe a young girl can get raped?
Woman: It must be jolly difficult for the man.
Man: Mm.
Woman: Have you ever raped a woman?
Man: I could rape you, any day of the week.
Woman: But I wouldn't let you. I wouldn't put up any resistance. Peter.....rape me again!
May 10, 2022
Dexter did a decent job with this, his first Inspector Morse story. It has the expected elements of an English mystery: a lot of tea sipping, a lot of 'fancy a pint?' And a bunch of credible characters, ordinary in most ways, but every one hiding something. One of them is a murderer. Morse follows numerous false leads, but eventually finds the solution. The long suffering Sergeant Lewis assists and has a pint of his own.
August 15, 2024
Decent introduction to Morse with an interesting plot that kept on twisting. Unfortunately the constant sexism made for uneasy reading at times. Satisfying level of crabbitness from Morse.
June 13, 2024
Having watched all the Morris shows, I enjoyed this throwback to the 1990s. I especially enjoyed all the Oxford nods just like they do in the show. Of course my favorite is how often they go to The Bird and the Baby.
August 25, 2016
This is the first book of a series of Detective Chief Inspector Morse. It was well written and kept the attention of the reader. The plot was very difficult to follow. But, the writing was so interesting and captivating you as the reader had to keep reading until the end. Chief Inspector Morse appears to be dumbfounded and Sergeant Lewis seems to be at his wits end when the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together and the killer is revealed.
Sylvia Kaye is murdered behind a pub and not much evidence is find and the clues are few and far in between. A must read for mystery lovers.
Quote:
He realised that he had already landed himself in a good deal of muddle and mess by his own inadequacies.
Sylvia Kaye is murdered behind a pub and not much evidence is find and the clues are few and far in between. A must read for mystery lovers.
Quote:
He realised that he had already landed himself in a good deal of muddle and mess by his own inadequacies.
March 14, 2023
The -- --- .-. ... . Code
Review of the Pan Books Kindle eBook edition (2009), of the original Macmillan hardcover (1975)
I can't take on another vintage binge read at the moment since I am only partly through the current Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine effort. After discovering the recent The Mysterious Profiles series and reading Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse: A Mysterious Profile (2022/orig. 2007/2009) I was still intrigued to re-read an early Morse book to see if they were as clever and convoluted as I remembered them.
Last Bus to Woodstock was our introduction to the often cranky Inspector and his regular partner Sergeant Lewis. I had forgotten that in the books Lewis was actually introduced as the more senior character. Dexter ignored that aspect in the books as soon as the younger Kevin Whately embodied the role in partnership with the more senior Morse of John Thaw in the later TV series. Also I had forgotten that Morse's original car was a Lancia, something that was later changed into a Jaguar when the TV show couldn't find an authentic original of the former.
Cover image of the Pan Books TV-series tie-in paperback edition of "Last Bus to Woodstock" featuring actor John Thaw as Inspector Morse.
This first book finds Morse mostly set in his ways, except that he isn't yet as tight-fisted with paying for a round of drinks as he later became. He is already obsessed with crosswords and opera and with living a bachelor's life. He frequently quotes poetry. He has a tendency to become attracted to the female witnesses and suspects in the current case, with those relationships always failing in some manner.
The case itself was as complicated as I remember them, with Morse taking several wrong turns until finally pulling out a solution for which most readers will have missed the clues on the way. Colin Dexter's Morse is definitely a candidate for a future binge re-read.
Soundtrack
This can only be the yearning and mournful Inspector Morse theme music by composer Barrington Pheloung, composed for the TV series, in its extended version which you can listen to on YouTube here. The use of the morse code for M-O-R-S-E as the main theme is revealed in the video as well, by displaying the dots and dashes.
Trivia and Link
Last Bus to Woodstock was adapted for television as part of the long-running Inspector Morse series (1987-2000) as Season 2 Episode 4. You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here. Author Colin Dexter's regular cameo in the TV series is at 56'52" where he is sitting behind John Thaw at a lecture.
Review of the Pan Books Kindle eBook edition (2009), of the original Macmillan hardcover (1975)
Something had galvanized the Inspector into new life. But it wasn’t the gay, rumbustious Morse of the early days of the case. Something grim had come over him and Lewis found him a little frightening sometimes. He only hoped they got no more letters upon which Morse could practise his misdirected ingenuity.
I can't take on another vintage binge read at the moment since I am only partly through the current Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine effort. After discovering the recent The Mysterious Profiles series and reading Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse: A Mysterious Profile (2022/orig. 2007/2009) I was still intrigued to re-read an early Morse book to see if they were as clever and convoluted as I remembered them.
Last Bus to Woodstock was our introduction to the often cranky Inspector and his regular partner Sergeant Lewis. I had forgotten that in the books Lewis was actually introduced as the more senior character. Dexter ignored that aspect in the books as soon as the younger Kevin Whately embodied the role in partnership with the more senior Morse of John Thaw in the later TV series. Also I had forgotten that Morse's original car was a Lancia, something that was later changed into a Jaguar when the TV show couldn't find an authentic original of the former.
Cover image of the Pan Books TV-series tie-in paperback edition of "Last Bus to Woodstock" featuring actor John Thaw as Inspector Morse.
This first book finds Morse mostly set in his ways, except that he isn't yet as tight-fisted with paying for a round of drinks as he later became. He is already obsessed with crosswords and opera and with living a bachelor's life. He frequently quotes poetry. He has a tendency to become attracted to the female witnesses and suspects in the current case, with those relationships always failing in some manner.
He thought of the saddest line of poetry he had ever read: Not a line of her writing have I, not a thread of her hair and felt no better for the thought. - Morse thinks of Thomas Hardy's poem "Thoughts of Phena at news of her death."
The case itself was as complicated as I remember them, with Morse taking several wrong turns until finally pulling out a solution for which most readers will have missed the clues on the way. Colin Dexter's Morse is definitely a candidate for a future binge re-read.
Soundtrack
This can only be the yearning and mournful Inspector Morse theme music by composer Barrington Pheloung, composed for the TV series, in its extended version which you can listen to on YouTube here. The use of the morse code for M-O-R-S-E as the main theme is revealed in the video as well, by displaying the dots and dashes.
Trivia and Link
Last Bus to Woodstock was adapted for television as part of the long-running Inspector Morse series (1987-2000) as Season 2 Episode 4. You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here. Author Colin Dexter's regular cameo in the TV series is at 56'52" where he is sitting behind John Thaw at a lecture.
March 26, 2013
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 leave a bad taste.
Now it's arguable if you can blame a book for the time it was written in and it's probably not worse than most of the other books written around that time.
If you can ignore that bit what remains is a great puzzle. I admittedly did figure out some things beforehand but not really because it was blatantly obvious but because I had already seen some Morse-episodes (not the adaption of this one...but enough to know certain things). There were red herrings en masse and trying to figure out what was important and what was not was great fun.
And of course there's Morse himself. Despite being written over 40 years ago he was a breath of fresh air (yes, I do apologise for this phrase but for once it is accurate) in all those bland crime-novel-main characters. Too many authors want to write characters that are both likeable and easy for the reader to identify with. That makes easy reading but also means that I can't remember the names of half of the MCs in crime-novels I read recently because they were all quite similar (some had as distinguishing feaute a Very Tragic Past).
Morse is on the first glance neither likeable (he is quite a jerk to Lewis and really also most others) nor that easy to identify with (unless you are an opera-loving crossword-nerd and grammar-nazi) but that makes him unique and ironically as a result likeable as character (I'm still debating if I'd like to met him ^^) because unlike so many others he has edges, makes mistakes because he is bloody stubborn and that distinguishes from at least 2/3 of all other invesigators.
Now it's arguable if you can blame a book for the time it was written in and it's probably not worse than most of the other books written around that time.
If you can ignore that bit what remains is a great puzzle. I admittedly did figure out some things beforehand but not really because it was blatantly obvious but because I had already seen some Morse-episodes (not the adaption of this one...but enough to know certain things). There were red herrings en masse and trying to figure out what was important and what was not was great fun.
And of course there's Morse himself. Despite being written over 40 years ago he was a breath of fresh air (yes, I do apologise for this phrase but for once it is accurate) in all those bland crime-novel-main characters. Too many authors want to write characters that are both likeable and easy for the reader to identify with. That makes easy reading but also means that I can't remember the names of half of the MCs in crime-novels I read recently because they were all quite similar (some had as distinguishing feaute a Very Tragic Past).
Morse is on the first glance neither likeable (he is quite a jerk to Lewis and really also most others) nor that easy to identify with (unless you are an opera-loving crossword-nerd and grammar-nazi) but that makes him unique and ironically as a result likeable as character (I'm still debating if I'd like to met him ^^) because unlike so many others he has edges, makes mistakes because he is bloody stubborn and that distinguishes from at least 2/3 of all other invesigators.
August 12, 2022
First entry in the Inspector Morse series. This is more police procedural than Christie style mystery.
I didn't see the twists coming. I listened to the audio book which was well done.
I didn't see the twists coming. I listened to the audio book which was well done.
July 10, 2024
«Morse si era sentito fiducioso nelle proprie capacità, come uno studente che, alle prese con un insidioso problema di matematica, in segreto si tenga accanto il libro delle risposte».
Ecco il primo poliziesco con la coppia Morse/Lewis come protagonisti. Un giallo fuori da ogni schema con due personaggi altrettanto originali: il burbero e solitario Morse, amante di Wagner e dell’opera, bevitore di birra scura, appassionato di enigmistica e di cavilli mentali e il mite sergente Lewis, un tipo solido ma sempre vacillante e perplesso a osservare e a valutare le stranezze del suo capo, nei ragionamenti e nel metodo.
Qui partiamo da un efferato omicidio: una giovane viene trovata morta (e probabilmente violentata) nel parcheggio di un pub nei pressi di Oxford, noto centro universitario.
Di lei si sa soltanto che voleva prendere l’ultimo autobus diretto a Woodstock, ma che in realtà un uomo misterioso le aveva dato un passaggio e che era insieme a una altrettanto misteriosa amica.
Cominciano le indagini…ma ecco che il modo di procedere di Morse è tutt’altro che lineare, anzi. Spesso l’ispettore sembra perdere il filo, le divagazioni si sprecano, le piste si moltiplicano… e anche quando la cerchia dei sospettati inevitabilmente si restringe, le cose non sono affatto come ci aspettavamo.
Ecco il primo poliziesco con la coppia Morse/Lewis come protagonisti. Un giallo fuori da ogni schema con due personaggi altrettanto originali: il burbero e solitario Morse, amante di Wagner e dell’opera, bevitore di birra scura, appassionato di enigmistica e di cavilli mentali e il mite sergente Lewis, un tipo solido ma sempre vacillante e perplesso a osservare e a valutare le stranezze del suo capo, nei ragionamenti e nel metodo.
Qui partiamo da un efferato omicidio: una giovane viene trovata morta (e probabilmente violentata) nel parcheggio di un pub nei pressi di Oxford, noto centro universitario.
Di lei si sa soltanto che voleva prendere l’ultimo autobus diretto a Woodstock, ma che in realtà un uomo misterioso le aveva dato un passaggio e che era insieme a una altrettanto misteriosa amica.
Cominciano le indagini…ma ecco che il modo di procedere di Morse è tutt’altro che lineare, anzi. Spesso l’ispettore sembra perdere il filo, le divagazioni si sprecano, le piste si moltiplicano… e anche quando la cerchia dei sospettati inevitabilmente si restringe, le cose non sono affatto come ci aspettavamo.
August 26, 2018
Last Bus to Woodstock is the first book in the Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter. The book opens with two young women waiting at the bus stop planning to catch the last bus to Woodstock. However, after they are told that there are no more buses to Woodstock that night, they decide to hitch a ride. Within hours, one of the young women is found dead in the parking lot of a pub in Woodstock.
While the story was generally interesting and proved to be a challenge to solve, I was less than happy with the lead character of the book, Inspector Morse. He seemed to be a lazy, irascible, bully.
Although ultimately solving the crime, he seemed to have bumbled his way into it. He decides on an initial motive and suspect and attempts to make the crime fit. When that doesn’t work, he moves onto yet another theory (that just – by luck – pays some dividends) and then yet another. In the end, it seems that some of the reasoning that lead to Morse’s solving of the mystery is only introduced in the final pages of the book. (reinforcing the bumbling detective feeling)
I read this book as a group read on LibraryThing and we had a very lively discussion – much of it centered on Morse. While I would most likely read the next book in the series if we read it as a group (there must be something there for this to be such a favorite character!), I would not be likely to read it on my own any time soon.
Rating: 3 Stars
While the story was generally interesting and proved to be a challenge to solve, I was less than happy with the lead character of the book, Inspector Morse. He seemed to be a lazy, irascible, bully.
Although ultimately solving the crime, he seemed to have bumbled his way into it. He decides on an initial motive and suspect and attempts to make the crime fit. When that doesn’t work, he moves onto yet another theory (that just – by luck – pays some dividends) and then yet another. In the end, it seems that some of the reasoning that lead to Morse’s solving of the mystery is only introduced in the final pages of the book. (reinforcing the bumbling detective feeling)
I read this book as a group read on LibraryThing and we had a very lively discussion – much of it centered on Morse. While I would most likely read the next book in the series if we read it as a group (there must be something there for this to be such a favorite character!), I would not be likely to read it on my own any time soon.
Rating: 3 Stars
March 11, 2020
This is the first in the Inspector Morse series and introduces us to Morse and Sgt Lewis, who joins Morse for the first time in this book. I've been watching the TV Series based on the books, and oddly enough this was the 5th in the TV series. Morse is much like he is in the TV series, although there are also some differences, his looks, his car, etc. I enjoyed the mystery, the pacing and how Morse goes about solving the crime. He still likes his beer and his women. Excellent introduction to the series. I'm glad I've started both the TV Series and now the book series. 4 stars.
November 2, 2012
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 hidden, as if Colin Dexter were trying for a great "ah hah!" moment, that the reader ends up being left in the dark until the very end. And that was not a pleasant place to be.
June 14, 2012
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 detectives stopped being amateur sleuths, private detectives, sweet little old ladies with razor-sharp insights, and started being the (probably more realistic but really much more boring) actual police detectives. I think it's unfortunate that in order to gain a realistic aspect to crime-solving, we seemed to have to take a hit in the interest department. For some reason, most of the second-generation murder mystery detectives - policemen - tend to be a bit samey, a bit boring, probably because they had to follow rules and laws and pesky things like procedures...
All this is a long-winded way of saying that, while I enjoyed this book, Morse is yet another highly-hyped fictional detective who didn't live up to his reputation, for me. Sure, he likes doing crosswords or something, and he makes occasionally unintelligible requests to his less stellar colleagues, and he is lonely enough to fall for one of the suspects in a murder case, but he just doesn't have that spark that makes him memorable. Indeed, those attributes feel a bit more like they're trying to be memorable, than genuinely individual.
This being said, he is more human than most fictional detectives. I liked that we saw inside his love life and felt for him on that count. However, I can't help but feel that all this policeman-as-detective business was just a long slippery slope that ended in Peter Robinson's DCI Banks. Give me Sherlock Holmes or Poirot any day.
As to the story, the Oxford setting had me thinking unavoidably of Edmund Crispin's The Moving Toyshop, which may have influenced my perception of it... Interestingly for a murder mystery, it was told from many points of view, including witnesses, participants and suspects, which kept me guessing and interested and was an innovative way to reveal new facts to the reader while keeping the detective in the dark.
It also beats the characters making lists of suspects and 'known facts' in order to sort out the plot.
Unfortunately the pitch was soured a little by Dexter's gender and his era, with more than a few sexist comments being made or thought by Morse and Co. While I'm willing to let it go as a product of its time, it certainly dates poorly, and is probably another reason why people still read Agatha Christie and her many lady-writer contemporaries while people like Dexter end up in secondhand bookshops by the dozen.
All in all, enjoyable enough to warrant another foray into Morse territory, albeit with caution.
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 detectives stopped being amateur sleuths, private detectives, sweet little old ladies with razor-sharp insights, and started being the (probably more realistic but really much more boring) actual police detectives. I think it's unfortunate that in order to gain a realistic aspect to crime-solving, we seemed to have to take a hit in the interest department. For some reason, most of the second-generation murder mystery detectives - policemen - tend to be a bit samey, a bit boring, probably because they had to follow rules and laws and pesky things like procedures...
All this is a long-winded way of saying that, while I enjoyed this book, Morse is yet another highly-hyped fictional detective who didn't live up to his reputation, for me. Sure, he likes doing crosswords or something, and he makes occasionally unintelligible requests to his less stellar colleagues, and he is lonely enough to fall for one of the suspects in a murder case, but he just doesn't have that spark that makes him memorable. Indeed, those attributes feel a bit more like they're trying to be memorable, than genuinely individual.
This being said, he is more human than most fictional detectives. I liked that we saw inside his love life and felt for him on that count. However, I can't help but feel that all this policeman-as-detective business was just a long slippery slope that ended in Peter Robinson's DCI Banks. Give me Sherlock Holmes or Poirot any day.
As to the story, the Oxford setting had me thinking unavoidably of Edmund Crispin's The Moving Toyshop, which may have influenced my perception of it... Interestingly for a murder mystery, it was told from many points of view, including witnesses, participants and suspects, which kept me guessing and interested and was an innovative way to reveal new facts to the reader while keeping the detective in the dark.
It also beats the characters making lists of suspects and 'known facts' in order to sort out the plot.
Unfortunately the pitch was soured a little by Dexter's gender and his era, with more than a few sexist comments being made or thought by Morse and Co. While I'm willing to let it go as a product of its time, it certainly dates poorly, and is probably another reason why people still read Agatha Christie and her many lady-writer contemporaries while people like Dexter end up in secondhand bookshops by the dozen.
All in all, enjoyable enough to warrant another foray into Morse territory, albeit with caution.
November 20, 2021
This didn't grab me from the beginning, but I'm not at all sure that was the fault of the the author. I might have still been thinking about my prior read. Soon enough, however, I was closely following everything. And things seemed so obvious, so I could be pretty sure it wasn't obvious at all. That's the way of murder mysteries.
I was influenced by years ago having seen Morse and Lewis on TV. I liked the show and the onscreen characterizations. With this one read, I'll go out on a limb to say that Morse in print is different than Morse on TV. He's not completely different, though. He's still abrupt, a bit condescending and keeps his thoughts to himself. I just couldn't picture the Morse on the page as the same as the one on TV. For me, that's a good thing as here, the written word is more forceful and complete.
The mystery is complex. A young woman is found in a pub parking lot, her head bashed in with a tire iron and presumably raped. The usual police questioning ensues to learn the who and how. A reader must consider all characters, keeping some as possibles and dismissing others. When the crime was solved, I was glad that Morse told Lewis his thought process on how the perpetrator came to be arrested. My thinking wasn't even in the right ballpark.
I'm glad to have started this series and I have the next one on hand. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I know I'll be glad when I do. Does this make my normal 4-star top for mysteries? Probably just barely. The last half - and especially the solution - is why I know I'll read more, so I'll just make sure it has enough stars to remind me.
I was influenced by years ago having seen Morse and Lewis on TV. I liked the show and the onscreen characterizations. With this one read, I'll go out on a limb to say that Morse in print is different than Morse on TV. He's not completely different, though. He's still abrupt, a bit condescending and keeps his thoughts to himself. I just couldn't picture the Morse on the page as the same as the one on TV. For me, that's a good thing as here, the written word is more forceful and complete.
The mystery is complex. A young woman is found in a pub parking lot, her head bashed in with a tire iron and presumably raped. The usual police questioning ensues to learn the who and how. A reader must consider all characters, keeping some as possibles and dismissing others. When the crime was solved, I was glad that Morse told Lewis his thought process on how the perpetrator came to be arrested. My thinking wasn't even in the right ballpark.
I'm glad to have started this series and I have the next one on hand. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I know I'll be glad when I do. Does this make my normal 4-star top for mysteries? Probably just barely. The last half - and especially the solution - is why I know I'll read more, so I'll just make sure it has enough stars to remind me.
June 1, 2013
Written in 1975, this is the first Inspector Morse mystery. I had never read any of the Morse novels before and have never seen the tv series, so I had no preconceptions about this book and no knowledge about it, except that it was set in Oxford. Inspector Morse himself is a slightly grumpy, bad tempered and elusive leading character and the author was obviously feeling his way with him. Sergeant Lewis, who works with him on the case, seems both a more grounded and less troubled character.
The novel begins with two girls waiting for a bus to Woodstock. Unsure whether or not they have missed the last bus, they decide to hitch a lift and one of them ends up brutally murdered. There are many different strands to the investigation - who picked the girls up, why did they not stay together and why has the other girl not come forward? The suspects include academics (thereby tying in the Oxford location) a trio of girls who share a house and a young man with a taste for dirty movies. Much of this novel reminded me of the casual sexism of the Seventies - lewd remarks abound and overt sexist remarks and attitudes ages the book in a way that made me recall how much I disliked television in that decade. However, Lewis had an innate niceness and Morse is obviously a character capable of deeper feelings, which will probably prompt me to read on. The plot itself was interesting and I feel sure this is a series which will improve, although the characters are still partly formed in this first book. The next in the series is Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse).
The novel begins with two girls waiting for a bus to Woodstock. Unsure whether or not they have missed the last bus, they decide to hitch a lift and one of them ends up brutally murdered. There are many different strands to the investigation - who picked the girls up, why did they not stay together and why has the other girl not come forward? The suspects include academics (thereby tying in the Oxford location) a trio of girls who share a house and a young man with a taste for dirty movies. Much of this novel reminded me of the casual sexism of the Seventies - lewd remarks abound and overt sexist remarks and attitudes ages the book in a way that made me recall how much I disliked television in that decade. However, Lewis had an innate niceness and Morse is obviously a character capable of deeper feelings, which will probably prompt me to read on. The plot itself was interesting and I feel sure this is a series which will improve, although the characters are still partly formed in this first book. The next in the series is Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse).
May 11, 2020
I really don’t know what to tell you other than I just didn’t like the book much.
Heaving seen the TV show "Lewis" it was nice to see Robbie's beginnings, so to speak, but... well, that’s almost all there was to it.
The case itself is interesting, but not exactly gripping, and the writing is a little bit all over the place. Or at least it feels like it. There are parts written from Morse's POV, from Lewis' POV, from at least four supporting characters' POV... There were so many different people, I pretty much lost track. And, because of that, interest, I have to admit.
Plus, that thing with Morse falling in love with a potential suspect, what was that about? I mean, sure, why not, but it was written in such a weird manner... It actually took me by surprise that, apparently, he really meant it.
And the way women are portrayed here is really abysmal. I mean, sure, the books were written in the seventies (I think), but even Agatha Christie managed to give her female characters more dignity, independence and emancipation, and her books were written even earlier.
Then again, the way everyone is portrayed here is pretty abysmal. I don’t think I actually liked even one character.
Well, you could read the book, I suppose, but imo you’re not missing out if you don’t. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Heaving seen the TV show "Lewis" it was nice to see Robbie's beginnings, so to speak, but... well, that’s almost all there was to it.
The case itself is interesting, but not exactly gripping, and the writing is a little bit all over the place. Or at least it feels like it. There are parts written from Morse's POV, from Lewis' POV, from at least four supporting characters' POV... There were so many different people, I pretty much lost track. And, because of that, interest, I have to admit.
Plus, that thing with Morse falling in love with a potential suspect, what was that about? I mean, sure, why not, but it was written in such a weird manner... It actually took me by surprise that, apparently, he really meant it.
And the way women are portrayed here is really abysmal. I mean, sure, the books were written in the seventies (I think), but even Agatha Christie managed to give her female characters more dignity, independence and emancipation, and her books were written even earlier.
Then again, the way everyone is portrayed here is pretty abysmal. I don’t think I actually liked even one character.
Well, you could read the book, I suppose, but imo you’re not missing out if you don’t. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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