He believes the girl is dead, and so he sets out to find the murderer. I had been re-reading all of the books that are on kindle and Colin Dexter died with 2 days reading left in this book, So Sad. Having not read the whole series, I can't say for sure, but this book was a little more "sexy" than my other experiences with Inspector Morse.
Colin Dexter is an award-winning author, but I didn't feel this one was that good. He's always been an admirer of women and easily involved with pretty ones, but Colin Dexter gave older male readers a few titillating details of a kind I don't recall encountering in his other books.I wonder if the reason I couldn't really care very much about this story is related to Morse not really caring very much about it either. Just a bully. When one of the teachers is killed, the missing persons enquiry becomes a murder investigation. However, the girl's parents receive a note, purportedly from Valerie. Two suspicious characters had been seen near the house – Donald Philipson's wife, wearing a distinctive cherry coloured coat, and David Acum, a French teacher who had taught Valerie's last lesson. The mystery is interesting, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. It was evident from the start that Morse didn't care about this case, and when forced to take it, proceeded to blunder his way through it like a bull in a china shop. But I did not like this book, in many ways. While it's refreshing to read a detective novel where the star character is portrayed as a human being who sometimes screws up and doesn't always have all the answers, there were points in the novel where I begam to wonder how Morse made inspector in the first place. Having bought the book, I thought I would give it a go even though I knew the outcome. – Margaret Holland as Martha the school secretary – (Born unknown) Melissa Simmonds as Valerie Craven – (Born unknown ) Michele Winstanley (girl in the middle) – (born in 1964) The girl in the centre ????? One of the most realistic in plotting of a fictional mystery I've read. Colin Dexter writes a more subtle mystery than the traditional murder mysteries I'm used to - say Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes - there are lots of possible answers based on the information, as a reader you can't really work it out in advance, but then neither can Morse.
I really hadn't realised, until I listened to this particular book, the extent of differences between the original books and what was done for television.I read most of the Morse novels over 30 years ago and then followed them up by watching the Morse TV series. False and hopeful conclusions. Enjoyable light read40 pages in, I just gotta quit. While the James book started off well and ended boringly and disappointingly, Dexter started poorly but ended up becoming at least, different. There are a lot of stereotypes about wNot more than 2 stars for me, perhaps even 1,5, and it is not usual. And in many ways I feel similarly.I wonder if the reason I couldn't really care very much about this story is related to Morse not really caring very much about it either. I have one more Dexter to read, and at that point I will make a final decision. For one thing, there is very little I find in the least appealing or interesting about Morse. – Last Seen Wearing (1988) To read my Q & A with Ms Kettle click here. He's smart, I suppose. Here he is neither. This book is actually the second of the thirteen novels by Colin Dexter in this series (the first one wasn't available at the HPB I was in).I've been meaning to read the Inspector Morse mysteries for quite some time now, and when I ran across this volume at Half-Price Books, it was too hard to resist. I know it's not a very nice thing to say, but I just get on better when we've got a body - a body that died from unnatural causes.