DDC/MDS
| 823/.914 |
Publication
New York : Crown, 1993.
Original publication date
1992
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:"Cunning...Your imagination will be frenetically flapping its wings until the very last chapter." THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD Morse is enjoying a rare if unsatisfying holiday in Dorset when the first letter appears in THE TIMES. A year before, a stunning Swedish student disappeared from Oxfordshire, leaving behind a rucksack with her identification. As the lady was dishy, young, and traveling alone, the Thames Valley Police suspected foul play. But without a body, and with precious few clues, the investigation ground to a halt. Now it seems that someone who can hold back no longer is composing clue-laden poetry that begins an enthusiastic correspondence among England's news-reading public. Not one to be left behind, Morse writes a letter of his own�and follows a twisting path through the Wytham Woods that leads to a most shocking murder.… (more)
Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
User reviews
LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
You never know with Morse: three times the case is solved. Each ending feels right but, the criminal is not apprehended until the last few pages.
Not a sparklingly brilliant case but, a good solid whodunnit which, with my poor memory, I shall happily re-read in a few months! Interestingly, the
Not a sparklingly brilliant case but, a good solid whodunnit which, with my poor memory, I shall happily re-read in a few months! Interestingly, the
Show More
character of Morse is becoming more like the TV persona: the maroon jag has turned up and the more base of Morse's traits have disappeared into the background. It would be interesting to know who is leading whom, certainly this is a less rounded figure; he writes poetry, strsses the classical music and has intentions only for the amour propre. Show Less
LibraryThing member ishtahar
The one in Bleinham Woods, with the missing Swedish girl and in which the humpbacked surgeon leaves this mortal coil. My favourite of them all.
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Three stars for the characters and the mystery, which, in suitable murder mystery terminology, are the bones that Colin Dexter left for the television series to flesh out. The other two stars belong to John Thaw, who made Dexter's male fantasy of a pompous, elitist, slightly pervy detective human
The central concept and creation of the characters does belong to Dexter, for which he receives due credit, but the books are a poor second to the adaptation.
Show More
and likeable. The screen version of 'The Way Through The Woods' is far superior: the denouement is centred around Lewis and Morse, instead of trailing off in a wordy, self-congratulatory speech; the secondary characters are believable and realistic, instead of mere devices (and this despite Dexter's creative writing class approach to backstory); and more importantly, Morse is shown as fallible and considerate of others. Plus, the nauseous and less than credible James Bond element of the detective's persona is toned down - he flirts with the stock 'unsuitable older lady', but does not simultaneously pull the new coroner! Dexter is less than subtle when describing his detective's effortless success with the opposite sex - every woman finds him incredibly attractive, and if they don't act on it, they comment on his good looks and strange charm! Please! The central concept and creation of the characters does belong to Dexter, for which he receives due credit, but the books are a poor second to the adaptation.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bakersfieldbarbara
I enjoyed this book and especially its surprise ending. But to get through the book, I found it very frustrating to have extracts from other writers at the beginning of each chapter. I'm not sure why this was necessary for the author to include these additions to his own writings. The plot is
A young woman disappears, and 12 months later, the case remains unsolved. Enter Inspector Morse, and thus begins the plot. Enjoy, for it is truly enjoyable. Just a bit frustrating, as I mentioned, with all of the additions to the story that I felt unnecessary.
Show More
exciting if one likes to take many clues and sift them until a decision is made as to whom is the culprit. This is an Inspector Morse Mystery; Morse is a drinking detective, enjoying his music and bachelorhood, and able to solve crimes in a methodical way. A young woman disappears, and 12 months later, the case remains unsolved. Enter Inspector Morse, and thus begins the plot. Enjoy, for it is truly enjoyable. Just a bit frustrating, as I mentioned, with all of the additions to the story that I felt unnecessary.
Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Enjoyable, but the main mystery is a bit repetitive of the earlier book, "Last Seen Wearing".
LibraryThing member antiquary
On the whole, I prefer the TV version of Morse to the actual books. This one involves an attractive young Swedish woman who vanishes in Oxfordshire; a year later poetic letters hinting she has been murdered start appearing, and Morse (though on holiday) is drawn into the case.
LibraryThing member charlie68
Very Good.
LibraryThing member smik
This series, so skilfully narrated by Samuel West, just gets better and better.
The novels really are "academic" crime fiction. The plots are never straight forward, and the actual plots do differ a little from the television series. And, as I've said before, Morse is a little different in a number
Morse is presented warts and all, at times adamantly sure he is correct when he is absolutely wrong. He is a womaniser, definitely a bachelor, not particularly healthy.
I remembered the basic plot of this book but that didn't reduce my enjoyment of it.
If you want a reading project for 2020 then you could do worse than reading the Morse series from beginning to end, either in print, or as an audio. I have added the complete list for you at the bottom of this post. My recommendation is to read them in order.
BTW this is the one where Max the pathologist is replaced by Laura Hobson after Max dies from a massive heart attack.
The novels really are "academic" crime fiction. The plots are never straight forward, and the actual plots do differ a little from the television series. And, as I've said before, Morse is a little different in a number
Show More
of ways from the character that John Thaw created for television.Morse is presented warts and all, at times adamantly sure he is correct when he is absolutely wrong. He is a womaniser, definitely a bachelor, not particularly healthy.
I remembered the basic plot of this book but that didn't reduce my enjoyment of it.
If you want a reading project for 2020 then you could do worse than reading the Morse series from beginning to end, either in print, or as an audio. I have added the complete list for you at the bottom of this post. My recommendation is to read them in order.
BTW this is the one where Max the pathologist is replaced by Laura Hobson after Max dies from a massive heart attack.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
Obviously I recognise that its impact upon my reading habits is probably not the most significant aspect of the global COVID-19 crisis. It is, however, something that I have not been able to overlook. I realise how crucial my former daily commute, amounting to around an hour each way, not merely
I have also found it difficult to concentrate on new books, and seem to be revisiting a lot of former favourites, which has in turn led to some significant reappraisals. In the nature of things, unless moved by some sort of feelings of duty or guilt, one generally only re-reads books that one enjoyed the first time around.
This was one such, and my initial recollection was that it was perhaps the strongest of the Inspector Morse series. Colin Dexter’s career as a novelist followed an unusual path. His early novels were ridiculously overcomplicated and featured a range of two-dimensional characters, peppered with deliberate and irritating flourishes that were there simply to demonstrate how clever Dexter was. Then, five or six books in, he hit a patch of strong, mid-season form, producing three or four novels that were genuinely accomplished, before subsiding into a coda of self-contemplation, culminating with the death of his protagonist.
I still think that this book belongs in that middle phase of well-crafted plots, combining plausible characters and plots, although, like the television series, I fear it has not aged well. First published in 1992, this book won the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger as best crime novel of the year. Nearly thirty years on, most of the crime-fiction reading public has come to expect rather grittier fare. Morse comes across as very irritating and complacent, but that was always part of the point about him as a character.
Of course, I suspect that I am in a minority of not many more than one in expressing what many (including one of my own sisters) will consider to be heretical views. Chief Inspector Morse has become one of the most popular fictional detectives. The original television series ran for several years, and has pawned not one but two equally prolific spin-offs, in [Lewis] and [Endeavour], and the books sold in huge numbers. I would also readily concede that I enjoyed watching the television series at the time.
Show More
offered a nice parcel of time, but also served to frame a valuable daily ritual. Now that I find myself working from home, and living in what almost amounts to a mild form of house arrest, I am missing that regimentation. While I may get out of bed a little later, I seem to start work earlier and then work for longer. Without my day being bookended by my trek in and out of London on the Underground, my reading time seems to have vanished.I have also found it difficult to concentrate on new books, and seem to be revisiting a lot of former favourites, which has in turn led to some significant reappraisals. In the nature of things, unless moved by some sort of feelings of duty or guilt, one generally only re-reads books that one enjoyed the first time around.
This was one such, and my initial recollection was that it was perhaps the strongest of the Inspector Morse series. Colin Dexter’s career as a novelist followed an unusual path. His early novels were ridiculously overcomplicated and featured a range of two-dimensional characters, peppered with deliberate and irritating flourishes that were there simply to demonstrate how clever Dexter was. Then, five or six books in, he hit a patch of strong, mid-season form, producing three or four novels that were genuinely accomplished, before subsiding into a coda of self-contemplation, culminating with the death of his protagonist.
I still think that this book belongs in that middle phase of well-crafted plots, combining plausible characters and plots, although, like the television series, I fear it has not aged well. First published in 1992, this book won the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger as best crime novel of the year. Nearly thirty years on, most of the crime-fiction reading public has come to expect rather grittier fare. Morse comes across as very irritating and complacent, but that was always part of the point about him as a character.
Of course, I suspect that I am in a minority of not many more than one in expressing what many (including one of my own sisters) will consider to be heretical views. Chief Inspector Morse has become one of the most popular fictional detectives. The original television series ran for several years, and has pawned not one but two equally prolific spin-offs, in [Lewis] and [Endeavour], and the books sold in huge numbers. I would also readily concede that I enjoyed watching the television series at the time.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JudyGibson
Loved it on the BBC, a bit more obscure in print.
LibraryThing member walterhistory
In a twisted case gone cold, an anonymous letter reopens the case of the missing Swedish Maiden case which leads to a decomposed body in a dense wood area. As the body is not the maiden, more questions are raised. Inspector Morse is called off his first vacation to resolve the case. The deeper he
Show More
delves, the mystery of the maiden deepens. A second murder leads Morse to the killer. Show Less
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Winner — 1992)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#5 — 1994)
Physical description
296 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
0517594447 / 9780517594445