Traditional crime writing at its best; the kind of book without which no armchair is complete
The Sunday Times
No one constructs a whodunit with more fiendish skill than Colin Dexter
The Guardian
Dexter has created a giant among fictional detectives
The Times
The writing is highly intelligent, the atmosphere melancholy, the effect haunting
The Daily Telegraph
[Morse is] the most prickly, conceited and genuinely brilliant detective since Hercule Poirot
New York Times Book Review
The first intriguing case that began Colin Dexter’s phenomenally successful Inspector Morse series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.
‘Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?’
Lewis was nobody’s fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity.
‘Yes, sir.’
An engaging smile crept across Morse’s mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .
The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon’s edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening, Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man.
But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .
Last Bus to Woodstock is followed by the second Inspector Morse book, Last Seen Wearing.
Colin Dexter’s bestselling and award-winning Inspector Morse novels are loved across the world. Beginning with Last Bus to Woodstock, the series follows the nation’s most beloved fictional detective in his work as a senior Criminal Investigation Department officer within the Thames Valley Police in Oxford. Morse is known for his penchant for cryptic crosswords, English literature and cask ale, as well as his world-class deductive reasoning.
Written between 1975 and 1999, the thirteen novels proved ideal for television, being adapted by ITV with John Thaw playing Morse from 1987 to 2000. Spin-off shows have also been abundant, with Shaun Evans portraying the inspector in the prequel, Endeavour; as well as Lewis, a series based on Morse’s former Detective Sergeant.