The Wench is Dead is the eighth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
That night he dreamed in Technicolor. He saw the ochre-skinned, scantily clad siren in her black, arrowed stockings. And in Morse's muddled computer of a mind, that siren took the name of one Joanna Franks . . .
The body of Joanna Franks was found at Duke's Cut on the Oxford Canal at about 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 22nd June 1859.
At around 10.15 a.m. on a Saturday morning in 1989 the body of Chief Inspector Morse - though very much alive - was removed to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. Treatment for a perforated ulcer was later pronounced successful.
As Morse begins his recovery he comes across an account of the investigation and the trial that followed Joanna Franks' death . . . and becomes convinced that the two men hanged for her murder were innocent . . .
The Wench is Dead is followed by the ninth Inspector Morse book, The Jewel That Was Ours.
The Wench is Dead is the eighth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
That night he dreamed in Technicolor. He saw the ochre-skinned, scantily clad siren in her black, arrowed stockings. And in Morse's muddled computer of a mind, that siren took the name of one Joanna Franks . . .
The body of Joanna Franks was found at Duke's Cut on the Oxford Canal at about 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 22nd June 1859.
At around 10.15 a.m. on a Saturday morning in 1989 the body of Chief Inspector Morse - though very much alive - was removed to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. Treatment for a perforated ulcer was later pronounced successful.
As Morse begins his recovery he comes across an account of the investigation and the trial that followed Joanna Franks' death . . . and becomes convinced that the two men hanged for her murder were innocent . . .
The Wench is Dead is followed by the ninth Inspector Morse book, The Jewel That Was Ours.
The Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .
They called her the Swedish Maiden - the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved - pending further developments.
On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.
The Way Through the Woods is followed by the eleventh Inspector Morse book, The Daughters of Cain.
The Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .
They called her the Swedish Maiden - the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved - pending further developments.
On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.
The Way Through the Woods is followed by the eleventh Inspector Morse book, The Daughters of Cain.
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the third novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.
The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . .
And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . .
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is followed by the fourth Inspector Morse book, Service of All the Dead.
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the third novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.
The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . .
And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . .
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is followed by the fourth Inspector Morse book, Service of All the Dead.
The Secret of Annexe 3 is the seventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fateful evening had been wearing some sort of disguise - a change of dress, a change of make-up, a change of partner, a change of attitude, a change of life almost; and the man who had died had been the most consummate artist of them all . . .
Chief Inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder inquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal.
It was a crime worthy of the season.
The corpse was still in fancy dress. And hardly a single guest at the Haworth had registered under a genuine name . . .
The Secret of Annexe 3 is followed by the eighth Inspector Morse book, The Wench is Dead.
The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact nobody would miss most of them at all . . .
By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale was concerned, but not yet worried.
Dr Browne-Smith had passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody had heard from him since.
Plenty of time to disappear, thought Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . .
The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.
The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact nobody would miss most of them at all . . .
By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale was concerned, but not yet worried.
Dr Browne-Smith had passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody had heard from him since.
Plenty of time to disappear, thought Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . .
The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.
The Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and last novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
'Where does this all leave us, sir?'
'Things are moving fast.'
'We're getting near the end, you mean?'
'We were always near the end.'
The murder of Yvonne Harrison had left Thames Valley CID baffled. A year after the dreadful crime they are still no nearer to making an arrest. But one man has yet to tackle the case - and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels.
So why is he adamant that he will not lead the re-investigation, despite the entreaties of Chief Superintendent Strange and dark hints of some new evidence? And why, if he refuses to take on the case officially, does he seem to be carrying out his own private enquiries?
For Sergeant Lewis this is yet another example of the unsettling behaviour his chief has been displaying of late . . .
The Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and last novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.
'Where does this all leave us, sir?'
'Things are moving fast.'
'We're getting near the end, you mean?'
'We were always near the end.'
The murder of Yvonne Harrison had left Thames Valley CID baffled. A year after the dreadful crime they are still no nearer to making an arrest. But one man has yet to tackle the case - and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels.
So why is he adamant that he will not lead the re-investigation, despite the entreaties of Chief Superintendent Strange and dark hints of some new evidence? And why, if he refuses to take on the case officially, does he seem to be carrying out his own private enquiries?
For Sergeant Lewis this is yet another example of the unsettling behaviour his chief has been displaying of late . . .
From the author of the Inspector Morse series, a short story about a freelance investigator and what should be a simple case.
Mrs. Isobel Rodgers is an investigator's perfect client: beautiful, wealthy, and offering a straightfoward assignment. Mrs. Rodgers suspects her husband of an affair, and it's up to the investigator to determine the object of Mr. Rodger's affections. For someone with brilliant deductive powers, this should be an open-and-shut case-but Mrs. Rodgers may know more than she's letting on. "The Other Half" by Colin Dexter is one of 20 short stories within Mulholland Books's Strand Originals series, featuring thrilling stories by the biggest names in mystery from the Strand Magazine archives. View the full series list at mulhollandbooks.com and read them all!
