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Inspector Morse #1-2
Last Seen Wearing / Last Bus to Woodstock
LAST SEEN WEARING
'Morse was beset by a nagging feeling. Most of his fanciful notions about the Taylor girl had evaporated and he had begun to suspect that further investigation into Valerie's disappearance would involve little more than sober and tedious routine...'
The Statements before Inspector Morse appeared to confirm the bald, simple truth.
After leaving home to return to school, teenager Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold.
Until two years, three months, and two days after Valerie's disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case...
LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK
'"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 would 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 - facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault, and rape.
But, as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key...
'Morse was beset by a nagging feeling. Most of his fanciful notions about the Taylor girl had evaporated and he had begun to suspect that further investigation into Valerie's disappearance would involve little more than sober and tedious routine...'
The Statements before Inspector Morse appeared to confirm the bald, simple truth.
After leaving home to return to school, teenager Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold.
Until two years, three months, and two days after Valerie's disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case...
LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK
'"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 would 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 - facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault, and rape.
But, as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key...
- GenresMystery
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
45 people want to read
About the author
Colin Dexter
182 books716 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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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 5, 2025
I bought this book as a kid, I seem to have read the first and not the second, but idk why, tho I also don't know why the second story is put first then the first story is in the second section of this book
November 29, 2024
I liked the protagonists but unfortunately the story was sometimes a little bit confusing and incomprehensible. Honestly, I have read better crime books.
July 13, 2016
Last Seen Wearing/Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter
The first, really annoying thing about this book was that it was printed the wrong way round. Last Bus to Woodstock, the first ever Morse book, was the second book, so I started halfway through, and finished halfway through by the time I'd read Last Seen Wearing. I've watched a few episodes of Morse on the TV, therefore John Thaw and Kevin Whately were stuck in my head and Morse and Lewis, but I don't consider this a bad thing. Now having read Morse, I think they were perfectly cast, although I still can't get my head around Morse ever falling in love with someone.
Both novels were excellent, and although I worked it out in Last Bus to Woodstock, I hadn't in Last Seen Wearing. What I love most about these books is the fact that Morse spends most of the novel, barking up the wrong tree! He came up with endless theories and many of them turned out to be incorrect. So often detectives are perfect, and there's a light bulb moment when everything clicks into place. This isn't so with Morse. Colin Dexter also manages to create a simmering 'pull'. You never rush to turn the page, but your brain keeps telling you to read one more chapter. Before you know it, it's two in the morning.
The first, really annoying thing about this book was that it was printed the wrong way round. Last Bus to Woodstock, the first ever Morse book, was the second book, so I started halfway through, and finished halfway through by the time I'd read Last Seen Wearing. I've watched a few episodes of Morse on the TV, therefore John Thaw and Kevin Whately were stuck in my head and Morse and Lewis, but I don't consider this a bad thing. Now having read Morse, I think they were perfectly cast, although I still can't get my head around Morse ever falling in love with someone.
Both novels were excellent, and although I worked it out in Last Bus to Woodstock, I hadn't in Last Seen Wearing. What I love most about these books is the fact that Morse spends most of the novel, barking up the wrong tree! He came up with endless theories and many of them turned out to be incorrect. So often detectives are perfect, and there's a light bulb moment when everything clicks into place. This isn't so with Morse. Colin Dexter also manages to create a simmering 'pull'. You never rush to turn the page, but your brain keeps telling you to read one more chapter. Before you know it, it's two in the morning.
January 14, 2010
This these are two books in the Inspector Morse series, far and away my favourite series in the genre.
Inspector Morse is a very realistic character. He drinks, he smokes, and he makes conclusion based on intuition that, more often than not, are completely off the mark.
Last Bus to Woodstock is the first book of the series, Last Seen Wearing the second.
Inspector Morse is a very realistic character. He drinks, he smokes, and he makes conclusion based on intuition that, more often than not, are completely off the mark.
Last Bus to Woodstock is the first book of the series, Last Seen Wearing the second.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews