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Inspector Morse #11-12
Death is Now My Neighbour / The Daughters of Cain
[Read by Frederick Davidson]
Little progress had been made by the Thames Valley Police since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The police had no weapon, no suspect, and no motive. But within days of taking over the investigation, Chief Inspector Morse and Detective Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of the victim, Dr. Felix McClure, late of Wolsey College, Oxford.
The trail leads to a staircase in Wolsey College and a former ''scout'' there, one Edward Brooks, who disappears following the theft of a knife from the Pitt Rivers Museum. When another body is discovered, Morse suddenly finds himself with too many suspects, including Brooks' wife, a prostitute, and an enigmatic schoolmistress. Attracted to one of the possible killers, the chief inspector may be too involved for success.
It will take much thought, many pints, and not a little anguish before Morse sees the connection between McClure's death and the daughters of Cain.
Little progress had been made by the Thames Valley Police since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The police had no weapon, no suspect, and no motive. But within days of taking over the investigation, Chief Inspector Morse and Detective Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of the victim, Dr. Felix McClure, late of Wolsey College, Oxford.
The trail leads to a staircase in Wolsey College and a former ''scout'' there, one Edward Brooks, who disappears following the theft of a knife from the Pitt Rivers Museum. When another body is discovered, Morse suddenly finds himself with too many suspects, including Brooks' wife, a prostitute, and an enigmatic schoolmistress. Attracted to one of the possible killers, the chief inspector may be too involved for success.
It will take much thought, many pints, and not a little anguish before Morse sees the connection between McClure's death and the daughters of Cain.
387 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2001
51 people want to read
About the author
Colin Dexter
182 books714 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 5, 2020
The Daughters of Cain is an Inspector Morse murder mystery. I like how each chapter is preceded by a quote from a well-known book. That quote somehow ties in with something that happens in the chapter. What happens when all your suspects couldn’t have done it?
March 31, 2012
We all have favourite summertime books. Some people pick up good, thick fantasy novels; others dive deep into intense realistic books like Rohinton Mistry’s “A Fine Balance.” Others look for light romances and perhaps the odd new cookery book.
I picked up another Morse novel!
If you haven’t read the Morse series, this is probably not the book you should pick up first. Though the chronology of the series is not that significant, I think one should start with the early Morse books first. You can becomes familiar with the slightly younger detective (maybe in his fifties?) before diving into the later Morse books.
“Death is Now my Neighbour” is the second to last book in the series, followed only by “The Remorseful Day,” which I have already read. Here Dexter gives us some fairly major revelations about the character of Morse, including what his first name is!
Throughout the series, we know Morse as Morse only. Often characters will ask Morse for his first name and question him about it. He refuses to say a thing. “Morse” he’ll say abruptly, rebuffing anyone who dare question him. I was surprised that Dexter finally reveals Morse’s first name, and the revelation is to both the reader and to Morse’s long-time sergeant, Lewis.
What is the name? Read the book or check out other internet sites that give it away! I won’t say anything, except that if I were Morse, laden with such a name, I’d certainly go by my last name only, or invent some other name for myself!
I know. I’m putting off discussing the novel. “Death Is Now My Neighbour” is another great mystery, fully up to the usual standard. It’s clever, funny and well-plotted. There are lots of suspects in this one and Morse, as usual, follows many false leads. It is a slightly more poignant tale then some previous because of the personal revelations about Morse, and Morse seems now more vulnerable than before.
For those of you who feel like reading the Morse series, I’ll list the novels for you:
Last Bus to Woodstock
Last Seen Wearing
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
Service of All the Dead
The Dead of Jericho
The Riddle of the Third Mile
The Secret of Annexe 3
The Wench is Dead
The Jewel That Was Ours
The Way Through the Woods
The Daughters of Cain
Morse’s Greatest Mystery and the other Stories
Death is Now My Neighbour
The Remorseful Dead.
I picked up another Morse novel!
If you haven’t read the Morse series, this is probably not the book you should pick up first. Though the chronology of the series is not that significant, I think one should start with the early Morse books first. You can becomes familiar with the slightly younger detective (maybe in his fifties?) before diving into the later Morse books.
“Death is Now my Neighbour” is the second to last book in the series, followed only by “The Remorseful Day,” which I have already read. Here Dexter gives us some fairly major revelations about the character of Morse, including what his first name is!
Throughout the series, we know Morse as Morse only. Often characters will ask Morse for his first name and question him about it. He refuses to say a thing. “Morse” he’ll say abruptly, rebuffing anyone who dare question him. I was surprised that Dexter finally reveals Morse’s first name, and the revelation is to both the reader and to Morse’s long-time sergeant, Lewis.
What is the name? Read the book or check out other internet sites that give it away! I won’t say anything, except that if I were Morse, laden with such a name, I’d certainly go by my last name only, or invent some other name for myself!
I know. I’m putting off discussing the novel. “Death Is Now My Neighbour” is another great mystery, fully up to the usual standard. It’s clever, funny and well-plotted. There are lots of suspects in this one and Morse, as usual, follows many false leads. It is a slightly more poignant tale then some previous because of the personal revelations about Morse, and Morse seems now more vulnerable than before.
For those of you who feel like reading the Morse series, I’ll list the novels for you:
Last Bus to Woodstock
Last Seen Wearing
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
Service of All the Dead
The Dead of Jericho
The Riddle of the Third Mile
The Secret of Annexe 3
The Wench is Dead
The Jewel That Was Ours
The Way Through the Woods
The Daughters of Cain
Morse’s Greatest Mystery and the other Stories
Death is Now My Neighbour
The Remorseful Dead.
October 9, 2013
A comfortable read as all Morse books are.
November 27, 2012
Typical Morse...brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews