Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories

Inspector Morse #10.5

by Colin Dexter

"Morse had solved so many mysteries in his life. Was he now, he wondered, beginning to glimpse the solution to the greatest mystery of them all . . . ?

How can the discovery of a short story by a beautiful Oxford graduate lead Chief Inspector Morse to her murderer? What awaits Morse and Lewis in Room 231 of the Randolph Hotel? Why does a theft at Christmas lead the detective to look upon the festive season with uncharacteristic goodwill? And what happens when Morse himself falls victim to a brilliantly executed crime?

This dazzling collection of short stories from Inspector Morse's creator, Colin Dexter, includes six ingenious cases for the world's most popular fictional detective - plus five other tantalizingly original tales to delight all lovers of classic crime fiction."

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Norman 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

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, most of which feature Dexter's series character, Chief Inspector Morse and his faithful sidekick, Sergeant Lewis. In one case, Morse tangles with a one-legged terrorist with a weakness for porn. In another, he attempts to head off a crime after he realizes that a poor innocent victim is being set up for a burglary. There are a number of murder cases that must be solved, and through it all, Morse remains his usual brilliant and cantankerous self. This is a book that will appeal to any fan of the series.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lunchtime Listen June 2024
This was a really enjoyable listen on the days that we didn't watch the Euro 2024 lunchtime game.

A mixed group of stories, from 30 mins to a couple of hours, from Sherlock and Mycroft to Morse, a real fun mix to listen to, brilliantly read by Samuel West

[AnnaG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a lot of short story collections, this is really a series of half-ideas that weren't good enough to develop into full length books. That can work with other authors who build suspense, plot and character presence quickly, but unfortunately, this format doesn't sit Dexter's writing style, which builds more slowly and needs more time to create atmosphere.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morse's greatest mystery A little Christmas mystery in which Morse solves a theft of money meant for a good cause, and leaving Lewis in awe.
Evans tries and O-level Jail-breaking German style
Dead as dodo Morse solves a wartime mystery perhaps even post war.
At the Lulu-bar motel everybody likes a good story with con-men and women
Neighbourhood watch a tale of a suspected house invasion that did happen somewhere else than Morse expected.
A case of Mis-Identity Sherlock Holmes Colin Dexter style the Holmes Boys zero and Watson one.
The inside story A young woman has been found murdered in her flat. Just before her death she had entered a short story competition with a murder story which in many ways runs parallel to her own life. This 'Inside Story' offers many clues to solving the crime. But who will get there first, Inspector Morse or Sergeant Lewis?
Monty's revolver When a special gun is auctioned, one collector is alarmed to end up facing the wrong end of the barrel. But not for the reasons one first suspects.
The Carpet bagger a case of mistaken identity or not?
Last call In which an apparent natural dead is depending on the last telephone call the victim received.

This is a nice collection of short stories where the Morse short stories are the greatest fun to be had especially if you are a fan.
I would have loved it if Dexter ever had taken the effort to write a Lewis book when he was involved with the TV show. I find bot the shows Morse & Lewis a lot of fun to watch.
Great little addition to any book-collection containing the Morse novels.

[blushenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't understand why some Morse fans do not like this little collection of lighthearted tales (some featuring Morse, some not). Here are a bunch of clever, funny, unassuming stories, with a twist towards the end which leaves the reader, well it left me - smiling. In the stories which feature Morse, the angst which the novels have accustomed us with is not present, but his interaction with Lewis is as good as ever and their relationship is still heartwarming. The Sherlock Holmes story is a play on the canon one 'A Case of Identity', with the involvement of Mycroft and an unexpected input from Watson, which had me grinning like an idiot. Well played, Mr. Dexter :)

Judging by my enjoyment of the stories, I should have given this collection 4 stars, but trying to be more objective - but then again, what is objectivity.... 4 stars it is!

[Leigh F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spent a lot of time in the car over the last few days and although I love these characters this was probably my least favorite of all of the novels.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read any of the Morse books yet; I have watched the first few seasons of Lewis and enjoyed them, so when I saw this book for $1 at the thrift store, I decided to take a chance on it. And for a short story collection, it's very good!

I enjoyed all of the stories about Morse and Lewis. I also like the Sherlock Holmes one - if you're familiar with the written Holmes at all you'll probably have fun with this, which turns the typical Sherlockian tale on its head. There were several other stand-alone mysteries in here, and I didn't like them as much, but only two were actual stinkers so that's pretty good. Overall this is a nice collection for mystery fans, whether you know Morse or not.

[Jill Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've heard it said that you can tell a great novelist by the short stories he or she writes. "Morse's Greatest Mystery" is a short story collection by Colin Dexter, the genius who gave the world Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis. The eleven stories include six about Morse and five more mysteries that vary in setting, character, and plot teases. That, indeed, is one of Dexter's many gifts; he is able to tease out a story inch by inch with buckets full of red herrings in a standard Morse mystery and very clever twists in these tales. Character development is another one of his gifts, which is seen fully matured in the Morse novels but also here in all the stories in which--in far fewer words--Dexter makes us care about the foibles of the individuals he can magically make appear.

I sped through these stories not because I wanted to read quickly but because I was so tantalized by what Dexter would come up with in the next few pages. A couple of the stories are no more than 15 pages long, including "Morse's Greatest Mystery" itself. "As Good As Gold" tells faithful readers more about the tried, true, and often tested friendship between Morse and Chief Superintendent Strange. "Morse's Greatest Mystery" takes place at Christmastime when Morse (who shares more than passing similarity to Scrooge) manages to solve the disappearance of a sizeable Christmas charity donation collected at a local pub by following a set of clues that completely baffle Sergeant Lewis. In "Dead as a Dodo", Morse gives a neighbour a lift on a rainy day in Oxford and listens to a unlikely story of a girl named Dodo Whitaker who went missing from the neighbour's life. Morse agrees reluctantly to look into the girl's history and solves the disappearance with minimal but key evidence and gloriously intuitive detection. In "Neighbourhood Watch", Morse steps into the local for a beer and solitude and is almost immediately surrounded by friends, one having experienced the theft of his car and its return along with a mysterious letter. Morse also solves this mystery, but this time he has the added advantage of some personal insight into the case. The four-part Morse tale called "The Inside Story" has Sergeant Lewis questioning his own aptitude for solving cases while Morse seems to unearth the right leads effortlessly including, in this case, a crossword clue. Quotes from Diogenes Small (another Morse mystery known to his faithful followers) pepper this story. "Last Call" has Morse and Lewis investigating a murder at an Oxford hotel. Lewis's legwork and Morse's insights track the motions of the persons involved, but, of course, it is Morse's intuition that solves the mystery of the dead man's last call.

"The Carpet-Bagger", although not technically a Morse story, has the great man putting in several sly appearances while PC Watson and his sergeant solve the disappearance of a prison escapee. "Monty's Revolver" is set in Oxford and has to do with a highly collectible gun that is the focal point of some mysterious double-dealings. "Evans Tries an O-Level" tells the story of a not-so-smart prison inmate who makes a clever escape by outwitting the prison Governor, a chaplain, and several other gents with--supposedly--considerably more brains than the inmate; this one story has more twists and turns than can be read in a shelf-long assemblage of typical mystery books. "At the Lulu Bar Motel" takes the reader to America and some flim-flam artists making a living from fooling the local tourists. Because this is a Dexter story, some interesting twists ensue. The last remaining story called "A Case of Mis-Identity" is Dexter's brilliant one-off about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Having read numerous attempts at recreating Holmes and Watson, I can say that this is nothing short of brilliant and is both true to the Conan Doyle characters and mystery style whilst being a lovable 'homage'.

All the stories assembled in this book only make the reader want more Morse and Lewis, more of the stunning City of Oxford, and more mysteries--short or long--by Colin Dexter. Readers familiar with the full-length Morse books will get a lot more out of this than casual passersby. The book, however, stands well on its own because of the delightful twists and as an introduction to the detective it most recalls.

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eleven Morse and Morse related mostly mystery or crime fiction shorts of different smaller cases… which strongly proved that Colin Dexter should stick to writing long form stories! 4 out of 12.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime Stories shouldn't be called 'delightful', if one thinks conscientiously. But this collection, exhibiting Colin Dexter's supreme literary skills and allowing us to have a short, sharp dip into the Oxford of Morse and Lewis, is a genuine delight.
It contains eleven stories. Several of them feature Morse. Some are stand-alone stories that are simultaneously chilly and warm. How's that even possible? You have to read this book to find out.
Most importantly, it contains a pastiche that shows that Holmes— even both the brothers— can fail at times, while the good doctor can shine.
My favourites were~
1. Evans Tries an O-Level;
2. Neighbourhood Watch;
3. A Case of Mis-Identity;
4. The Inside Story (a novella actually);
5. The Carpet-Bagger;
6. Last Call.
Overall, this is a superb sampler of all those things that had us constantly endeavour (no pun intended!) to read and watch Morse and Lewis's exploits.
Highly recommended.

[Charlotte (Buried in Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a wonderful touch of humour of this selection of short stories - some of which feature Morse. But my favourite is re-telling of a Sherlock Holmes story - in which Sherlock is told quite clearly that his solution is wrong, not just by one person, but by two.

The original story is one I remember well, as I've only recently read it - concerning a young woman, engaged, whose fiancée disappears on the morning they are to be married. He disappears just after getting her to agree that she'll wait for him, no matter what happens. The original solution always seemed wrong to me (I mean, even though he was disguised how could she not recognise her own stepfather). In this story 2 other theories are put forward, first by Mycroft (whose solution seemed much more probable than Sherlock's), but the best one is actually offered by Watson. I like the idea of Sherlock being arrested for slander, very nice touch.

As to the rest of the stories? They are nice enough and it was nice to get some bite sized chunks of Morse.

[Nathan Willard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Dexter, even more than Sayers, needs more ramp-up time to develop his plots. There were a couple of vaguely interesting stories here, but almost all were extremely abrupt and had more of the confusing obliqueness that characterizes Dexter than the despair-followed-by-sudden-brilliance that makes you empathize with the grumpy old man. The Holmes story was funny but lacked the brilliance of, say, Gaiman's Study in Emerald.

[Laurel Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories by Colin Dexter, some about Inspector Morse, some not. It’s a mixed bag.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories includes eleven stories, and more than half of them feature Morse. Some are longer than others, but my favorite is the titular story which is only six pages long and is a wonderful story taking place at Christmastime. I like the Morse stories the best, but also enjoy the very well-written Sherlock Holmes tale.

[Tim Healy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't exactly required reading for the Morse series. However, I think it's fun. This is a bunch of little stories and scene sketches featuring Morse and Lewis. My favorites of the bunch are one that involve the theft, and then return, of a car, and one that involves a dead body found in a room at the Randolph Hotel with it's door open and no one else present. Anyway, these are fun and I'm glad I read them.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories (Inspector Morse Mysteries)

Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories (Inspector Morse Mysteries)
by Colin Dexter

5.0 out of 5 stars Short Stories NOT short changed, August 18, 2013


This review is from: Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories (Inspector Morse Mysteries) Morse's Greatest Mystery and other Short Stories by Colin Dexter

Let me begin by giving the list of short Stories in this wonderful book that include Inspector Morse & Lewis, all of which I've read.

As Good As Gold

Morse's Greatest Mystery

Dead as a Dodo (does not include Lewis)

Neighbourhood Watch

The Inside Story

Last Call

These stories, although called short, do not short change the reader in any way whatsoever. They are complete in themselves and far outrank any current short story on the market (in my opinion). Colin Dexter wrote them with as much involvement/depth as any of his Morse novels. Superb and a 5 star rating is compared to other Morse books and not to be confused with ratings on other mysteries.

The other stories I've yet to read and at first glance do include Morse & Lewis but appear to have the same qualities that have been presented to all fans of this wonderful series by this gifted author.

You, the reader, will definitely not be short changed by buying this wonderfully engaging book with Morse & Lewis stories.

[Zai Zai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Colin Dexter is a quintessential British mystery writer. As genre fan, I am compelled to try at least one of his books. I guess I picked the lame one. Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories is a collection of shorts that are mostly set in the Morse universe, with an exception of one which is Dexter's take on a Sherlock Holmes story (this was one of the highlights of the book for me).

Inspector Morse is a demanding boss now close to retirement age. He is a bit crude and sorta unlikeable. He certainly loves a drink and I'm worried about his liver tbh. While he is a step or two behind Poirot, I think there is plenty of charm on how he solves mysteries. He is definitely more brash in technique.

The shorts here are a mixed bag as one can expect from collections. I did find that some of the stories were not very clever. Some even read as unfinished. Even the story dubbed as the "Greatest" was a dud. I guess I'll have to read a proper novel.

Read the trade paperback while listening to the audiobook. The audiobook was a tad too British and challenged my comprehension of the English language. This was rather difficult to read and wish I did not pick this up. 2 stars.

[Fred Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now and then I catch one of the Morse murder mysteries on PBS and enjoy the intellectual, curmudgeonly Inspector Morse. While not all the stories in this collection are about him - there is a great imitation of a Sherlock Holmes story, for example - it is an interesting read. Sometimes gets a bit bogged down in "Britishisms" that take some figuring out, but overall pretty enjoyable with a clever "O'Henry" type twist for most. Kept it around for a "mental popcorn" break from long novels and non-fiction stuff.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of a short story collection, but this one is outstanding. I also don't give five stars lightly. I feel the overall book deserves them. I'll add that not all may love this set of stories. Those who love real mysteries will love these. Those who love James Patterson or Sandra Brown are likely not to like them.

Dexter really has a flair for crafting a short mystery. No easy task. Sorry there is only one collection of short stories. Still hope for more from Dexter.

The tales in the book are all mysteries with great characters, stories and terrific writing.

Bottom line: I recommend the book!

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this, although I found some of the stories a bit predictable. To be honest, it was the non-Morse stories that I liked the best - I didn't actually like the character of Morse as it was written - too miserable!! Unfortunately, I can't remember any of the story titles, but I liked the one about the escaping prisoner the best.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

like most collections of short stories, some are better than others. My favourite is an hilarious Sherlock Holmes story, which alone is worth the price of this volume. Some of the others I didn't enjoy as much, though they are all quite enjoyable. But read it for the Sherlock Holmes story if nothing else.

[Dignan107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mix of light-hearted stories. Some Morse some not. The prison escape was my favourite with 'Last Call' another enjoyable read. Well worth a re-read at some future stage. Highly recommended

[James Grimditch · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was young, fresh-faced, and posting instagram photos that would haunt me for the rest of my teenage years, I had a policy that I hated short stories. Recently, in an attempt to branch out, I have read a couple of collections and was sort of warming to them. I kind of get it, I thought, they’re like a bag of revels to the novel’s dairy milk. A third are great, a third fine, and a third untouchable to anything above livestock. Well, dear reader, I now realise I’ve never been wrong about anything in my life; because short stories are terrible.
Unless explicitly told, ‘this collection is actually good’, and even then make sure you ascertain which are the raisin revels, steer well clear. Just because you like someone’s novels, will not make up for the lack of fulfilment baked into short stories. They either involve a character mooching about with no discernible purpose, a tale that somehow go on too long, or are the narrative equivalent of vomiting at 10pm on a night out. I normally try not to mix metaphors, certainly not one as crass or that reflects as poorly on me as that, but I hope that it’s incongruousness, it’s vulgarity, it’s lack of class, demonstrates how annoyed I was at this book, and the bubbling rage it stirred up in me about all the short stories I have read that involve a detective working out the murderer in 3 seconds flat, or a middle class, repressed woman, struggling through a relationship.
I am willing to concede I may have just had a bad day at work

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Dexter/Morse to date! If you haven't read Morse and want to, start here. If you fell in love with the character because of the TV series and want to read his stories, start here. Ironically, the detective's fleshy, perceptive, idealistic personality develops more richly and fully in these snapshot stories than in a novel. My favorite was the one about the missing charity money during Christmas. Totally gives the full range of who Morse is.

A handful of the stories in the collection are just standalone stories, where Morse does not feature. In these, Dexter shows that he has creativity and versatility that doesn't need to hang its head on the same shelf as Christie. My favorite was the one about the prisoner who wants to take a German test. Dexter writes a good smart criminal.

Totally recommend for a vacation read for any mystery enthusiast.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of short stories by Colin Dexter. Some include Morse and Lewis. They are: As Good as Gold, Morse's Greatest Mystery, Evans Tries an O-Level, Dead as a Dodo, At the Lulu-Bar Motel, Neighbourhood Watch, A Case of Mis-Identity, The Inside Story, Monty's Revolver, The Carpet-Bagger, Last Call. I admit up front, I am not a fan of the short story format. Even the Morse stories did nothing to change my mind. I will be starting my last Colin Dexter soon. Thus ends an enjoyable period of being in Oxford where the bells peal, the sherry is poured and academic gowns flap in the breeze.

[Shabbeer Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story series by Colin Dexter which to my surprise, despite the book's name didn't have Morse in them! Now don't get me wrong, there are a few stories featuring Morse's beer laden grey cells and some of them are even good, but the rest seems to be a collection of Dexter's rejected stories from some anthology. Definitely worth giving a miss!

My rating - 3/5

[Angela Britnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting short stories here although not all featured Morse, as I'd expected.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by watching a few (pretty decent) non-Dexter Morse episodes on DVD in recent weeks I thought I’d return ad fontes, and since short stories are easier to fit around breakfasts and bathtime routines this book seemed the place to start.

It’s a mixed bag of small whodunnits, with a couple of jolly prison break stories, and doesn’t really deserve four stars, except for the fantastic Sherlock Holmes pastiche (a sparkling re-working of ‘A Case of Identity’) which is almost worth the price of the book by itself.

[Jim B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rather read a copy of an Inspector Morse mystery than listen to one, but this book of short stories in an audio book was available free to me through Audible, and I decided to treat myself. The challenge is to listen so closely that you know when something is a joke (very gratifying, when you chuckle with Colin Dexter), and so you realize what happened, when the story ends. Inspector Morse short stories don't often come out and say what Morse figured out - if you follow closely, you understand at the end what the clever mystery was.

I can probably listen to this a second time next year and not remember a detail - I was entertained but did not have the full immersive experience.

[Lorraine Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Morse, Colin Dexter's famous — or is that infamous — Chief Inspector from Oxford CID is featured in this collection of eleven short stories. It came to my notice last week as another blogger was reviewing it and I immediately thought it would be particularly timely since one of the stories is a Christmas story.

Each of the stories begins with a famous and familiar quotation, is a very quick, enjoyable read, and displays a series of twists demonstrating the quick wit of a criminal or the inscrutable logic of Morse. Morse's Greatest Mystery begins with a quote from A Christmas Carol because this investigation is one where Detective Sergeant Lewis is feeling that Morse is giving a good impression of Scrooge. When he picks him up early one Tuesday morning before Christmas, Morse is arguing on the phone with the bank manager, quibbling over a minor charge. Listening to his boss's ill tempter, Lewis is moved to comment that Morse "sound[s] more like Scrooge every minute".

Lewis was starting to become irritated with Morse's cheapness, the expectation that he would have to treat Morse to a pint or two, and the fact that, since Morse's old Jag was in the shop again, Lewis would have to "ferry him around" all day. Once in the car, Lewis brought Morse up-to-date on the events of the previous day at the George, a pub run by Mrs. Michaels and her husband. It seemed that the patrons had been collecting for the Littlemore Charity for Mentally Handicapped Children as a Christmas gesture and had raised £400. Rather than presenting a "phonily magnified cheque", Mrs. Michaels had opted for genuine notes and had brought them home from the bank in a "long white envelope tucked into her shopping bag along with her morning's purchases". Hearing the phone as she entered the pub, she "had dumped her bag on the counter and rushed to answer it". When she retrieved it, the envelope was missing.

Both Lewis and Morse knew there was next to no possibility that the money could be retrieved but they went through the motions when they arrived at the George, as luck would have it, just at opening time. All the patrons from the day before were present and after a few "perfunctory" interviews which Lewis thought "sadly unsatisfactory", Morse appeared to have been struck with the answer:

Something dramatic had just happened to Morse, Lewis could see that: as if the light had suddenly shined upon a man that hitherto had sat in darkness. He (Morse) now asked — amazingly! — whether by any chance the good lady possessed a pair of bright green, high-heeled leather shoes; and when she replied that, yes, she did, Morse smiled serenely, as though he had solved the secret of the universe, and promptly summoned into the lounge bar not only the three he'd just interviewed but all those now in the George who had been drinking there the previous morning.

Morse addressed the gathering with confidence: he knew the identity of the culprit and was certain that "Because at this Christmas time that person no longer had the power to resist his better self", and that he expected the money to be "turned in to the Thames Valley Police HQ within the next twenty-four hours".

Lewis is totally stymied and never does figure out how Morse could be so positive when there were really no clues at all other than the bright green shoes — which he couldn't see fit into the case at all. I don't want to spoil it for you. One clue: Morse isn't really a Scrooge! A delightful collection of short stories from that master of detection, Colin Dexter