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Inspector Morse #7
The Secret of Annexe 3
‘Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fatal 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...
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...
301 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
130 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
Colin Dexter
180 books713 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
May 31, 2025
The Secret of Annexe 3 is the seventh book in Colin Dexter’s “Inspector Morse” series. We are now at the midpoint of the series, and Morse is firmly fixed in his irascible curmudgeon role. He is now 54. One minor character says he is “distinctly brusque and hostile” on her first encounter with him. Another describes him as,
“disturbingly strange, this man with the hard-staring, startling eyes - eyes that reminded her of the more fanatical politicians… that seem uncommunicative or unseeing, eyes fixed, it seemed, upon some distanced, spiritual shore.”
Morse seems to be evolving into looking more like the character played by the late much-loved John Thaw. He is described in this novels as, “a man of medium height who had filled out into a somewhat barrel-shaped figure with his … shirt now stretching tight round his chest. His unshaven jowls suggested an age of nearer 60 and his face seemed cast in a slightly melancholy mould.”
It may come as a surprise to viewers of the TV series that Lewis, played by tall, slim Kevin Whately, is “a thick-set, slightly awkward looking man, for whom the only blemishes on a life of unexciting virtuousness were a gluttonous partiality for egg and chips, and a passion for fast driving.”
Each chapter has an apt quotation at its head, a style which seems to be becoming a favourite of Dexter’s - and this particular reader’s too. Actually, these earlier chapters are very entertaining in their own right. It would be quite possible to forget that this is a detective novel. As usual Morse himself is not present until a fair way into the book. The chapter introduces us to a couple of characters, the Bowmans, and we quickly deduce that their marriage is rocky. A possible crime is signalled here. But we know this author of old, and this would seem suspiciously straightforward.
The next 5 chapters are hilarious. Character after character are introduced, all having their own little cameo role. The writing is very witty and droll. They are set in a hotel which is struggling to survive, and hosting New Year short breaks to get some revenue. The characters, costumes and situations described are a delight. Who would have thought Mr Dexter to have had so much humour in him? Inevitably, they end with a murder, although unusually for Dexter, this is the only one.
From then on though - and actually as soon as Morse himself enters the scene - the humour peters out. It becomes more of a standard mystery novel, and because of the number of characters now involved, quite a few already being in the building at the time, unravelling the mystery takes quite a while. We have several minor characters who are mere red herrings. Morse, true to form leaps to the wrong conclusion - in fact more than one. It is not as fiendishly complicated as some of Dexter’s plots tend to be, however, although there is one thread left hanging at the end. Again, this ambiguity seems to be becoming a favourite “trick” by the author. Certainly he obscures the main explanation until very near the end.
Because the second half of the book concentrates on Morse and Lewis’s attempt to work out what happened, we get far more interaction between these two characters than we have seen so far. We still get a lot more of Morse’s internal thoughts than is typical of a crime novel. There is far less dialogue, but this is part of Dexter’s uniqueness and charm. The relationship between the two detectives is becoming more even-handed. We get the impression that some mutual respect has developed. When Morse says “Well done, my son!” perhaps now it is not only mere words. Interestingly, this is the first novel in which Morse seems to value Lewis’s input, in turn suggesting that some of the more routine work is left to other officers.
The other big plus for this half of the novel is its sense of place. Most of the book takes place in a very small area of Oxford around St. Giles and Brasenose College. We learn that he regularly drinks in “The Eagle and Child”, where “The Inklings” (C.S. Lewis's little clique) also used to meet and drink. Also, we learn that he lives in a flat on the Banbury Road in North Oxford. A crucially important event in the novel takes place at Carfax tower. These and other places are well-known to this reviewer, (who also lived in the area for a couple of years) and I can attest to the authenticity of their depiction.
I would however take issue once again with Dexter’s apparent misogyny. Time after time the male characters have more depth and variety than the females. How would you feel if I commented in this review that a character “filled his trousers well”? Amused? Irritated? Offended? Possibly all three? The point is that Dexter has a tits-and-bums view of women in these novels which becomes very tiresome. It would be perfectly reasonable for this to be a feature of Morse’s character himself, but it is not. Yes, Morse is known to be coarse, but he is also an aesthete and highly intelligent. There are many layers to his character. These attitudes do not always come from his mouth.
In addition, the crime in this novel hinges on an incredible misunderstanding. I use the word in its true sense; it is incredible to this reader. Once again we have Dexter's penchant for disguise and substitution playing an important part. In this case though we are expected to believe that Really? Really, Mr Dexter? What planet have you been living on?
A disappointing conclusion then for a novel which started so well. It would have a 2 star rating, save that the earlier writing was so droll; a very witty take on the traditional cosy “country house” style murder. Dexter’s erudition never lets him down. I quite like the conundrums too, such as “it was the masks that were the reality and the faces beneath that were the pretence.”
There have been ample examples of Dexter’s own views in the previous six novels. In my reviews of these I have made the point that it is not the character, nor the authorial voice. Although Dexter is clearly a highly intelligent person and a talented author, he also sometimes seems to display ignorant sexist and racist views. Although these attitudes are sometimes defended as “of their time and culture", this was published in 1986. In Dexter’s particular case perhaps the reader will have to accept that this attitude of his will never change. After all, as Morse says, “Fallacious logic [is] not infrequently the product of wishful thinking.”
“disturbingly strange, this man with the hard-staring, startling eyes - eyes that reminded her of the more fanatical politicians… that seem uncommunicative or unseeing, eyes fixed, it seemed, upon some distanced, spiritual shore.”
Morse seems to be evolving into looking more like the character played by the late much-loved John Thaw. He is described in this novels as, “a man of medium height who had filled out into a somewhat barrel-shaped figure with his … shirt now stretching tight round his chest. His unshaven jowls suggested an age of nearer 60 and his face seemed cast in a slightly melancholy mould.”
It may come as a surprise to viewers of the TV series that Lewis, played by tall, slim Kevin Whately, is “a thick-set, slightly awkward looking man, for whom the only blemishes on a life of unexciting virtuousness were a gluttonous partiality for egg and chips, and a passion for fast driving.”
Each chapter has an apt quotation at its head, a style which seems to be becoming a favourite of Dexter’s - and this particular reader’s too. Actually, these earlier chapters are very entertaining in their own right. It would be quite possible to forget that this is a detective novel. As usual Morse himself is not present until a fair way into the book. The chapter introduces us to a couple of characters, the Bowmans, and we quickly deduce that their marriage is rocky. A possible crime is signalled here. But we know this author of old, and this would seem suspiciously straightforward.
The next 5 chapters are hilarious. Character after character are introduced, all having their own little cameo role. The writing is very witty and droll. They are set in a hotel which is struggling to survive, and hosting New Year short breaks to get some revenue. The characters, costumes and situations described are a delight. Who would have thought Mr Dexter to have had so much humour in him? Inevitably, they end with a murder, although unusually for Dexter, this is the only one.
From then on though - and actually as soon as Morse himself enters the scene - the humour peters out. It becomes more of a standard mystery novel, and because of the number of characters now involved, quite a few already being in the building at the time, unravelling the mystery takes quite a while. We have several minor characters who are mere red herrings. Morse, true to form leaps to the wrong conclusion - in fact more than one. It is not as fiendishly complicated as some of Dexter’s plots tend to be, however, although there is one thread left hanging at the end. Again, this ambiguity seems to be becoming a favourite “trick” by the author. Certainly he obscures the main explanation until very near the end.
Because the second half of the book concentrates on Morse and Lewis’s attempt to work out what happened, we get far more interaction between these two characters than we have seen so far. We still get a lot more of Morse’s internal thoughts than is typical of a crime novel. There is far less dialogue, but this is part of Dexter’s uniqueness and charm. The relationship between the two detectives is becoming more even-handed. We get the impression that some mutual respect has developed. When Morse says “Well done, my son!” perhaps now it is not only mere words. Interestingly, this is the first novel in which Morse seems to value Lewis’s input, in turn suggesting that some of the more routine work is left to other officers.
The other big plus for this half of the novel is its sense of place. Most of the book takes place in a very small area of Oxford around St. Giles and Brasenose College. We learn that he regularly drinks in “The Eagle and Child”, where “The Inklings” (C.S. Lewis's little clique) also used to meet and drink. Also, we learn that he lives in a flat on the Banbury Road in North Oxford. A crucially important event in the novel takes place at Carfax tower. These and other places are well-known to this reviewer, (who also lived in the area for a couple of years) and I can attest to the authenticity of their depiction.
I would however take issue once again with Dexter’s apparent misogyny. Time after time the male characters have more depth and variety than the females. How would you feel if I commented in this review that a character “filled his trousers well”? Amused? Irritated? Offended? Possibly all three? The point is that Dexter has a tits-and-bums view of women in these novels which becomes very tiresome. It would be perfectly reasonable for this to be a feature of Morse’s character himself, but it is not. Yes, Morse is known to be coarse, but he is also an aesthete and highly intelligent. There are many layers to his character. These attitudes do not always come from his mouth.
In addition, the crime in this novel hinges on an incredible misunderstanding. I use the word in its true sense; it is incredible to this reader. Once again we have Dexter's penchant for disguise and substitution playing an important part. In this case though we are expected to believe that Really? Really, Mr Dexter? What planet have you been living on?
A disappointing conclusion then for a novel which started so well. It would have a 2 star rating, save that the earlier writing was so droll; a very witty take on the traditional cosy “country house” style murder. Dexter’s erudition never lets him down. I quite like the conundrums too, such as “it was the masks that were the reality and the faces beneath that were the pretence.”
There have been ample examples of Dexter’s own views in the previous six novels. In my reviews of these I have made the point that it is not the character, nor the authorial voice. Although Dexter is clearly a highly intelligent person and a talented author, he also sometimes seems to display ignorant sexist and racist views. Although these attitudes are sometimes defended as “of their time and culture", this was published in 1986. In Dexter’s particular case perhaps the reader will have to accept that this attitude of his will never change. After all, as Morse says, “Fallacious logic [is] not infrequently the product of wishful thinking.”
June 12, 2016
A New Year's Eve costume ball at an Oxford hotel ends unhappily when the grand prize winner is found murdered in his bed in the hotel annex the next day. Complicating matters is the fact that most of the guests and the staff as well imbibed rather heavily at the party and their memories of the evening aren't all that an investigator might wish. And further complicating matters is that the other five guests who were staying in the hotel annex, including the victim's wife, have all fled the scene, leaving behind only the registration cards on which they filled out their false names and addresses.
Not to worry. Chief Inspector Morse of the Oxford Homicide Division will get it all sorted out eventually. First, of course, there's the matter of identifying the unfortunate victim. Then Morse and his faithful sidekick, Sergeant Lewis, will have to wade through the complicated marital and extra-marital relationships of the three couples who were staying in the annex that night. It's a pretty complicated affair, with little evidence to go on. But Morse's keen intelligence eventually focuses in on the critical clues and the only remaining question is whether or not he can trap the killer before he or she evades his grasp once and for all.
This is the seventh entry in Colin Dexter's popular series and by now the characters and the relationships among them are very well established. Picking up one of these books is like falling instantly back into pleasant company. The mystery itself becomes almost secondary; the pleasure in these books derives from watching Morse and Lewis at work, and fans of the series will certainly enjoy this entry.
Not to worry. Chief Inspector Morse of the Oxford Homicide Division will get it all sorted out eventually. First, of course, there's the matter of identifying the unfortunate victim. Then Morse and his faithful sidekick, Sergeant Lewis, will have to wade through the complicated marital and extra-marital relationships of the three couples who were staying in the annex that night. It's a pretty complicated affair, with little evidence to go on. But Morse's keen intelligence eventually focuses in on the critical clues and the only remaining question is whether or not he can trap the killer before he or she evades his grasp once and for all.
This is the seventh entry in Colin Dexter's popular series and by now the characters and the relationships among them are very well established. Picking up one of these books is like falling instantly back into pleasant company. The mystery itself becomes almost secondary; the pleasure in these books derives from watching Morse and Lewis at work, and fans of the series will certainly enjoy this entry.
May 17, 2015
Read by................... Michael Pennington
Total Runtime.......... 6 hours 42 mins
Description: 'Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fatal 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...
As an easy mnemonic, this is the one on a New Year's Eve where the dress-up West Indian Reggae player bites the mattress.
Time for some Marley, how sad he never got around to his own version of Auld Lang Syne.
4* Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse, #1)
3* Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse, #2)
3* The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Inspector Morse, #3)
3* Service of All the Dead (Inspector Morse, #4)
3* The Dead of Jericho (Inspector Morse, #5)
4* The Riddle of the Third Mile (Inspector Morse, #6)
3* The Secret of Annexe 3 (Inspector Morse #7)
3* The Wench Is Dead (Inspector Morse, #8)
3* Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories
July 26, 2017
This is a short book in the continuing Morse series (#7) and I wasn't particularly impressed. I usually am entranced by the characters, plots, and general atmosphere of the Morse books but for some reason this book didn't seem to be up to the usual standards set by Dexter. Lots of incidental characters and a rather convoluted plot that really doesn't go anywhere. The ending is less than satisfactory and is certainly far-fetched with too many coincidences in my opinion. But this series is so good that every once in a while there has to be one or two books that stumble.....this is one of them.
December 20, 2024
Another cracking entry in the Inspector Morse series. I truly enjoy his relationship with his sidekick, Lewis. They make a good team.
Standout quotes that caught my ears:
This one reminded me of how we should pay attention to how we name our children! 'Doris Arkwright' - "With a name like that she just had to be a suspicious, carefully calculating crap crumpet."
Lewis: "Pardon, sir?"
Morse: "I said I'm sorry that's all, I must have missed the bloody things, and there's something else I want to say - well done. No wonder I sometimes find it useful having you around, my old friend."
Wisdom from Morse: "Sometimes life eludes logic and sometimes when you build great big wonderful theory you find there's a fault in the foundations and the whole thing collapses around your ears at the slightest earth tremor."
Morse to Lewis: "You have an admirably delicate turn of phrase."
Standout quotes that caught my ears:
This one reminded me of how we should pay attention to how we name our children! 'Doris Arkwright' - "With a name like that she just had to be a suspicious, carefully calculating crap crumpet."
Lewis: "Pardon, sir?"
Morse: "I said I'm sorry that's all, I must have missed the bloody things, and there's something else I want to say - well done. No wonder I sometimes find it useful having you around, my old friend."
Wisdom from Morse: "Sometimes life eludes logic and sometimes when you build great big wonderful theory you find there's a fault in the foundations and the whole thing collapses around your ears at the slightest earth tremor."
Morse to Lewis: "You have an admirably delicate turn of phrase."
August 28, 2023
Enjoyed this one back to the classic Morse much better than the previous book and loved the twisted plot about the mysterious New Year’s Eve party
May 21, 2020
Inspector Morse mystery No. 7: This case sees a romantic affair being found out leading to a mysterious murder on New Year's Eve in the Annexe of an Oxford hotel. Morse, Lewis, Phillips etc. get on the case. One of the more gripping Morse mysteries. 6 out of 12
August 27, 2024
“Lewis si sentiva a terra. Sapeva quel che Morse stava per dirgli, e se lo disse da solo: ‘Ma mi è sfuggito un indizio di importanza vitale, è così?’.
Morse aspettò un poco e poi gli fece un sorriso che sperava esprimesse solidarietà e comprensione. ‘No, Lewis, non le è sfuggito un indizio cruciale. Gliene sono sfuggiti due’.”
La formidabile coppia del miglior giallo inglese di sempre deve occuparsi dell’ennesimo guazzabuglio investigativo.
Intorno a Capodanno l’hotel Haworth di Oxford organizza una festa in maschera e offre pacchetti convenienti che sembrano attrarre una popolazione variegata, tra cui coppie clandestine e prostitute d’alto bordo.
A festeggiamenti conclusi un uomo, travestito da rasta, viene trovato riverso sul letto della camera numero 3; ovviamente morto e con il volto sfigurato.
Tra persone che si dileguano e altre che hanno fornito generalità false, il percorso per arrivare all’identità del defunto e all’identificazione del suo assassino si rivela, come al solito, tortuoso e accidentato.
Anche qui la cultura classica di Dexter continua piacevolmente a stupirci. Ogni capitolo è introdotto da una citazione tratta dai classici e dai grandi romanzi inglesi che ne spiega brevemente il contenuto.
Intelligenza e humor, un binomio irresistibile.
Morse aspettò un poco e poi gli fece un sorriso che sperava esprimesse solidarietà e comprensione. ‘No, Lewis, non le è sfuggito un indizio cruciale. Gliene sono sfuggiti due’.”
La formidabile coppia del miglior giallo inglese di sempre deve occuparsi dell’ennesimo guazzabuglio investigativo.
Intorno a Capodanno l’hotel Haworth di Oxford organizza una festa in maschera e offre pacchetti convenienti che sembrano attrarre una popolazione variegata, tra cui coppie clandestine e prostitute d’alto bordo.
A festeggiamenti conclusi un uomo, travestito da rasta, viene trovato riverso sul letto della camera numero 3; ovviamente morto e con il volto sfigurato.
Tra persone che si dileguano e altre che hanno fornito generalità false, il percorso per arrivare all’identità del defunto e all’identificazione del suo assassino si rivela, come al solito, tortuoso e accidentato.
Anche qui la cultura classica di Dexter continua piacevolmente a stupirci. Ogni capitolo è introdotto da una citazione tratta dai classici e dai grandi romanzi inglesi che ne spiega brevemente il contenuto.
Intelligenza e humor, un binomio irresistibile.
July 4, 2018
This is a review of the audiobook version of The Secret of Annexe 3.
That said, my main disappointment was with the plot, and not the narration (despite Lewis sounding unaccustomedly Welsh!).
I felt the detectives rather bumbled through the investigation – maybe this is the way of Morse stories; it is a while since I last read one.
After much heavy weather, eventually an unlikely coincidence cast light upon an even more improbable scheme dreamed up by the perpetrators.
Maybe it was my lack of attention, but I was left not really knowing what actually was the exact crime, and whether it was properly solved.
The aspect I enjoyed most was the narration – there’s something rather pleasant listening to the banal interactions between Morse and Lewis, and the soap opera lives of ordinary folk as they may or may not go about their devious affairs.
That said, my main disappointment was with the plot, and not the narration (despite Lewis sounding unaccustomedly Welsh!).
I felt the detectives rather bumbled through the investigation – maybe this is the way of Morse stories; it is a while since I last read one.
After much heavy weather, eventually an unlikely coincidence cast light upon an even more improbable scheme dreamed up by the perpetrators.
Maybe it was my lack of attention, but I was left not really knowing what actually was the exact crime, and whether it was properly solved.
The aspect I enjoyed most was the narration – there’s something rather pleasant listening to the banal interactions between Morse and Lewis, and the soap opera lives of ordinary folk as they may or may not go about their devious affairs.
November 22, 2020
Not my favorite of the series. The murder takes place at an Oxford hotel on New Years’ Eve at a fancy dress party. As usual, Morse takes the bare facts and concocts various fanciful scenarios to explain the murder. As usual, he is quite wrong, but this “method” of solving crimes works for him, and he always gets there in the end.
In most mystery series, I read because I enjoy the recurring characters and how they grow. That is not the case with Morse and Lewis who change little. No, this series appeals to me for the setting, Oxford, which I have visited once, and which I can revisit, even in these dark pandemic days, through the magic of Google Street View.
In most mystery series, I read because I enjoy the recurring characters and how they grow. That is not the case with Morse and Lewis who change little. No, this series appeals to me for the setting, Oxford, which I have visited once, and which I can revisit, even in these dark pandemic days, through the magic of Google Street View.
February 21, 2021
Mi piacciono i romanzi con l’ispettore Morse, ma a un certo punto diventano sempre troppo complicati: credi sia A, poi è B, poi è di nuovo A ma non con una motivazione e uno svolgimento diverso da quello iniziale, poi salta fuori C in combutta con B, ma alla fine è A con una modalità intricatissima.
Con profusione di spieghi che non spiegano nulla, o forse sono io che sono un po’ tonta come il povero Lewis, e alla fine non ci capiamo niente nessun dei due!
Con profusione di spieghi che non spiegano nulla, o forse sono io che sono un po’ tonta come il povero Lewis, e alla fine non ci capiamo niente nessun dei due!
January 12, 2014
Inspector Morse is finally starting to grow more likable. He is not as bumbling as in his earlier books and not quite as lecherous. He does make a date with one of the witnesses and you would really hate him to go cold turkey. The murder takes place at a hotel's New Year Eve's Eve party. While the story is middling, Lewis and Morse's relationship makes the book enjoyable.
June 13, 2016
To a certain extent, you know what you’re getting with a Colin Dexter book. Here, we follow Inspector Morse as he investigates a murder that took place on New Year’s Eve at a hotel. The hotel had recently undergone some redevelopment, and so some of the guests were staying in a small annexe off to the side of it. Morse is tasked with finding out what happened inside the titular third annexe, and rest assured that there are plenty of twists and turns along the way.
The characters are good enough, but not particularly memorable – that seems to happen a lot in detective novels, for some reasons. It’s because they’re so human, and so dispensable – they have their foibles, like we all do, and whilst the story is largely experienced through the relationships between each of the characters, once it’s over they seem to fade away.
Still, Morse and Lewis are at their strongest here, and the locations that are featured feel both believable and real, as though you yourself are walking amongst them. In many ways, it helps to draw you, as the reader, into the story, and so you’re able to try to solve the mystery yourself. And, like all good mystery novels, it keeps you guessing along the way, and – for me, at least – it’d be easy to re-read it, and to get drawn back into the storyline.
Overall, then, this was probably one of my favourites of the Inspector Morse novels, and it seems as good a book as any for you to get started with. The writing is swift and easy going, and it leaves you feeling satisfied when you get to the end of it. What more could you ask for?
The characters are good enough, but not particularly memorable – that seems to happen a lot in detective novels, for some reasons. It’s because they’re so human, and so dispensable – they have their foibles, like we all do, and whilst the story is largely experienced through the relationships between each of the characters, once it’s over they seem to fade away.
Still, Morse and Lewis are at their strongest here, and the locations that are featured feel both believable and real, as though you yourself are walking amongst them. In many ways, it helps to draw you, as the reader, into the story, and so you’re able to try to solve the mystery yourself. And, like all good mystery novels, it keeps you guessing along the way, and – for me, at least – it’d be easy to re-read it, and to get drawn back into the storyline.
Overall, then, this was probably one of my favourites of the Inspector Morse novels, and it seems as good a book as any for you to get started with. The writing is swift and easy going, and it leaves you feeling satisfied when you get to the end of it. What more could you ask for?
April 3, 2013
This is not an easy book to rate. On the one hand, Dexter is very good at describing details, and his humor is evident from the start. On the other hand, he gets too arrogant for his britches. I got the impression there isn't a huge amount of difference between Dexter, the author, and Morse, his sometimes insufferable detective. In any event, this is not a straightforward mystery. There's lots of deviations from the plot that don't come off as red herrings so much as devices merely to confuse the reader. I did enjoy the quotes or observations that began each chapter. In fact, at times I thought those small details were more entertaining than the story being told. This is the kind of mystery I find enjoyable now and then, but I wouldn't pay attention to any notices about when Dexter's next book is coming out. I got the impression that Dexter writes more for his own amusement than he does to entertain a reader. He seems happy with his result. Me... not so much.
March 6, 2016
This was nice to read after a gap of fourteen months after Inspector Morse's previous book.
Morse's character progresses a bit in this one. ... which was interesting. :)
The story by itself was also very good indeed.
Now, onward to Book 8, in a few months. :)
Morse's character progresses a bit in this one. ... which was interesting. :)
The story by itself was also very good indeed.
Now, onward to Book 8, in a few months. :)
July 20, 2022
Indicazioni editoriali
Un vero successo il capodanno all’Hotel Haworth di Oxford, ma nessuno ha notato, fino al giorno dopo, che c’è un morto nella camera 3. Non si sa chi fosse in realtà; sua moglie, o comunque la sua accompagnatrice, è sparita. L’ispettore capo Morse inizia l’inchiesta incuriosito dall’assortimento delle coppie e stupito che la notte non abbia lasciato tracce sulla neve candida.
«Quelle maschere erano la realtà, e le facce che nascondevano erano la finzione». L’Hotel Haworth di Oxford offre pacchetti turistici allettanti, e poiché è un albergo discreto e frequentato da una clientela mista, non lo disdegnano anche coppie clandestine. Così non è un fatto straordinario che per il Capodanno in maschera (tre giorni di divertimenti, a prezzo scontato per chi accetti la sistemazione nella dépendance) capitino in stanze contigue i misteriosi Ballard, gli sfuggenti Smith e l’eccitante signora Palmer con quel marito tanto più anziano di lei – per tacere della quarta camera di quel padiglione staccato, disdetta all’ultimo da una signora. Non se ne stupiscono né il proprietario signor Binyon, un ex manovale favorito da un colpo di fortuna, né la graziosa Sarah Jonstone, di fatto, vista l’inerzia della proprietaria, efficiente direttrice della casa, abituata a notare ogni cosa. Nessuno ha notato invece, fino al giorno dopo, che c’è un morto nella camera 3, sfigurato con un colpo in pieno volto, fra l’altro proprio il vincitore del trofeo per il costume più riuscito. Non si sa chi fosse in realtà; sua moglie, o comunque la sua accompagnatrice, è sparita. L’ispettore capo Morse inizia l’inchiesta incuriosito dall’assortimento delle coppie e stupito che la notte non abbia lasciato tracce sulla neve candida. Con una punta di acidità, presente nella tradizione del grande giallo inglese, e una bella misura di ironia, i polizieschi di Colin Dexter entrano con morbosità vittoriana nei piccoli segreti di famiglie ordinarie della più colta provincia inglese. E su questi misteri domestici ordiscono raffinati rebus. Enigmi classici che, non senza errori e false piste, risolve la fantasia geniale di Morse. Un personaggio affascinante, impietosamente caustico con la mediocrità, pronto a maltrattare chiunque, in primis il suo sergente Lewis, sempre frustrato nella sua passione per le donne, esperto di enigmistica e cultore di Wagner.
Un vero successo il capodanno all’Hotel Haworth di Oxford, ma nessuno ha notato, fino al giorno dopo, che c’è un morto nella camera 3. Non si sa chi fosse in realtà; sua moglie, o comunque la sua accompagnatrice, è sparita. L’ispettore capo Morse inizia l’inchiesta incuriosito dall’assortimento delle coppie e stupito che la notte non abbia lasciato tracce sulla neve candida.
«Quelle maschere erano la realtà, e le facce che nascondevano erano la finzione». L’Hotel Haworth di Oxford offre pacchetti turistici allettanti, e poiché è un albergo discreto e frequentato da una clientela mista, non lo disdegnano anche coppie clandestine. Così non è un fatto straordinario che per il Capodanno in maschera (tre giorni di divertimenti, a prezzo scontato per chi accetti la sistemazione nella dépendance) capitino in stanze contigue i misteriosi Ballard, gli sfuggenti Smith e l’eccitante signora Palmer con quel marito tanto più anziano di lei – per tacere della quarta camera di quel padiglione staccato, disdetta all’ultimo da una signora. Non se ne stupiscono né il proprietario signor Binyon, un ex manovale favorito da un colpo di fortuna, né la graziosa Sarah Jonstone, di fatto, vista l’inerzia della proprietaria, efficiente direttrice della casa, abituata a notare ogni cosa. Nessuno ha notato invece, fino al giorno dopo, che c’è un morto nella camera 3, sfigurato con un colpo in pieno volto, fra l’altro proprio il vincitore del trofeo per il costume più riuscito. Non si sa chi fosse in realtà; sua moglie, o comunque la sua accompagnatrice, è sparita. L’ispettore capo Morse inizia l’inchiesta incuriosito dall’assortimento delle coppie e stupito che la notte non abbia lasciato tracce sulla neve candida. Con una punta di acidità, presente nella tradizione del grande giallo inglese, e una bella misura di ironia, i polizieschi di Colin Dexter entrano con morbosità vittoriana nei piccoli segreti di famiglie ordinarie della più colta provincia inglese. E su questi misteri domestici ordiscono raffinati rebus. Enigmi classici che, non senza errori e false piste, risolve la fantasia geniale di Morse. Un personaggio affascinante, impietosamente caustico con la mediocrità, pronto a maltrattare chiunque, in primis il suo sergente Lewis, sempre frustrato nella sua passione per le donne, esperto di enigmistica e cultore di Wagner.
July 17, 2012
I'm on a Colin Dexter jag at the moment, thanks to a generous gift of an entire box of Dexters and PD James....
I love the TV Morse series, but, Dexter's books are rich in vocabulary, interesting observations, and quotes from the Classics.
Dexter is not like Christie. You pretty much know who did it from the start...it's the slow unravelling of how, why..and Morse's thinking that winds you into the story.
Yes, I'm a die-hard mystery lover; it is my brain-candy. and Colin Dexter is endlessly satisfying to read.
I love the TV Morse series, but, Dexter's books are rich in vocabulary, interesting observations, and quotes from the Classics.
Dexter is not like Christie. You pretty much know who did it from the start...it's the slow unravelling of how, why..and Morse's thinking that winds you into the story.
Yes, I'm a die-hard mystery lover; it is my brain-candy. and Colin Dexter is endlessly satisfying to read.
June 23, 2013
The story was not terribly interesting, and I really am not quite sure who the killer is or how it was done (I hope the TV series was clearer on this), but the delightful unspoken manlove between Morse and Lewis almost compensates for these setbacks.
February 4, 2025
The story begins with Margaret Bowman of Charlbury Drive Chipping Norton going to a funeral. Her husband, a postman stays home and finds an angry letter, apparently from a lover, in his wife's handbag.
The story progresses to the Haworth Hotel rise late on New Year's Day after a costume party where a guest in Annexe 3 is found dead in his room on a blood-soaked bed.
Morse and Lewis investigate in first the other guests staying in Annex 3. A story that has a few red herrings and not very nice characters. It also takes place in winter. Morse does build complicated theories with Lewis to keep him honest.
SPOILERS AHEAD
In a switch the murdered man turns out to be Margaret’s husband. She has murdered him with her lover a crane driver. Unlike with the tv adaptation she escapes to Spain. A good story although I was bemused by why she went to the top of St Mary’s Church Tower and how she lost her handbag?
The story progresses to the Haworth Hotel rise late on New Year's Day after a costume party where a guest in Annexe 3 is found dead in his room on a blood-soaked bed.
Morse and Lewis investigate in first the other guests staying in Annex 3. A story that has a few red herrings and not very nice characters. It also takes place in winter. Morse does build complicated theories with Lewis to keep him honest.
SPOILERS AHEAD
In a switch the murdered man turns out to be Margaret’s husband. She has murdered him with her lover a crane driver. Unlike with the tv adaptation she escapes to Spain. A good story although I was bemused by why she went to the top of St Mary’s Church Tower and how she lost her handbag?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2012
I love Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series, and this entry is no exception. The plots are complicated and twisting, filled with red herrings and (often several) false solutions. The real draw for me in the series, however, is the beautifully written main characters: the exceedingly literate Oxford-educated, opera-loving, crossword-solving Chief Inspector Morse, and his salt-of-the-earth, long suffering Sergeant Lewis.
April 25, 2017
Reading Challenge, Week 51: a book based on or turned into a TV show.
I enjoyed this more than the last Morse book I read. Found it a lot easier to follow what was going on.
Felt like I was reading it at the right time of year as it features a New Year party.
Felt like this was a fairly quick read.
Didn't hide too much from the reader so I could try solving the crime too.
There wasn't the usual high body count which you get in a Morse book. Don't remember seeing the TV adaptation.
I enjoyed this more than the last Morse book I read. Found it a lot easier to follow what was going on.
Felt like I was reading it at the right time of year as it features a New Year party.
Felt like this was a fairly quick read.
Didn't hide too much from the reader so I could try solving the crime too.
There wasn't the usual high body count which you get in a Morse book. Don't remember seeing the TV adaptation.
December 14, 2013
Although I found this mostly enjoyable, the solution was pretty convoluted. I need to mull it over...
January 30, 2025
Thoroughly brilliant!
Dexter delivers a tour de force novel in The Secret of Annexe 3. This is the seventh Morse I have read and so far my favourite. It goes without saying the literary version of Morse and Lewis far exceeds the televised version. The characters are far more nuanced and intriguing, and their relationship explored through their deductive reasoning and different approaches to policework, women, and life in general.
What I enjoy most about Dexter's writing is how he builds his characters and fills the pages with genuine and relatable people leading believable and often mundane lives.
There are so many twists and turns, false clues, and missteps in the investigation to keep the reader enthralled and guessing, but the clues are all there to be spotted if you can piece them together.
Best book I've read so far this year.
Dexter delivers a tour de force novel in The Secret of Annexe 3. This is the seventh Morse I have read and so far my favourite. It goes without saying the literary version of Morse and Lewis far exceeds the televised version. The characters are far more nuanced and intriguing, and their relationship explored through their deductive reasoning and different approaches to policework, women, and life in general.
What I enjoy most about Dexter's writing is how he builds his characters and fills the pages with genuine and relatable people leading believable and often mundane lives.
There are so many twists and turns, false clues, and missteps in the investigation to keep the reader enthralled and guessing, but the clues are all there to be spotted if you can piece them together.
Best book I've read so far this year.
February 12, 2019
This is mystery #7 in the Inspector Morse series. Set around the New Year's Eve, we see the winner of a costume ball at an Oxford hotel being brutally murdered in his room and to complicate matters everyone was too drunk to remember. With Morse and Lewis, chasing the numerous red herrings, it takes a few too many turns and false starts to finally stumble to a less than satisfactory conclusion. In all fairness, I can say that this is a mediocre one at best with a convoluted plot plus a host of peripheral characters, who don't amount to much. But the rich world of Morse and Lewis is so fascinating that one can survive one or two bad eggs in the basket!
My Rating - 2/5
My Rating - 2/5
June 11, 2024
Ankstyvą Naujųjų metų rytą suirzęs inspektorius Morse‘as iškviečiamas tirti žmogžudystės viešbutyje „Haworth“. Nužudytasis tebedėvi karnavalinį kostiumą, už kurį laimėjo pirmąją vietą viešbučio naujametiniame vakarėlyje; jo palydovė ir kai kurie kiti viešbučio svečiai dingo. Deja, retas iš jų buvo užsiregistravęs savo pavarde. Tai paslaptis, kuri net Morse'ui atrodo neįkandama.
Bene mažiausiai patikęs Dexterio romanas. Ne, rašo jis vis taip pat smagiai, bet konstrukcijai klausimų yra. Per daug palikta aklam atsitiktinumui. Pernelyg nerišliai ir kažkaip tarsi paskubomis sudėliota atomazga.
Ir, kai skaitai bent kelis serijos romanus paeiliui, mažumėlę jau šypsnį kelia tai, kad kiekviena bent kiek dailesnė moteris akimirksniu susižavi Morse‘u – pliktelėjusiu, tuktelėjusiu. Bet užtat tas „nepamirštamas skvarbus žvilgsnis“... Ak, ok.
Tai tik trys iš penkių.
Bene mažiausiai patikęs Dexterio romanas. Ne, rašo jis vis taip pat smagiai, bet konstrukcijai klausimų yra. Per daug palikta aklam atsitiktinumui. Pernelyg nerišliai ir kažkaip tarsi paskubomis sudėliota atomazga.
Ir, kai skaitai bent kelis serijos romanus paeiliui, mažumėlę jau šypsnį kelia tai, kad kiekviena bent kiek dailesnė moteris akimirksniu susižavi Morse‘u – pliktelėjusiu, tuktelėjusiu. Bet užtat tas „nepamirštamas skvarbus žvilgsnis“... Ak, ok.
Tai tik trys iš penkių.
October 27, 2022
I always enjoy an Inspector Lewis and Morse tale. You always know that Morse’s first stab at a solution is usually way off base. Entertaining yet so very wrong. I never would have guessed who was wound up in the murderous antics this time but did know that they would catch their man/woman because they always do. Morse seemed less lecherous in this one however he did have his moments which always make me giggle.
August 3, 2025
Another hugely enjoyable entry in the Morse series. The final denouement stretched credibility just a little as the disguise aspect doesn't seem feasible.
October 9, 2020
The plot itself was good if you like a whodunit mystery. However, I did not like Morse's character at all, which made reading the book a bit difficult. Lewis was the only bearable character. Finished it nevertheless.
Also the title makes no/little sense to the actual mystery in the book.
Also the title makes no/little sense to the actual mystery in the book.
February 20, 2021
Another tightly-plotted novel in the series. Unfortunately though, the central premise of the solution (which I won't give spoilers for) was so ridiculous to me that it quite ruined the ending.
May 1, 2023
Stavolta una trama ben congenata con diversi coli di scena.
Morse indaga su un cadavere di dfifficile identificazione: l'assassinio è avvenuto durante una serata organizzata per Cqpodanno in un piccolo albergo.
Via via che i sospetti vengono esclusi, poche le possibilità rimaste. Da un'iniziale complicazione del caso, la semplificazione porta alla verità il nostro Morse e il fedele Lewis.
Uno dei migliori della serie. Lo consiglio.
Morse indaga su un cadavere di dfifficile identificazione: l'assassinio è avvenuto durante una serata organizzata per Cqpodanno in un piccolo albergo.
Via via che i sospetti vengono esclusi, poche le possibilità rimaste. Da un'iniziale complicazione del caso, la semplificazione porta alla verità il nostro Morse e il fedele Lewis.
Uno dei migliori della serie. Lo consiglio.
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