A pair of girls had been waiting at a bus stop for a ride to Woodstock as witnessed by an old lady. The younger one is murdered later in the evening. Detective Chief Inspector Morse, accompanied by Sergeant Lewis, is called on to solve the case.
The murderee, a 19 y/o girl, was found dead in the parking lot of the Black Prince Pub with her blouse and skirt torn & her skull cracked open by a crowbar. The murderee is identified as Sylvia Kaye. Prime suspects include the man, a carpenter, who had been expecting her for a date; her roomates (Nicole, Susan & Mary), especially Nicole, who is also her colleague & her boss. Initially, based on evidence, Morse assumes the murderer to be Nicole but no known motive is found. A witness stated that he saw 2 girls get into a red car headed towards Woodstock. The identity of the accompanying girl remains unsolved.
Further reading directs us to a professor, apparently not connected to the crime. The professor has been happily married to a woman for 23 years and has 2 kids. However, he has been having an affair with a young woman. On the day of the murder, the professor had been driving towards Woodstock around the same time as the girl's murder. The professor comes forward and states that he was the one who gave a ride to the murderee and her companion. Morse deduces that the professor was having an affair and it was either of the two girls that got into his car. The professor admits that the girl accompanying Sylvia was indeed her mistress. However, he didn't even know the name of the murderee until the news.
Amidst all this, Morse is shown to have developed an attraction towards Sue Widdowson, a nurse and one of Sylvia's roommate. On a date night, Sue tells Morse that their relationship can't proceed since she is already engaged to someone else. It is a painful moment for both of them.
Further investigation reveals that Nicole had been having an affair with her boss at work. And that she had been aiding Bernard, the professor, in maintaining the secrecy of his affair. The lady in question is revealed to be none other than Sue Widdowson.
On the day of the murder, Sue and Sylvia were both waiting at the bus stop for a ride to Woodstock. There was no hope for one coming any sooner and hence, decided to hitch a ride. The driver was already known to Sue and none of them wanted Sylvia to know about this. Sue got down at Banbury while Sylvia continued till Woodstock.(Sylvia as a character is depicted as a loose woman.) She proposes a rendezvous with Bernard for some money. Sue didn't remain at Banbury but trailed behind the two till the Black Prince Pub, Woodstock. On seeing the two together, she got overwhelmed by jealousy & anger. After Bernard left Sylvia and drove back home, Sue took a crowbar from a toolshed and hit Sylvia killing her on the spot.
Morse was brokenhearted when he solved the case. As is typical of any male to hide his true feelings, with a heavy heart, he leaves behind Sue in the jail cell never to look back.
It is the 1st book in the Inspector Morse series.
A pair of girls had been waiting at a bus stop for a ride to Woodstock as witnessed by an old lady. The younger one is murdered later in the evening. Detective Chief Inspector Morse, accompanied by Sergeant Lewis, is called on to solve the case.
The murderee, a 19 y/o girl, was found dead in the parking lot of the Black Prince Pub with her blouse and skirt torn & her skull cracked open by a crowbar. The murderee is identified as Sylvia Kaye. Prime suspects include the man, a carpenter, who had been expecting her for a date; her roomates (Nicole, Susan & Mary), especially Nicole, who is also her colleague & her boss. Initially, based on evidence, Morse assumes the murderer to be Nicole but no known motive is found. A witness stated that he saw 2 girls get into a red car headed towards Woodstock. The identity of the accompanying girl remains unsolved.
Further reading directs us to a professor, apparently not connected to the crime. The professor has been happily married to a woman for 23 years and has 2 kids. However, he has been having an affair with a young woman. On the day of the murder, the professor had been driving towards Woodstock around the same time as the girl's murder. The professor comes forward and states that he was the one who gave a ride to the murderee and her companion. Morse deduces that the professor was having an affair and it was either of the two girls that got into his car. The professor admits that the girl accompanying Sylvia was indeed her mistress. However, he didn't even know the name of the murderee until the news.
Amidst all this, Morse is shown to have developed an attraction towards Sue Widdowson, a nurse and one of Sylvia's roommate. On a date night, Sue tells Morse that their relationship can't proceed since she is already engaged to someone else. It is a painful moment for both of them.
Further investigation reveals that Nicole had been having an affair with her boss at work. And that she had been aiding Bernard, the professor, in maintaining the secrecy of his affair. The lady in question is revealed to be none other than Sue Widdowson.
On the day of the murder, Sue and Sylvia were both waiting at the bus stop for a ride to Woodstock. There was no hope for one coming any sooner and hence, decided to hitch a ride. The driver was already known to Sue and none of them wanted Sylvia to know about this. Sue got down at Banbury while Sylvia continued till Woodstock.(Sylvia as a character is depicted as a loose woman.) She proposes a rendezvous with Bernard for some money. Sue didn't remain at Banbury but trailed behind the two till the Black Prince Pub, Woodstock. On seeing the two together, she got overwhelmed by jealousy & anger. After Bernard left Sylvia and drove back home, Sue took a crowbar from a toolshed and hit Sylvia killing her on the spot.
Morse was brokenhearted when he solved the case. As is typical of any male to hide his true feelings, with a heavy heart, he leaves behind Sue in the jail cell never to look back.