Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
England, Oxford, ca 1985
En lærer ved Oxford-kollegiet Lonsdale Oliver Maximilian Alexander Browne-Smith har været en tur ved lægen og fået dårlige nyheder. Han har ikke så langt igen, men faktisk når han at forsvinde inden. Under krigen var han i et engelsk panserregiment (og mistede et led
Senere kontakter Vice-Headmaster ved Lonsdale inspektør Morse og beder ham om råd fordi Browne-Smith er blevet væk. Morse beroliger ham og tænker ikke mere over det, indtil en dag hvor et mishandlet lig bliver trukket op af en kanal ved byen Thrupp. Liget mangler både hænder, ben og hoved og har ligget i vandet et stykke tid, så Morse må ofre morgenmaden.
Lewis bliver tilknyttet Morse til hjælp for opklaringen, hvilket tiltaler dem begge. Morse har tandpine og ville også gerne holde en pause med at drikke, men han putter selvfølgelig stadig sukker i kaffen og er nem at lokke til en drink eller tre. Morse husker tilbage på sin første kærlighed Wendy Spencer og hvordan den fik dem begge til at forsømme studierne og droppe Oxford.
Morse og Lewis spekulerer over hvorfor liget er gjort så svært at identificere. Morse snuser rundt i Oxford og finder ud af at et brev, liget havde i lommen, er skrevet på en skrivemaskine, der tilhører en Westerby, men skrivemaskinen er blevet byttet med Browne-Smiths maskine. De finder ud af at Browne-Smith havde en uhelbredelig hjernesvulst og at det var kendt blandt nogle i ledelsen af Lonsdale. Ligets arme viste tegn på at manden i levende live var bloddonor, men det var Browne-Smith ikke. Det sidste morgenmåltid var kippers, hvilket passer med Lonsdale kollegiets morgenmad den sidste dag, Browne-Smith blev set, men han spiste aldrig morgenmad der. Hmm.
Morse får et brev, stilet til Morse og angiveligt skrevet af Browne-Smith, men derfor kan liget jo godt være Browne-Smith alligevel. Westerby er heller ikke set i lang tid og Lewis finder ud af at Westerby ejer et lille hus tæt ved kanalen i Thrupp. Westerby's flyttemand er enten Albert eller Alfred Gilbert og den yngre bror John døde godt nok ved Al Elamein, men det var selvmord.
Nu går det pludseligt stærkt, for Morse finder liget af Albert, der er stukket ihjel med en skruetrækker. Westerby bliver stranguleret med sejlgarn og Alfred begår selvmord ved at springe ud fra syvende.
Nogenlunde på samme tid er Browne-Smith på vej til at opsøge Morse og tilstå, men han får det skidt på toget og dør af en hjerneblødning, som sikkert skyldes hans hjernesvulst. Nu er det op til Morse at opklare sagen, selv om stort set alle involverede er døde.
Hans kvalificerede gæt er at det hele starter med at Westerby skal pensioneres (både ham og Browne-Smith er over 65 år og kan forresten ikke udstå hinanden) og derfor er ved at flytte. Westerby hyrer et flyttefirma og det er Alfred, der dukker op og står for det. Han bemærker navnet Browne-Smith på døren overfor og fortæller sin bror om det. Da Gilberts mener at Browne-Smith var skyld i at deres lillebror John døde ved El Alamein, beslutter de sig for at spille ham et puds. De lokker anonymt med et gratis besøg i en sexklub mod at få lidt information om et karakterresultat før det er officielt tilgængeligt. Han går med på ideen, men holder øjnene åbne og tager en revolver med. Derfor er Gilbert brødrene nødt til at snakke med ham og de finder så ud af at John begik selvmord og at Browne-Smith faktisk har dækker over dette i alle årene. Så nu er Gilbert-brødrene og Browne-Smith pyt og pande. Da Browne-Smith har noget imod Westerby, hyrer han Gilbert-brødrene til at lave samme nummer med Westerby, som går i fælden med lukkede øjne. Det er noget med at true med skandale og har noget at gøre med det lig, der bliver fundet i kanalen. Westerby sidder i saksen og gemmer sig i flere dage på et pensionat.
Da han endelig tør komme hjem til sin lejlighed, overrasker han Alfred, der er ved at anbringe flere ting i lejligheden (fx ligets hoved) med henblik på at presse penge af ham. Han går amok og stikker Alfred ihjel. Morse kommer til og opdager liget. Han melder det til det stedlige politi og tager hen til Alberts kone og fortæller at hendes mand er død. Da Morse er gået, kommer Albert hjem og konen får et chok. Albert tager hen til Westerby og kvæler ham, fordi han sagtens kan regne ud at det er ham, der har stukket broderen ned.
Senere gætter Alberts kone noget af hvad han og broderen har gang i, og skrider. Albert har nu mistet både sin tvillingbror og sin kone og har en fornemmelse af at Morse er i hælene på ham. Så han tager den nemme udvej og hopper ud fra syvende.
Så mangler bare svaret på hvem liget i kanalen var og det var selvfølgelig ham, som både Westerby og Browne-Smith havde grund til at hade, nemlig den nuværende Master på Lonsdale, som havde stemt mod dem begge og derfor blev kompromiskandidat. Hovedet blev fundet et mærkeligt sted, men ved obduktion fandt man en kugle, der passede med en pistol som Browne-Smiths. Benene var faktisk blevet snittet af pgra kontakt med en skibsskrue, så det var ikke rigtigt et spor at benene manglede.
Et noget overindviklet plot, men ok læsning, sådan set. En del af plottet hænger på at Browne-Smith havde en underlig adfærd, som sikkert skyldtes den svulst i hjernen, som endte med at tage livet af ham.
En lærer ved Oxford-kollegiet Lonsdale Oliver Maximilian Alexander Browne-Smith har været en tur ved lægen og fået dårlige nyheder. Han har ikke så langt igen, men faktisk når han at forsvinde inden. Under krigen var han i et engelsk panserregiment (og mistede et led
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af højre pegefinger) og en af hans soldater Albert Gilbert har noget imod ham fra den tid. Det ved Browne-Smith skkert ikke, for han får et brev, der lokker ham med en gratis tur i en sex-klub, hvilket han tager imod uden at ane uråd. Her bliver han bedøvet og overgivet til en uvis skæbne. Måske.Senere kontakter Vice-Headmaster ved Lonsdale inspektør Morse og beder ham om råd fordi Browne-Smith er blevet væk. Morse beroliger ham og tænker ikke mere over det, indtil en dag hvor et mishandlet lig bliver trukket op af en kanal ved byen Thrupp. Liget mangler både hænder, ben og hoved og har ligget i vandet et stykke tid, så Morse må ofre morgenmaden.
Lewis bliver tilknyttet Morse til hjælp for opklaringen, hvilket tiltaler dem begge. Morse har tandpine og ville også gerne holde en pause med at drikke, men han putter selvfølgelig stadig sukker i kaffen og er nem at lokke til en drink eller tre. Morse husker tilbage på sin første kærlighed Wendy Spencer og hvordan den fik dem begge til at forsømme studierne og droppe Oxford.
Morse og Lewis spekulerer over hvorfor liget er gjort så svært at identificere. Morse snuser rundt i Oxford og finder ud af at et brev, liget havde i lommen, er skrevet på en skrivemaskine, der tilhører en Westerby, men skrivemaskinen er blevet byttet med Browne-Smiths maskine. De finder ud af at Browne-Smith havde en uhelbredelig hjernesvulst og at det var kendt blandt nogle i ledelsen af Lonsdale. Ligets arme viste tegn på at manden i levende live var bloddonor, men det var Browne-Smith ikke. Det sidste morgenmåltid var kippers, hvilket passer med Lonsdale kollegiets morgenmad den sidste dag, Browne-Smith blev set, men han spiste aldrig morgenmad der. Hmm.
Morse får et brev, stilet til Morse og angiveligt skrevet af Browne-Smith, men derfor kan liget jo godt være Browne-Smith alligevel. Westerby er heller ikke set i lang tid og Lewis finder ud af at Westerby ejer et lille hus tæt ved kanalen i Thrupp. Westerby's flyttemand er enten Albert eller Alfred Gilbert og den yngre bror John døde godt nok ved Al Elamein, men det var selvmord.
Nu går det pludseligt stærkt, for Morse finder liget af Albert, der er stukket ihjel med en skruetrækker. Westerby bliver stranguleret med sejlgarn og Alfred begår selvmord ved at springe ud fra syvende.
Nogenlunde på samme tid er Browne-Smith på vej til at opsøge Morse og tilstå, men han får det skidt på toget og dør af en hjerneblødning, som sikkert skyldes hans hjernesvulst. Nu er det op til Morse at opklare sagen, selv om stort set alle involverede er døde.
Hans kvalificerede gæt er at det hele starter med at Westerby skal pensioneres (både ham og Browne-Smith er over 65 år og kan forresten ikke udstå hinanden) og derfor er ved at flytte. Westerby hyrer et flyttefirma og det er Alfred, der dukker op og står for det. Han bemærker navnet Browne-Smith på døren overfor og fortæller sin bror om det. Da Gilberts mener at Browne-Smith var skyld i at deres lillebror John døde ved El Alamein, beslutter de sig for at spille ham et puds. De lokker anonymt med et gratis besøg i en sexklub mod at få lidt information om et karakterresultat før det er officielt tilgængeligt. Han går med på ideen, men holder øjnene åbne og tager en revolver med. Derfor er Gilbert brødrene nødt til at snakke med ham og de finder så ud af at John begik selvmord og at Browne-Smith faktisk har dækker over dette i alle årene. Så nu er Gilbert-brødrene og Browne-Smith pyt og pande. Da Browne-Smith har noget imod Westerby, hyrer han Gilbert-brødrene til at lave samme nummer med Westerby, som går i fælden med lukkede øjne. Det er noget med at true med skandale og har noget at gøre med det lig, der bliver fundet i kanalen. Westerby sidder i saksen og gemmer sig i flere dage på et pensionat.
Da han endelig tør komme hjem til sin lejlighed, overrasker han Alfred, der er ved at anbringe flere ting i lejligheden (fx ligets hoved) med henblik på at presse penge af ham. Han går amok og stikker Alfred ihjel. Morse kommer til og opdager liget. Han melder det til det stedlige politi og tager hen til Alberts kone og fortæller at hendes mand er død. Da Morse er gået, kommer Albert hjem og konen får et chok. Albert tager hen til Westerby og kvæler ham, fordi han sagtens kan regne ud at det er ham, der har stukket broderen ned.
Senere gætter Alberts kone noget af hvad han og broderen har gang i, og skrider. Albert har nu mistet både sin tvillingbror og sin kone og har en fornemmelse af at Morse er i hælene på ham. Så han tager den nemme udvej og hopper ud fra syvende.
Så mangler bare svaret på hvem liget i kanalen var og det var selvfølgelig ham, som både Westerby og Browne-Smith havde grund til at hade, nemlig den nuværende Master på Lonsdale, som havde stemt mod dem begge og derfor blev kompromiskandidat. Hovedet blev fundet et mærkeligt sted, men ved obduktion fandt man en kugle, der passede med en pistol som Browne-Smiths. Benene var faktisk blevet snittet af pgra kontakt med en skibsskrue, så det var ikke rigtigt et spor at benene manglede.
Et noget overindviklet plot, men ok læsning, sådan set. En del af plottet hænger på at Browne-Smith havde en underlig adfærd, som sikkert skyldtes den svulst i hjernen, som endte med at tage livet af ham.
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Genres
Publication
London : Pan, 2010.
Description
'The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact nobody would miss most of them at all...' By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale was concerned, but not yet worried. Dr Browne-Smith has passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15am on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody had heard from him since. Plenty of time to disappear, thought Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder...
User reviews
LibraryThing member wmorton38
What is the connection between a missing Oxford don and a headless, armless and legless corpse? Inspector Morse is an aggravating but interesting character but the real problem is the plot. It is extremely complicated and farfetched. Any mystery that takes the detective five chapters to explain
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what happened is way too complex. Show Less
LibraryThing member jburlinson
The nastiest of the Morse's. Also, the most experimental, in terms of the telling. In some ways, it seems like a cubist version of a Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes novel, with a mystery & its solution linked to events in the distant past.
LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
There are two things that I particularly like about Dexter's Morse series: firstly, the way that the eponymous hero is aloud to grow with each book. So many of his rival, great detectives, seem to have been transported to the earth in their fully fledged form whilst Morse, like an onion, sheds his
The second thing that I really enjoy is that they are perfectly constructed whodunnits: one feels that one is sharing Morse's journey to the crime's solution and so, when it comes to the denouement, one feels that one knows what Morse is going to say: and one does until.... there is always that little twist. What makes the book even more enjoyable is that when one gets to the twist, one acknowledges that the clues were all there in the text. Excellent entertainment!
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skins gradually, to reveal a deeper self.The second thing that I really enjoy is that they are perfectly constructed whodunnits: one feels that one is sharing Morse's journey to the crime's solution and so, when it comes to the denouement, one feels that one knows what Morse is going to say: and one does until.... there is always that little twist. What makes the book even more enjoyable is that when one gets to the twist, one acknowledges that the clues were all there in the text. Excellent entertainment!
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LibraryThing member gilly1944
An enjoyable Morse. Perhaps too complex, or at least very contrived.
LibraryThing member Noisy
Up to the sixth in the series now, and they're steadily improving. I've not really considered it before, but I think that each work can stand alone, and there is no real need to have read the preceding books in order.
This one has a more traditional detective fiction structure about it, although
I really enjoyed the read; it was very comfortable. I was all set to elevate this above the previous outings, but I felt let down by the ending, so I've scored it the same as the ones that preceded it. This book is almost halfway through the series, and I'm encouraged that they keep on getting better and better.
This one has a more traditional detective fiction structure about it, although
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the précis at the start of each chapter together with the third person view give it quite a different feel. The start of the book offers a motive, and then strands are introduced that you know are going to be interwoven in a complex cat's-cradle. Lines are dangled about Morse's early days at University, and his eye for the ladies is apparent although the attachment to alcohol seems just incidental, now. Early motives are questioned as the story progresses, with stolid work by Lewis backing up the flighty Morse. Some interesting twists and turns emerge as the conclusion is reached, but the ending seems a bit rushed. I really enjoyed the read; it was very comfortable. I was all set to elevate this above the previous outings, but I felt let down by the ending, so I've scored it the same as the ones that preceded it. This book is almost halfway through the series, and I'm encouraged that they keep on getting better and better.
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LibraryThing member whyteb
Good, but very comples
LibraryThing member janglen
I usually love the books in the Morse series but this one lost me completely. The resolution at the end was way too complex. I still don't really know what happened and I lost any interest in trying to follow the explanation. Pity, as I had enjoyed the first part of the book.
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
well you can't reveal much about the plot, it's a who-Dunnit. I enjoy Dexter's spare prose and this is a good example of the grumpy Morse at work.
LibraryThing member Othemts
I'm tiring of the Inspector Morse series as it gets more and more convoluted, with the focus on dramatic twists as opposed to real suspense. This one about murderous Oxford professors turning on one another was pretty dull. Plus it lacks the character development of Morse and Lewis found in
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previous books. I think I'll give up on this series, or maybe read one more. Who knows? Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
A very fun inside-out mystery where the mystery isn't the murderer so much as it's who has been murdered.
LibraryThing member danhammang
Dexter takes you on a very complicated ride but it holds together well in the end.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Very enjoyable 6th entry in the Inspector Morse series. In addition to a good mystery with twists and turns, it was fun to learn more about Morse's background & to see Lewis taking a larger part in the plot.
LibraryThing member JBarringer
Convoluted murder mystery that begins with a limbless, headless, unidentifiable corpse, and an increasing list of possibilities for its identity.
LibraryThing member smik
This is another cunningly constructed mystery, plenty of red herrings, so many that we lose sight of others who have disappeared, in our focus on one person. Eventually Morse gets help from a surprising quarter, which throws a very different light on his investigation.
These books are superbly read
These books are superbly read
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by Samuel West, and there's a literary quality to them that is rarely found in crime fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheEllieMo
Weakest in the Morse series so far, with a convoluted and not really believable plot. Saved only by some great lines.
LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
The Riddle Of The Third Mile (1983) (Insp. Morse #6) by Colin Dexter. A young man dies in WWII in a tank fire during a fierce battle. His brother, himself wounded, tries to save him but is ordered away by an officer, himself wounded.
Years later that officer, Browne-Smith, now a Don at Lonsdale
This is a story of revenge, jealousy to a degree, and unspoken hatred. Misconceptions abound amount the victims and their cadre, and of course Morse has his own misconceptions, But in all he does brilliantly. Even as the bodies pile up, and he deals with a killer toothache, he manages to steer a course that, while not true, is good enough.
There are many facets that can prick those who must work and live together, as in the case of a college full of Dons (Professors to us yanks). And academics can be just as mean-spirited and spiteful, or even far moreso, than your average set of workers.
In a way this, like many a Morse novel, feels claustrophobic to me. All pent up within the ivied walls as it were, the regular world passing them by as minor differences escalate rapidly into issues of life and death. Almost feels like being quarantined during a pandemic. But how would we know that?
Years later that officer, Browne-Smith, now a Don at Lonsdale
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College, Oxford, goes off on a jaunt into the seedier side of London and is not seen again. A torso is found several days later in a nearby river and Morse and Lewis are on the case.This is a story of revenge, jealousy to a degree, and unspoken hatred. Misconceptions abound amount the victims and their cadre, and of course Morse has his own misconceptions, But in all he does brilliantly. Even as the bodies pile up, and he deals with a killer toothache, he manages to steer a course that, while not true, is good enough.
There are many facets that can prick those who must work and live together, as in the case of a college full of Dons (Professors to us yanks). And academics can be just as mean-spirited and spiteful, or even far moreso, than your average set of workers.
In a way this, like many a Morse novel, feels claustrophobic to me. All pent up within the ivied walls as it were, the regular world passing them by as minor differences escalate rapidly into issues of life and death. Almost feels like being quarantined during a pandemic. But how would we know that?
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LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
This sixth book in the Inspector Morse series was good, but I did have a hard time following it at times. As always, the writing and the characters fascinated me, so overall, it was a good read. I need to pay closer attention to the details. I didn't figure this one out either.
LibraryThing member mstrust
2. The Riddle of the Third Mile by Colin Dexter. The sixth of the Inspector Morse series. When a body, with all the identifiable parts missing, is pulled from the Oxford Canal, Morse and Sergeant Lewis are sent to figure out who it is and who put it there. The investigation takes them from the
This investigation is atmospheric, sometimes complicated, and also fun due to Morse's extreme crabbiness and arrogance.
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offices of Oxford University to the most seedy London clubs, and along the way they discover the pockets of the university where bitterness had been stewing for years.This investigation is atmospheric, sometimes complicated, and also fun due to Morse's extreme crabbiness and arrogance.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
Reviewers call this an utter delight and imply it is funny. To me it is rather sordid and depressing. I like the Morse TV shows but not the books. This involves the disappearance of a man who was a cowardly junior officer at El Alamein and is now a professor of Greek history nearing retirement at
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Oxford. He is lured to London by a promise of lurid sex and vanishes. Show Less
LibraryThing member ishtahar
The one with the Battle of El-Alamein, Morse's first love and the dismembered corpse at Thrupp.
LibraryThing member tuckerresearch
An early Morse book, pre-TV show. So, Morse smokes, likes porn, and drives a Lancia. There is some Morse background in this one, back to his college days. (Which differs again from the TV shows, slightly.) This one was not made into an episode. For obvious reasons. Spoilers. One, Morse is wrong, as
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you the reader knows, though his explanation is reasonable, it is wrong. Morse does that a lot. This one has no real resolution, as every suspect and murderer ends up dead in the end. A complex read though, fun, experimentally told, I think. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 1983)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1983
Physical description
276 p.; 17.7 cm
ISBN
0330283928 / 9780330283922
Local notes
Omslag: Michael Trevillion
Omslagsfoto: Michael Trevillion
Omslaget viser en gammel engelske bygning
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Morse (engelsk), bind 6
Købt som del af samlet morseudgave i genbrugsen
Omslagsfoto: Michael Trevillion
Omslaget viser en gammel engelske bygning
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Morse (engelsk), bind 6
Købt som del af samlet morseudgave i genbrugsen
Other editions
The riddle of the third mile by Colin Dexter (Paperback)
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
276
DDC/MDS
| 813 |