What I like most about Dexter's characters is that they are not perfect, especially Morse, who can be a bad-tempered misery when he doesn't get enough beer. He is also inclined to jump at solutions before carefully examining the information he possesses. I especially like the way Dexter writes and how he imparts Morse's elite intelligence. In this book, he misses a golden opportunity with a woman as well as a few clues about her death.

It's impossible for me to picture Morse as anyone other than John Thaw. ( )

Not bad for a spot of weekend reading. Dexter has definitely found the voice for his Inspector Morse, and for Lewis, and their conversations are great fun to read. Some detective book fans do not like Morse for his grumpiness, intellectual elitism, and seeming ingratitude. But we see and accept the human flaws that accompany an acclaimed genius mind, or at least a mind that works far differently than most. His love of beer, the female shape, and The Archers anchors him in a world where he would otherwise be adrift.
The mystery here is great with many trails and threads. The crux of it falls apart in the post-Internet world, but I love reading about Thatcher's England. The plot is not timeless, but Morse is. ( )

This was a good read! The mood of this is melancholy. Morse leads a life of missed opportunities, as does Ann Scott, the first to die in this novel. But Dexter doesn't wallow in pity. He writes about Scott with compassion, and about Morse in the tolerant way men talk about their lifelong friends. It's clever and rich with many strands of plot. ( )

Non delude, Morse è sempre il solito, molto umano, con tanti difetti, ma un investigatore coi fiocchi. E' davvero bello leggere un poliziesco così lontano dal filone 'polizia scientifica' che impazza negli ultimi anni alla tv, un giallo tutto giocato sui vizi umani, debolezze, virtù, di vittime, colpevoli, ed investigatori. ( )

Found the way that Morse became involved a bit contrived, doubt whether he'd really be allowed to investigate it if he'd known the woman and behaved as he did.

Remembered bits of it from the TV series but couldn't remember how it ended.

Kind of tricky to solve on your own, found it tricky to keep track of what was going on. Liked the map. ( )