I never liked Morse on TV, mostly because I found John Thaw a boring actor. Admittedly I only saw bits of it when I was younger, and I might even enjoy it now, but that's my abiding idea of the Oxford-based detective. This opinion has now changed after reading the 5th book in Dexter's Morse series (I've only got a couple of them from bargain thriller box-sets) in which the inspector investigates an apparent suicide and subsequent murder in suburbia.
brilliant...
The Morse in the book bares little resemblance to my version based on the bits of Thaw I've seen, which may or may not be accurate. In the book, Morse is spikey, obstinate and barely even around for a chunk at the beginning. Dexter crafts the mystery with considerable skill, moving between characters and providing red herrings, involving Morse in a personal capacity with the victim, and generally creating a believable, solid world for the characters to inhabit. I was surprised that Lewis, Morse's TV sidekick, had very little to do in this mystery, but then he wasn't particularly needed - much of the investigation is fuelled by the inspector's close-association with the tragic victim. I was surprised by the ending, in that I hadn't been able to work out whodunnit, and overall I was left feeling much more positive about this Morse chap, and happy to read more.
briefly...
It's easy to see why Dexter's Morse is so popular. An excellent mystery, deftly written.
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