Search results for ""Author Colin Dexter""

Winner of the CWA Gold Dagger award, The Wench is Dead is the eighth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.That night he dreamed in Technicolor. He saw the ochre-skinned, scantily clad siren in her black, arrowed stockings. And in Morse's muddled computer of a mind, that siren took the name of one Joanna Franks . . .Early in the morning of the 22nd of June, 1859, the body of Joanna Franks was found floating at Duke’s Cut along the Oxford Canal – an event which led to the trial and hanging of two suspected murderers.A hundred and thirty years later Chief Inspector Morse is bedbound and recovering from a perforated ulcer at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital when he is handed an old book to read, one that recounts the trial of a murder aboard the Barbara Bray canal boat: the murder of Joanna Franks. Investigating the account of the trial, Mo

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The first intriguing case that began Colin Dexter’s phenomenally successful Inspector Morse series.‘Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?’Lewis was nobody’s fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity.‘Yes, sir.’An engaging smile crept across Morse’s mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon’s edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening, Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man.But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .Last Bus to Woodstock is followed by the second Inspector Morse book, Last Seen Wearing.

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Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger Award, The Dead of Jericho is the fifth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set Inspector Morse series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.Morse switched on the gramophone to 'play', and sought to switch his mind away from all the terrestrial troubles. Sometimes, this way, he almost managed to forget. But not tonight . . .Anne Scott's address was scribbled on a crumpled note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit. As he turned the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 3rd October, he hadn't planned a second visit. But he was back later the same day – as the officer in charge of her suicide investigation.Following another local death, Morse is not convinced of Anna’s suspected suicide and begins the search for answers . . .The Dead of Jericho is followed by the sixth book in the detective series, The Ridd

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The Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .They called her the Swedish Maiden – the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved – pending further developments.On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.The Way Through the Woods is followed by the eleventh Inspector Morse book, The Daughters of Cain.

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The Daughters of Cain is the eleventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Bizarre and bewildering – that's what so many murder investigations in the past had proved to be . . . In this respect, at least, Lewis was correct in his thinking. What he could not have known was what unprecedented anguish the present case would cause to Morse's soul.Chief Superintendent Strange's opinion was that too little progress had been made since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The victim had been killed by a single stab wound to the stomach. Yet the police had no weapon, no suspect, no motive.Within days of taking over the case, Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of Dr Felix McClure. When another body is discovered Morse suddenly finds himself with rather too many suspects. For once, he can see no solution. But then he receives a letter

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Death is Now My Neighbour is the twelfth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.As he drove his chief down to Kidlington, Lewis returned the conversation to where it had begun. 'You haven't told me what you think about this fellow Owens – the dead woman's next-door neighbour.' 'Death is always the next-door neighbour,' said Morse sombrely. The murder of a young woman . . . A cryptic 'seventeenth-century' love poem . . . And a photograph of a mystery grey-haired man . . .More than enough to set Chief Inspector E. Morse on the trail of a killer.And it's a trail that leads him to Lonsdale College, where the contest between Julian Storrs and Dr Denis Cornford for the coveted position of Master is hotting up.But then Morse faces a greater, far more personal crisis . . .Death is Now My Neighbour is followed by the thirteenth Inspector Morse book, The Remorseful Day.

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"The most consistent of all series in terms of language control, length, and quality of story." David R. Hill, Director of the Edinburgh Project on Extensive Reading.

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The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the third novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.When the newly-appointed and gifted member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate is murdered in his north Oxford home, so starts a formidably complicated homicide case for Chief Inspector Morse.For tracking down the killer will involve navigating the insular and labyrinthine world of Oxford colleges . . .The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is followed by the fourth Inspector Morse book, Service of All the Dead.

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The Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and final novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.'Where does this all leave us, sir?' 'Things are moving fast.' 'We're getting near the end, you mean?' 'We were always near the end.'The murder of Yvonne Harrison had left Thames Valley CID baffled. A year after the dreadful crime they are still no nearer to making an arrest. But one man has yet to tackle the case – and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels.So why is he adamant that he will not lead the re-investigation, despite the entreaties of Chief Superintendent Strange and dark hints of some new evidence? And why, if he refuses to take on the case officially, does he seem to be carrying out his own private enquiries?For Sergeant Lewis this is yet another example of the unsettling behaviour his chief has been displaying o

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The Jewel That Was Ours is the ninth novel in the Oxford-set detective series from Colin Dexter. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.He looked overweight around the midriff, though nowhere else, and she wondered whether perhaps he drank too much. He looked weary, as if he had been up most of the night conducting his investigations . . .For Oxford, the arrival of twenty-seven American tourists is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until one of their number is found dead in Room 310 at the Randolph Hotel.It looks like a sudden – and tragic – accident. Only Chief Inspector Morse appears not to overlook the simultaneous theft of a jewel-encrusted antique from the victim's handbag. Two days later, a naked and battered corpse is dragged from the River Cherwell. A coincidence? Maybe. But this time Morse is determined to prove the link . . .The Jewel That Was Ours is followed by the tenth

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The Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and last novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.'Where does this all leave us, sir?' 'Things are moving fast.' 'We're getting near the end, you mean?' 'We were always near the end.'The murder of Yvonne Harrison had left Thames Valley CID baffled. A year after the dreadful crime they are still no nearer to making an arrest. But one man has yet to tackle the case – and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels.So why is he adamant that he will not lead the re-investigation, despite the entreaties of Chief Superintendent Strange and dark hints of some new evidence? And why, if he refuses to take on the case officially, does he seem to be carrying out his own private enquiries?For Sergeant Lewis this is yet another example of the unsettling behaviour his chief has been displaying of late . . .

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Service of All the Dead is the fourth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.The sweet countenance of Reason greeted Morse serenely when he woke, and told him that it would be no bad idea to have a quiet look at the problem itself before galloping off to a solution.Chief Inspector Morse was alone among the congregation in suspecting continued unrest in the quiet parish of St Frideswide's.Most people could still remember the churchwarden's murder. A few could still recall the murderer's suicide. Now even the police had closed the case.Until a chance meeting among the tombstones reveals startling new evidence of a conspiracy to deceive . . .Service of All the Dead is followed by the fifth Inspector Morse book, The Dead of Jericho.

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The Oxford of Inspector Morse and Lewis is a comprehensive description of the locations used as setting for the complete Inspector Morse series and the first two series of Lewis. Although the cameras roamed nationally and internationally, the emphasis of the book is on the home base of the detectives, the university city of Oxford, which is revealed in an unconventional light. The celebrated university buildings were there but as a setting for crimes committed by corrupt academics, the 'Gown'. The other side of Oxford was also portrayed, the 'Town' and the countryside around, with its equally devious criminals. Grappling with them, and with growing technology, was an old-fashioned improbable sleuth, modern only in his lack of deference for his superiors. This edition, updated with new material to include Lewis and recent developments in Oxford, is essential reading for all lovers of the Oxford detectives, as well as providing much interest and inspiration for locals and tourists alike.

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The Jewel That Was Ours is the ninth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.He looked overweight around the midriff, though nowhere else, and she wondered whether perhaps he drank too much. He looked weary, as if he had been up most of the night conducting his investigations . . .For Oxford, the arrival of twenty-seven American tourists is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until one of their number is found dead in Room 310 at the Randolph Hotel.It looks like a sudden – and tragic – accident. Only Chief Inspector Morse appears not to overlook the simultaneous theft of a jewel-encrusted antique from the victim's handbag . . .Then, two days later, a naked and battered corpse is dragged from the River Cherwell. A coincidence? Maybe. But this time Morse is determined to prove the link . . .The Jewel That Was Ours is followed by the tenth Inspector Morse book, The Way Through the Woods.

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The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the third novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . .And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . .The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is followed by the fourth Inspector Morse book, Service of All the Dead.

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Service of All the Dead is the fourth novel in Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series.The sweet countenance of Reason greeted Morse serenely when he woke, and told him that it would be no bad idea to have a quiet look at the problem itself before galloping off to a solution.In the quiet parish of St Frideswide's, most people could still remember the murder of the churchwarden. A few could still recall the murderer's suicide. Even the police closed the case.But Chief Inspector Morse was alone among the congregation in suspecting that not everything might be so tidily put to rest. And a chance meeting among the tombstones reveals startling new evidence of a conspiracy to deceive . . .Service of All the Dead is followed by the fifth Inspector Morse book, The Dead of Jericho.

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The Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .They called her the Swedish Maiden – the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved – pending further developments.On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.The Way Through the Woods is followed by the e

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The Secret of Annexe 3 is the seventh novel in the Oxford-set detective series from Colin Dexter. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fateful 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.With the corpse still in fancy dress – albeit bloodsoaked – and hardly a single guest at the Hadworth hotel having checked in under their real name, Morse is faced with his toughest mystery yet.The Secret of Annexe 3 is followed

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Last Seen Wearing is the second Inspector Morse novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Why now? Why Friday 12th September – two years, three months and two days after Valerie Taylor had left home to return to afternoon school?He frowned. ‘Something’s turned up, I suppose.’Strange nodded. ‘Yes.’After leaving her home in Oxford to return to school in London, seventeen-year-old Valerie Taylor completely vanished. Despite the efforts of the police and Chief Inspector Ainley, the trail went cold and she was never found.Two years on, Ainley is dead, and Inspector Morse is handed the case. But now, someone has decided to supply some surprising new evidence . . .Last Seen Wearing is followed by the third Inspector Morse book, The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn.

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The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse.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. . .Dr Browne-Smith passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody has heard from him since. By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale is concerned, but not yet worried. Plenty of time to disappear, think Chief Inspector Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . .As bodies begin to pile, Morse sets out on a journey through intricate and complicated history, from World War Two Egypt to present-day London, in search of answers.<

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Death is Now My Neighbour is the twelfth novel in Colin Dexter’s Oxford-set detective series.As he drove his chief down to Kidlington, Lewis returned the conversation to where it had begun. ‘You haven't told me what you think about this fellow Owens – the dead woman’s next-door neighbour.' ‘Death is always the next-door neighbour,’ said Morse sombrely. The murder of a young woman, a cryptic ‘seventeenth-century’ love poem, and a photograph of a mystery grey-haired man is more than enough to set Chief Inspector Morse on the trail of a killer.It’s a trail that leads him to Lonsdale College, where the contest between Julian Storrs and Dr Denis Cornford for the coveted position of Master is hotting up.But then Morse faces a greater, far more personal crisis . . .Death is Now My Neighbour is followed by the thirteenth and final Ins

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Celebrated by Matthew Arnold as the "city of the dreaming spires", Oxford has a long and illustrious history as one of Europe's oldest university towns. Its colleges, libraries and museums, ranging from the medieval to the modern, testify to the city's academic traditions and the dominant influence of "gown" over "town". But there is another Oxford, the city of car factories and housing estates, high-tech research and alternative culture. The University City: the seat of learning, inside the colleges, river and gardens, dons and students, "town and gown" conflict, the other university The Writer's City: Oxford loved and hated by Dr Johnson, Oscar Wilde and CS Lewis; Alice in Wonderland, Zuleika Dobson, and Inspector Morse. The Other Oxford: cars and marmalade; saints and sinners, museums and mausoleums, tramps and tourists.

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Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger Award, The Dead of Jericho is the fifth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set Inspector Morse series.Morse switched on the gramophone to 'play', and sought to switch his mind away from all the terrestrial troubles. Sometimes, this way, he almost managed to forget. But not tonight . . .Anne Scott's address was scribbled on a crumpled note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit.He turned the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 3rd October.He hadn't planned a second visit. But he was back later the same day – as the officer in charge of a suicide investigation . . .The Dead of Jericho is followed by the sixth book in the detective series, The Riddle of the Third Mile.

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Including handy maps and photographs, this illustrated guide tells the story behind the many and varied plaques to be found adorning buildings, monuments and statues around the university city of Oxford. This is a unique publication, featuring the lives of the amazing Oxford men and women whose contributions to the arts and the sciences, as well as to the greater good of mankind, are commemorated around the city. Impeccably researched, this comprehensive book by an Oxford Blue Badge Guide provides a fresh and enlightening insight into the lives of such luminaries as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Isaiah Berlin and Jane Morris, to name but a few. With fascinating biographical anecdotes on the eminent personalities to whom the plaques are dedicated, it will delight visitors and residents alike.

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The Way Through the Woods is the tenth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: 'Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.' As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right . . . in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again . . .They called her the Swedish Maiden – the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer's day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remained unsolved – pending further developments.On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalizing article in The Times about the missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford . . . and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.The Way Through the Woods is followed by the eleventh Inspector Morse book, The Daughters of Cain.

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Last Bus to Woodstock is the novel that began Colin Dexter's phenomenally successful Inspector Morse series.'Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?' Lewis was nobody's fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity. 'Yes, sir.' An engaging smile crept across Morse's mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon's edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man – facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault and rape.But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .Last Bus to Woodstock is followed by the second Inspector Morse book, Last Seen Wearing.

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The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.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 had passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. 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 . . .The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.

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'I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room'Cynical Los Angeles Private Investigator Philip Marlowe always falls for a sob story. Eight years ago Moose Malloy and cute little redhead Velma were getting married - until Malloy was framed for armed robbery. Now he's out and he wants Velma back. Marlowe meets Malloy one hot day in Hollywood and, out of the generosity of his jaded heart, agrees to help. Dragged from one smoky bar to another, Marlowe's search for Velma turns up plenty of gangsters with a nasty habit of shooting first and talking later. And soon what started as a search for a missing person becomes a matter of life and death . . .Farewell, My Lovely is Raymond Chandler's second novel featuring laconic PI Philip Marlowe.'Chandler grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times'Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as Sherlock Holmes' Anthony BurgessDiscover the newest addition to the inimitable Philip Marlowe series - Only to Sleep by Lawrence Osborne - out 6 September 2018 in hardback and ebook from Hogarth.

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Death is Now My Neighbour is the twelfth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.As he drove his chief down to Kidlington, Lewis returned the conversation to where it had begun. 'You haven't told me what you think about this fellow Owens – the dead woman's next-door neighbour.' 'Death is always the next-door neighbour,' said Morse sombrely. The murder of a young woman . . . A cryptic 'seventeenth-century' love poem . . . And a photograph of a mystery grey-haired man . . .More than enough to set Chief Inspector E. Morse on the trail of a killer.And it's a trail that leads him to Lonsdale College, where the contest between Julian Storrs and Dr Denis Cornford for the coveted position of Master is hotting up.But then Morse faces a greater, far more personal crisis . . .Death is Now My Neighbour is followed by the thirteenth Inspector Morse book, The Remorseful Day.

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Last Seen Wearing is the second Inspector Morse novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.After leaving home to return to school, teenager Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold.Until two years, three months and two days after Valerie's disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case and it's up to Morse to solve this curious case. Last Seen Wearing is followed by the third Inspector Morse book, The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn.

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The Secret of Annexe 3 is the seventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series.Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fateful 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 . . .The Secret of Annexe 3 is followed by the eighth Inspector Morse book, The Wench is Dead.

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The Wench is Dead is the eighth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series featuring Inspector Morse.That night he dreamed in Technicolor. He saw the ochre-skinned, scantily clad siren in her black, arrowed stockings. And in Morse's muddled computer of a mind, that siren took the name of one Joanna Franks . . .The body of Joanna Franks was found at Duke's Cut on the Oxford Canal at about 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 22nd June 1859.At around 10.15 a.m. on a Saturday morning in 1989 the body of Chief Inspector Morse – though very much alive – was removed to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. Treatment for a perforated ulcer was later pronounced successful.As Morse begins his recovery he comes across an account of the investigation and the trial that followed Joanna Franks' death . . . and becomes convinced that the two men hanged for her murder were innocent . . .The Wench is Dead is followed by the ninth Inspector Morse book, The Jewel That Was Ours.

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The Daughters of Cain is the eleventh novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series, featuring Inspector Morse.Bizarre and bewildering – that's what so many murder investigations in the past had proved to be . . . In this respect, at least, Lewis was correct in his thinking. What he could not have known was what unprecedented anguish the present case would cause to Morse's soul.Chief Superintendent Strange's opinion was that too little progress had been made since the discovery of a corpse in a North Oxford flat. The victim had been killed by a single stab wound to the stomach. Yet the police had no weapon, no suspect, no motive.Within days of taking over the case Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis uncover startling new information about the life and death of Dr Felix McClure. When another body is discovered Morse suddenly finds himself with rather too many suspects. For once, he can see no solution. But then he receives a letter containing a declaration of love . . .The Daughters of Cain is followed by the twelfth Inspector Morse book, Death is Now My Neighbour.

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Morse had solved so many mysteries in his life. Was he now, he wondered, beginning to glimpse the solution to the greatest mystery of them all . . . ? How can the discovery of a short story by a beautiful Oxford graduate lead Chief Inspector Morse to her murderer? What awaits Morse and Lewis in Room 231 of the Randolph Hotel? Why does a theft at Christmas lead the detective to look upon the festive season with uncharacteristic goodwill? And what happens when Morse himself falls victim to a brilliantly executed crime? Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories is a dazzling collection of short stories from Inspector Morse's creator, Colin Dexter. It includes six ingenious cases for the world's most popular fictional detective – plus five other tantalizingly original tales to delight all lovers of classic crime fiction.

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The fifth book in the classic Martin Beck detective series from the 1960s – the novels that shaped the future of Scandinavian crime writing. Hugely acclaimed, the Martin Beck series were the original Scandinavian crime novels and have inspired the writings of Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo. Written in the 1960s, 10 books completed in 10 years, they are the work of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö – a husband and wife team from Sweden. They follow the fortunes of the detective Martin Beck, whose enigmatic, taciturn character has inspired countless other policemen in crime fiction; without his creation Ian Rankin’s John Rebus or Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander may never have been conceived. The novels can be read separately, but are best read in chronological order, so the reader can follow the characters’ development and get drawn into the series as a whole. Gunvald Larsson sits carefully observing the dingy Stockholm apartment of a man under police surveillance. He looks at his watch: nine minutes past eleven in the evening. He yawns, slapping his arms to keep warm. At the same moment the house explodes, killing at least three people. Chief Inspector Martin Beck and his men don't suspect arson or murder until they discover a peculiar circumstance and a link is established between the explosion and a suicide committed that same day, in which the dead man left a note consisting of just two words: Martin Beck.

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