The Dead of Jericho

By: Colin Dexter

Narrated by: Kevin Whately

The Dead of Jericho is the fifth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective 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 Inspector Morse book, The Riddle of the Third Mile.

© Colin Dexter; (P) Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Intricate and confusing

I’m afraid I’m not a great judge of Dexter’s writing because I find it difficult to follow all of the activity. There is a lot of dialogue, some of which the reader did not differentiate with voice. But I liked the characters and the performance was entertaining. Nevertheless, by the end of the book, I was still unsure of all that had happened.

Interesting but Confusing

After listening to the book, I was sorry that
the tale was not twice the length. The story had so many facets that I too often lost the thread. Under the circumstances, trying to puzzle out the mystery was impossible (at least for me).

1/2 the Book is missing! A sad incomplete remnant

Unabridged, the audio version of the Dead of Jericho is over 7 hrs. This version is less than 3 only about 40% of the original work, the result of ruthless pruning that leaves most of a very well written novel in the trash. What an incredible waste. If you want to read Colin Dexter, read him in his entirety. He's worth it. Many of the wholesale cuts furnish valuable background and clues to the characters of the persons involved. Dexter writes well, too, not that you'd know it from this shadow of the work.

This is not to say that Kevin Whately doesn't do a fine job with the material he was given. He's excellent.

Just don't bother with this sad remnant of a fine novel.