Colin Dexter
Encyclopedia
Norman Colin Dexter, OBE
, (born 29 September 1930) is an English crime writer, known for his Inspector Morse
novels which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as a television series from 1987 to 2000.
, and was educated at Stamford School
, where his brother, John Dexter, had been before him. After completing his National Service
with the Royal Corps of Signals
he read classics at Christ's College, Cambridge
, graduating in 1953 and receiving an honorary Masters Degree in 1958.
In 1954, he started his teaching career in the East Midlands
, becoming assistant classics master at Wyggeston School
, Leicester. A post at Loughborough Grammar School
followed, before he took up the position of senior classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire
, in 1959.
In 1966, he was forced by the onset of deafness to retire from teaching, and took up the post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations (UODLE) in Oxford
– a job he held until his retirement in 1988.
Dexter featured prominently in the BBC programme "How to Solve a Cryptic Crossword" as part of the Time Shift series broadcast in November 2008 in which he recounted some of the crossword clues solved by Morse.
and Pwllheli
. It was a Saturday and it was raining – it's not unknown for it to rain in North Wales
. The children were moaning ... I was sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do, and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel." Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and introduced the world to the character of Inspector Morse
, the irascible detective whose penchants for cryptic crossword
s, English literature, cask ale
and Wagner
reflect Dexter's own enthusiasms. Dexter's plots are notable for his use of false leads and other red herring
s.
The success of the 33 episodes of the TV series Inspector Morse
, produced between 1987 and 2001, brought further acclaim for Dexter. In the manner of Alfred Hitchcock
, he also makes a cameo appearance
in almost all episodes. More recently, his character from the Morse series, the stalwart Sgt (now Inspector) Lewis features in 20 episodes of the new ITV series Lewis. As with Morse, Dexter makes a cameo appearance in several episodes.
Dexter suggested the English poet A E Housman as his "great life" on the BBC Radio 4
programme of that name
in May 2008. Dexter and Housman were both classicists who found a popular audience for another genre of writing.
awards: two Silver Daggers for Service of All the Dead
in 1979 and The Dead of Jericho
in 1981; two Gold Dagger
s for The Wench is Dead
in 1989 and The Way Through the Woods
in 1992; and a Cartier Diamond Dagger
for lifetime achievement in 1997. In 1996 Dexter received a Macavity Award
for his short story Evans Tries an O-Level. In 1980, he was elected a member of the by-invitation-only Detection Club.
In 2000 Dexter was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 29 September 1930) is an English crime writer, known for his Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, as well as the 33-episode 1987–2000 television adaptation of the same name, in which the character was portrayed by John Thaw. Morse is a senior CID officer with the Thames Valley...
novels which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as a television series from 1987 to 2000.
Early life and career
Dexter was born in Stamford, LincolnshireStamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
, and was educated at Stamford School
Stamford School
Stamford School is an English independent school situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1920.-History:...
, where his brother, John Dexter, had been before him. After completing his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
he read classics at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, graduating in 1953 and receiving an honorary Masters Degree in 1958.
In 1954, he started his teaching career in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
, becoming assistant classics master at Wyggeston School
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, or "Q.E" is a sixth form college in Leicester, England.-Admissions:There are 1,865 full-time 16-18 year-old students and 140 teaching staff. More than 40 subjects are offered at A Level. Somewhat against the national trend Mathematics and Sciences account...
, Leicester. A post at Loughborough Grammar School
Loughborough Grammar School
Loughborough Grammar School founded in 1495 by Thomas Burton, is an independent school for boys in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It is a day school for over 1100 pupils and a boarding school for nearly 100. It is one of three schools known as the Loughborough Endowed Schools, along with...
followed, before he took up the position of senior classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, in 1959.
In 1966, he was forced by the onset of deafness to retire from teaching, and took up the post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations (UODLE) in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
– a job he held until his retirement in 1988.
Dexter featured prominently in the BBC programme "How to Solve a Cryptic Crossword" as part of the Time Shift series broadcast in November 2008 in which he recounted some of the crossword clues solved by Morse.
Writing career
He started writing mysteries in 1973 during a family holiday: "We were in a little guest house halfway between CaernarfonCaernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
. It was a Saturday and it was raining – it's not unknown for it to rain in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. The children were moaning ... I was sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do, and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel." Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and introduced the world to the character of Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, as well as the 33-episode 1987–2000 television adaptation of the same name, in which the character was portrayed by John Thaw. Morse is a senior CID officer with the Thames Valley...
, the irascible detective whose penchants for cryptic crossword
Cryptic crossword
Cryptic crosswords are crossword puzzles in which each clue is a word puzzle in and of itself. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, including Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malta,...
s, English literature, cask ale
Cask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
and Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
reflect Dexter's own enthusiasms. Dexter's plots are notable for his use of false leads and other red herring
Red herring
A red herring is a deliberate attempt to divert attention.Red herring may refer to:* Red herring , the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but does not address the issue in question....
s.
The success of the 33 episodes of the TV series Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, as well as the 33-episode 1987–2000 television adaptation of the same name, in which the character was portrayed by John Thaw. Morse is a senior CID officer with the Thames Valley...
, produced between 1987 and 2001, brought further acclaim for Dexter. In the manner of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, he also makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in almost all episodes. More recently, his character from the Morse series, the stalwart Sgt (now Inspector) Lewis features in 20 episodes of the new ITV series Lewis. As with Morse, Dexter makes a cameo appearance in several episodes.
Dexter suggested the English poet A E Housman as his "great life" on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme of that name
Great Lives
Great Lives is a BBC Radio 4 biography series, produced in Bristol. It is presented by Matthew Parris. A distinguished guest is asked to nominate the person they feel is truly deserving of the title "Great Life". Matthew and a recognised expert are on hand to discuss the life...
in May 2008. Dexter and Housman were both classicists who found a popular audience for another genre of writing.
Awards and honours
Dexter has been the recipient of several Crime Writers' AssociationCrime Writers' Association
The Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
awards: two Silver Daggers for Service of All the Dead
Service of All the Dead
Service of All the Dead is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the fourth novel in Inspector Morse series.This time Inspector Morse brings the imposition on himself. He could have been vacationing in Greece instead of investigating a murder that the police have long since written off. But he finds the...
in 1979 and The Dead of Jericho
The Dead of Jericho
The Dead of Jericho is a work of English detective fiction by Colin Dexter, as part of the Inspector Morse series.-Plot summary:Detective Chief Inspector E. Morse of the Thames Valley Police meets Anne Scott at a party hosted by Mrs Murdoch in North Oxford. Six months later Anne Scott is found...
in 1981; two Gold Dagger
Gold Dagger
The Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
s for The Wench is Dead
The Wench is Dead
The Wench is Dead is a historical crime novel by Colin Dexter, the eighth novel in the Inspector Morse series. The novel received the Gold Dagger Award in 1989.-Plot introduction:...
in 1989 and The Way Through the Woods
The Way Through the Woods
The Way Through the Woods is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the tenth novel in the Inspector Morse series. It received the Gold Dagger Award in 1992....
in 1992; and a Cartier Diamond Dagger
Cartier Diamond Dagger
The Cartier Diamond Dagger is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain to authors who have made an outstanding lifetime's contribution to the genre. The 2011 winner is Lindsey Davis.-Winners:* 1986 - Eric Ambler* 1987 - P. D...
for lifetime achievement in 1997. In 1996 Dexter received a Macavity Award
Macavity Awards
The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The award is given in four categories -- best novel,...
for his short story Evans Tries an O-Level. In 1980, he was elected a member of the by-invitation-only Detection Club.
In 2000 Dexter was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature
Inspector Morse Novels
- Last Bus to WoodstockLast Bus to WoodstockLast Bus to Woodstock is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the first of thirteen novels in his Inspector Morse series.-Plot summary: Two young women are waiting for a bus to Woodstock, and they decide to hitch a lift...
(1975) - Last Seen WearingLast Seen Wearing (Dexter novel)Last Seen Wearing is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the second novel in Inspector Morse series.-Synopsis:A man, later known to be Donald Phillipson, goes for an interview in Oxford to be headmaster of a school, later known to be the Roger Bacon Comprehensive School in Oxford. At the bus stop a...
(1976) - The Silent World of Nicholas QuinnThe Silent World of Nicholas QuinnThe Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the third novel in Inspector Morse series.-Synopsis:The Oxford Foreign Examinations Syndicate runs school exams in the Persian Gulf and other places with a British connection...
(1977) - Service of All the DeadService of All the DeadService of All the Dead is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the fourth novel in Inspector Morse series.This time Inspector Morse brings the imposition on himself. He could have been vacationing in Greece instead of investigating a murder that the police have long since written off. But he finds the...
(1979) - The Dead of JerichoThe Dead of JerichoThe Dead of Jericho is a work of English detective fiction by Colin Dexter, as part of the Inspector Morse series.-Plot summary:Detective Chief Inspector E. Morse of the Thames Valley Police meets Anne Scott at a party hosted by Mrs Murdoch in North Oxford. Six months later Anne Scott is found...
(1981) - The Riddle of the Third MileThe Riddle of the Third MileThe Riddle of the Third Mile is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the sixth novel in Inspector Morse series.Inspector Morse is not sure what to make of the truncated body found dumped in the Oxford Canal, but he suspects it may be all that's left of an elderly Oxford don last seen boarding the London...
(1983) - The Secret of Annexe 3The Secret of Annexe 3The Secret of Annexe 3 is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the seventh novel in Inspector Morse series.The guests of Haworth Hotel rose late, after New Year's Eve. But there was one exception, the guest in Annexe 3 missed New Year's Eve completely. He was still in his room, lying dead on the...
(1986) - The Wench is DeadThe Wench is DeadThe Wench is Dead is a historical crime novel by Colin Dexter, the eighth novel in the Inspector Morse series. The novel received the Gold Dagger Award in 1989.-Plot introduction:...
(1989) - The Jewel That Was OursThe Jewel That Was OursThe Jewel That Was Ours is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the ninth novel in Inspector Morse series.An American tourist is found dead in her room at the Randolph Hotel, and her prized and very expensive piece of antique jewellery has been stolen. Two days later a battered and naked corpse is...
(1991) - The Way Through the WoodsThe Way Through the WoodsThe Way Through the Woods is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the tenth novel in the Inspector Morse series. It received the Gold Dagger Award in 1992....
(1992) - The Daughters of CainThe Daughters of CainThe Daughters of Cain is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the eleventh novel in the Inspector Morse series.-Synopsis:The body of Dr. Felix McClure, Ancient History don of Wolsey College, Oxford, is found in his flat. A brutal murder - a single stab to the stomach with a broad knife. The police have...
(1994) - Death is Now My NeighbourDeath Is Now My NeighbourDeath is Now My Neighbour is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the twelfth novel in the Inspector Morse series.-Synopsis:At 17 Bloxham Drive, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, a pretty 29-year old physiotherapist named Rachel James is shot almost point blank through the closed shade of her kitchen window early...
(1996) - The Remorseful DayThe Remorseful DayThe Remorseful Day is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the last novel in the Inspector Morse series.-Title:The title derives from a line in the poem "XVI - ", from More Poems, by A. E...
(1999)
Novellas and short story collections
- The Inside Story (1993); Special edition, commissioned by American Express
- London: Pan, Pub date 1993, Paperback, 56p.; includes crossword puzzle
- Neighbourhood Watch (1993); Limited edition of 229 copies
- Richmond: Hartley Moorhouse and Geir Moe Sorenson ISBN 1898154007, Pub date May 1993, Paperback in slip case
- Morse's Greatest MysteryMorse's Greatest MysteryMorse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories is a book by Colin Dexter. First published in 1993, it a collection of eleven short stories six of which feature Inspector Morse...
(1993); also published as As Good as Gold- "As Good as Gold" [Insp. Morse]
- "Morse's Greatest Mystery" [Insp. Morse]
- "Evans Tries an O-Level"
- "Dead as a Dodo" [Insp. Morse]
- "At the Lulu-Bar Motel"
- "Neighbourhood Watch" [Insp. Morse]
- "A Case of Mis-Identity" [a Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
pastichePasticheA pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
] - "The Inside Story" [Insp. Morse]
- "Monty's Revolver"
- "The Carpet-Bagger"
- "Last Call" [Insp. Morse]
- Morse's Greatest Mystery
Uncollected short stories
- "The Burglar" in You, The Mail on SundayThe Mail on SundayThe Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
, 1994 - "The Double Crossing" in Mysterious Pleasures, ed. Martin Edwards, London: Little, Brown, 2003
- "Between the Lines" in The Detection Collection [a Detection Club volume], ed. Simon Brett, Orion, 2005.
- "The Case of the Curious Quorum" in The Verdict of Us All [a Detection Club volume], ed. Peter Lovesey, Crippen & Landru, 2006, featuring Inspector Lewis.
- "The Other Half" in The Strand MagazineStrand MagazineThe Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
, February–May, 2007. - "Morse and the Mystery of the Drunken Driver" in Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, December 2008. - "Clued Up" in Cracking Cryptic Crosswords, 2009. (A 4-page story featuring Lewis and Morse solving a crossword).
Other
- Cracking Cryptic Crosswords - a guide to solving cryptic crosswords Oxford: Offox Press ltd, 2010
- Oxford: A Cultural and Literary History Foreword by Colin Dexter, Signal Books, 2007