[Morse is] the most prickly conceited and genuinely brilliant detective since Hercule Poirot. --The New York Times Book Review Inspector Morse isn t 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 train several days before. Whatever the truth the inspector knows it won t be simple--it never is. As he retraces Professor Browne-Smith s route through a London netherworld of topless bars and fancy bordellos his forebodings are fulfilled. The evidence mounts; so do the bodies. So Morse downs another pint unleashes his pit bull instincts and solves a mystery that defies all logic. [Dexter] is a magician with character story construction and the English language. . . . Colin Dexter and Morse are treasures of the genre. --Mystery News It is a delight to watch this brilliant quirky man deduce. --Minneapolis Star & Tribune