Customer Reviews

Jewel That Was Ours

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

.
In this traditional British mystery a group of elderly American tourists are on a bus tour in Oxford. It turns out that the travelers have more than their share of secrets. When an accidental death and a murder occur, Inspector Morse suspects that events in the pasts of some of these tourists and their guides are playing a part in present events. (We don't learn Morse's first name until the final book in this fine series.)
Dexter's books have a sly, malicious sense of humor and much is said in a tongue in cheek fashion. Morse is a lot of fun for the reader. He's not a happy man, but he is a bright bachelor able to bounce back from adversity as long as he has his booze, his crossword puzzles, his classical music, and an infrequent roll in the hay. He is not willing to take any blame for swallowing all those red herrings put out for him and the reader.
The final unraveling of the plot is very complicated, defies common sense and is more ingenious than credible and leaves you wondering if you haven't been taken for a bus ride yourself.
As in the classic British mystery this book even has all the suspects gathered together in a meeting with the police inspector ticking off the facts of the case and pointing to the murderer. Readers will learn the title has two meanings. Inspector Morse is a brilliant detective whose bursts of insight sometimes send his investigations off in the wrong direction and sometimes lead to the arrests of innocents. Exculpatory evidence often turns up to prove that he's been too hasty. For these errors he is unapologetic and good at ignoring his mistakes. Sergeant Lewis in this Colin Dexter outing fawns over his boss a great deal and is all to ready to overlook his superior's miscues.
The book provides an interesting overview of Oxford and some of its oddities. With this mystery in hand, just hop aboard the bus, have fun, and go along for the ride. You'll have fun as long as you don't object to a supposedly logical man's logic going off track at times.

Inspector Morse occupies the bar of the Randolph Hotel while he investigates the titillating Shelia Williams and the odd disappearance of a priceless jewel. The jewels owner's heart attack leads to complications, complicity, murder, and an enormously entertaining run through a list of American tourist suspects. A superb plot, well written, well executed. An excellent read.

Although I figured out why the murder was committed and by whom, I didn't work out how until the end of the book. As usual Morse was knocking back the beer, flirting in his subtle way and actually got a "little"!!! bit friendly with a suspect. A good read.

This is a bit of a slog because it really is a parody within a parody wrapped in a mystery with Inspector Morse checking in. The mystery is compelling, but little else is in this Dexter work.

John Ashenden is a tour guide. He has a group of Americans from the West Coast. Laura Stratton, one of the guests on this rather expensive tour, dies in an Oxford Hotel. Lewis and Morse are called. The tourists are told about the Wolvercote Buckle, a significant artifact displayed at the Ashmolean. It seems that the dead woman carried a costly jewel with her that belongs with the Wolvercote Tongue. The theft of that jewel is a severe disappointment to a scholar, Theodore Kemp. The remaining plot could have been devised by a Shortz. It is intricate. The format is simple, but exciting.

This review serves the simple purpose of alerting fans of the television series on the significant changes made by the author in the novel to the plot as seen on television. I refuse to give any of these changes away, nor any of the story details, as I detest most Amazon mystery reviewers(not all) as blabbermouthed nincompoops, who call to mind the asinine rabbi on Seinfeld who can't keep a confidence, but insists on blurting out personal information to everyone he meets. A mystery just isn't your average novel - imagine someone describing the ending of the Orient Express in a review? I've actually seen just that! Yet even small touches at the beginning of a great mystery can be spoiled by a clumsy review. With mystery reviews "Less definitely is more!" And To quote Ninotchka, "There will be fewer but better Russians," - let the bodies pile up by themselves in their own good time. Respect not only the dead but the author's efforts at creating surprise! Let a reader enjoy discovering ALL the story.
The Jewel That Was Ours trots out a regular steeplechase of suspects, with more various and far more complex interactives than anything possible within the confines of the time constraints the tv show faced. I prefer this version of the story, and disagree with the Kirkus reviewer who seems to find this rather stale beer, as Morse would put it.
I also don't agree with complaints about lack of character development -there's certainly far more here when compared to the television version. Fans of highly complicated plots should have a field day here.
In sum: quite different and far more complicated than the television version titled "The Wolvercote Tongue" - so there's no worry of 'already knowing how it turns out.'
Note to author - as if he hasn't heard it a thousand times - The American battleship South Dakota was sold for scrap in 1962. Next time, Colin, consult Janes.

One of the best books, but I had a little problem keeping track of all the Americans. It was, however, nice, in a way, to read the case taking place in one area, more... Agatha Christie-like; Sort of confided to on place, instead of scattered all over the place.
In closing: It's a good book! Definitely worth reading! Great characters, good ending! Read it!

Featuring a large assortment of characters, most of them Americans on a tour of England, the ninth Inspector Morse mystery is heavy on details and complications and more difficult to follow than most other mysteries in this series. Laura Stratton is on the trip to donate the priceless, bejeweled Wolvercote Tongue to the Ashmolean Museum, which already has the ancient Wolvercote Buckle to which it belongs. Laura's death in her bathroom, the theft of the treasure, the subsequent murder of museum curator Dr. Theodore Kemp, a suicide, and a pedestrian accident in which a woman on the tour is run down by a car provide more than enough turmoil and mystery to keep Inspector Morse, his trusty Sgt. Lewis, and the local police force busy, full-time.

Morse must decide whether these events are all related and, if they are, if one person is responsible for all the mayhem. Because of the large cast of characters, there is little opportunity for individual character development, making it more difficult than usual to keep track of the many characters. In addition, some of the tourists, tour agency employees, and Oxford lecturers are having relationships with each other, further complicating the stories. All the characters have alibis. Many will vouch for each other, and those who appear guilty of some parts of a crime could not possibly have committed other parts of the same crime.

As Morse becomes frustrated by the complexities, many readers will also become frustrated--with the undeveloped characters, the red herrings, and lack of linear progression in the cases. In the conclusion, Morse draws the tour group together and outlines his case, step by step, telling them (and the reader)about what has happened, instead of showing the action while it is happening. Though Morse solves the case(s), the author keeps the reader at arm's length and prevents him/her from being part of the excitement as the mysteries are solved.

Because the development of Morse's character and relationship with Lewis, usually a high point in these novels, is sacrificed to the complexities of the cases, readers new to the series will gain little understanding of these two men and how they work together and apart. One of the most complex novels in the Inspector Morse series, The Jewel That Was Ours is filled with a large number of seemingly interchangeable characters, all of whom have unlimited potential for evil in a plot overly filled with red herrings. n Mary Whipple

In this book we see a death by natural causes, a suicide, a death by a road accident, and one death by murder. Morse and his wonderful Lewis are left to solve the puzzle which also includes a theft of a very valuable piece of jewellery. I can't stress enough how wonderful this series is! Dexter is a very gifted writer, and the puzzles that he sets are masterpieces. He is a master storyteller who sets a perfect pace and he crafts wonderful characters. I really enjoy seeing these done on film with John Thaw as Morse, but reading the books is really the way to really appreciate the intricacies of each of these books. I'm only sorry that I have only four left to read until the end of the series.

If you like to be kept guessing this is the novel for you. It is also fun to read about the interaction between Morse and Lewis. These two deserve each other.