Customer Reviews

Last seen wearing

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This is a very intelligent book, and in it we see a very vulnerable, although still brilliant Morse. Dexter writes in such a way that we're there every step of the way with Morse as he stumbles his way around trying to solve a very confusing, old disappearance case. It is done so well, that as we read and see through Morse's eyes, the tension keeps on building and building. We begin to wonder why we can't figure out what happened to Valerie Taylor either. As well done as the televisin series is, and I have seen this story enacted, it cannot come close to the intricasies of the plot in this particular book. One of the best examples I've seen of plot and character development done in the mystery genre.

If you are tired of American detective stories that contain so much violence and gore, you will find this British detective story very refreshing. The characters Morse and his side-kick are so well written, so real that they almost jumped out of the pages. It doesn't matter even if this is the first Morse story you read. Morse, unlike some of the "supercop" characters in American novels, uses his wit instead of muscle, logic instead of guns to solve crimes. His personality is less than perfect, he makes mistakes from time to time, but that's exactly what makes his character so likeable and so believable. Ah, and he's got that British sense of humor too! I have to tip my hat to Dexter for his such fine writing and I'll certainly look for more of his books. If you like clever, entertaining detective stories, you will like this one. If you want to learn how to write good detective stories, you will need this one. If you enjoy British humor, don't miss this one!

Of course I know the Morse television series, but this is my first Morse novel. I will have to try another one. This book is disappointing for the reasons stated by other reviewers, especially a plot that is excessively labyrinthine and, to be honest, not terribly gripping. The ending is also unsatisfactory. Dexter is not a great writer, but I'm sure he's done better work than this one. So I'm not giving up. But if the next one isn't good, then I will probably go back to N. Marsh and M. Allingham.

First Sentence: He felt quite pleased with himself.

More than two years ago, Valerie Taylor disappeared. Now, a letter is received saying she is alive. Inspector Morse has been assigned the case to learn the truth.

I read principally for character. When I don't like the characters, I have a hard time getting through the book.

Other than his love of opera, there was little to like about Morse. He drinks too much, is into pornography and leaps to conclusions about the case, then trying to make the clues fit his conclusion. Sgt Lewis is strictly a side kick and given little notice at all.

Rather than real investigation being done there are a huge number of coincidences. The "procedure" of an investigation is seems disregarded at worst and is sloppy at best. A court would have a field day with the way in which evidence was, or wasn't handled.

I found this a slog to get through. With so many other good British police procedural authors available, Dexter is one I'll leave behind.

LAST SEEN WEARING (Pol Proc-Insp. Morse-England-Cont) - Poor

Dexter, Colin - 2nd in series

PAN Books, ©1976, UK Paperback - ISBN: 0330251481

Colin Dexter was born in 1930 and, over the course of his writing career, has won CWA Gold Dagger and Silver Dagger awards. "Last Seen Wearing" was first published in 1976 and is the second book to feature the famous Inspector Morse.

"Last Seen Wearing" sees Morse and his sidekick, Lewis, assigned to a missing persons case. Just over two years previously, Valerie Taylor - a seventeen year old pupil at a local comprehensive school, had disappeared. The case had been investigated by one of Morse's colleagues, Chief Inspector Ainley, but was never closed. Morse has now inherited the case following Ainley's death in a car accident. Although technically a "cold case", it was one that Ainley had never stopped investigating - albeit unofficially and in his own time, in the latter stages. Ainley was returning from London when he had his car accident - Morse believes he discovered something important there.

The day she disappeared, Valerie had come home for her lunch - although she left to return to school for her afternoon lessons, it seems she never arrived there. However, a letter has now arrived home - apparently from Valerie, saying she's fine but doesn't want to be found. According to the postmark, it was posted in London the day after Ainley's death. Morse, for no clear reason, decides that Valerie is actually dead and the letter is a forgery.

Since Valerie disappeared on the way back to school, Morse and Lewis naturally look into her school-life. Three staff-members, as it turns out, crop up regularly in the investigation. One is the school's headmaster - who had only been appointed to the position three years previously. (From the book's prologue, there's a suspicion he may have had a quick roll in the hay with Valerie on the day of his interview. Naturally, he wouldn't have known she was one of his prospective pupils at the time). Phillipson is still relatively young - he's only in his mid-thirties and is married with two young children. The school's vice-principal, on the other hand, is a single man in his fifties called Baines. He'd been passed over by the school's Board of Governors for the headmaster's position, and it's clear that he and Phillipson don't get on well together. The final staff member is David Acum, who had only taught in the school for one year - leaving shortly after Valerie had disappeared to take up a teaching position in Wales. Acum had taken Valerie's last class before she went missing.

While it's a better book that "Last Bus to Woodstock" - the first in the Morse series - there are still plenty of flaws in "Last Seen Wearing". Despite working on what was officially a missing persons case, it seemed strange that Morse had no clear photo of Valerie's face - the clearest shot mentioned appeared alongside a newspaper article. I was a little puzzled how Morse was supposed to recognise Valerie if he found her. I also found it strange that Morse didn't spend more time talking to Valerie's school-friends - only one of them, an ex-boyfriend, is even mentioned. Later on, when a murder is actually committed, Morse removes the weapon from the corpse and tosses it aside - taking no interest in fingerprints or forensics. (At this point, I was wondering how he still had a job). Dexter's style of writing didn't do much for me either - "I wish we could be naughty together, don't you ?" and "Watch out you miserable sinner, whoever you are, who did poor Valerie in !" are just a couple of samples. Largely an easy read, though it's no classic.

ISBN 0553280031 - And he doesn't have the answer way before you do. In fact, you might get it long before Inspector Morse. Doesn't matter, though, because the twists and turns this tale takes will have you second- and third- guessing yourself. Upon the death of another detective, Morse is handed a missing person's case that is already several years old. Seventeen year-old schoolgirl Valerie Taylor went missing one Tuesday, never to be seen again, even as a corpse. Morse prefers corpses, perhaps only because they hold still while he works - and Valerie holds still like a wisp of smoke. The characters that peopled her life all seem to have some possible motive for killing her, but if someone did, where's the body? And if she's dead, what's she doing writing letters to her parents? Finding the answers is fun, especially when you're doing it with a dirty old man like Morse.

- AnnaLovesBooks

If you are tired of American detective stories that contain so much violence and gore, you will find this British detective story like a breath of fresh air. It doesn't matter if this is the first Morse story you read. The characters are so well written, the plot so well developed that it will keep you guessing till the very end. Morse, until those "supercops" in American's novels, uses his wit instead of muscles, logic instead of guns to solve crimes. Yes his personality is less than perfect, he makes mistakes from time to time, but that's exactly what makes this character believable and likable. And he's got that British sense of humor, too! I have to tip my hat to Dexter for his fine writing, and I will certainly look for more of his books. If you like well written, clever, funny detective stories with a dose of British humor, look no further.

This is a good early Morse book. The plot isn't bad, Morse is at his best in solving a tough crime, and the characters are compelling. Fortunately, for Dexter fans, however, the works only get better from here.

Book loaned by a friend who noted that I was a John Mortimer/Rumpole fan and who thought I might enjoy Inspector Morse. I am sure there is some grist there and other reviews are probably more valid than mine owing to my decidedly pedestrian tastes.

The book started out with an interesting premise (but don't all mysteries?) but quickly wound its way onto a labyrinth of side plots, sub-narratives, and entanglements with, frankly no redeeming steamy sex (except when Morse and Lewis visit the strip tease show) or car chases to revive my interest.

Our poor old C.I. Morse even makes several self-admitted blunders as he stumbles into the mystery's resolution.

Mr. Dexter is a very good writer; I am just a very poor reader..

..short attention span and all that.

This book seemed promising at first, but got worse as the chapters went by. A poorly constructed plot with bland characters made it hard to stay interested. The seperate parts were not well connected, and it was hard to lose interest. Even the mystery was not intriguing, and hardly made me want to find out what happened. There was no action, and it mostly consisted of interveiws and dialogue with no real point. However, there were some clever lines that showed Colin Dexter has some talent. This was my first book by this author, and it will probably be my last.