Secret of Annexe 3 (Pan Crime) [Paperback]

Colin Dexter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 1987 | Series: Pan Crime

Inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder enquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal. The corpse was still in fancy dress and hardly a single guest had registered under their genuine name. Other Morse books include "Last Seen Wearing".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the British author's latest, his admirable Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis investigate a murder committed on New Year's Eve at a hotel in Oxford. Three couples are housed in the hotel annex, and one man, winner of the prize in the fancy-dress contest, is found dead in his room. The first problem facing Morse and Lewis is locating the other five guests, including the victim's wife, all of whom have fled, having registered under fake names and addresses. The irascible inspector needs patient Lewis's calming presence more than ever since the killers seem to have carried out a deep-laid and devious plot. They are so clever that the case challenges Morse's talent for spying each tree in a forest of tricks. Engrossed in the story that Dexter tells in his witty and stylish fashion, readers will savor the mystery of the masquerade and the detecting partners' ultimate triumph.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The Secret of Annexe 3 features Dexter's (The Jewel That Was Ours, Audio Reviews, LJ 9/15/94) popular Inspector Morse investigating a murder that results from a husband's discovery of his wife's infidelity. The story begins somewhat slowly but eventually captures the listener's attention through Dexter's ability to draw his characters and scenes so well. The interrogations are especially well done. Morse is as brooding and moody as the Wagnerian operas he loves. Stage and screen actor Michael Pennington's reading is clear, and the tone of his voice highlights the minor key of this work and Morse's character. An enjoyable work for public libraries.
Michael T. Fein, Catawba Valley Community Coll., Hickory, N.C.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books (September 4, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 033029976X
• ISBN-13: 978-0330299763
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,104,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice, middling Morse, March 3, 2003

By 

Laurie Fletcher "Laurie Fletcher" (Casper, Wyoming, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret of Annexe 3 (Inspector Morse Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I came across this in a used book store and recognized it immediately for what it was: a Morse mystery that I had never read. As Inspector Morse stories go, this one is good but not exceptional. It is always good to be in the presence of the cranky Inspector, especially since he is so clearly personified by the late, great John Thaw, and this story has some very unique elements in the telling of a good story, but it relies a little too much on coincidence for its final resolution. It was a necessary device in this case, but if Morse hadn't been in that particular pub at that particular time... Oh, well. I think we read these as much for the enjoyment of Morse's cognitive processes and his relationship with Lewis, his long-suffering sergeant. And there are far worse ways to spend and evening! (I don't want this back.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An eventful New Year, June 14, 2006

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret of Annexe 3 (Paperback)

During the New Year's Eve break when Imspector Morse was supposed to be on leave, a body was discovered in the bedroom of a local hotel which had held a special holiday function in the form of a fancy dress dance and dinner. Morse and Sergeant Lewis were called in to investigate the murder of a guest at the dinner, whose head had been smashed in with a heavy object, but when the names and addresses of all the attending guests were checked out, it appeared that not only had this guest but several others given false names and addresses. As the guests had not been detained before the arrival of the police, a hunt began for the occupants of the rooms who had obviously been there with "significant others" who were not their legal spouses. The reader needs to concentrate closely to unwind the tangled web which follows but if this is possible, it's an intriguing read with Morse being his usual arrogant, boozy self and with poor Lewis being the fall guy for his sarcastic wit.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not my favourite Morse, but still worth reading., January 25, 2005

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret of Annexe 3 (Hardcover)

Although this book was not my favourite of the brilliant Inspector Morse series, it is still worth reading. Even Colin Dexter's less than best efforts are a cut above many who write in this genre. This is a puzzle that has Morse and Lewis going off in the wrong direction right up until the end of the book. They have the gist right, but no way of connecting the facts to make them make sense. Who was the person dressed as a Rastafarian at the New Year's Eve fancy dress ball? Who killed who? Was it the jealous husband or was it the lover? For a time Morse and Lewis did not know the exact identity of the corpse found on the bed in Annexe 3. Morse and Lewis are pitted against a very clever killer this time, but they do manage to sort it out. This is really a wonderful British procedural series. The character of Morse is developing into something quite special.