For a year, the murder of Yvonne Harrison has baffled Thames Valley CID. But one man has yet to tackle the case - and it is just the sort of puzzle at which Chief Inspector Morse excels. So why will he not lead the reinvesigation, despite two anonymous phone calls that hint at new evidence?
How can the discovery of a short story by a beautiful Oxford graduate lead Inspector Morse to her murderer? What awaits Morse and Lewis in Room 231 of the Randolph Hotel? This is a collection of short stories including "As Good As Gold". Six new cases for Morse are included plus five other tales.
Nicholas Quinn is deaf, so he considers himself lucky to be appointed to the Foreign Examinations Board at Oxford, which designs tests for students of English around the world. But when someone slips cyanide into Nicholas's sherry, Inspector Morse has a multiple-choice murder. Any one of a tight little group of academics could have killed Quinn. Before Morse is done, all their dirty little secrets will be exposed. And a murderer will be cramming for his finals. . . .
'Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fatal evening had been wearing some sort of disguise - a change of dress, a change of make-up, a change of partner, a change of attitude, a change of life almost: and the man who had died had been the most consummate artist of them all...' Chief inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder inquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal. It was a crime worthy of the season. The corpse was still in fancy dress. And hardly a single guest at the Haworth had registered under a genuine name...
On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse has decided to go without newspapers. But in the hotel he finds himself seated opposite a woman reading her paper, and Morse cannot help but notice an intriguing headline. Winner of the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award.
