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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
A murder at a hotel party; the investigation involves identifying the victim through costume confusion
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Some
Some sexual content — affairs and hotel trysts are part of the investigation
Substance Use
Some
Morse drinks heavily; the party setting involves significant alcohol consumption
Emotional Intensity
Some
The classic puzzle of identity confusion; Morse's particular enjoyment of crossword-style misdirection
What this book is about
A New Year's Eve party at an Oxford hotel ends with a man found dead in the annexe — dressed in a sheikh's costume, identity unknown. Inspector Morse investigates while nursing a bad cold, and the puzzle hinges on who was wearing which costume and why. Colin Dexter's seventh Morse novel is his most deliberately playful — the fancy dress setting allows for a who-is-who puzzle layered on top of the who-did-it — and the New Year setting gives it a melancholy quality that Dexter's books sometimes carry when Morse is facing another year of solitude.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
seventh of the Inspector Morse series; fancy dress party setting
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