::READERS REVIEWS::

The Glories of Studio Two - Colin Dexter was born in 1930 and, over the course of his writing career, has won CWA Gold Dagger and Silver Dagger awards. "The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn" was first published in 1977 and is the third book to feature the famous Inspector Morse.

The book opens with the aftermath of a round of interviews at Oxford University. The position, recently vacated by George Bland, is with the Foreign Examinations Syndicate - Bland has since moved abroad to open a new examinations centre. As his replacement, the Syndicate's secretary - Tom Bartlett - is quite keen on a chap by the name of Fielding...and, initially, seems to be getting the candidate of his choice. However, thanks to the intervention of a colleague called Roope - a chemist, who'd formerly spent 2 years with the Anglo Arabian Oil Company - the panel appoints Nicholas Quinn instead. Bartlett isn't at all happy - he and Roope clearly don't get on with each other, and Bartlett is convinced that Quinn's deafness with cause significant problems. Unfortunately for Quinn, he'd have been better off not winning the position : by the fifth chapter, he's dead.

The first few chapters race through the final months of Quinn's life, treating us to a quick tour of the Syndicate before Morse makes his appearance. The syndicate based in a very grand (and historic) building...though it is now a little cramped for the staffing levels. While his hearing had admittedly been poor, only the telephones had caused him any real problem (Luckily, he had been expert lip-reader). The most significant event had been the wooing of delegation from the Sheikdom of Al-jamara. The Sheikdom, thanks to its bountiful oil reserves, has plenty of money....something the Syndicate badly needs.

Morse is still some way off a fully rounded character in this book. He seems to have had a little in common with Quinn - both were single men who enjoyed leering over the ladies. (Morse's other main hobbies are apparently drinking beer, listening to classical music and taking on the crossword in the Times). He's also a rather grumpy character, and it's his dim-but-occasionally-lucky sidekick, Lewis, who bears the brunt of Morse's bad moods. Overall, I'd say this book is a great improvement on its two predecessors - though, at times, it's still a little too refined and unconvincing for me to take it entirely seriously.

Statements, Lies and Alibis - As the academics are being bumped off, Morse has his hands full of suspects: most of whom have something to hide.

Once again, Inspector Morse, using his impressive powers of deductive reasoning, sifts through statements, lies and alibis to track the reasons for the killings, thereby finding the culprit or culprits.

Oxford Dons, the beautiful Monica and a risque movie seems an unlikely mix, but they bring a challenge for Morse and his trusty sidekick Lewis to rise above.

"My weakness is guesswork. I leap to conclusions, often wrong." - Written in 1977, this is the third of the thirteen-novel Inspector Morse series. Here Morse is not so well-developed as he becomes in later novels, when the reader of the series has more background to draw from, but he is still a fascinating character--a single man, a huge fan of crossword puzzles, a beer-lover, and a committed student of classical music, who is also crotchety, impatient with his less educated assistant (Sgt. Lewis), and unwilling to give up on a case until all the pieces fit perfectly.

Here Morse and Sgt. Lewis are called to Oxford to investigate the murder of Nicholas Quinn, a profoundly deaf man who worked on the university's Examinations Board, developing the tests to determine future entrants to the university. Security breaches have occurred and copies of the test may have been sold in the Middle East. No one knows whether Nicholas Quinn was involved, and if not, who was. Most importantly, who killed him, and why?

As Morse investigates the case, the private lives of the various dons and their secretary are revealed, and when Monica, the secretary, is attacked and injured, she arouses Morse's finer feelings (a "rescuing" trait of Morse which continues to develop in later novels with other "damsels in distress"). With none of the players exactly who they seem to be and questions arising as to when, exactly, Nicholas Quinn died, Morse pursues numerous dead ends and actually arrests several innocent people.

Written fully ten years before some of the best of the series, this novel is fun to read as a Morse curiosity, but it is still a well-developed mystery. Morse's character is obviously still evolving--he makes a lot of mistakes which need to be corrected-- and his relationship with Sgt. Lewis is still "in process." The famed red Jaguar has not yet appeared--Morse drives a Lancia here--and his diabetes and his love of scotch whisky are still unknown to the reader. Morse is a man of integrity, however, and he is committed to finding the killer--his character and methods to be fully developed by the author in future novels. n Mary Whipple

Silent World of Nicholas Quinn - As usual, Colin Dexter is in fine form with his Inspector Morse.

Keeps You Guessing Until the Very Last! - This is a truly wonderful book. It's a classic example of a "who-done-it" with the British twist! It is also a brilliant example of how Morse's wonderful mind works. In it we see Morse in all his glory - brilliant, quirky, and vulnerable! I clearly remember seeing this one done on film, but even as good as that one was, it cannot match the complexity of this book. In the story, Morse is afer the killer of an employee of one of Britain's national examination companies. We see the world of the ivory tower in a completely new light, and Morse is almost out-matched by a brilliant killer. Wonderful stuff and a true mystery classic!

Outstanding from beginning to end, enhanced by the author's intimate first-hand job knowledge - The story begins with a short Prologue describing a meeting of the "Foreign Examination Syndicate" during which the decision is made to hire the book's title character, Nicholas Quinn. "The Silent World" of the title derives from Mr. Quinn deafness.

Here, Colin Dexter capitalizes on his first-hand experience and understanding of a qualifications testing organization. He was, himself, an employee of the Oxford Local Examination Board. As early as the Prologue, his intimate knowledge of Board activities and member motivation is evident. The Prologue is a self-contained mini-story, and Dexter's knowledge gives this presentation such verisimilitude that it seems more a detailed description of actual events than a fictional presentation.

The book snared me from its opening questions, "Well? What do you think?" and kept my interest throughout. In between the Prologue and Epilogue, the book is divided into four main sections, each titled with a question: "Why?", When?, How?, and Who? Section chapters are frequently short, making it convenient to pause at a chapter breakpoint at almost anytime.

Mr. Dexter's writing is fascinating, insightful, and often humorous. His writing never intrudes, and each section is by itself a satisfying story.

The book finishes with a satisfactory conclusion to the mystery, followed by an Epilogue. Just as the Prologue brings you gently into the story, the Epilogue takes you gently out. It ties up loose ends, e.g., the impact of Morse's revelations on the people and organizations involved.

Although "clues" appear through the story, it seems to me, it would be almost impossible for a reader to solve the mystery on their own, i.e., before the conclusion is finally revealed. If you do, you are clearly quite gifted. Because of the complexity of the mystery and the low likelihood of a reader anticipating the solution, the story should keep the reader's interest until the end.

Dexter's subject matter knowledge, erudition, and his story telling finesse, combined with his delineation of Morse and Lewis and their interaction, made each chapter, as trite as it may sound, a joy to read. I believe Dexter's writing skills could make a trip to the supermarket interesting reading.

In most mystery stories, its usually the solution's revelation that brings the greatest satisfaction. Here, each chapter is itself a treat, with the solution the treats' maraschino cherry.

In conclusion, this is an exceptionally well-written story, that starts strong and stays that way to the end -- really, five stars plus.