📖 Overview
The Remorseful Day is the thirteenth and final novel in Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series. Inspector Morse returns to investigate the unsolved murder of Yvonne Harrison, a nurse who was killed in her bedroom one year prior.
As Morse works to crack this cold case, he must confront his own mortality and declining health. The investigation leads him through a web of suspects connected to the victim, while his longtime colleague Sergeant Lewis provides steady support.
The novel takes its title from an A.E. Housman poem, reflecting the elegiac tone of this concluding chapter in the series. The themes of regret, mortality, and the weight of unsolved mysteries run through this final case for Oxford's most famous detective.
👀 Reviews
Readers found this final Morse novel provided a fitting conclusion to the series while maintaining the complex mystery plotting Dexter established in earlier books.
Readers appreciated:
- The emotional depth in Morse's character development
- Multiple interweaving plot threads
- References and connections to previous cases
- The Oxford setting descriptions
- Lewis's expanded role
Common criticisms:
- Slower pacing compared to other Morse books
- Less interaction between Morse and Lewis
- Some found the ending predictable
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.2/5 (5,800+ ratings)
Amazon: 4.4/5 (450+ ratings)
From reader reviews:
"Dexter doesn't take the easy route with the ending" - Goodreads reviewer
"The medical details feel thoroughly researched" - Amazon reviewer
"Missed the usual Morse-Lewis banter" - Amazon reviewer
"A more melancholy tone than previous books, but it suits the story" - LibraryThing reviewer
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Still Life by Louise Penny Chief Inspector Armand Gamache uses intellect and observation to solve murders in a small village, reflecting the cerebral investigation style found in Inspector Morse cases.
The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler unravels the connections between missing persons in an English cathedral town through careful analysis and deep character studies.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith Private detective Cormoran Strike investigates a complex death in London using deductive reasoning and interviews with witnesses across social classes.
An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose investigates theatrical murders in 1930s London, combining period details with methodical police work.
🤔 Interesting facts
🔍 The book's title comes from a line in A.E. Housman's poem "A Shropshire Lad"
📚 Colin Dexter wrote all 13 Inspector Morse novels while working as a classics teacher and exam assessor
🎬 The TV adaptation of this final Morse novel aired in 2000 and drew over 13 million viewers in the UK
🏛️ Like Inspector Morse, Colin Dexter was a devoted crossword puzzle enthusiast and often included cryptic clues in his novels
🎭 Dexter made cameo appearances in nearly every episode of the Inspector Morse TV series, similar to Alfred Hitchcock's famous cameos