''The Way Through the Woods'' is a
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
Colin Dexter
Norman Colin Dexter (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer known for his ''Inspector Morse'' series of novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV television series, ''Inspector Morse'', fr ...
, the tenth novel in the
Inspector Morse
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...
series. It received the
Gold Dagger
The Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year.
From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. From ...
Award in 1992.
The novel was
adapted for television in 1995, as an episode of the
''Inspector Morse'' series.
Plot summary
A beautiful young
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
woman went missing a year earlier. An anonymous riddle, in the form of a five-stanza poem, is sent to the police and the case is reopened. The police ask ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' for help with the poem. Morse and
Sergeant Lewis are put in charge of the new investigation.
Morse is intrigued by a cryptic clue relating to missing Karin Eriksson, which is taken to mean she has been murdered. He is given the case and notes that the clue seems to include a reference to
Wytham Woods
Wytham Woods are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Oxford in Oxfordshire. It is a Nature Conservation Review site.
Habitats in this site, which formerly belonged to Abingdon Abbey, include ancient woodland and limes ...
, where he believed the police should have searched in the first place. The police search the area with help from head forester David Michaels and a body is found but it is the body of a man.
Morse and Lewis talk to George Daley, who found Karin's bag. His wife Margaret gives them some photos developed from Karin's camera, showing a young man and a house, but tears up some more showing Karin naked. Morse identifies the house in the photo but the tenant, McBryde, disappears before he can be questioned. Morse and Lewis find the house was being used to make pornographic films and the client list includes Daley and a local lecturer, Alan Hardinge. Daley is found dead in
Blenheim Park. Michaels is suspected but was showing some RSPB representatives around at the time, since the gatewarden recalls when Daley entered the park.
The first body turns out to be Myton, the man in the photographs. Hardinge admits that Myton was taking photographs of Karin in private at the house but when the others in the house checked on them they were both dead. He, McBryde, Daley and Michaels conspired to hide the bodies. Morse, however, realises this is a lie and Karin is still alive.
Daley's son Phillip has an alibi for his father's murder, and nonetheless commits suicide. Morse and Lewis speak to Michaels' wife Cathy and realise she is Karin. She killed Myton when he tried to rape her and was sheltered by Michaels, who persuaded the others to cover the matter up. Morse realises that Michaels killed Daley and then had Cathy dress up as him and drive to the woods to hide the body, in order to give himself an alibi. Lewis learns Morse sent the cryptic clue in the first place.
Continuity
This book marks the death from natural causes of Morse's pathologist friend Max, whose full name is revealed as Maximillian de Bryn.
Publication history
*1992, London: Macmillan , pub. date 9 October 1992, hardback
Adaptation
The television adaptation guest-starred
Nicholas Le Provost
Nicholas Le Prevost (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor.
Early life
Le Prevost was born in Wiltshire. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964. A ...
as Hardinge,
Neil Dudgeon
Neil is a masculine name of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. A ...
as Michaels,
Michelle Fairley
Michelle Fairley (born 1964–1965) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Catelyn Stark in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2013). She has since appeared in the USA Network series '' Suits'' (2013), the ...
as Cathy and
Christopher Fairbank
Christopher Fairbank (born 4 October 1953) is an English film, stage and television actor. Career
In 2010, he appeared as a detective in ''Five Daughters'', and as Alfred "Freddie" Lennon in the biopic ''Lennon Naked
''Lennon Naked'' is ...
as Daley. Karin Eriksson became English girl Karen Anderson, a more unstable character who had been sexually abused by her father and served time in jail for murdering him. A subplot was added dealing with conflict between Morse and the original investigating officer, DCI Johnson (played by
Malcolm Storry
Malcolm Storry (born 13 January 1948) is an English actor with extensive experience on stage, television, and film. Amongst many roles, he is perhaps best known for 'Yellin' in ''The Princess Bride'', HM Customs Chief Bill Adams on '' The Knock' ...
), who pinned Karen's murder on Steven Parnell, a serial killer responsible for four other deaths, and tried to beat a confession out of Phillip for his father's murder. Phillip's suicide was omitted but a more violent and dramatic ending added where Cathy kills both Daley and Michaels to protect her secret, finally perishing from a shot from her own gun when Morse knocks it out of her hands as she threatens him and Lewis.
References
Further reading
* Bishop, David, ''The Complete Inspector Morse: From the Original Novels to the TV Series'' London: Reynolds & Hearn (2006)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Way Through the Woods, The
1992 British novels
Novels by Colin Dexter
British novels adapted into television shows
Macmillan Publishers books