The Jewel That Was Ours
London: Macmillan, 1991. First Edition. 8vo, 9 1/8 x 6 inches (232 x 152 mm); (10), 349 pp. Original full dark blue cloth binding with gilt title on spine; original dust wrapper, unclipped and protected in archival mylar sleeve. Pages clean; firmly bound.
FIRST EDITION – INSCRIBED on a label affixed to the first free endpaper "For Ed & Pam — | My best wishes to you | both always" and SIGNED by the author.
The NINTH novel in the Inspector Morse series, this novel was written by Dexter after he wrote a screenplay for an episode titled The Wolvercote Tongue in series 2 of the television program Inspector Morse. PLOT: When an American tour group arrives in Oxford, a prized Saxon artifact—the Wolvercote Tongue—vanishes after its owner is found dead in her hotel room. Though the death appears natural, Chief Inspector Morse and Detective Sergeant Lewis suspect theft among the tightly knit tourists.
Soon, a second death shatters the tour, revealing hidden grudges and uneasy alliances. As the group moves on to Bath, Morse pieces together a web of deception, revenge, and greed—where more than one traveler has something deadly to hide.
COLIN DEXTER (1930–2017) was a renowned English crime novelist best known for creating the erudite, music-loving Inspector Morse. The novels are noted for complex, crossword-style plots and were adapted into the hit TV series Inspector Morse (1987–2000), starring John Thaw, which spawned the spin-offs Inspector Lewis and Endeavour. Dexter’s novels are recognized for their intellectual, witty, and deeply atmospheric depiction of Oxford, ensuring his legacy alongside classic mystery authors. His excellence was recognized with several Crime Writer's Association awards: Two Silver Daggers, Two Gold Daggers and A Cartier Diamond Dagger. He also received an OBE for his services to literature in 2000. He lived in Oxford, was an avid crossword setter for The Oxford Times, and died in 2017.
The author inscribed the book to his good friend EDGAR GEOFFREY RAYNER (born 1927) and to his wife Pam. E. G. Rayner is an historian and prolific author of popular history books (many with co-author Ron Stapley, including Who Was Mr Nobody: Debunking Historical Mysteries, 2007; Debunking History, 2009; Debunking Women's History, 2010. Dexter and Rayner met while teaching at Wyggeston Grammar School —Colin Dexter's first teaching post after graduating from Christ's College, Cambridge. Although Dexter had moved on to Corby Grammar School by 1959, the two collaborated on two books on liberal studies, aimed at students in 6th form or first years of further education, in an attempt to stimulate discussion. The books were published in 1964 and 1965.
Condition: Fine / Fine.
Item number: 2300
ISBN: 0333559118
Price: $200.00
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