Service of All the Dead
London: Macmillan, 1979. First Edition. 8vo, 7 3/4 x 5 inches (197 x 155 mm); 256 pp. Original full light blue cloth binding, original dust jacket, unclipped and protected in an archival mylar sleeve. Minor bumping to head and tail of spine, and slight discoloration to bottom edge. Internally pages are bright and clean and firmly bound. Library stamp on first flyleaf. FIRST EDITION – INSCRIBED "For my dearest old friend" & SIGNED by the author.
Colin Dexter (1930–2017) was a renowned English crime novelist best known for creating the erudite, music-loving Inspector Morse. This is the FOURTH novel from the series of 13, all set in Oxford, which began with Last Bus to Woodstock (1975). The novels featuring Inspector Morse and Sgt. Lewis, noted for complex, crossword-style plots which 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 very good friend EDGAR GEOFFREY RAYNER (born 1927) who 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: 2301
ISBN: 0333270029
Price: $1,200.00
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