The Secret of Annexe 3
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Colin Dexter |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Martin White |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Inspector Morse series, #7 |
| Genre | crime novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
Publication date | October 1986 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 224p. |
| ISBN | 0-333-43139-1 |
| OCLC | 59097956 |
| Preceded by | The Riddle of the Third Mile |
| Followed by | The Wench is Dead |
The Secret of Annexe 3 is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the seventh novel in Inspector Morse series.
Plot introduction
The guests of Haworth Hotel rise late, after New Year's Eve, but there was one exception, the guest in Annexe 3 missed New Year's Day completely. He was still in his room, lying dead on the blood-soaked bed. Inspector Morse begins investigating each of the guests. Was Mrs. Palmer really a faithful wife? Just who exactly were the Ballards? And, how had the hotel's booking confirmation been delivered to a nonexistent address?
Plot
As the novel begins, Margaret Bowman of Charlbury Drive Chipping Norton is off to a funeral. Her husband, left alone, finds an angry letter, apparently from a lover, in his wife’s handbag.
After the murder, Inspector Morse, with the help of the pretty receptionist, Miss Sarah Jonstone, examines the letters and phone messages booking the various rooms at the hotel. Discovering the non-existent address, he deduces that a postman must be involved.
Thomas Bowman, the postman, turns out to be the corpse, and his wife and her lover the instigators of the murder. Winston Grant, a black musician, was hired to provide the alibi. Although the narratives differ, this novel provided the inspiration for the Inspector Morse television film "The Secret of Bay 5B".
Publication history
- 1986, London: Macmillan ISBN 0-333-43139-1, Pub date October 1986, Hardback
- 1987, New York: St. Martin's Press ISBN 0-312-01089-3, Pub date November 1987, Hardback
Sources, references, external links
- Bishop, David, The Complete Inspector Morse: From the Original Novels to the TV Series London: Reynolds & Hearn (2006) ISBN 1-905287-13-5
- Bird, Christopher, The World of Inspector Morse: A Complete A-Z Reference for the Morse Enthusiast Foreword by Colin Dexter, London: Boxtree (1998) ISBN 0-7522-2117-5