The Dead of Jericho

The Dead of Jericho

200px Cover of the first edition
Author	Colin Dexter
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Inspector Morse series, #5
Genre	crime novel
Publisher	Macmillan
Publication date	4 June 1981
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	224 pp
ISBN	0333317289
OCLC	8900702
Preceded by	Service of All the Dead
Followed by	The Riddle of the Third Mile

The Dead of Jericho is a work of English detective fiction by Colin Dexter, the fifth novel of the Inspector Morse series, which was subsequently the first of a highly successful series of television adaptations of the novels.

Plot summary

Detective Chief Inspector E. Morse of the Thames Valley Police meets Anne Scott at a party hosted by Mrs Murdoch in North Oxford. Six months later Anne Scott is found hanging in her kitchen at 9 Canal Reach, Jericho, Oxford. Initially Chief Inspector Bell, from the closer Oxford Central station on St. Aldate's Street, is assigned to the case; but a fortnight later Morse takes over the investigation and subsequently both of Mrs Murdoch's sons, Edward "Ted" Murdoch and Michael Murdoch, as well as Anne Scott's former employers, brothers Charles Richards and Conrad Richards, and Charles's wife, Celia, come to the attention of Morse. As do Ms Scott's neighbours, including the nosy handyman George Jackson, and Sophocles's Oedipus Rex (the latter also figures in episode 3.1 of the spin-off TV series Lewis).

Television adaptation

"The Dead of Jericho" is the very first instalment of the Inspector Morse TV series starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately (as Detective Sergeant Lewis). Colin Dexter also appears briefly in a non speaking, unnamed role as a man walking along a cloister in the opposite direction to Morse (as they pass Morse gives Dexter a suspicious backwards glance). Filmed in the summer of 1986, it aired 6 January 1987. Anne's last name of Scott was changed to Staveley, and the part was played by Gemma Jones. The first names of the three Richards were changed to Anthony "Tony" (James Laurenson), Alan (Richard Durden), and Adele (Annie Lambert), making the Cs into As. Edward "Ted" Murdoch was changed to Ned Murdoch (Spencer Leigh). Patrick Troughton in one of his final roles, plays George Jackson. Anthony Minghella wrote the episode and it was directed by Alastair Reid.