description The Wench is Dead Overview
The Wench Is Dead is a 1989 detective novel by Colin Dexter featuring Inspector Morse. Confined to a hospital in Oxford, Morse reads an account of a woman murdered aboard a canal boat in the nineteenth century and becomes convinced that the men convicted of the crime were innocent. He investigates the historical case through documents and assistance from others rather than ordinary fieldwork. The novel received the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger.
help The Wench is Dead FAQ
How can Inspector Morse investigate a murder while hospitalised in The Wench is Dead?
Morse becomes absorbed in a book about a woman murdered on an Oxford canal journey in the 19th century. From his hospital bed, he re-examines the historical evidence with help from Sergeant Lewis and hospital staff.
Is the canal-boat murder in The Wench is Dead based on a real case?
Colin Dexter drew inspiration from the real 1839 murder of Christina Collins on the Oxford Canal. He transforms that history into a fictional cold case for Morse.
Did The Wench is Dead win the CWA Gold Dagger?
Yes. The Crime Writers' Association awarded the 1989 novel its Gold Dagger.
Was The Wench is Dead adapted for Inspector Morse television?
Yes. ITV adapted it as a 1998 special starring John Thaw as Morse and Kevin Whately as Lewis.
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