Book Log 2021 #47: Service of All the Dead by Colin Dexter

Inspector Morse is on vacation, and rather than go away on holiday he is puttering around Oxford.  He finds himself at St. Frideswide, where he learns that not only was the church warden murdered, but the vicar later committed suicide by throwing himself off of the bell tower. Morse takes an interest in the deaths, and when the investigating detective comes down with the flu, Morse and Lewis are put on the case.

As usual, Morse formulates a number of theories about who may have killed both men, and they are all wrong. But for each false start, more evidence comes to light, and Morse is able to determine who the killer is, and who may be their next victim.

While this book takes on a number of the common traits of Morse novels, it's structure is unique. It's broken into four parts, with the second part being the most like a standard Morse novel. The first part delves into the background of several St. Frisewide parishoners, the third part takes the form of an official police statement taken by Morse, and the last part covers the court proceedings into the crimes.

It's a strong Morse outing, enlivened by the unusual structure.