This is book 10 in the Morse series by Colin Dexter and it may have been my favorite so far!  Lots of wordplay and puzzles much of it going back and forth through the newspapers as Morse is on vacation.  The central crime is the disappearance (and assumed murder) of a “Swedish Maiden” some years prior.  Morse is on vacation as the case is reopened through clues being published in the newspaper.

Morse’s curmudgeonly personality shines through here and we get to see him as he “enjoys” his holiday and works on a case outside of “proper” channels.  Lewis also has to stand on his own two feet while Morse is away coming to some realizations about the relationship he has with Morse and how it is viewed (perhaps envied) by others.   Finally, Morse and Max’s relationship is given some bittersweet attention here, allowing the reader to see another side of Morse and bringing real depth of emotion to the character.

I am enjoying this series of books greatly and will be sad to reach the end.