About Inspector Morse Trivia Quiz

Answer: Summertown

Summertown is a well-to-do suburb to the north of Oxford City Centre. It became fashionable in the 19th century when dons at the University were allowed to marry and to live outside of college. It is clear from several of the books that Morse lives between Summertown and the Northern Ring Road -- in "The Way through the Wood" he walks "down" (i.e., south) to the off-licence for beer and wine. Colin Dexter, the author of the Morse novels, himself resided in Summertown.

Answer: Cuban cigars

While Morse is described as smoking during the novels, he does not seem to have been a connoisseur of Cuban (or any other fine) cigars. Colin Dexter himself was a great crossword fan (both as solver and setter), a habit which he has passed on to his creation. Morse loved classical music and is shown as attending concerts and singing in choirs, while every book and most TV episodes have a scene in a pub with Morse consuming pints of real ale.

Answer: Classical Studies

From several references in the books we learn that Morse won a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford, to study "Literae Humaniores" or "Greats", the name given at Oxford to the programme in Classical Studies. An unhappy love affair led to his failing out of the university during his second year.

His classical education is often visible in the stories -- in "The Dead of Jericho" he cites Sophocles as possibly responsible for the murder of a woman, alluding to the story of Oedipus.

Answer: James Cook

Captain James Cook is best-known for his voyages to the Southern Hemisphere in the late 18th century. From 1776 to 1779 he was in command of "HMS Endeavour" until his death in the Hawaiian Islands. In the television series we learn that Morse's nickname at university was "Pagan" because he refused to divulge his Christian name.

A subsequent television series, detailing Morse's early career as a police officer, is named "Endeavour".

Answer: Wagner

While Morse was very fond of classical music, usually spending his time at home listening to the radio or to his own extensive collection, his principal favourite appears to have been Richard Wagner. In "The Way through the Woods" Lewis admits that he and his wife are "very fond of Gilbert and Sullivan. Far better than all your Wagner stuff".

Answer: Lonsdale College

All four of these are fictional Oxford colleges. Shrewsbury College was Harriet Vane's college in Dorothy L. Sayers' "Gaudy Night", St Christopher's College was created by Edmund Crispin for his Gervase Fen mysteries, while Judas College was the fictional college in Max Beerbohm's classic story "Zuleika Dobson". Lonsdale College, which appears in several of the Inspector Morse novels, was located on the south side of the High Street, near the real University College. Scenes at Lonsdale in the TV series were shot at Brasenose College on the other side of the High Street.

Answer: Robbie Lewis

The other three suggestions are all assistants to fictional detectives: Pascoe to Detective Superintendant Dalziel in the novels by Reginald Hill, Burden to Inspector Wexford in Ruth Rendell's stories, and Hastings to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. In the novels Morse usually calls him "Lewis", but in the TV sequel "Lewis" we hear him called "Robbie", especially by his second wife.

Answer: Chief Superintendant Strange

Chief Superintendent Strange is Morse's superior officer and, while he is antagonistic at times to Morse's methods, he also has a deep respect for his abilities. In the TV series he is played by character actor James Grout.

Inspector Japp appears with Hercule Poirot in the earlier detective stories by Agatha Christie, Roderick Alleyn is the detective protagonist of Ngaio Marsh, and Inspector Thursday was Morse's superior office in the TV series "Endeavour".

Answer: The Wench is Dead

"The Wench is Dead" was published in 1989. In the story, Morse is hospitalised with a bleeding ulcer and, during his recovery, reads a "true crime" story about the murder of a woman in 1859 along the Oxford Canal. He becomes convinced that two innocent men were convicted and hanged, and sets out to solve the 130-year-old case. The story is based on actual murder of a woman in 1839.

Answer: He suffers a severe heart attack and dies shortly thereafter.

Through several stories we see Morse's health deteriorating through overuse of tobacco and especially alcohol, particularly suffering from type-2 diabetes and a bleeding ulcer. In "The Remorseful Day" he suffers a heart attack at home and is barely able to dial 999 for help.

He passes away soon after in hospital. In the TV series the heart attack occurs in the quadrangle of an Oxford college.