I randomly read number 8 in the series, [b:The Wench is Dead|1003488|The Wench is Dead (Inspector Morse #8)|Colin Dexter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343027194l/1003488.SY75.jpg|988983], which I really enjoyed, so I thought I’d go to the very beginning, and read book one. This was written in 1975, and it reminded me how awful the 70s were, particularly if you were female. Anyone who harks back to the ‘good old days’, should read this book - it’s like a slap in the face with a cold fish.

Women are objectified, and are treated appallingly by nearly all the men in the book, apart from our sainted Lewis! Morse is quite the lech, and very unappealing. He constantly makes advances to women who are young enough to be his daughter - yuck.

There is a conversation between a man and woman in bed together that positively took my breath away:

Man: Do you believe a young girl can get raped?
Woman: It must be jolly difficult for the man.
Man: Mm.
Woman: Have you ever raped a woman?
Man: I could rape you, any day of the week.
Woman: But I wouldn’t let you. I wouldn’t put up any resistance. Peter…..rape me again!

It was very difficult to get past the rampant misogyny in the book, but the plot was intriguing….until Dexter broke one of the cardinal sins of crime writing, by solving the crime with information not previously revealed to the reader - hurrump!

I’m not sure if I will read any more of the books - I think I’ll stick to the tv series!