The Riddle of the Third Mile
Cover of the first edition
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| Author | Colin Dexter |
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| Cover artist | Chris Brown |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Inspector Morse series, #6 |
| Genre | crime novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
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Publication date
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27 October 1983 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 224p. |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 59092912 |
| Preceded by | The Dead of Jericho |
| Followed by | The Secret of Annexe 3 |
The Riddle of the Third Mile is a crime novel by Colin Dexter, the sixth novel in Inspector Morse series.
Inspector Morse is not sure what to make of the truncated body found dumped in the Oxford Canal, but he suspects it may be all that's left of an elderly Oxford don last seen boarding the London train several days before. Whatever the truth, the inspector knows it will not be simple—it never is. As he retraces Professor Browne-Smith's route through a London netherworld of topless bars and fancy bordellos, his forebodings are fulfilled. The evidence mounts; so do the bodies. So Morse downs another pint, unleashes his pit bull instincts, and solves a mystery that defies all logic.
The novel is divided into three books - the first mile, the second mile and the third mile. The title is a reference to the biblical sentence "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain" as in St Matthew, Chapter Five, Verse Forty-One. The third mile could also indirectly refer to a particularly elaborate scheme used in the book to lure three of the college staff to London.
There are three main narratives in this book.
During the Second World War, there are three brothers Albert, Alfred and John Gilbert serving as tank drivers in the army. Albert and Alfred are said to be look-alike twins. The youngest brother is trapped in his tank during an offensive and is burnt to death. The two elder brothers are unable to help due to a direct order from the lieutenant Browne-Smith. They develop a hatred towards Browne-Smith (mistakenly) believing that his cowardice caused their brother's death.
At the present time, Browne-Smith is a Professor at Oxford. He departs on a mysterious trip to London where he visit a topless bar and then proceeds to a brothel. There he is served drugged drinks and collapses on the bed.
A few days later, the Master of Lonsdale College invites Morse to lunch and voices suspicion about the disappearance of Browne-Smith. He has left the college without any communication or forwarding address. Morse promises to keep an eye out for any information that comes his way. It is revealed that Morse was a student of Browne-Smith in his college days and the reason Morse picked up his obsession for grammar and spelling. We also see a short flashback into Morse's days in Oxford and his breakup with his lover.
Then, the police discover a dismembered corpse in the water at Thrupp. The corpse is missing the head, arms and legs. This makes identification difficult, but Morse believes that the corpse could be that of Browne-Smith. It is also found that Browne-Smith was suffering from a brain tumour and had only a few more weeks left to live.
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