“Conflict and character are the heart of good fiction, and good mystery has both of those in spades.” –Diana Gabaldon
The DVD of Season 2 of Endeavour arrived by UPS today along with two books I had ordered. Notice that endeavour is spelled the British way. You know my American spell check now has a little squiggly red line under that British spelling. Oh well, I don’t care how they spell it I love this series. It is part of Masterpiece Mystery! on PBS. I have already watched Season 2 this past summer. I don’t remember every part of the stories so I will still enjoy watching it again. And my husband has not seen it.
The main character’s name is Endeavour. This is his first name. My English grandmother used to tell us that they used to name children with names that gave a purpose. I love the name and what it implies. Endeavour, like some of its synonyms such as be bold, dare, be courageous, brave, strive, utmost effort, one’s all, and one’s level best, is a good description of this detective’s character.
This series is a prequel about Inspector Morse which you may remember if you are a fan of British mysteries. This is Morse as a young man just starting out in police work.
His superior is Detective Inspector Fred Thursday. No he is not like our Joe Friday. He is a mentor father-figure to Morse. They have been developing a great relationship and bond.
Endeavour is very intelligent and can sleuth out the cases before anyone else. It is a joy to follow along while he solves the mystery. He has a couple of nemeses who do not appreciate his stellar abilities. These nemeses are usually trying to get him into trouble or block his success. Though not as bad as a Professor Moriarty type nemesis.
The stories are complex and do not allow a quick resolution. That adds to the enjoyment. If you like mysteries and have not had a chance to see this series, I highly recommend it.
Do you like a mystery? Do you like British mysteries? American? or both?
Of course, I have my favorite American mystery writers like Michael Connelly and his Detective Harry Bosch. I like Henning Mankell’s Wallander books. There is a Canadian mystery writer I really like. Her name is Louise Penny and I love her Inspector Gamache.
How about you?
I need to get back into actually reading mysteries vs. horror/suspense. I guess my default was always Agatha Christie. I will check some of these out 🙂
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I have watched all kinds of films based on Agatha Christie books like the Poirot series and Miss Marple. I wondered how much they followed the actual books because with the modern films the stories can get dark. I was introduced to mystery writers from all over the world through my local library Mystery Book Group.
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I’m afraid the only mysteries I like, Deborah, are those of the magnificent English language. Sorry for being such a one-trick pony, but, to a Pole such as me, your fabulous language still poses challenges – even though I have lived in Britain for over 33 years.
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Yes me too. Just because, unfortunately, I can not read other languages.
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I love the Endeavour series too, and I loved the Inspector Morse series when they were on. Have you encountered the Lewis ones – where they picked up on Morse’s sidekick and made him an inspector, too? Fab. Love mysteries. And Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache is also a worthy specimen. Thanks for reminding me how much I love mysteries today. 🙂
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Yes I have watched the Inspector Lewis ones as well. Inspector Lewis and his partner DS Hathaway. I like those as well. Glad to remind you about mysteries. I love them too. 🙂
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