''The False Inspector Dew'' is a humorous

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

Peter Lovesey Peter (Harmer) Lovesey (born 1936), also known by his pen name Peter Lear, is a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detect ...

. It won the

Gold Dagger The Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. From ...

award by the

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. ...

in 1982 and has featured on many "Best of" lists since.

Plot introduction

It is 1921, and Alma Webster, a reader of romances, is passionately in love with her dentist, Walter Baranov. There is only one foreseeable outcome: the murder of his wife. Inspired by the real-life

Dr Crippen Hawley Harvey Crippen (September 11, 1862 – November 23, 1910), usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopath, ear and eye specialist and medicine dispenser. He was hanged in Pentonville Prison in London for the murder of his wife Co ...

case, they plot the perfect murder while aboard the ocean liner ''Mauretania''. The dentist takes on the identity of Inspector

Walter Dew Detective Chief Inspector Walter Dew (17 April 1863 – 16 December 1947) was a British Metropolitan Police officer who was involved in the hunt for both Jack the Ripper and Dr Crippen. Early life Dew was born at Far Cotton, in Hardingst ...

, Crippen's nemesis, but when a murder occurs aboard the ship the captain invites "Inspector Dew" to investigate.

Literary significance and reception

The novel is highly praised by many crime fiction critics and writers.

Julian Symons Julian Gustave Symons (originally Gustave Julian Symons) (pronounced ''SIMM-ons''; 30 May 1912 – 19 November 1994) was a British crime writer and poet. He also wrote social and military history, biography and studies of literature. He was bo ...

in his book ''Bloody Murder'' referred to it as “one of the cleverest crime comedies of the past few years.” Famous crime writer

Ruth Rendell Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, (; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford.The Oxford Companion ...

said in a review: “A masterpiece. I defy anyone to foresee the outcome.”

Awards

*CWA

Award, 1982 *Listed in Crime & Mystery: the 100 Best Books *Listed in Hatchards 100 Top Crime Novels *Listed in The Times 100 Best Crime Novels of the Twentieth Century *

Dagger of Daggers The Dagger of Daggers was a special award given in 2005 by the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) to celebrate its 50th anniversary. All books that had previously won the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year were eligible, and the purpose ...

shortlist, 2006

Publication history

*1982, UK, London, Macmillan, , Hardback *1982, USA, Pantheon, , Hardback *1983, UK, Arrow Books, , Paperback *1983, USA, Pantheon, , Paperback {{DEFAULTSORT:False Inspector Dew, The 1982 British novels British crime novels Fiction set in 1921 Macmillan Publishers books Novels set on ships