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Inspector George Felse is the main character in a series of crime mystery novel authored by best-selling English author, Ellis Peters. The author began the publication of Felse Investigations series in 1951 when the first book in the series, Fallen Into the Pit was published.
Order of Inspector Felse Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fallen Into the Pit | 1951 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Death and the Joyful Woman | 1961 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Flight of a Witch | 1964 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Piper on the Mountain | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Heart | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | The Grass Widow's Tale | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The House of Green Turf | 1969 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Mourning Raga | 1969 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Knocker on Death's Door | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Death to the Landlords | 1972 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | City of Gold and Shadows | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Rainbow's End | 1978 | Description / Buy |
In 1978, Rainbows End the 13th novel in the series marked the series conclusion. The series features a contemporary setting, and the most featured characters you will encounter in the series include Inspector George, his wife Bunty, and their son.
INSPECTOR GEORGE FELSE AWARDS
Ellis Peters is an author who has won and also been nominated for various awards thanks to his notable works. For instance, Death and the Joyful Woman, the second novel in the series won an Edgar Award.
INSPECTOR GEORGE FELSE BOOKS INTO MOVIES
Death and The Joyful Woman was made into a television episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour featuring Frank Overton starring as Inspector George Felse. The Alfred Hitchcock television series originally ran from 1955 to 1962 for half hour episodes and from 1962 to 1965, for hour-long episodes bouncing between NBC and CBS totaling to 267 episodes.
BEST INSPECTOR GEORGE FELSE BOOKS
These are two best books in Inspector George Felse series by Ellis Peters, Fallen into the Pit (1951) and Death and the Joyful Woman (1961).
Fallen into the Pit: The first novel in Inspector George Felse series, the novel is set in rural England in 1952 while George Felse is still a sergeant and the story deals with issues that the modern society still faces today. The community is dealing with the aftermath of the world war two, what to do with the soldiers returning home, and how to integrate these warriors into the society when the only thing they best know is how to be war machinery.
The novel deals with what in the modern world is recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), even though during those times it was a stigma to accepting the effects of war on the soul. The narrative also deals with the side that does not win the war, how to agree on the outcome of the war and forgive the individuals and move on. What to do with the refugees and the unfortunate victims of war, and how to handle our hatreds and prejudices in the face of such horrifying trauma.
In a small Welsh mining town just after WWII is over, an ex-Nazi, a German ex-Prisoner of War, an anti-Semite and cruel coward is found murdered in a deserted mine shaft. No one in the small village appears to be affected by the death of the war veteran, who never seems to consolidate into the society, but after all, it is a murder case, and it has to be solved even though no one mourns him.
Sergeant George must be the killer but since that his Dominic was the person who discovered the body; he cannot keep off his father’s investigation and seems to meddle in places he is not welcomed.
The period after the great battle of Britain and Europe was not like that of the USA in the booming and bustling of the American economy. Rationing was still in effect, and the bombed out building and homes were yet to be rebuilt. People were requested to accept Italian and German POW’s into their homes and workforces. The greater part of England was transitioning from the rural lifestyle now idealized by television and film programs like Hercule Poirot and Downtown Abbey.
Death and the Joyful Woman: In this book, Alfred Armiger, the millionaire owner of the Jolly Barmaid is found brutally murdered with his head pounded in at the bottom of the stairs in an old barn next to the pub. This terrifying discovery brings in George Felse into the forefront of this murder case, and soon the detective discovers that the victim had an endless list of people who wanted him dead.
Dominic, the detective’s son has met a fascinating and beautiful young lady named Kitty Norris. They met each other at a blood donation bank, where the young Dominic was called out due to his young age. However finding himself too young to donate blood leaves him humiliated in front of his new friend. However, soon things take a drastic and a foreseen change such that none of them could do anything to it.
Inspector George Felse series is a very cerebral in many different ways. There is a lot of inner introspection, dialogue, and the exploration of various characters thoughts against the wider societal scope.
What Is The Next Book in The Inspector Felse Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Inspector Felse Series. The newest book is Rainbow's End and was released on January, 1st 1978.