This book's story and writing are superb; however, the profanities and sexual content brought it down quite a bit, especially when you find out [SPOILER WARNING!] that one character did essentially what Woody Allen is notorious for having done, which is revolting to even think about. [END SPOILER!] The quotes didn't add very much, and I really felt the biblical quotes were entirely out of place. At the very least, Colin Dexter could have found classical poetry or prose that referenced those Scriptures; based on the English classes I took in middle and high school, I don't think there's anything in the Bible that wasn't referenced in the literature of the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. It still wasn't a bad book; let's hope Dexter improved (and cleaned up) his later works. One other thing: When they referred to Valerie Taylor by her first name, I couldn't help but think of the actress Valerie Bertinelli. Yes, I know; I'm old-school. I like it that way, though.
