Welcome to a new post. 

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Hello everyone and welcome to a new post. With the 50th anniversary of Colin Dexter’s first novel, Last Bus to Woodstock, arriving in 2025, I thought it would be fun to look at what non English speaking countries titled Colin’s books. It is not an exhaustive list but I hope you enjoy it. So, let’s start with the first of Colin’s thirteen novels.

LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK (1975). 

Filmed as the fourth episode of the second series. (1988)

The only interesting title I found for this novel was in Afrikaans. There the book was titled, Dwaalspoor. Translated as ‘Stray Track’.

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Next up;

LAST SEEN WEARING. (1976).

Filmed as the second episode of the second series. (1988)

The Italian title of this novel is, ‘Al momento della scomparsa la ragazza indossava.’ Translated as At The Time of her Disappearance the Girl was Wearing.’

The Spanish title is, ‘Vista Por Ultima Vez.’ Translated as, ‘Last Seen.’

The Finnish title is, ‘Kadonneella oli yllään.’ Translated as ‘The Missing Person Was Wearing.’

The German title is, ‘Zuletzt gesehen in Kidlington.’. Translated as, ‘Last Seen in Kidlington.

The Estonian title is, ‘Viimati nähtud ristmikul.’ Translated as, ‘Last Seen at the Intersection.

The Polish title is, ‘Ktokolwiek widział.’ Translated as, ‘Whoever Saw It.’

The Danish title is, ‘Sidst hun blev set.’ Translated as, ‘She Was Last Seen.’

The Swedish title is, ‘Flicka försvunnen.’ Translated as, ‘Missing Girl.’

The Turkish title is, ‘Valerie Taylor’a Ne Oldu?’ Translated as, ‘What Happened to Valerie Taylor?’

The Japanese title is, ‘キドリントンから消えた娘 (ハヤカワ・ミステリ.’ Translated as, ‘The Girl Who Disappeared from Kidlington.’

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Colin’s third novel;

THE SILENT WORLD OF NICHOLAS QUINN. (1977)

Filmed as the second episode of the first series. (1987)

I could find no foreign titles that deviated from the English title. So, let’s move on.

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Colin’s fourth novel;

SERVICE OF ALL THE DEAD. (1979)

Filmed as the third episode of the first series. (1987)

The German title is, ‘Eine Messe für all die Toten: Kriminalroman.’ Translated as, ‘A Mass for All the Dead.’

The French title is, ‘Service funèbre.’ Translated as, ‘Funeral Service.’

The Spanish title is, ‘Réquiem por todos los muertos.’ Translated as , ‘Requiem For All the Dead.’

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Moving on to Colin’s fifth novel and the first to be adapted for television.

THE DEAD OF JERICHO. (1981)

Filmed as the first episode of the first series. (1987)

The Finnish title is, ‘Rantakadun surmat.’ Translated as, ‘The Boardwalk Murders.

The Estonian title is, ‘Jeeriko surnud.’ Translated as , ‘Jericho Dead.’

The Danish title is, ‘Den hengte i Jeriko.’ Translated as, ‘It Hung in Jericho.’

The Slovakian title is, ‘Smrt v Jerichu.’ Translates as, Death in Jericho.’

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Up next, This novel was adapted into the episode, ‘The Last Enemy.’

THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE. (1983)

Filmed as, ‘The Last Enemy’, the second episode of the third series. (1989)

The Italian title is, ‘Il mistero del terzo miglio.’ Translated as, ‘The Mystery of the Third Mile.’

The German title is, ‘Das Rätsel Der Dritten Meile.’ Translated as, ‘The Mystery of the Third Mile.’

The Finnish title is, ‘Kolmannen virstan arvoitus.’ Translated as, ‘The Riddle of the Third Turn.’

The Slovenian title is, ‘Uganka tretje milje.’ Translated as, ‘The Third Mile Conundrum.’

The Danish title is, ‘Gåden om de tre mil.’ Translated as, ‘The Riddle of the Three Miles.’

The Polish title is, ‘Zagadka trzeciej mili.’ Translated as, ‘The Third Mile Puzzle.’

The Japanese title is, ‘謎まで三マイル (ハヤカワ・ポケット・ミステリ.’ Translated as, ‘Three Miles to the Mystery.’

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Up next, Colin’s seventh novel. This was adapted for TV as, The Secret of Bay 5B.

THE SECRET OF ANNEXE 3. (1986)

Filmed as the fourth episode of the third series. (1989)

An Italian title is, ‘Il segreto della camera 3.’ Translated as, ‘The Secret of Room 3.’

A Finnish title is, ‘Huone numero 3.’ Translated as, ‘Room Number 3.’

A German title is, ‘Das Geheimnis von Zimmer 3.’ Translated as, ‘The Secret of Room 3.’

A Dutch title is, ‘Een kwestie van ontrouw.’ Translated as, ‘A Matter of Infidelity.’

A Norwegian title is, ‘Mysteriet i annex 3.’ Translated as, ‘The Mystery of Annexe 3.’

A danish title is, ‘Mord i annekset.’ Translated as, ‘Murder in the Annexe.’

A Japanese title is, ‘別館3号室の男 (ハヤカワ ポケット ミステリ).’ Translated as, ‘The Man in Annexe Room 3.’

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Novel number eight of thirteen,

THE WENCH IS DEAD. (1989)

Filmed as the fourth of the five specials. (1998)

An Italian title is, ‘La fanciulla è morta.’ Translated as, ‘The Girl is Dead.’

A Finnish title is, ‘Neidonmurha.’ Translated as, ‘Maiden Murder.’

A Spanish title is, ‘A Lo Largo De Los Canales.’ Translated as, ‘Along the Canals.’

A Danish title is, ‘ Mord på Oxfordkanalen.’ Translated as, ‘Murder on the Oxford Canal..’

A Bulgarian title is, ‘Мръсницата е мъртва.’ Translated as, ‘The Bitch is Dead.’

A Portuguese title is, ‘Assassinato no canal de oxford.’ Translated as, ‘Oxford Canal Murder.’

A Dutch title is, ‘Moord op de Barbara Bray.’ Translated as, ‘Murder on the Barbara Bray.’

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Next,

THE JEWEL THAT WAS OURS. (1991). 

Filmed as the first episode of the second series.

This novel was written by Dexter after he wrote a screenplay for an episode titled The Wolvercote Tongue. (1987)

An Estonian title is, ‘Aare, mis oli meie oma.’ Translated as, ‘A Treasure That Was Ours.’

A Spanish title is, ‘La Joya Perdida.’ Translated as, ‘The Lost Jewel.’

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The tenth novel,

THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS. (1992).

Filmed as the first of the five specials. (1995)

The Italian title is, ‘La strada nel bosco.’ Translated as, ‘The Road in the Woods.’

The Finnish title is, ‘Kulki kerran metsätie.’ Translated as, ‘Once There Was a Forest Road.’

The Spanish title is, ‘El Camino Que Atraviesa El Bosque.’ Translated as, ‘The Path Through the Forest.’

Another Spanish title is, ‘Desaparecida no bosque.’ Translated as, ‘Missing in the Forest.’

The German title is, ‘Finstere Gründe.’ Translated as ‘Dark Reasons.’

Another German title is, ‘Der Weg durch Wytham Woods.’ Translated as, ‘The path Through Wytham Woods.’

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Up next the antepenultimate novel from Colin,

THE DAUGHTERS OF CAIN. (1994).

Filmed as the second of the five specials. (1996)

The Italian title is, ‘L’enigma dei coltelli.’ Translated as, ‘The Riddle of the Knives.’

The German title is, ‘Die Leiche Am Fluss.’ Translated as, ‘The Corpse by the River.’

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Colin’s penultimate novel next,

DEATH IS NOW MY NEIGHBOUR. (1996)

Filmed as the third of the five specials. (1997)

An Italian title is, ‘La morte mi è vicina.’ Translated as, ‘Death is Close to Me.’

A Dutch title is, ‘Doodstijding.’ Translated as, ‘Death Tidings.’

A Swedish title is, ‘Med döden som granne.’ Translated as, ‘With Death as a Neighbour.’

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And so to Colin’s final novel,

THE REMORSEFUL DAY. (1999)

Filmed as the final episode. (2000)

An Italian title is, ‘Il giorno del rimorso.’ Translated as , ‘The Day of Remorse.’

A Swedish title is, ‘Räkenskapens Dag.’ Translated as, ‘The Day of Reckoning.’

A Norwegian title is, ‘Oppgjørets time.’ Translated as, ‘The Hour of Settlement.’

A French title is, ‘Remords Secrets.’ Translated as, ‘Secret Remorse.’

A Slovenian title is, ‘Umor se ne pozabi.’ Translated as, ‘Murder is not Forgotten.’

A German title is, ‘Der letzte Tag.’ Translated as, ‘The Last Day.’

A Japanese title is, ‘悔恨の日 (ハヤカワ・ポケット・ミステリ).’ Translated as, ‘Day of Regret.’

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Thank you to Michael who sent me the following information.

Some notes on the columns:

1, 2 Number and year of publication in England

3 Original title and (hopefully good 🙂 German translation

4 Year of first publication in Germany

5 German title and the English back translation, publisher was Rowohlt

6 Republished in the 2000s with title and back translation, publisher is Unionsverlag

What is interesting and somehow funny is that the German titles sometimes differ significantly or have absolutely nothing to do with the original title.

 

 

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