Feet of Clay

Chapter 1: A Serious Case of Blues

* Summary: Inspector Morse is summoned to the Chessington Convalescent Home to investigate the suspicious death of Dr. Derek Ridding, a young psychiatrist.
* Example: Morse arrives at the home and is met by the enigmatic Senior Nursing Officer, Miss Katherine Roper.

Chapter 2: The Empty House

* Summary: Morse investigates Ridding's apartment and finds that his private papers have been stolen. He also learns that Ridding was involved in a controversial project studying the psychological effects of experimental drugs on prisoners.
* Example: Morse discovers a letter from a mysterious inmate named Henry Randall, who claims that Ridding was responsible for his troubled mental state.

Chapter 3: The Skull in the Parchment

* Summary: Morse examines Ridding's medical records and uncovers a photograph of a medieval skull found in the walls of the home. He believes the skull may hold a clue to Ridding's murder.
* Example: Morse visits the local museum and consults with an expert on medieval history, Dr. Elizabeth Fox, who helps him identify the skull as belonging to a convicted witch.

Chapter 4: The Star Bone

* Summary: Morse learns that the stolen papers contain a groundbreaking theory about a rare neurological condition called the "star bone." He investigates the home's patients and staff, suspecting one of them may have the condition.
* Example: Morse examines Sister Artemis Fawcett, a nurse with a strange phobia of stars.

Chapter 5: The Prisoner

* Summary: Morse locates Henry Randall and interrogates him about Ridding's involvement in the experimental drug project. Randall reveals that he was a test subject who suffered debilitating side effects.
* Example: Randall demonstrates his mental instability by lashing out at Morse, claiming that Ridding had betrayed him.

Chapter 6: The Murder Dinner

* Summary: Morse hosts a dinner for the home's staff and patients, during which he plans to expose the killer. He suspects Miss Roper, the administrator, of having a secret connection to Ridding's research.
* Example: During the dinner, Morse reveals that he has discovered that Miss Roper had once been a patient at the home and had undergone experimental treatment herself.

Chapter 7: The Post Mortem

* Summary: After confronting Miss Roper, Morse finds her dead in her office. He realizes that he has underestimated the extent of the conspiracy and that the killer is not acting alone.
* Example: Morse examines Miss Roper's body and discovers that she had been injected with a fatal dose of the experimental drug.

Chapter 8: The Razor Blade

* Summary: Morse uncovers a web of secrets and lies within the home. He discovers that several of the staff and patients are involved in the drug conspiracy.
* Example: Morse confronts Dr. Ronald Keating, the home's senior physician, who confesses that he had been administering the drug to patients without their knowledge.

Chapter 9: The Silver Nugget

* Summary: Morse uncovers the identity of the mastermind behind the conspiracy: Dr. Julian Curzon, the director of the experimental drug project. Curzon planned to use the project to test his theory of genetically engineered superhumans.
* Example: Morse finds a silver nugget, a symbol of the drug, hidden in Curzon's office.

Chapter 10: The Last Supper

* Summary: Morse confronts Curzon and the other conspirators. A violent confrontation ensues, resulting in the deaths of several characters.
* Example: Morse engages in a fierce gun battle with Curzon, ultimately killing him and ending the conspiracy.