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Portrait image of Colin Dexter Photo: Ulla Montan

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Dexter, Colin

The British crime writer Colin Dexter grew up in Stamford, Lincolnshire. After completing his military service in 1950, he read classics at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1953 and receiving an honorary masters degree in 1958. Dexter was a grammar school teacher until 1966, when he started to experience problems with his hearing. He then worked for the University of Oxford Examination...

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Literary figures

Burke

Gender: Male

He is a violent and tough ‘private’ crime-fighter (without a licence) in New York. Like his creator, lawyer Andrew Vachss, he combats sex criminals, predominantly paedophiles, Burke – his first name is never mentioned – has himself had a tragic childhood during which he was sexually abused, and has also been in prison. He surrounds himself with an odd ‘family’ consisting of other former prison inm...

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