REVIEW
Booked For Murder by Val McDermid
Women's Press £15.99
After Val McDermid’s major successes with The Mermaids Singing, and more recently, Blue Genes (Kate Brannigan), Booked for Murder sees the welcome return of Lindsay Gordon from her coastal haven on Californian shores. She lives on Half Moon Bay with her partner Sophie who works with HIV-positive mothers in a local hospital while Lindsay herself has long since given up practising journalism in favour of a much quieter life teaching, and is now writing a book. She’s much less prone to chancing upon murder investigations in this line of work, or so she thought.
But with the unexpected death of a close friend, Penny Varnavides, comes the news, together with a PI from England, that not only might Penny have been murdered, but the main suspect is another of Lindsay’s close friends, the dead woman’s former lover, Meredith. Penny’s death initially appeared to be a freak accident, but it now turns out to be an imitation of the murder method outlined in her latest and as yet unpublished novel. Meredith is being accused of engineering the death as she is one of the few people who knew the plot of the story, and she wants Lindsay to find out who is the real culprit. And so Lindsay, somewhat reluctant to get involved in another murder mystery, travels to Britain and stays with Helen and Kirsten, friends that fans will recognise from previous novels. Once there, Lindsay’s taken by surprise as she, helped by friends on both sides of the Atlantic, uncovers the jealousies and corruption behind Penny’s death. On top of this, Helen’s having problems at work, and she also has little idea of the appalling truths that will be unearthed when she persuades Lindsay to look into things.
As always with Val’s writing, the story flows effortlessly, and the dialogue is irresistible. In her inimitable style: bold and brassy, witty, outspoken and ruthless in the pursuit of the killer, Lindsay is one of the most attractive female sleuths around. Lindsay’s adventures are a joy to read, not least because of the emphasis on the strong relationships between the women, developed over the years, friends who keep in touch despite distance - they can always count on each other for support. With a number of serious points to make about contemporary social ills, Booked For Murder is entertaining, enlightening and leaves you hoping that it won’t be long before Lindsay makes her next appearance. Great entertainment! Highly recommended. (EAL)