Booked for Murder [Paperback]

V L McDermid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2005

Lindsay Gordon investigates the murder of a bestselling author and discovers that, beneath the glittering facade, the London publishing world is a hotbed of seething rivalries, soured relationships and desperate power plays. Fifth in the series. Why would anyone want to kill Penny Varnavides, bestselling author of the 'Teen Dreams' series? Her demise can't be the freak accident it first appeared -- it's an exact replica of the murder method in her forthcoming book. Only three people knew the plot of Penny's unpublished novel: her literary agent, her editor and her ex-girlfriend Meredith. In an effort to clear Meredith, Lindsay Gordon delves beneath the glittering facade of the seemingly glamorous world of London publishing in search of a murderer. While hobnobbing with industry notables, Lindsay encounters an unsavoury mix of soured relationships, desperate power plays, underhanded fraud, and seething rivalries. Who, amongst this sordid group, wanted Penny Varnavides dead?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The fifth book in Val McDermid's Lindsay Gordon mystery opens with the "accidental" death in London of bestselling author Penny Varnavides, one of Lindsay's oldest friends. When police learn that the bizarre conditions of Penny's death match those described in the manuscript of her unfinished novel, they arrest Meredith Miller, the long-time lover Penny had recently parted from on bad terms. Reluctantly lured across the Atlantic on the chance of helping Meredith, Lindsay (a crusty but lovable expatriate Brit) meets up with old friends and uses her journalistic expertise (and some old but impressive business cards from her days on a national newspaper) to dig up information. Who knew the contents of Penny's unfinished book? And who might have wanted her dead? Dodging rude secretaries, obstructive literary agents, slippery publishers, and one determined baseball bat (should this have been a cricket bat?), Lindsay slowly eliminates possibilities until she is ready to confront the killer. While not the most exciting volume in the series, Booked for Murder does show off Gordon's sleuthing skills, as well as her ability to turn the tables on evildoers. --Regina Marler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In order to clear her friend of suspicion, lesbian-feminist journalist Lindsay Gordon investigates the murder of a best-selling novelist. Apparently, the novelist's death followed a murder scenario in her as-yet-unpublished new book, so Lindsay winds up in the dog-eat-dog world of London publishing. For series fans.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Pb (January 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007191782
• ISBN-13: 978-0007191789
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,651,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story & characterizations, May 26, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Booked for Murder (Lindsay Gordon Mystery Series) (Paperback)

The AP wire reported that in London, Penny Varnavides, author of the popular Darkliner series, died when a bottle of beer exploded and a piece of glass cut her carotid artery. In California, Penny's friend Lindsay Gordon is stunned by the news.

Not long after hearing the news, a mutual friend, Penny's former lover Meredith Miller, sends an emissary from London to California pleading with Lindsay to come to England. Meredith believes she is the prime suspect in the murder of Penny and based on the track record of her amateur sleuth buddy, she thinks Lindsay can prove her innocence. The best-selling author died by means of the same plot device she was using in her latest novel. Three people allegedly knew the contents of the manuscript, including Meredith. Unable to say no, the former journalist travels to London in order to uncover the identity of the real killer because Lindsay cannot believe Meredith could commit such an act.

The fifth Lindsay Gordon novel, BOOKED FOR MURDER, is an entertaining tale that will please fans of the series and sub-genre readers in general. The who-done-it story line is crisp, exciting, and fun due to the female characters and their exchanges. Lindsay retains her brazen yet sort of classy persona and the return of secondary players from previous novels help make London swing. In all her wonderful novels, Val McDermid incorporates social issues into the murder mystery story line so that the audience is educated as well as entertained.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A murder mystery of the first caliber!, June 2, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Booked for Murder (Lindsay Gordon Mystery Series) (Paperback)

Who would want to kill Penny Varnavides, especially in the exact manner portrayed in her forthcoming novel? Meredith, as Penny's ex-girlfriend, along with Penny's literary agent and editor, were the only three people who new the unique murder method employed in Penny's unpublished book and apparently used in real life on Penny herself. Meredith calls upon Lindsay Gordon to extricate her from suspicion in the glamorous world of London publishing. While encountering publishing industry notables, Lindsay turns up an unsavory mixture of soured relationships, underhanded fraud, and seething rivalries. Booked For Murder is a superb "whodunit" mystery that is riveting reading from first page to last. This is a murder mystery of the first caliber that documents Val McDermid as one of Britain's contemporary masters of the genre.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lively & fascinating whodunit, December 28, 2000

By 

"blissengine" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Booked for Murder (Lindsay Gordon Mystery Series) (Paperback)

Bestselling author Penny Varnavides is killed in a unique fashion, much like in her forthcoming novel. Her lover Meredith is suspected of the crime, so their friend Lindsay Gordon returns to Britain to clear Meredith. As Lindsay untangles the web of the British literary world, she alarms the killer who in turn targets her. In her fifth Gordon mystery, McDermid has crafted a marvelous and enchanting book that will keep readers guessing until the final dozen pages. McDermid's take on the literary world is a strong point to the story, as is her characterizations, all of which is why she is one of the best in the mystery field.