Report for Murder

Rating:
Summary: This book holds fond memories!
Review: This is the first book in Val McDermid's first published series, so by its very being it IS special. That said, at the time I read this, I had read many of her other books, and it was very, very different. It was much cuter.

Cute may not have been what Ms. McDermid was going for, but that does not make the story bad, not by a long shot. Indeed, while it may not contain the creepy elements that get under one's skin as in later McDermid novels, I found main character Lindsay's class consciousness to be quite intriguing.

This novel is not for everyone. It is only for those whose preconceptions' about homosexuals won't get in the way of their ability to digest the novel.

Rating:
Summary: Finally back in print-YES!
Review: When her friend Paddy Callaghan, the headmistress of an exclusive girls school, asks Lindsay Gordon to write an article on fundraising, she reluctantly agrees. Even though she loathes spending time at the elite Derbyshire boarding school, Lindsay accepted the assignment because Paddy is an old school chum.

When Lindsay arrives at her destination, she soon learns the dire financial straits confronting the school. Several of the illustrious alumni have returned to help raise money. For instance, the renowned musician Lorna Smith-Couper will perform a benefit concert to raise some cash. However, the famous cellist is found strangled just prior to her concert. Lindsay soon learns that the victim had many enemies. Soon, Paddy asks Lindsay and Cordelia (a writer who Lindsay is very attracted to) save the school and its reputation from ruin by solving the killing.

REPORT FOR MURDER is a reprint of the debut novel of Lindsay Gordon, a wonderful character, who remains relevant and interesting. Though the lesbian-leanings of Lindsay may turn off some readers, Val McDermid handles her star's sexual preference with finesse and good taste. The story line is intriguing and demonstrates why Ms. McDermid has won several awards. This gritty, on its head cosy is a brilliant amateur sleuth who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner