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Rating: 
Summary: Liked it, didn't love it
Review: A short 250ish pages, it would have been better to have cut 100 pages and make this a short story without all of the unnecessary and meaningless character-developing diversions. The book runs along in 3rd gear most of the time, never really reaching a dramatic climax, which is really not good for a mystery, and the pretense is a little hard to believe: intrepid reporter for London tabloid gets everyone's help in solving murder mystery, even help from those who shouldn't be helping her. Certainly not the best mystery out there.
Rating:
Summary: Liked it, didn't love it
Review: A short 250ish pages, it would have been better to have cut 100 pages and make this a short story without all of the unnecessary and meaningless character-developing diversions. The book runs along in 3rd gear most of the time, never really reaching a dramatic climax, which is really not good for a mystery, and the pretense is a little hard to believe: intrepid reporter for London tabloid gets everyone's help in solving murder mystery, even help from those who shouldn't be helping her. Certainly not the best mystery out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Good easy and fun read
Review: After reading 'A Place for Execution' I sought out McDermids earlier works. This along with the rest of the Lindsay Gordon series are light, easy and fun reads. I found the characters to be a little left of center, but that is what certainly made them interesting! The whole Lindsay Gordon series is like a young lesbian version of Murder She Wrote. A little more racey than Jessica Fletcher and a lot more fun. If you enjoy English humour (dry wit and loads of sarcasm) and want some fun who dunnit mystery reads, read the whole series but do yourself a favor... start with number one and move through the series in order. Will make a lot more sense. Common Murder is number 2 in the series and a fun read, but Lindsay makes a lot more sense if you start with the first book which is 'Report for Murder.'
Rating:
Summary: Good easy and fun read
Review: After reading 'A Place for Execution' I sought out McDermids earlier works. This along with the rest of the Lindsay Gordon series are light, easy and fun reads. I found the characters to be a little left of center, but that is what certainly made them interesting! The whole Lindsay Gordon series is like a young lesbian version of Murder She Wrote. A little more racey than Jessica Fletcher and a lot more fun. If you enjoy English humour (dry wit and loads of sarcasm) and want some fun who dunnit mystery reads, read the whole series but do yourself a favor... start with number one and move through the series in order. Will make a lot more sense. Common Murder is number 2 in the series and a fun read, but Lindsay makes a lot more sense if you start with the first book which is 'Report for Murder.'
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing, but a little dense
Review: I read this as an english person with knowledge, via the media, of the Greenham Common events upon which it as based. I am male, which may be a disadvantage, given the radical lesbian feminist label it adopts, but I enjoyed the alternative perspective. Shall I be honest ? It is not her best. Lindsay and her pals are a bit irritating. the prose is overlong and tends to lose dramatic point as you meander around the, rather hackneyed, plot. But... hey, do not take that as criticism Val. I am enjoing what you are doing and place you in the Paretsky and Parker class when it comes to crime fiction. Maybe my scepticism derives from the fact that it is hard for us anglos to sound glib, hard-boiled etc. Apart that is, from Terry Venables, another once upon a time crime writer. Keep up the good work !
Rating:
Summary: Fun atmosphere, fun tale...
Review: While this novel may not be 100% believable, I did enjoy reading it. In true McDermid style, it employs tons of good natured wit and sarcasm. As an American whose never left the homebase, I was unfamiliar with some of the British terminology, and thuse found myself saying "Don't be daft" an inappropriate times after finishing this novel...
Anyhow, I did like the character development in this book; without it, the book would have been purely mystery and sorely lacking!
This is one of the better books in the Linsay Gordon series. If you liked the first one, you should check this one out.
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