Booked for Murder

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 Only three people knew the plot of Penny's unpublished novel: her literary agent, her editor and her ex-girlfriend Meredith.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?

‘A jolly romp through the world of London publishing.’ Independent ‘Funny and scary by turns; always sharp.’ Daily Telegraph ‘The writing is tough and colourful, the scene setting excellent.’ Times Literary Supplement

Val McDermid grew up in a Scottish mining community then read English at Oxford. She was a journalist for sixteen years, spending the last three as Northern Bureau Chief of a national Sunday tabloid. She is now a full-time writer and lives in South Manchester.