by Val McDermid
Bywater Books First Ebook Edition: April 2012
Bywater Books First Edition: February 2005
This book was originally published as Final Edition in Great Britian by The Women’s Press, Ltd in 1991.
This book was originally published as Open and Shut in the United States of America by St. Martin’s Press in 1991.
This book was published as Deadline for Murder in the United States of America by Spinsters Ink in 1997.
Cover designer: Bonnie Liss (Phoenix Graphics)
ISBN: 978-1-61294-008-3 (ebook)
This novel is a work of fiction.
All characters and events are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination.
Bywater Books
REPORT FOR MURDER
1st Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“McDermid has created a complex and prickly detective whose working-class background sets her at odds with her companions, particularly her new lover, Cordelia, the shifting relationship intertwines a realistic romance with a solid detective story.” —Publishers Weekly
Freelance journalist Lindsay Gordon is strapped for cash. Why else would she agree to cover a fund-raising gala at a private girls’ school? But when the star attraction is found garrotted with her own cello string instants before she is due to go on stage, Lindsay finds herself investigating a vicious murder.
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-06-5
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-006-9
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books
COMMON MURDER
2nd Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“McDermid’s snappy, often comic, prose keeps the story humming.”—Publishers Weekly
A protest group hits the headlines when unrest at a women’s peace camp explodes into murder. Already on the scene, journalist Lindsay Gordon desperately tries to strike a balance between personal and professional responsibilities. As she peels back the layers of deception surrounding the protest and its opponents, she finds that no one—ratepayer or reporter, policeman or peace woman—seems wholly above suspicion. Then Lindsay uncovers a truth that even she can scarcely believe.
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-07-2
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-007-6
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books
DEADLINE FOR MURDER
3rd Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“This taut story exploring the limits of friendship is well worth reading” —Publishers Weekly
“A single-malt Scots pleasure, Lindsay Gordon will only get better as she ages.” Laurie R. King, Edgar Award winner
When Alison Maxwell, a well-known Glaswegian journalist with an irresistible sexual attraction to both sexes, is found murdered the police look no further than the owner of the scarf used to strangle her. Lindsay Gordon, however, has other ideas. Maxwell was a serial seductress who kept a secret record of her encounters—including one with Lindsay herself. Recalling the threats that followed the end of the relationship, Lindsay knows all too well the feelings of rage, fear, and passion that Alison Maxwell could invoke. Soon Lindsay is embroiled in an investigation involving blackmail, stolen government documents, and the vested interests of a group of people determined to keep her from finding the truth.
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-08-9
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-008-3
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books
CONFERENCES ARE MURDER
4th Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“Neatly constructed and splendidly sarcastic about the circus of union politics.”—Daily Telegraph
Leaving her new home in California for a trade union conference in Sheffield, Lindsay Gordon finds herself in the company of old friends—and enemies, including union leader Tom Jack. When Tom falls to his death from her bedroom window after a spectacularly public row with Lindsay, it seems the only way to prove her innocence is to find the real culprit. Hoping to clear her name, Lindsay searches among hundreds of unruly union delegates for a murderer who may have struck once before. Along the way she uncovers a seething cauldron of blackmail, corruption, and abuse of power, all brought to the boil by her investigation.
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-09-6
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-009-0
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books
BOOKED FOR MURDER
5th Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“McDermid’s latest in her successful Lindsay Gordon series is another winner, providing plenty of plot turn and puzzlement . . . making for one of the best women’s mysteries in a long time.”—Booklist
Why would anyone want to kill Penny Varnavides, best-selling 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.
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-10-2
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-010-6
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books
HOSTAGE TO MURDER
6th Lindsay Gordon Mystery
Val McDermid
“One of my favorite authors, Val McDermid is an important writer—witty, never sentimental, taking us through mean streets with the dexterity of a Chandler.” —Sara Paretsky
Lindsay Gordon—investigative journalist, tenacious sleuth, and unashamed lesbian—is facing a midlife crisis. Back in her native Scotland after a long absence, she has no job, no friends, and no desire to even think about her girlfriend’s worrying preoccupations. A chance encounter with freelance reporter Rory McLaren offers her an irresistible invitation to open a new chapter in her life. From there it is just a short step to political corruption and other juicy stories—all welcome distractions from Lindsay’s problems at home. But when a local car dealer’s stepson is kidnapped, Lindsay and Rory trade journalism for detection. The trail leads them to St. Petersburg and a dangerous snatch-back operation that will test Lindsay to her absolute limits . . .
Print ISBN 978-1-932859-02-7
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61294-011-3
Available at your local bookstore
or call 734-662-8815
or order online at www.bywaterbooks.com
Bywater Books represents the coming of age of lesbian fiction. We’re committed to bringing the best of contemporary lesbian writing to a discerning readership. Our editorial team is dedicated to finding and developing outstanding voices who deliver stories you won’t want to put down. That’s why we sponsor the annual Bywater Prize for Fiction. We love good books, just like you do.
For more information about Bywater Books and the annual Bywater Prize for Fiction, please visit our website.
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