Dead Reckoning

by Jenny Roberts

Praise for Jenny Roberts' previous two "An excellently paced, well-plotted thriller."- Guardian " Breaking Point is a well-written, fast-moving filmic story, and you'll enjoy being taken along for the ride."- Time Out "An expertly paced thriller . . . a taut and relentless tale which will have you on the edge of your seat."- G-News "Another rollercoaster ride through the seedy underworld of crime."- Rainbow Network " Breaking Point encompasses intrigue, action and danger."- G3 magazine Cameron McGill, now a private investigator, is following yet another unfaithful husband on a client's behalf. But Charles Wilson turns out to be a cross-dresser rather than an adulterer and, when he is murdered outside a sleazy bar in Manchester's Gay Village, Cameron and the bartender Lin Lee are left to face the police-and the possibility that this is only the first in a series of hate killings. As Cameron digs deeper into the murder of Charles Wilson, her relationship with Lin becomes ever more intimate. But she soon realizes that everyone around her seems to have a secret. Why is the dead man's wife so unconcerned? Why is Charles Wilson's business partner so evasive? And what terrible secret is Lin herself hiding? But as Cameron pursues these questions, she is confronted with criminal forces so powerful they begin to threaten her very life, and the only way to ensure her survival is to find the answers-fast! Jenny Roberts was born a boy in Bridlington in 1944 and, after 25 years running a printing business, changed to her correct gender in 1996 at the London Bridge Hospital. She identified as a lesbian shortly afterwards and founded the Libertas! Women's Bookshop in York in 1998.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Mystery, Queer

300 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Bryony Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, this: a detective novel where I felt that I’d worked out each thing long before the main character. It’s set in a Manchester that’s mostly changed or disappeared now, but it was nice to walk those mean streets of the late 20th century once again, when Manchester really was a bit of a cesspool. The characters are venal, cowardly, foolish, nasty... they need a good kicking and most of them get it. It wasn’t intellectually taxing, but I enjoyed this walk through Manchester-as-was.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty queer detective novel set in Manchester. No spoilers, but it was a pretty good read. I think I figured things out before any hairpins were dropped, but enjoyable nonetheless.