Common Murder

Lindsay Gordon #2

by Val McDermid

The second novel in the Lindsay Gordon series – a gripping psychological thriller – from No.1 bestseller Val McDermid. When her former lover is accused of murder in a women’s peace camp, Lindsay must bring all of her expertise as an investigative reporter into play.

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.

Common Murder is the gripping second novel in Val McDermid’s Lindsay Gordon series.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, LGBT, Audiobook, Lesbian, Queer

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Val McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.

She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.

She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Marnie (Enchanted Bibliophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You heard, kid. We’ve had more aggravation over you this weekend than over every other dodgy story we’ve ever done.”



McDermid sure knows how to keep one reading! This was a quick moving, suspenseful read that had me hooked from the first murder. To think this was one of her first books, this lady truly is talented.

I enjoy Lindsay as a character, her hard-headedness and loyalty makes an interesting combination for a very authentic character. One thing though, Lindsay should really consider changing her friend circle. All of them ending up as suspects to a murder, or at least so far.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book featuring radical feminist lesbian journalist Lindsay Gordon covers a murder near the women's peace camp on Brownlow Common, a thinly disguised Greenham Common. The story was published in 1989 and seems a little dated now, but still a fast moving plot and a good read.

[Jackie Cain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this book. Published in 1989 it is set in Brownlow Common, a fictional substitute for Greenham Common, where women set up a peace camp to protest about the siting of American cruise missiles on British soil. As such, it captured a sense of the late nineteen-eighties and the political turmoil of that time in the UK.

“Write what you know,” they always say, and in this, her second novel, Val McDermid does. She keeps a good pace going as her journalist protagonist, Lindsay Gordon, investigates what is happening to her friend and, in the days before mobile phones and internet access, dictates copy on public phones. She weaves a believable story, dropping necessary clues throughout so that what Lindsay finds out and what she does both have foundations in the book. I particularly approved of the ending where the events of the story have a lasting effect on Lindsay, rather than there being a simple re-set. (Cryptic, much? Trying to avoid the spoilers an’ all.)

And, yet, I did feel a little dissatisfied after finishing. I didn’t notice while reading the book which might provide the moral of “don’t analyse too much” but this is me and I can’t help it. I have struggled to explain it. The best I can say is that the psychology of the murder victim and the events make sense but I didn’t really feel them. Lindsay observes them and so do we, in fact, we observe Lindsay observing and analysing them. They didn’t quite come alive for me.

However, what happens to her personally does come alive for me, which is why reading the book was enjoyable and I do want to know what happens to her next. It is interesting watching Ms McDermid’s skill grow, as well.

In conclusion, I recommend it as a good read especially if you remember the 1980s.

[Wayne Spiceland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this just as much as the first of the series, Report for Murder. It's a fun, easy read, again featuring Lindsay Gordon, self-proclaimed cynical socialist lesbian feminist journalist. It has the same sharp wit and sarcasm as previously, and despite its Cold War era datedness, the plot is still pretty interesting. I enjoy mysteries that have some sort of historical context, and I remember being called some of the same names the women at the peace camp were. Personally, I found the glimpse into that bit of history absorbing; I had to look up the history of the Greenham women, and I like books that make me research something.

I find Lindsay an interesting character, and fun to read about. Wry, smart, compassionate, intensely loyal to her friends. Her impetuosity occasionally lands her in hot water, here, as the nation's intelligence(?) forces become involved, but she doesn't let that deter her from her quest for the truth. She's plucky, but willing to admit to being afraid when she realizes she's quite out of her depth. All in all, a strong,very realistic, very human protagonist.

A couple of quibbles: First, there's at least as much "telling" as there is "showing," but this was only McDermid's second novel, so a little of that is to be expected, and it isn't really that much of an issue. More serious is that the ending just seems a little too far-fetched. Even Britain's intelligence community should easily have been able to block Lindsay's attempt to outfox them by having her story published in Germany. In spite of these shortcomings, Common Murder was still an very pleasant read, and well worth the couple of hours spent.

[Kate Welsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Cold War mystery and a vivid snapshot of its time, especially regarding activism and women's sexuality.

[Val Asker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Val McDermid’s earliest mysteries, written in 1989. It is part of her Lindsay Gordon series, featuring an investigative journalist rather than member of the police. I thought this was an interesting approach, with pros and cons. As a journalist Lindsay had to rely on obtaining a certain amount of information from a co-operative police superintendent, but on the other hand she had the opportunity to speak informally to potential suspects and was more likely to gain their trust, especially if they thought they were being given a chance to put their side of the story.

The story centres around a women’s peace camp (similar to Greenham Common). Lindsay gets involved when a friend (and ex) Deborah is suspected of murdering the chairman of the local ratepayers association who want the peace camp to be disbanded. Because she already knows and sympathises with the women, superintendent Rigano can see the value of involving her in the investigation by acting as liaison between the police and the peace campaigners. This seems to me a plausible reason for this scenario and it enables Lindsay to get involved in a way that a journalist normally wouldn’t.

The fact that she knows (and maybe is still in love with) Deborah also explains the rationale for Lindsay taking the (very risky) action that she takes as the investigation takes a very unexpected turn and she realises how much is at stake.

Although I enjoyed ‘Common Murder’ I think it isn’t as good as the other Val McDermid books that I’ve read. At around 300 pages it was relatively short and this meant that there was less time to develop the characters. I did not get as immersed in it as I did with ‘The Wire in the Blood’. I also thought that the final chapters were rushed and that everything seemed to work out rather too easily. I would’ve liked a bit of last minute peril to rack up the tension! But these are minor criticisms as this was a good story and as usual well written and observant.

This is also a strongly feminist novel and it made me realise just how much sexism there was even in 1989. Lindsay has to grit her teeth as she is patronised by some of the male characters but I was pleased she used it to her advantage, pretending to go along with it while probing for information.

I liked the epilogue which neatly brought matters to a very satisfying long term conclusion!

[David]

McDermid's earlier novels, like Ian Rankin's, are finding their way. They are not as assured, not as fully-developed, not quite as clever as the mature books usually seem to be. They are still good investigative stories, full of action and plot twists--just more like appetizers than some of the 'full courses' novels later on.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting herstory

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but the ending seemed a bit contrived. It still was an enjoyable read. This was written early in her career and she has just gotten better and better.

[Tracie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
(Print: ©1989; ISBN 1883523087; Spinsters Ink Books; 311 pages; unabridged.)
(Digital: Yes.)
*Audio: ©5/1/2018; 978-1501990014; Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.; File size: 207434 KB; Duration 07:15:07; Unabridged; 7 parts.
(Film: Not that I know of).

SERIES:
Lindsay Gordon Mystery Book 2.

Major CHARACTERS:
Lindsay Gordon (Journalist for “The Clarion”)
Cordelia Brown (Writer)
Deborah (Debs) Patterson (Protestor)

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
We (husband and I) started this series because a friend of mine emailed me a list of authors that she’d recently read Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) had been categorized with. The first book in this series had kind of a light “Murder She Wrote” feel to it that my husband and I found refreshing. In other words, it had focused on the perspective of the investigator, a writer, learning of the crime and trying to determine who did it, rather than detailing the mechanics of the murder, the character of the murderer, & the fear of the victim before the murder. So, after a couple months of other books/authors, we decided it was time for the next one in this series.

Lindsay, a journalist, goes to a women’s peace camp to investigate an incident her boss at The Clarion thinks could be good fodder for an article. Upon arrival, she discovers the incident involves a former lover, Debs, who is one of the protestors at the camp. Debs has been jailed for allegedly attacking a Mr. Crabtree while he was walking his dog. Not long after Debs is out on bail, Mr. Crabtree is found dead. Since Debs is the prime suspect, Lindsay sets about exonerating her friend by attempting to unravel the mystery of who killed him.

AUTHOR:
Val McDermid (6/4/1955). Wikipedia: “Val McDermid, FRSE, FRSL (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill in a grim sub-genre that McDermid and others have identified as Tartan Noir. At Raith Rovers football stadium, a stand has been named after McDermid.”

NARRATOR:
Caroline Guthrie: According to networthpost.org Caroline is “an actress, known for Gregory's Girl (1980), Local Hero (1983) and Chaplin (1992).” And is worth 4 Million.
Her narration provides perfect tone and pitch to the dialogue.

GENRE:
Fiction, Mystery, LGBTQIA

LOCATIONS:
Fordham, England; London, England

TIME FRAME
Contemporary (1989)

SUBJECTS:
Gay relationships; journalism; protestors; anti-protestors; international relations; protest movements

DEDICATION:
“For my father”

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1
“’Just doing the calls, Cliff,’ she answered.
‘Never mind that. There’s a bloody good tip just come in from one of the local paper lads in Fordham. Seems there’s been some aggro at the women’s peace camp at Brownlow Common. I’ve transferred the copy into your personal desk. Check it out, will you?’ he asked.
Lindsay sat up and summoned the few paragraphs on to her screen. The story seemed straightforward enough. A local resident claimed he’d been assaulted by one of those women from the peace camp. He’d had his nose broken in the incident, and the woman was in custody. Lindsay was instantly skeptical. She found it hard to believe that one of a group pledged to campaign for peace would physically attack an opponent of the anti-nuclear protest. But she was enough of a professional to concede that her initial reaction was the sort of knee-jerk she loved to condemn when it came from the other side.
The repercussions unfolding outside Fordham police station made the story interesting from the point of view of the Daily Clarion newsdesk. The assaulted man, a local solicitor called Rupert Crabtree, was the leader of Ratepayers Against Brownlow’s Destruction, a pressure group dedicated to the removal of the peace women from the common. His accusation had provoked a spontaneous demonstration from the women, who were apparently besieging the police station. That in its turn had provoked a counter-demonstration from the RABD members outraged at the alleged attack. There was a major confrontation in the making, it appeared.”

RATING:
4 stars.

STARTED-FINISHED
12/18/2021 – 12/24/2021

[Jerry B · Rating 2 out of 5]

We have certainly enjoyed Scot Val McDermid’s entire Carol Jordan and Tony Hill series, but were not quite as fond of our samplings of her Kate Brannigan or Karen Pirie novels. Discovering that she had another set featuring investigative reporter Lindsay Jordan, we thought we’d give that a try. “Common Murder” is the second of six to feature Jordan, and apparently was just the author’s actual second effort as a published author, copyrighted in 1989.

Lindsay turns out to be a fairly radical feminist lesbian (as is our writer) who has joined the efforts of a women’s protest group about some US nuclear missiles parked in a field in Britain. Apparently the book’s setting is a play off a real-life situation. The “peace camp” is little better than a tent city and is opposed by a neighborhood group headed by a cantankerous man who is allegedly assaulted by Lindsay’s ex-lover; and in the process, Lindsay wastes no time bedding her old flame despite a committed relationship with her current partner. When that man winds up murdered, Lindsay strikes a deal with the local police chief to collaborate on the investigation, given her “in” with the peace group members, the likely suspects.

We have no problem with the feminist, the Cold War, or the lesbian issues presented throughout, but Lindsay is hardly a likable protagonist. Her “deal” with the cops would never happen in real life, and the ultimate developments in the case were ill-founded and rather incredulous, and barely deserving of the red ribbons at the end. Fortunately, McDermid’s writing and plot crafting skills have improved significantly since this dated outing, leading us to recommend against this particular story in favor of her considerably better more recent crime novels.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was written in 1989 and it shows! No only does the technology of the time seem really quaint and awkward (no mobile phones, let alone internet, so much of the book seems to be taken up with our reporter protagonist looking for phone boxes to phone in her stories to the newsdesk).. but it just to shows what an awful long way Val McDermid has come as a writer since then.

I was listening to the audiobook, and even that rated poorly compared with more modern recordings - there wasn't even an announcement at the start and end of each disc to say what it was ('end of CD 1' etc) and the narrator was far from the best I've heard.

I know McDermid is an excellent novelist NOW, up there with the best, but back then it seems she was mediocre. At the time I guess it must have seemed very positive for the LGBT community to have a book heavily featuring lesbians, but nowadays that almost feels like campaigning, - its just part of the texture of ordinary life.

So I guess I am trying to say I was rather underwhelmed. But I feel I may have judged it more harshly because I know of what she is capable of now ... had it been written by someone else I may have awarded 3 stars!!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for me having read it first time round. I heard the author in interview recently on a uk radio programme and she mentioned the Lindsay Gordon series saying she thought maybe they were published too early to be popular. I would agree. Lindsay is, like Val McDermid was, a journalist living and working in London. This story is based around wrong doings at a women's peace camp, Greenham Common, though by another name. It's a good tight thriller. The key difference is that Lindsay is openly gay and even in 1989, when this was first published, that wasn't commonplace. Having read it now 33 years on I think it stands up well. I was reading VM avidly up to the Tony Hill series. I read the first one and for me it was the stuff of nightmares. It made her name though and she's now a Grand Dame of crime fiction which can only be good. I'd certainly commend the series to crime fiction fans and ditto the Kate Brannigan series. Perhaps a bit retro but still well worth the reading.

[Debby Hallett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I didn’t like the first book in this series at all. This was slightly better. (I’m committed to reading them all because I bought them all.)

There are editorial problems such as when Lindsay suddenly decided she’s been betrayed as she’s been followed, when I saw no evidence of that and she hadn’t noticed it in real time. Things like that break the pact between author and reader (me) to suspend my disbelief and get me paging back to see if I’d missed something or turned more than one page at a time.

Lindsay the character is softening a bit around the edges. But she’s still really arrogant. I cannot imagine any police working with her as they do in these novels.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Lindsay Gordon series. Gordon is a reporter in Scotland, working for the Daily Clarion tabloid. She decides to seek out the story about a group of peace women protesting the building of some missile silos; her ex-lover Deborah is a member of the group. Deborah is arrested for possibly assaulting a local lawyer objecting to the presence of the peace women in their small community. The lawyer is later killed and Lindsay decides to prove that her ex-lover is not the murderer. Occasionally the story drags some but overall is a very enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written early in MacDermid's career and is set in a thinly veiled Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. Based on the acknowledgments, it appears MacDermid was there herself. It's too bad she wasn't as polished a writer then as she is now, because the setting and characters in the camp are not as vivid or captivating as those in her more recent fiction. Still, if you're looking for detective fiction and /or lesbian romance - and if you like to get that 80s vibe from the actual 1980s rather than 80s nostalgia stuff, this is a good choice.

[Mary Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay Gordon is enjoying life in London if a little bored when she is contacted by a previous lover to come to Brownlow Common, a live in protest against American missiles (aka Greenham Common). The novel is a great read of the time, late 80s, no mobiles or internet and socialist politics from a lesbian point of view. The relationships between the state and Lindsay are too far fetched, however the ending is quite believable.

[Sandra Leivesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I enjoyed reading this book set at a women's peace camp very much like Greenham Common, which was all over the news at the time this book was written. It's nice to listen to a book where the protagonist is a reporter rather than a police officer. The book is quite dated now, written in the time before everyone had mobile phones and the internet, and Lindsay seems to spend most of her time looking for a phone box!

I enjoyed the narration by Caroline Guthrie.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written in the 80s and that is reflected in everything from the Cold War politics to the hunt for phone boxes. For me that added a nostalgic charm but it might irritate others. The mystery was interesting and I enjoyed the glimpse into life in the women’s peace camp. I listened to the audio book and the narration was a bit stilted.

[Pat Druid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first n this series was set in a public school, and it is an entertaining change of pace to find the second focused around Greenham Common (renamed Brownlow in the book). I would have liked more nitty gritty life-in-the-peace-camp material and a little less of the middle-class life of the victim and his toxic circle, but nevertheless, this book was a real pleasure.

[Wendy Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. An older series from the author but one I would definitely read more from. Obviously a bit dated in some ways but I enjoyed the look at 80's journalism and British politics. I liked the way the protagonist's journalistic skills, quick thinking and gift of the blarney helped her in the hunt for a murderer - at least until the story took an unexpected turn.

[Jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The Lindsay Gordon series hasn't entrenched its hooks into me like the Lincoln Rhyme series firmly did from the get go.
Enjoyed A Place of Execution and The Distant Echo much more than her female protagonist series ( Pirie and Gordon).
Should I just jump straight to the Dr Tony Hill + Carol Jotdan series?

[Bren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book by Val McDermid but some parts I found quite repetitive. The basic storyline was good and I enjoyed trying to work out who the killer was. I’m not sure the premise of a journalist solving crimes with the agreement of the police is realistic though!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Val McDermid mystery, Lindsay Gordon is a lesbian detective

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok middle of the road read with Lindsay Gordon. I thought the plot was interesting. I would recommend as an easy read

[Ruth Bingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Sonya Underdahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best novel by McDermid.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Val’s books especially the Tony Hill novels. This is the first Of the Lindsey series I’ve read. It was okay. A quick read. Story moved along at a good pace.

[Richard Osoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a great book

[Faron Bloomfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give this 3.5 stars if I could but the series is gradually getting better