Murder in the Collective

Pam Nilsen #1

by Barbara Wilson, Barbara Sjoholm

Introducing Pam Nilsen, her twin sister Penny and the Best Printing collective, a print shop hovering on the brink of a merger with lesbian-owned B. Violet Typesetting. When sabotage and murder erupt, Pam follows a trail of suspects ranging from the politically correct to the sexually intriguing, and discovers as much about her own heart as about whodunnit.

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Barbara Wilson is the pen name of author and translator Barbara Sjoholm. Her mysteries, written under the name Barbara Wilson, include two series, one with printer Pam Nilsen (Murder in the Collective) and one with translator-sleuth Cassandra Reilly. Her mysteries include the Lambda-award-winning Gaudi Afternoon, made into a film of the same name. She was a co-founder of Seal Press and in 2020 received the annual Trailblazer Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society for her contributions to lesbian literature. Her books have been published in England and translated into Spanish, Finnish, German, and Japanese.

Reviews

[Megan]

This book provides an important glimpse into the burgeoning women’s movement in the early 1980s. Pam Nilsen and her twin sister Penny are part of a collective that is just able to eke out a living running a printing operation. When a lesbian-owned and -operated typesetting firm makes overtures to join forces, disruption occurs. Then destruction, then murder. But are any of these things connected?

Pam and Penny are both straight when the book opens, but Pam’s close association with lesbians in the collective and in the movement causes her to give her sexuality a second thought. Like Nyla Wade in Vicki P. McConnell’s LMrs. Porter’s Letter, Pam first realizes her attraction to women during the course of the story, with all the strangeness and wonder that goes with new love.

Unlike most other lesbian mysteries, however, Murder in the Collective does not glorify lesbianism. Elena, the only avowed lesbian in Pam’s collective (at least when the book begins), states it bluntly: “I’ll tell you, Pam. I’ve seen more fucked up women who are lesbians and even more who are lesbian feminists. They’re jealous, they gossip and lie, they’re promiscuous, they drink, they fight, they hurt people.””

Nor is every lesbian described as a total babe. Pam’s love interest, Hadley Harper, has bony legs, enormous feet, and a face that could not be called pretty. It is Hadley’s style and interest in her surroundings; her determination to solve the crimes and make things right that attracts Pam—and the reader—to her character. When Pam denies that she is a detective, Hadley points out, “But what’s a detective if not somebody who wants to find out what happened?” Wilson’s pacing on their romance is titillatingly slow and I rooted for them to become a couple.

Although a reluctant detective, Pam—prodded by Hadley—does a thorough job of investigation, and like in an Agatha Christie novel, everyone becomes a suspect at one point or another. She especially suspects a rude and unpleasant lesbian couple, Anna and Margaret, but changes her mind when she watches them excel in a softball game. As she tells the reader: “ I saw that I would have to reconsider my suspicions of Margaret and Anna in the light of their softball skills.” It is a small touch, but one that shows the quirkiness of Pam’s character.

The plot is an intricate one and each of the characters gets its turn at being important—nerdy Pam, plain Hadley, bull-dykey Fran, mixed-race Ray, mysterious June and the beautiful Philippine ex-patriot Zee. It’s possible, though, that Wilson’s main character is the Philippine unrest that was going on during the iron rule of Ferdinand Marcos--who may have had informers even in Seattle. Like all writers with moxie, Wilson usually has an agenda behind her stories, one that not only furthers the plot, but that educates us about facts of historical importance that might be overlooked in textbooks.

A small aside here. After Hadley asks one of the suspects a penetrating question, Pam calls it a “bold stroke.” I wonder if that is the origin of the LGBT publisher Bold Stroke Books.

All in all, this is a book—and a series—to put on your "to read” list. It might not be at the very top of the list, but it is way above the average.

Note 1: Pam Nilson is the first amateur lesbian detective to appear in a series.

Note 2: I read the first printing of the Seal Press edition of this novel. The Seal Press was founded by Wilson, who later changed her last name to Sjoholm.

Note 3: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on 1100 other lesbian mysteries by over 350 authors.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm updating this to five stars. It def has its flaws (it's heavily centred on the white protagonist's political understanding, there is a lack of nuance in some of the perspectives advanced, etc) but I just enjoyed it so thoroughly and it really spoke to me.

--

At first I had a laugh about how clumsily written this was but kept going because it was an interesting novelty. two radical printing collectives, one radical lesbian, one left-wing and anti-imperialist, plan to merge, but it gets acrimonious and then there's a murder? It'd have to be completely unreadable for me not to at least crack it open. But about two chapters in it finds its feet and becomes a gripping, original, and startlingly weird murder mystery. If you're interested in a book about internalised homophobia, Third World feminism, broken hearts, Filipino resistance to the Marcos dictatorship, white liberal guilt (actually quite a lot of it), drinking much too much, and arsehole leftist men, I recommend giving this a shot.

[Maura O'Dea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for lesbian murder mystery book club!! was pretty good, but the ending :////// the love interest was so toxic rip. Limited copaganda tho

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

How sweet is it? A mystery book set in a 1980's (written then, too) activist collective in Seattle. Read it, especially if you have ever been in a collective.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

debating between 4.5 and 5

this will get a review... in due time

[June Archbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun, I flew through this. Occasionally I rolled my eyes at the prose but it does have bursts of great language. Really, it shines in the characters, they all feel so distinct and lived in. A very good mystery too. Been thinking about writing something similar to this for ages and am feeling doubly inspired now.

It’s a little dated in how it treats the people of colour in the story and in the prose but I think it was a good attempt to actually infuse the material realities of their lives into the story, even if it is a little lacking in nuance, and they are kind of used as teaching moments for the white protagonist.

[Reading Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

***SPOILERS***
I hated Ray and was hoping he would be the one killed off 😂 Overall, really great! I’m def going to read the whole series. The ending was weird bc I expected them to get vindication over finding the killer but turns out the killer was protecting a lesbians from being r*ped so they’re all in agreement to protect her. The biggest let down is that Pam and Hadley break up at the end 😭

[Madye Stromboli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimately surprised at how much I loved this book! I was so invested in the story, I just couldn't put it down. Definitely ordering the next two books in the series.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

based on the writing i fully thought it had been published in the 90s

[Stefanos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today I finished my msc thesis and this book. Couldn't tell ya which was more a hustle-- Jokes aside was a decent mystery, some insightful stuff on the Philippines Marco years, though from a western pov. and talk about toxic relationships...

[Ella Missen · Rating 3 out of 5]

was SO in love for the first 3/4 of the book but was a little disappointed in the ending :(

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn't excited about this book because it wasn't living up to my expectations. The main character is part of a collective which operates a print shop, largely for radical causes. Near the beginning, the collective is discussing merging with a lesbian-feminist typesetting collective. So I expected this to be focus more on the political issues.
Once I accepted it as a lighter book, with the leftist and feminist issues as background rather than focus, it was a good read.

Sort of like Agatha Christie but set in 1980s Seattle instead of 1920s England - lots of suspects, lots of motives, a fair number of red herrings and a who-done-it denouement at the end.

[Barbara Rhine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like mysteries and you have ever been a political activist on the left, this book is well worth your time. The characters are believable and mostly likeable, the action engages interest, the love story is well-told, and the mystery is sufficiently intricate. I will be giving Wilson's other books a try as well.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If, like me, you are a late 70s/early 80s radical community geek, you will probably enjoy this quick murder mystery that chugs along just fine and is dedicated to the people of the Philippines in their struggle for liberation.

[Velvetink · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little dated now in 2009.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It pulled me in from the start but really took off around chapter 6 or 7. I loved seeing the flaws in the characters I initially liked and watching them grow (or not). The twists and turns completely defied my expectations in the best way. Specifically, one that I would have never guessed in a millionaire year lol

The political themes felt eerily relevant to what's happening today, especially regarding immigrants and those exploiting them. It was unsettling but powerful. The mystery wrapped up in a really satisfying way, and I appreciated that Pam’s journey was about sel -discovery rather than self pity. Although she did spend a lot of time being extremely judgmental and angry...

Overall, it was a compelling read that stuck with me, excited for the next one! Since this was found randomly at a secondhand bookstore, it may be a while before I get to read the rest

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a novel with such obvious directive, this was a pleasant surprise. The premise is both amusingly novel and perfectly believable, and Wilson writes confidently and well. As a story about a woman’s exploration of herself it was genuinely interesting, and as a detective story it slots nicely into the earlier era of tart-noir, with an interested amateur living an alternative lifestyle self-consciously exploring a crime.

But at 181 pages, and dare I say it as someone who loves brevity, but this feels like a story that could have used a little more fleshing out. Some of the supporting characters feel underdone, and there were some really promising scenes that ended too quickly. It ended in such a sudden way that I got the impression she was bored with it and just wanted it over.

[Windy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite this bad. Let's start with the mystery plot itself. I don't think the author even knew what was going on; the plot was all over the place like a squirrel at a rave. The author tried to add far too many variables, and all that did was confuse the story line without adding any substance, leading to a very boring and anticlimactic ending. As for the characters themselves, not a single one is likable or relatable. Pam, the main character, comes off as a pouty, angsty tween. Apparently, one of the main things this series is known for having a lesbian as the primary character....except that the book basically paints lesbians as horrible people. Don't waste your time on this one.

[Molly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The setting – leftist/feminist/queer Seattle in 1982 – feels enjoyably familiar to me, as someone involved in similar political spaces thirty-five years later. I found the plot pretty gripping – in fact I think I'm going to re-read the scenes before the murder, to see if I can spot clues about how it turns out, now I know the ending. I liked the characters' consistent dislike of the cops. And the ending is really affirming – after exploring various kind of conflict that comes up around race, class and sexuality, I feel like the novel concludes with some hopeful solidarity.

[Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted something a bit more engaging than this, although I like the main character - that she's quite imperfect and makes a fool of herself a lot. She's a bit more real and human than many fictional characters!

[julianna ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

would probably be three stars if i were reading it by choice, but this was a school read and so much better than most school reads so it gets a higher rating.

that ending enraged me so much… the fucking audacity. and i’m not talking about the murder plotline.

[Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turner!

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! Not life changing, but a good, fun read.

[LC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not feeling this one.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book reminded me that a murder mystery doesn’t have to be that different from any other novel, though i could do without the hokey one-liners at the end of each chapter

[Aneta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I read this as a teenager in the 90s, but I liked it just as well this time.
Seattle, mid-80s. Two leftist printing collectives, one lesbian-run, consider merging, when one shop is vandalized and a male collective member is murdered. Who done it? The alcoholic butch? The hostile dyke softball stars? The Filapina activist? Also, a straight woman gets turned out while slow-dancing to the Supremes in a lesbian bar called Sappho's. Good all around.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book years ago off the used bookshelves at Amazon (the feminist co-op bookstore, not the online behemoth) because the title cracked me up. I finally got around to reading it, and it was about what I would have expected. The political undertones were not really undertones -- there's lesbians vs. feminists vs. activists, and a healthy dose of porn-shaming that was interesting given what I've read about the sex wars going on at the time.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Passable mystery, pretty well-written, but nothing exceptional - barring the setting. This is the first lesbian-themed mystery I've read. I'd say the strongest point to me was that the political and sociological arguments were presented with some reasonable even-handedness. But I didn't really care about any of the characters, at the end of the day. So I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, but not enough to be looking forward to further entries in the series.

[Silvio111 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel accurately reflects the political climate during the beginning of the 2nd wave of feminism, which started with co-ed political movements. Women splintered off into their own communities.

The narrator is a sincere witness to this process.

It was kind of hard to keep track of who was with whom, but the author's portrayal of the various racial issues rings true.