Union Jack

Lindsay Gordon #4

by Val McDermid

Fourth in the series featuring investigative journalist Lindsay Gordon. When union leader Tom Jack 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.


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 Tom Jack. When this unethical union leader is found dead, having catapulted out of Lindsay’s tenth-floor hotel room, she is taken in for questioning by the police.


Hoping to clear her name by finding the real killer, 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.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

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

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 for me. A good story based around Union machinations. Lindsay Gordon a journalist returns from California with her Doctor partner Sophie. She is doing research for her Phd at a Union Conference. A murder takes place in Lindsay’s room and she investigates it to clear her name.

The murder is linked with another death 9 years ago at another Union conference where her friend Ian died in an apparent car accident. The suspect is Ian’s ex Laura who is a nasty piece of work. I liked how each chapter started with several humorous quotes from ‘Advice for New Delegates’, a Standing Orders Sub-Committee booklet.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Laura turns out to have murdered Ian by spiking his tea and causing asthma attack while he was driving However, Pauline a clerical assistant killed Tom Jack the Union leader in self defense when he tried to rape her. Lindsay lets her off and Laura is the patsy for his murder. Since she worked as an informer for Special Branch we are left thinking she will get off both murders. A good entertaining read.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindsay Gordon is writing a thesis on women's experiences in the union movement conveniently taking her back to a conference for a profession she has put behind her and memories of old friends and rivalries. McDermid's view of union life is partly cynical and partly grounded in the reality that governments can't be trusted and unions are necessary.

The mystery had enough twists with a nice feature of this being Lindsay being assisted by her girlfriend Sophie, meaning some low-key lovescenes, banter and someone for her to discuss her ideas with. The ending itself was only partially satisfying but the past-and-present framing was well executed.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lindsay's character like whoa, but she's even better when she has a partner in inquiry. Beyond being just a sounding board, though, Sophie really grew on me in this book. Much more than Cordelia did in the previous books. Cordelia played more of the dense follower (with rather a tone of resentment in her comments), but Sophie brings her own level of activity and contribution to the investigation that the story really benefits from. She's the cheerful counterpart to Lindsay's sardonic. Great character combo!

But yeah, the story. Only Val McDermid's wit could make a trade union conference an interesting backdrop. And she did some fun flashback timing to add another level to the narrative, which I really liked. Overall, really well written. One of my favorites in this short series, for sure!

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It took a while to get into this book. It wasn't until I was part of the way through that I realised that the writer was going backwards and forwards in time, which was bit annoying. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book but not as much as some of the others in the series. As always Val McDermid is a great author and I really love her books.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay Gordon is visiting in Scotland and becomes involved in another murder within her trade union. This is the fourth book in this series and perhaps it would have been better if I read the previous ones. Lindsay is very stubborn but without that trait she would have never found out the truth.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

McDermid writes well but there is entirely too much about JU and union conferences in this for me. It got boring.

[Karen Jarvis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing and no real plot to speak of

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favourite of the series so far. An interesting ending saved it a bit, but long descriptions of union politics don't make for a very exciting novel.

[David]

In the Lindsay Gordon novels, McDermid is working more with investigative journalism, and hovering around the edges of espionage, than she is working in a specific roman policier mode. There is lots of intrigue and reversal, and, it seems, often a quiet interrogation of what is 'moral' as opposed to what is 'legal' in the denouements.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the relationship between Lindsay and Sophie as they investigate this killing. The conference was also a great setting for this book. And the killer? Completely justified.

[Paul Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining quick read. My first McDermid, an enjoyable mystery set among the infighting and backstabbing of a union AGM. It felt authentic (the author was a rep for many years) and it was a very different setting for a mystery, which I like to experience. It was a sort of introduction into another world, which was interesting. Nice to have a strong female lead too.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Val McDermid’s latest book - featuring Karen Pirie - a few weeks ago, I decided to go back to her first series featuring Lindsay Gordon. A bit dated and the motivation for her sleuthing activity is a bit thin, but a decent read.

[Jackie Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are reading the US version you are missing a great pun. The UK title is Union Jack and it doesn't refer to a flag flown by a vessel of the British Royal Navy (but that's all I'll say because it's a tiny spoiler).

The book opens with some complex messing with time - it's about travelling to the UK on a plane; it's about 9 years ago; it's about Friday when Lindsay is arrested; it's about her telling the story of the last few days. It settles down a bit but that makes it hard to hold onto the suspects.

Even so, I really enjoy this series of books and have to restrain myself from buying the next one straight away - I want to spread out the pleasure a little. I recommend them highly.

[AnnetteW · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second of Val McDermid's Lindsay Gordon series and I can't say I thought it was that great. She has definitely improved over time, both with the originality and complexity of her stories and her ability to create believable and interesting characters. Lindsay and Sophie seem a bit two dimensional compared to Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. Still there is enough in McDermid's writing to keep me wanting to give her another go.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's quite an element of scoring points slightly aggressively in some of the characters, which might be part of the journalistic world and might be part of the author. I was interested in the parts about unions and politics. The writing does seem a bit unpolished.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dieser Teil hat mir bis jetzt aus der Reihe am besten gefallen. Schön flüssig erzählt, spannend bis zum überraschenden Schluss aber was etwas seltsame Verständnis von Gerechtigkeit hat mich dann doch wieder ein bissel gestört.

[Deyth Banger · Rating 3 out of 5]

"September 10, 2017 –
60.0% "Nobody wants to go as

"She said"
...

"he Said"

...

"They Said""
September 10, 2017 –
50.0% "2"

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Val McDermid mystery, Lindsay Gordon is a lesbian detective

[Donna Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putting it together

An early effort. Learning the craft. A bit clumsy in phrase and plot occasionally but still engaging. Less subtle and polished than later work.

[Debby Hallett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK book, as are all of these Lindsay Gordon tales.

[Turi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite.

[Karen Kneller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook (not available as an option on here). It was ok, and much less gruesome than Wire in the Blood. Took a while to get into to be honest. It’s aged a bit, it’s all about union politics in the 1980s.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve never had a McDermid book this low rated before. It just felt really dull and repetitive, very unlike Vals writing normally.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery at a Union conference and a throwback to the 90s.

[Marney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not very interesting, too much harping on about the union issues. I found it a bit of a slog to get through this one.

[Gail Kennon · Rating 1 out of 5]

same old same old but a bigger mess. skimmed much of it for plot progress as it was through the morass of cardboard characters.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Lindsay Gordon mystery.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were interesting, I thought the ending was mediocre.

[Jason Hempel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely awful, I tried to keep pushing through but about half way through I had to throw in the towel.