G.M. Malliet - Death and the Lit Chick

Praise and critical acclaim
for Death and the Lit Chick

* [In] her superior second cozy, Malliets satirical take on the mystery scene is spot-on. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* Malliet excels at stylish writing very reminiscent of the golden age of British mysteries. A real find for old-school mystery fans. Booklist (starred review)

An absolutely delicious skewering of the world of mystery publishing and its none-too-savory denizens, Death and the Lit Chick is even wittier and more skillfully constructed than her Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer .Denver Post

Delicious. Malliet is laugh-out-loud funny in describing the cadre of crime writers encountered by the sometimes-flustered St. Just. Mystery Scene

A good choice for readers who enjoy intelligent cozies and traditional mysteries. Library Journal

An entertaining diversion Kirkus Reviews

Readers who enjoy all things British, as well as a good whodunit, will find these novels just the ticket. Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)

The writing is A+smooth, clever (in the good sense) and a pleasure to read.Cozy Library

Death and the Lit Chick shows why classics never go out of style Malliet belongs on your bookshelf.ReviewingThe
Evidence.com

Death and the Lit Chick: A St. Just Mystery 2009 by G. M. Malliet.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

First e-book edition 2010

E-book ISBN: 978-07387-2015-9

Book design byDonna Burch

Cover design by Gavin Dayton Duffy

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Interior map by the Lewellyn art department

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For my mother.

Contents

I KNOW WHY THE
JAYBIRD SINGS

WITNESS FOR
THE PROSECUTION

My continued thanks to the staff of Midnight Ink for its thoughtful and inspired oversight.

Thanks also to Muir Ainsley and Scott Hockett, for reasoned and considered answers to preposterous questions. Any mistakes in this novel are entirely my own.

If you are familiar with Edinburgh and its surrounds, you may think you recognize Dalhousie Castle as the setting for this novel. While the stunning Dalhousie does exist, and shares certain features with my fictional Dalmorton Castle, it has not for centuries been, to the best of my knowledge, the scene of any murders. I have likewise altered many of Dalhousies striking architectural features and its layout to suit my purposes.

The staff and guests of Dalmorton Castle live entirely in my imagination.

Kimberlee Kalder Young, beautiful, and undisputed queen of the chick lit genre, she courted trouble wherever she went.

Jay Fforde A literary agent, Jay wanted to acquire Kimberlee as a hot new propertya property that might prove too hot to handle.

Laurie Jays assistant.

Ninette Thomson Like Jay Fforde, a literary agent. Her client Kimberlees success paid the bills; Kimberlees defection to Jay would not fill the bill for Ninette.

Winston Chatley A craggy writer of dark, brooding thrillers, but the thrill was gone: The anguished author was plagued with writers block.

Mrs. Joan Elksworthy an ex-pat transplanted to New Mexico in the United States, where she wrote mysteries set in Scotland. Like many others, she was baffled and chagrined by Kimberlees successand more than a little jealous.

Rachel Twalley Organizer for the Dead on Arrival crime conference in Scotland, she said she never volunteered for murder.

Lord Easterbrook A publisher who, like agent Ninette Thomson, had put all his eggs in the basket of Kimberlee Kalders success.

Magretta Sincock A flamboyant, once-successful author. As she angled for a comeback, she viewed Kimberlee as both obstacle and threat.

Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just Dragooned by his Chief to appear at the Dead on Arrival conference, the shrewd detective found himself co-opted into solving a nonfictional crime.

Portia DeAth A mysterious beauty, both criminologist and crime writer. St. Just struggled to maintain his professional detachment in the face of his growing attraction to her.

B. A. King A publicist and firm believer in the maxim credited to P. T. Barnum: Theres a sucker born every minute.

Annabelle Pace B. A. Kings disgruntled client. A writer of forensic mysteries, shed like to dissect B. A. King.

Tom Brackett An American spy thriller writer with a mean streak and a covert past.

Edith Brackett Toms downtrodden wife. The other attendees agree: The real mystery was why she put up with her ill-tempered husband.

Donna Doone Aspiring author and event coordinator for Dalmorton Castle and Spa, she may have been sharper than her prose would indicate.