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Allie Burns #1
1979
Natale in Scozia, il periodo dell’anno che esalta la bellezza di questa terra selvaggia, punteggiata di distillerie di whisky e di guglie e castelli che ne fanno il tripudio del gotico. Ma i sussulti di un indipendentismo che ha origini antiche scuotono la struttura portante del Regno Unito, con il rischio di un referendum che rappresenterebbe un pericoloso precedente. Allie Burns, giovane reporter del Clarion, un quotidiano di Glasgow, sta tornando a casa in treno dopo le vacanze quando si imbatte in qualcosa di un parto in una carrozza. È Danny, collega di Allie a cui ha confessato di essere sul punto di scrivere un pezzo-inchiesta che gli cambierà la vita, a far sì che la nascita del bambino avvenga senza problemi grazie alla sua esperienza di infermiere volontario. E Allie si ritrova a scrivere a sua volta un reportage del lieto evento che avrà grande riscontro pubblico. Danny, da parte sua, è roso da dubbi e sensi di colpa, considerato che il suo articolo prende le mosse dai comportamenti poco limpidi del fratello adottivo, Joseph, un assicuratore disonesto nonché suo esatto opposto.
L’indagine giornalistica lo porterà a Nassau per smascherare un gioco di scatole cinesi concepito per evadere il fisco. Tra loschi figuri del mondo della finanza, terroristi dell’IRA a cui un gruppo di sedicenti indipendentisti scozzesi chiede armi per azioni dimostrative in patria e crisi di identità sessuale, Allie e Danny si ritroveranno a essere ben più di semplici cronisti in una Scozia celtica, fosca, fredda e respingente.
1979 è un noir di qualità sopraffina, un perfetto meccanismo a orologeria in grado di stupire e commuovere, un romanzo che si legge come una pagina di cronaca nera, ma che, tra echi di Ian Rankin e John Harvey, avvince e trascina. Val McDermid in patria ha già ereditato a buon diritto lo scettro di regina del noir da scrittrici come Agatha Christie e P.D. James.
"Tra i migliori autori di crime in attività! Adoro tutto ciò che ha scritto e questo romanzo dimostra che è in forma smagliante!" Jeffery Deaver, autore di Tempo di caccia e Il collezionista di ossa.
"McDermid resta senza rivali…Straordinaria." THE OBSERVER
"Ci sono pochi altri scrittori di crime in grado di giocare nello stesso campionato." THE WASHINGTON POST
"McDermid è al top della sua forma e i lettori saranno altamente ricompensati per aver intrapreso questo nuovo viaggio al suo fianco." CRIME READS
L’indagine giornalistica lo porterà a Nassau per smascherare un gioco di scatole cinesi concepito per evadere il fisco. Tra loschi figuri del mondo della finanza, terroristi dell’IRA a cui un gruppo di sedicenti indipendentisti scozzesi chiede armi per azioni dimostrative in patria e crisi di identità sessuale, Allie e Danny si ritroveranno a essere ben più di semplici cronisti in una Scozia celtica, fosca, fredda e respingente.
1979 è un noir di qualità sopraffina, un perfetto meccanismo a orologeria in grado di stupire e commuovere, un romanzo che si legge come una pagina di cronaca nera, ma che, tra echi di Ian Rankin e John Harvey, avvince e trascina. Val McDermid in patria ha già ereditato a buon diritto lo scettro di regina del noir da scrittrici come Agatha Christie e P.D. James.
"Tra i migliori autori di crime in attività! Adoro tutto ciò che ha scritto e questo romanzo dimostra che è in forma smagliante!" Jeffery Deaver, autore di Tempo di caccia e Il collezionista di ossa.
"McDermid resta senza rivali…Straordinaria." THE OBSERVER
"Ci sono pochi altri scrittori di crime in grado di giocare nello stesso campionato." THE WASHINGTON POST
"McDermid è al top della sua forma e i lettori saranno altamente ricompensati per aver intrapreso questo nuovo viaggio al suo fianco." CRIME READS
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2021
1,222 people are currently reading
6,400 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
321books5,040followersVal 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,247 reviews
October 3, 2021
"A Year to Remember"
4.5 stars
1979 is a slow-burn mystery about two journalists who work together to expose corruption and a dangerous terrorist plot in 1979 Glasgow.
Two central characters unravel three major mysteries, Allie Burns and Danny Sullivan Allie, a young journalist who loves reading crime novels, quietly battles for relevance in a man’s world. The blatant sexism in the newsroom poses a challenge, but it's not one she backs down from. She partners with Danny Sullivan, a “wannabe� investigative journalist, to uncover a corruption plot, and the two become fast friends and partner again on another story. Their investigations lead them into danger and ultimately murder.
I loved both Allie’s and Danny’s characters. They both were complex and multidimensional. Allie’s voice caught my interest from the beginning--her character feels very real. Danny’s internal struggles and his desire for his parents to value him as much as his adopted brother got under my skin.
1979 moves at a snail's pace. Its focus is on the development of Allie and Danny. Both are introspective characters, and I appreciated both their perspectives. The mysteries of their investigations slowly unravel, resulting in some complex consequences.
McDermid herself was a journalist in 1979, and in this novel, she brings the newsroom to life. In 1979, she captures the atmospheric, dismal, and gray atmosphere of 1979 Scotland. Political strife, class struggles, sexism, and sexuality are some of the themes at the forefront of this novel. I know little of Scotland’s modern political history, and I learned much from reading this.
This took some effort to read, not because it was bad, but because I needed to be fully functioning in order to follow the threads of the plot. It was well worth the effort, as this intricately plotted character-driven mystery kept me riveted. Don’t skip the author’s note if you read this--McDermid includes the 70s soundtrack that she listened to while writing this. Some of the music makes its way into the novel.
I had decided not to start new series in 2021, but McDermid is an author I can never resist, and I have no regrets reading this. I look forward to meeting these characters again in the next decade.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
1979 is a slow-burn mystery about two journalists who work together to expose corruption and a dangerous terrorist plot in 1979 Glasgow.
Two central characters unravel three major mysteries, Allie Burns and Danny Sullivan Allie, a young journalist who loves reading crime novels, quietly battles for relevance in a man’s world. The blatant sexism in the newsroom poses a challenge, but it's not one she backs down from. She partners with Danny Sullivan, a “wannabe� investigative journalist, to uncover a corruption plot, and the two become fast friends and partner again on another story. Their investigations lead them into danger and ultimately murder.
I loved both Allie’s and Danny’s characters. They both were complex and multidimensional. Allie’s voice caught my interest from the beginning--her character feels very real. Danny’s internal struggles and his desire for his parents to value him as much as his adopted brother got under my skin.
1979 moves at a snail's pace. Its focus is on the development of Allie and Danny. Both are introspective characters, and I appreciated both their perspectives. The mysteries of their investigations slowly unravel, resulting in some complex consequences.
McDermid herself was a journalist in 1979, and in this novel, she brings the newsroom to life. In 1979, she captures the atmospheric, dismal, and gray atmosphere of 1979 Scotland. Political strife, class struggles, sexism, and sexuality are some of the themes at the forefront of this novel. I know little of Scotland’s modern political history, and I learned much from reading this.
This took some effort to read, not because it was bad, but because I needed to be fully functioning in order to follow the threads of the plot. It was well worth the effort, as this intricately plotted character-driven mystery kept me riveted. Don’t skip the author’s note if you read this--McDermid includes the 70s soundtrack that she listened to while writing this. Some of the music makes its way into the novel.
I had decided not to start new series in 2021, but McDermid is an author I can never resist, and I have no regrets reading this. I look forward to meeting these characters again in the next decade.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2021
1979 (Allie Burns #1) by Val McDermid, Katie Leung (Narrator)
1979 is a slow burn of simmering tensions that finally explode as two reporters investigate insurance fraud on a massive scale and want to be terrorists planning their first round of bombing. Allie Burns is sitting at the bottom of the barrel in her newsroom, both because of her short time on the job but also because she's a women. It looks to be impossible to get past the barriers of being a woman but she is still determined to make her mark and make it impossible for the big guys to ignore her. She trusts almost no one in the newsroom because of the competitiveness and because of the way men treat women, on and off the job. She fumes every time she's told to get the coffee during a meeting or is sent out on the fluff stories while important ones, even those she may dig up herself, get taken away from her.
The one bright spot at work is Danny Sullivan, a wannabe investigative journalist, who brings international tax fraud to the table via a family member. Danny wants the big story so much that he takes huge, not quite legit, risks. But he's not the writer that Allie is and he asks her to put his story together. Allie is used to being the writer behind the bylines of many of the stories in the office. Her job isn't fair in many ways, including that she is required to do the writing for the guys who get the accolades. But Danny is different, he has never been rude or crude and Allie considers him a friend and even potentially something more.
Right on the heels of Danny's big story, Allie has a lead of her own and needs Danny's "maleness" to do the undercover work. This time the story concerns a potential Scottish terrorist group and Danny dives into character with his undercover investigative role, so much so that he inserts himself right in the middle of dangerous dealings. When Danny ends up dead, Allie is filled with guilt and anger, especially because she's the first person the police try to blame for his death. Now it's Allie who has to do the dangerous footwork to bring both stories to a close, with Danny as the sad side story, to both of them.
The audiobook is very good, although it took my ears a few minutes to adapt the accent and tone of the narration. But I adjusted quickly and the narration put me there in Scotland and the references to music, books, TV shows, and movies put me right into the time. I wasn't very familiar with the politics of Scotland, during this time period, and had no idea just how dangerous things were then.
Publication date Oct 5, 2021 (audiobook)
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
1979 is a slow burn of simmering tensions that finally explode as two reporters investigate insurance fraud on a massive scale and want to be terrorists planning their first round of bombing. Allie Burns is sitting at the bottom of the barrel in her newsroom, both because of her short time on the job but also because she's a women. It looks to be impossible to get past the barriers of being a woman but she is still determined to make her mark and make it impossible for the big guys to ignore her. She trusts almost no one in the newsroom because of the competitiveness and because of the way men treat women, on and off the job. She fumes every time she's told to get the coffee during a meeting or is sent out on the fluff stories while important ones, even those she may dig up herself, get taken away from her.
The one bright spot at work is Danny Sullivan, a wannabe investigative journalist, who brings international tax fraud to the table via a family member. Danny wants the big story so much that he takes huge, not quite legit, risks. But he's not the writer that Allie is and he asks her to put his story together. Allie is used to being the writer behind the bylines of many of the stories in the office. Her job isn't fair in many ways, including that she is required to do the writing for the guys who get the accolades. But Danny is different, he has never been rude or crude and Allie considers him a friend and even potentially something more.
Right on the heels of Danny's big story, Allie has a lead of her own and needs Danny's "maleness" to do the undercover work. This time the story concerns a potential Scottish terrorist group and Danny dives into character with his undercover investigative role, so much so that he inserts himself right in the middle of dangerous dealings. When Danny ends up dead, Allie is filled with guilt and anger, especially because she's the first person the police try to blame for his death. Now it's Allie who has to do the dangerous footwork to bring both stories to a close, with Danny as the sad side story, to both of them.
The audiobook is very good, although it took my ears a few minutes to adapt the accent and tone of the narration. But I adjusted quickly and the narration put me there in Scotland and the references to music, books, TV shows, and movies put me right into the time. I wasn't very familiar with the politics of Scotland, during this time period, and had no idea just how dangerous things were then.
Publication date Oct 5, 2021 (audiobook)
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 5, 2021
The prolific crime writer Val McDermid begins a new series featuring an ambitious investigative journalist, Allie Burns, a Fife Cambridge graduate, a grunt reporter working for the Glasgow Daily Clarion in 1979. This is a particularly politically turbulent period of British history with its winter of discontent, the power cuts, the strikes, paving the way for the election of the Conservatives under the radical and divisive defining leadership of Maggie Thatcher. This book captures the time, with its culture, music, literature, films, the newspaper industry with its boys only culture which McDermid was a part of, lending an authenticity to her storytelling, with the social norms and attitudes of the era, the sexism and the misogyny, and the widespread prevalence of anti-gay attitudes that could ruin lives and careers.
Allie is lonely, and struggling to get allocated any meaningful stories, but she finds friendship and professional support from fellow journalists, Rona Dunsyre, and particularly Danny Sullivan with whom she builds a close relationship whilst working on 2 exclusive scoops that is to make both their careers. Their investigations take them into a world of danger, corruption, terror and a tragic murder. Danny first brings in Allie on a story that he picks up from his adopted brother, Joseph, who works as a junior clerk at Paragon Investment Insurance (PII) and with whom he has an uneasy relationship with. Danny struggles when it comes to writing his stories effectively and he wants Allie to help polish his story before presenting it to Angus Carlyle, the editor. Allie returns the favour when she uncovers an incendiary potential lead that involves the impending Scottish devolution referendum and the IRA.
Both Danny and Allie are natural born journalists, but have to fight hard to get themselves taken seriously in a cut throat business, neither can resist the lure of potential exclusives, and do not wait for them to land in their laps. Not everyone in the newspaper industry is like them, for so many others its the wages, the expenses, being one of the lads in their 'banter', the companionship of the hard drinking culture, not to mention the sheer swagger of the job, that keeps them going. This is a great start to McDermid's new series, Allie makes for a charismatic lead, on a sharp learning curve, whose world is torn apart when she discovers the murdered body of Danny at his home. I can see this appealing to many crime and mystery readers, particularly those interested in this interesting historical period. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Allie is lonely, and struggling to get allocated any meaningful stories, but she finds friendship and professional support from fellow journalists, Rona Dunsyre, and particularly Danny Sullivan with whom she builds a close relationship whilst working on 2 exclusive scoops that is to make both their careers. Their investigations take them into a world of danger, corruption, terror and a tragic murder. Danny first brings in Allie on a story that he picks up from his adopted brother, Joseph, who works as a junior clerk at Paragon Investment Insurance (PII) and with whom he has an uneasy relationship with. Danny struggles when it comes to writing his stories effectively and he wants Allie to help polish his story before presenting it to Angus Carlyle, the editor. Allie returns the favour when she uncovers an incendiary potential lead that involves the impending Scottish devolution referendum and the IRA.
Both Danny and Allie are natural born journalists, but have to fight hard to get themselves taken seriously in a cut throat business, neither can resist the lure of potential exclusives, and do not wait for them to land in their laps. Not everyone in the newspaper industry is like them, for so many others its the wages, the expenses, being one of the lads in their 'banter', the companionship of the hard drinking culture, not to mention the sheer swagger of the job, that keeps them going. This is a great start to McDermid's new series, Allie makes for a charismatic lead, on a sharp learning curve, whose world is torn apart when she discovers the murdered body of Danny at his home. I can see this appealing to many crime and mystery readers, particularly those interested in this interesting historical period. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
October 14, 2021
EXCERPT: Muttering a prayer to the God she didn't believe in, Allie slid her fingers through the letterbox and groped for the string. At first, she couldn't feel it but when she slid her hand to one end, her fingertips brushed the nub end of the knot. She struggled to grasp the string, realising it was snagged around something on the inside. She feared it had been tied but at last she worked it loose and pulled the key through.
Sweating now, she let herself in. Hopefully the neighbours hadn't heard her. She wasn't planning on being there long, but she would still prefer the police to be unaware of her visit. Allie headed for the kitchen. She knew that's where she'd find what she was looking for.
There on the wall above the table in the bed recess was a family photograph. Danny, his parents and his brother Joseph. The man most likely to have a flash car with Paragon folders on the front seat. Allie reached up and lifted it from the hook. She was about to put it in her bag when she heard a sound that turned her guts to water.
The front door that she'd carefully locked behind her was opening.
ABOUT '1979': Hailed as Britain's Queen of Crime, Val McDermid's award-winning, internationally bestselling novels have captivated readers for more than thirty years. Now, in 1979, she returns to the past with the story of Allie Burns, an investigative journalist whose stories lead her into world a corruption, terror, and murder.
The year started badly and only got worse–blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest were the norm. For journalist Allie Burns, however, someone else's bad news was the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, and the year is ripe with possibilities. But Allie is a woman in a man's world. Desperate to get away from the "women's stories" the Glasgow desk keeps assigning her, she strikes up an alliance with wannabe investigative journalist Danny Sullivan. From the start, their stories create enemies. First an international tax fraud, then a potential Scottish terrorist group aiming to cause mayhem ahead of the impending devolution referendum. And then Danny is found murdered in his flat. For Allie, investigative journalism just got personal.
MY THOUGHTS: McDermid writes great crime fiction and 1979 is an excellent start to what promises to be a great new series.
While not as graphic nor dark as some of Mcdermid's work, 1979 is a compelling look at a time in the not so distant past, but a time that was very different to today. Women were still very much second class citizens, struggling to make their way in a man's world. There are no computers, no mobile phones.
Allie has ambition. And talent. So when an opportunity arises to collaborate on a story that doesn't involve items for the women's desk, she jumps at the chance. Then, knowing that a reporter's reputation is only as good as her last story, she embarks on a dangerous exposé.
Allie is a wonderful character, determined, bright and dedicated, and her growth as a person in 1979 is phenomenal as we see her confidence in her own ability increase, along with others respect for her.
Mcdermid's writing is, as always, excellent. Her characters are humanly flawed and relatable, the plot superbly crafted. I can always 'hear' her characters as I read, and 1979 was no exception.
It is going to be exciting to see where McDermid is going to take Allie's character in the future. I will be at the front of the line waiting to find out.
In her acknowledgements, McDermid pays tribute to the booksellers, who she describes as having been 'heroic' and 'innovative' over the past year (2020/2021).
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#1979 #NetGalley
I: #valmcdermid @groveatlantic
T: @valmcdermid @groveatlantic
#crime #historicalfiction #murdermystery #series #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Val McDermid, FRSE, FRSL 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of 1979 by Val McDermid for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
Sweating now, she let herself in. Hopefully the neighbours hadn't heard her. She wasn't planning on being there long, but she would still prefer the police to be unaware of her visit. Allie headed for the kitchen. She knew that's where she'd find what she was looking for.
There on the wall above the table in the bed recess was a family photograph. Danny, his parents and his brother Joseph. The man most likely to have a flash car with Paragon folders on the front seat. Allie reached up and lifted it from the hook. She was about to put it in her bag when she heard a sound that turned her guts to water.
The front door that she'd carefully locked behind her was opening.
ABOUT '1979': Hailed as Britain's Queen of Crime, Val McDermid's award-winning, internationally bestselling novels have captivated readers for more than thirty years. Now, in 1979, she returns to the past with the story of Allie Burns, an investigative journalist whose stories lead her into world a corruption, terror, and murder.
The year started badly and only got worse–blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest were the norm. For journalist Allie Burns, however, someone else's bad news was the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, and the year is ripe with possibilities. But Allie is a woman in a man's world. Desperate to get away from the "women's stories" the Glasgow desk keeps assigning her, she strikes up an alliance with wannabe investigative journalist Danny Sullivan. From the start, their stories create enemies. First an international tax fraud, then a potential Scottish terrorist group aiming to cause mayhem ahead of the impending devolution referendum. And then Danny is found murdered in his flat. For Allie, investigative journalism just got personal.
MY THOUGHTS: McDermid writes great crime fiction and 1979 is an excellent start to what promises to be a great new series.
While not as graphic nor dark as some of Mcdermid's work, 1979 is a compelling look at a time in the not so distant past, but a time that was very different to today. Women were still very much second class citizens, struggling to make their way in a man's world. There are no computers, no mobile phones.
Allie has ambition. And talent. So when an opportunity arises to collaborate on a story that doesn't involve items for the women's desk, she jumps at the chance. Then, knowing that a reporter's reputation is only as good as her last story, she embarks on a dangerous exposé.
Allie is a wonderful character, determined, bright and dedicated, and her growth as a person in 1979 is phenomenal as we see her confidence in her own ability increase, along with others respect for her.
Mcdermid's writing is, as always, excellent. Her characters are humanly flawed and relatable, the plot superbly crafted. I can always 'hear' her characters as I read, and 1979 was no exception.
It is going to be exciting to see where McDermid is going to take Allie's character in the future. I will be at the front of the line waiting to find out.
In her acknowledgements, McDermid pays tribute to the booksellers, who she describes as having been 'heroic' and 'innovative' over the past year (2020/2021).
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#1979 #NetGalley
I: #valmcdermid @groveatlantic
T: @valmcdermid @groveatlantic
#crime #historicalfiction #murdermystery #series #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Val McDermid, FRSE, FRSL 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of 1979 by Val McDermid for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
January 1, 2023
4.5 stars, rounded up
I’m finding it enjoyable to return to the years of my early career when I’m reading mysteries. It’s a reminder of how we were all forced to find out information before Google and Wikipedia. It also took me back to the way women were treated back then.
1979 is the first in a new series by Val McDermid. Allie Burns is a newbie newspaper reporter. It’s the age when companies were just first starting to hire women for positions other than secretaries. But she’s still only handed the “women’s stories�. So, when another young reporter starts investigating a tax fraud story and needs help writing it, she jumps at the chance.
McDermid does a fabulous job setting up the premise and putting us smack dab in the time and place. It’s a bad time for Scotland with labor strikes and political unrest. I loved Allie and she reminded me of myself back in the day. A feminist, but still with the insecurity of youth despite her talents. “I’m a woman in a Neanderthal’s world� she says at one point.
The story moves at a brisk pace. Up until the very end, I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out. And I really appreciated that there was no big unbelievable ending here. Just solid reporting leading to an arrest.
Katie Leung provided the narration. I’ll admit that at first, I struggled with her Scottish accent. But I got the hang of it and appreciated the emotion and energy she brought to the story.
Once again, I think the publisher does a disservice to the reader by mentioning a key plot point that occurs late in the book within the synopsis. For best enjoyment, go into this blind.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this book.
I’m finding it enjoyable to return to the years of my early career when I’m reading mysteries. It’s a reminder of how we were all forced to find out information before Google and Wikipedia. It also took me back to the way women were treated back then.
1979 is the first in a new series by Val McDermid. Allie Burns is a newbie newspaper reporter. It’s the age when companies were just first starting to hire women for positions other than secretaries. But she’s still only handed the “women’s stories�. So, when another young reporter starts investigating a tax fraud story and needs help writing it, she jumps at the chance.
McDermid does a fabulous job setting up the premise and putting us smack dab in the time and place. It’s a bad time for Scotland with labor strikes and political unrest. I loved Allie and she reminded me of myself back in the day. A feminist, but still with the insecurity of youth despite her talents. “I’m a woman in a Neanderthal’s world� she says at one point.
The story moves at a brisk pace. Up until the very end, I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out. And I really appreciated that there was no big unbelievable ending here. Just solid reporting leading to an arrest.
Katie Leung provided the narration. I’ll admit that at first, I struggled with her Scottish accent. But I got the hang of it and appreciated the emotion and energy she brought to the story.
Once again, I think the publisher does a disservice to the reader by mentioning a key plot point that occurs late in the book within the synopsis. For best enjoyment, go into this blind.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this book.
August 13, 2021
Allie Burns #1.
As 1978 makes its cold snowy way for 1979 will the Winter of Discontent make way for better times? Widespread strikes and industrial action, galloping inflation, pay curbs, high unemployment, demonstrations, waste piling up in streets, bodies unburied ..... terrible news for the public but sadly great copy for journalists like Allie and Danny Sullivan of The Daily Clarion in Glasgow. The two team up to investigate a story Danny has sniffed out through his brother Joseph with a potential insurance scam which evades the 83% higher rate band of tax for the wealthy. The second is highly topical as it looks at the way forward for Scotland and devolution with a highly dangerous conspiracy.
I really like the central character of Fife born, Cambridge graduate Allie, she feels very real as do the issues she faces as a woman in the 70’s with the misogyny and sexism making your fists involuntarily curl in sympathy. Danny is a terrific character too and the family dynamics angle of his storyline is extremely good and you feel his pain. All the characters are well portrayed (there are a lot though!) and as you’d expect from Val McD we have some excellent strong female characters in addition to Allie. Especially likeable is Rona Dunsyre and I’ve a sneaky feeling she’s going to be very present in the next instalment!
The novel is extremely good contextually both in political references and events and in social commentary via music and writers such as William McIIvanney and PD James. I wish I could say I don’t remember these awful times with the dying embers of the Jim Callaghan government before the advent of the Iron Lady but sadly I do all too clearly. It resonates though it’s not a happy trip down memory lane but I think it makes an excellent backdrop to this new series. The times are hard which is an apt reflection of the events the journalists are investigating and it adds an extra layer of authenticity. The journalism angle is totally believable which is no surprise with the authors background. I find both storylines interesting though the second is grittier, much more tense and scary and way darker evoking painful memories. It’s well written, it’s not especially fast paced at times but that suits some of the stories Allie writes about and it gets much faster once the devolution story comes aboard. The dialogue is good, there is some humour to ease tension and there’s plenty of Glasgow ‘colour� provided by characters, places and er, the ?healthy? diet!
Overall. I can’t wait to see what Allie gets up to next and where her life and career journey takes her - this is the start of another good Val McDermid series in my opinion.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
As 1978 makes its cold snowy way for 1979 will the Winter of Discontent make way for better times? Widespread strikes and industrial action, galloping inflation, pay curbs, high unemployment, demonstrations, waste piling up in streets, bodies unburied ..... terrible news for the public but sadly great copy for journalists like Allie and Danny Sullivan of The Daily Clarion in Glasgow. The two team up to investigate a story Danny has sniffed out through his brother Joseph with a potential insurance scam which evades the 83% higher rate band of tax for the wealthy. The second is highly topical as it looks at the way forward for Scotland and devolution with a highly dangerous conspiracy.
I really like the central character of Fife born, Cambridge graduate Allie, she feels very real as do the issues she faces as a woman in the 70’s with the misogyny and sexism making your fists involuntarily curl in sympathy. Danny is a terrific character too and the family dynamics angle of his storyline is extremely good and you feel his pain. All the characters are well portrayed (there are a lot though!) and as you’d expect from Val McD we have some excellent strong female characters in addition to Allie. Especially likeable is Rona Dunsyre and I’ve a sneaky feeling she’s going to be very present in the next instalment!
The novel is extremely good contextually both in political references and events and in social commentary via music and writers such as William McIIvanney and PD James. I wish I could say I don’t remember these awful times with the dying embers of the Jim Callaghan government before the advent of the Iron Lady but sadly I do all too clearly. It resonates though it’s not a happy trip down memory lane but I think it makes an excellent backdrop to this new series. The times are hard which is an apt reflection of the events the journalists are investigating and it adds an extra layer of authenticity. The journalism angle is totally believable which is no surprise with the authors background. I find both storylines interesting though the second is grittier, much more tense and scary and way darker evoking painful memories. It’s well written, it’s not especially fast paced at times but that suits some of the stories Allie writes about and it gets much faster once the devolution story comes aboard. The dialogue is good, there is some humour to ease tension and there’s plenty of Glasgow ‘colour� provided by characters, places and er, the ?healthy? diet!
Overall. I can’t wait to see what Allie gets up to next and where her life and career journey takes her - this is the start of another good Val McDermid series in my opinion.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 12, 2021
I have read Ms McDermid's books for years and was delighted to have been granted the audio version of the first book in a new (hopefully) series. The title year was the year of dynamics in Scotland, and two young journalists, Allie and Danny get involved in some journalist investigations covering some dark financial maschinations and a scheme to carry out acts of terror.
I rooted for the friendship developing between the duo and appreciated details of life and ways of journalism as it was forty years ago. Definitely the series I would like to follow in future.
*A big thank-you to Val McDermid, Recorded Books, and Netgalley for an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
I rooted for the friendship developing between the duo and appreciated details of life and ways of journalism as it was forty years ago. Definitely the series I would like to follow in future.
*A big thank-you to Val McDermid, Recorded Books, and Netgalley for an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
September 3, 2021
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Val McDermid, Grove Atlantic, and Atlantic Monthly Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Whenever I see a piece by Val McDermid, I know it will be a rollercoaster ride through the world of thrills and mystery. This series debut was no exception, as McDermid not only introduces the reader to a gritty investigative journalist, but takes things back to a time before the technological breakthrough made journalism a 24/7 reporting game. Allie Burns is a well-balanced journalist, but has come to realise that working in Scotland in the late 1970s is not as easy as she would have hoped. It’s 1979 and she’s stuck writing about issues that are important to women, rather than getting bloody in the real issues of the day. When Allie meets fellow reporter, Danny Sullivan, they decide to take Glasgow by storm. Their work reveals some real winners, including a tax fraud scheme that is sure to rock the country. However, it is a political piece that could really make a difference, while putting them both in the crosshairs of some troublesome individuals. Allie soon faces a significant setback, but is determined not to let this derail her passion or gritty personality. An intriguing start to a new series for Val McDermid.
Allie Burns had hoped that 1979 would allow her to get off on the right foot, but things were not looking too great. The year started with a massive blizzard and she was tasked with reporting it, as well as sundry other ‘light� stories that her editor thought she might be able to handle. As an investigative journalist, Allie Burns had hoped to uncover the major stories in and around Glasgow, but she was relegated to the fluff, things that ‘women would want to read about�.
Danny Sullivan had issues of his own in 1979, but it was not a lack of action. Rather, he’d uncovered a major tax fraud scheme taking place, where businessmen could siphon off their money and invest it in an offshore bank on the other side of the world. What’s worse, Danny’s own brother was in the thick of it, making the story all the more delicate. Slow and steady, he told himself, all in the hopes of making the headline and earning a decent byline.
When Allie and Danny began working together, they proved to be unstoppable. Both full of grit and determination, the pair were able to turn up every stone and get to the heart of the matter, impressing editors and readers alike. While they worked on the tax story, news arose about something else in the lead up to the Scottish Referendum on Devolution. Danny made inroads with a group who sought to turn up the heat and bring a little violence to help things along.
Sitting on the story, both Danny and Allie knew they’d need to take action if there was any chance of catching the exclusive. Danny worked from the inside, befriending the group and discovering their ties to the IRA, while Allie used her superior writing skills to pen the story they’d present for publication. It was around this time that Allie learned another secret that Danny had been keeping, one that could really cause him grief. However, this was one story that Allie vowed to keep under her hat.
When the stories broke and the accolades came tumbling in, Allie set about to celebrate with Danny, only to discover that he’d been murdered in his flat. Who could have done such a thing and for what reason? While Allie was well aware that they had both made many enemies, she could not surmise who would want to take such drastic action. Donning her investigative hat, this was one story she’d have to write alone, fuelled by the need for answers and a truth that was hiding in the shadows. McDermid does well with this piece, keeping the reader hooked until the final page turn.
While I have long enjoyed the work of Val McDermid, I am usually arriving well after the series has started and playing catch-up. It was nice to get an early peek at this series and see that it is sure to pack quite a punch for the reader and anyone else who takes the time to enjoy it. McDermid has done well to develop the series and keep the reader on their toes throughout. I have high hopes for this novel and the series that is to come.
Allie Burns plays a strong protagonist throughout, though she dies share the limelight for most of the novel with Danny Sullivan. Both have great backstories and find the time to develop throughout this piece. Their connection is primarily with work, but there are personal moments that show a deeper and more meaningful linkage. Complemented by others who grace the pages of the book, McDermid adds characters who matter and whose placement provides a flavour for the narrative that keeps the story on track.
While there are many angles a thriller can take to deliver on crime and confrontation, McDemid always seems able to find a new approach. Readers can revel in that and find something that they can take away for themselves, finding a degree of excitement. The narrative flowed well throughout, keeping the story moving in a forward direction. Characters kept the piece exciting and intriguing, not least because of their Scottish slang that was peppered throughout. McDermid puts Scotland front and centre throughout, providing a treat for those who are not from the region. I quite enjoyed the grittiness that emerged as the story developed and cannot wait to see how Allie Burns will emerge into the 1980s, scarred but not broken.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for another winner. You always seem to find a way to impress me with your writing.
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
Whenever I see a piece by Val McDermid, I know it will be a rollercoaster ride through the world of thrills and mystery. This series debut was no exception, as McDermid not only introduces the reader to a gritty investigative journalist, but takes things back to a time before the technological breakthrough made journalism a 24/7 reporting game. Allie Burns is a well-balanced journalist, but has come to realise that working in Scotland in the late 1970s is not as easy as she would have hoped. It’s 1979 and she’s stuck writing about issues that are important to women, rather than getting bloody in the real issues of the day. When Allie meets fellow reporter, Danny Sullivan, they decide to take Glasgow by storm. Their work reveals some real winners, including a tax fraud scheme that is sure to rock the country. However, it is a political piece that could really make a difference, while putting them both in the crosshairs of some troublesome individuals. Allie soon faces a significant setback, but is determined not to let this derail her passion or gritty personality. An intriguing start to a new series for Val McDermid.
Allie Burns had hoped that 1979 would allow her to get off on the right foot, but things were not looking too great. The year started with a massive blizzard and she was tasked with reporting it, as well as sundry other ‘light� stories that her editor thought she might be able to handle. As an investigative journalist, Allie Burns had hoped to uncover the major stories in and around Glasgow, but she was relegated to the fluff, things that ‘women would want to read about�.
Danny Sullivan had issues of his own in 1979, but it was not a lack of action. Rather, he’d uncovered a major tax fraud scheme taking place, where businessmen could siphon off their money and invest it in an offshore bank on the other side of the world. What’s worse, Danny’s own brother was in the thick of it, making the story all the more delicate. Slow and steady, he told himself, all in the hopes of making the headline and earning a decent byline.
When Allie and Danny began working together, they proved to be unstoppable. Both full of grit and determination, the pair were able to turn up every stone and get to the heart of the matter, impressing editors and readers alike. While they worked on the tax story, news arose about something else in the lead up to the Scottish Referendum on Devolution. Danny made inroads with a group who sought to turn up the heat and bring a little violence to help things along.
Sitting on the story, both Danny and Allie knew they’d need to take action if there was any chance of catching the exclusive. Danny worked from the inside, befriending the group and discovering their ties to the IRA, while Allie used her superior writing skills to pen the story they’d present for publication. It was around this time that Allie learned another secret that Danny had been keeping, one that could really cause him grief. However, this was one story that Allie vowed to keep under her hat.
When the stories broke and the accolades came tumbling in, Allie set about to celebrate with Danny, only to discover that he’d been murdered in his flat. Who could have done such a thing and for what reason? While Allie was well aware that they had both made many enemies, she could not surmise who would want to take such drastic action. Donning her investigative hat, this was one story she’d have to write alone, fuelled by the need for answers and a truth that was hiding in the shadows. McDermid does well with this piece, keeping the reader hooked until the final page turn.
While I have long enjoyed the work of Val McDermid, I am usually arriving well after the series has started and playing catch-up. It was nice to get an early peek at this series and see that it is sure to pack quite a punch for the reader and anyone else who takes the time to enjoy it. McDermid has done well to develop the series and keep the reader on their toes throughout. I have high hopes for this novel and the series that is to come.
Allie Burns plays a strong protagonist throughout, though she dies share the limelight for most of the novel with Danny Sullivan. Both have great backstories and find the time to develop throughout this piece. Their connection is primarily with work, but there are personal moments that show a deeper and more meaningful linkage. Complemented by others who grace the pages of the book, McDermid adds characters who matter and whose placement provides a flavour for the narrative that keeps the story on track.
While there are many angles a thriller can take to deliver on crime and confrontation, McDemid always seems able to find a new approach. Readers can revel in that and find something that they can take away for themselves, finding a degree of excitement. The narrative flowed well throughout, keeping the story moving in a forward direction. Characters kept the piece exciting and intriguing, not least because of their Scottish slang that was peppered throughout. McDermid puts Scotland front and centre throughout, providing a treat for those who are not from the region. I quite enjoyed the grittiness that emerged as the story developed and cannot wait to see how Allie Burns will emerge into the 1980s, scarred but not broken.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for another winner. You always seem to find a way to impress me with your writing.
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
August 27, 2021
Not worthy of McDermid.Every cliché is there,the plot's not interesting,it's slow and boringly predictable.
August 21, 2021
This is the first book in the Allie Burns series by author Val McDermid. I love the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid so I was hoping for more of the same with this new series about an investigative journalist based in 1979.
Investigative journalist Allie Burns is based in Glasgow and is looking for the next big story to catapult her career forward. Allie is definitely suffering from being a woman in a mans and it is the norm for her to get the low profile stories to cover. In an effort to get a break in journalism she forms an alliance with colleague Danny Sullivan and sort out the bigger stories. But problems occur once the pair start digging into the more high profile cases and very quickly they are creating enemies. When you start investigating international tax fraud and terrorist groups there are always going to be more attention from less desirables and when Danny’s body is found murdered in his flat Allie’s life becomes so much more dangerous.
The series started very slow for me and struggled to really get into the story. I have enjoyed plenty of books by this author and would not write it off just yet because there were signs of hope for future books. As yet I don’t love the characters or feel any connection and also would have preferred series being modern day rather than 1979. Although I lived through the 70’s and understand the mood at the time I feel that many younger readers will fail to connect or simply prefer a more modern timeframe.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Investigative journalist Allie Burns is based in Glasgow and is looking for the next big story to catapult her career forward. Allie is definitely suffering from being a woman in a mans and it is the norm for her to get the low profile stories to cover. In an effort to get a break in journalism she forms an alliance with colleague Danny Sullivan and sort out the bigger stories. But problems occur once the pair start digging into the more high profile cases and very quickly they are creating enemies. When you start investigating international tax fraud and terrorist groups there are always going to be more attention from less desirables and when Danny’s body is found murdered in his flat Allie’s life becomes so much more dangerous.
The series started very slow for me and struggled to really get into the story. I have enjoyed plenty of books by this author and would not write it off just yet because there were signs of hope for future books. As yet I don’t love the characters or feel any connection and also would have preferred series being modern day rather than 1979. Although I lived through the 70’s and understand the mood at the time I feel that many younger readers will fail to connect or simply prefer a more modern timeframe.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2022
The best thing about this book was the playlist at the end of it: I’m not much of a 70s fan, but damn they had great music. I am however normally a Val McDermid fan, so am sorry to report that I did not like this new series opener at all. I appreciate what she was trying to do, and it was interesting to read a crime novel set in that time period, but unfortunately I was bored for most of it and did not like the main characters at all. I would probably have abandoned this, but bought it because I have an ARC of the sequel (1989) due soon, so felt duty-bound to finish it.
Allie Burns is a young journalist working for Glaswegian tabloid newspaper The Daily Clarion. Sidelined to writing fluff pieces by her sexist dinosaur colleagues, she is drawn to sensitive investigative reporter Danny Sullivan, who understands that she wants to write stories that matter. Working together, they unearth two stories which they hope will launch their careers - a tax avoidance scandal and a domestic terrorism plot, but their quest for the truth will have deadly consequences.
I have to remember to remind myself that I really don’t like journalists as book characters. The attitude that the story is everything, no matter who gets hurt, does not sit well with me, especially as the main motivator is always actually furthering the protagonist’s career more than exposing wrongdoing - and they are happy to lie, cheat and hurt people to get their name on the front page. Allie and Danny are self-interested above all else - he’s willing to destroy his family - purportedly to expose a financial scam, but in reality to get one over his obnoxious brother, and then they go on to aid and abet wannabe terrorists so they can then expose them and claim the glory.
This was weirdly structured for a crime story - the murder happens very late in the book, and the outcome is an afterthought - I was waiting for a classic McDermid twist, but there wasn’t one. The pace was slow and the only likeable character was Allie’s flamboyant friend Rona. There’s a lot of politics, which I don’t mind in a contemporary story, but this just showed the author’s prejudices: people who object to paying 83% tax and take steps to avoid such are considered just as evil as those who associates with the IRA. There’s a lot of Scottish slang - which I like, but people who have never lived there may find it confusing.
Many of my GoodReads friends have rated this 4 or 5 stars, so clearly many people were not bothered by these issues. I will read 1989 - at least it’s a decade I’ll be able to relate to, but I’m not excited by the prospect. I’ll still eagerly read any more Tony Hill or Karen Pirie books she cares to deliver, but this one is an unhappy two stars from me.
Allie Burns is a young journalist working for Glaswegian tabloid newspaper The Daily Clarion. Sidelined to writing fluff pieces by her sexist dinosaur colleagues, she is drawn to sensitive investigative reporter Danny Sullivan, who understands that she wants to write stories that matter. Working together, they unearth two stories which they hope will launch their careers - a tax avoidance scandal and a domestic terrorism plot, but their quest for the truth will have deadly consequences.
I have to remember to remind myself that I really don’t like journalists as book characters. The attitude that the story is everything, no matter who gets hurt, does not sit well with me, especially as the main motivator is always actually furthering the protagonist’s career more than exposing wrongdoing - and they are happy to lie, cheat and hurt people to get their name on the front page. Allie and Danny are self-interested above all else - he’s willing to destroy his family - purportedly to expose a financial scam, but in reality to get one over his obnoxious brother, and then they go on to aid and abet wannabe terrorists so they can then expose them and claim the glory.
This was weirdly structured for a crime story - the murder happens very late in the book, and the outcome is an afterthought - I was waiting for a classic McDermid twist, but there wasn’t one. The pace was slow and the only likeable character was Allie’s flamboyant friend Rona. There’s a lot of politics, which I don’t mind in a contemporary story, but this just showed the author’s prejudices: people who object to paying 83% tax and take steps to avoid such are considered just as evil as those who associates with the IRA. There’s a lot of Scottish slang - which I like, but people who have never lived there may find it confusing.
Many of my GoodReads friends have rated this 4 or 5 stars, so clearly many people were not bothered by these issues. I will read 1989 - at least it’s a decade I’ll be able to relate to, but I’m not excited by the prospect. I’ll still eagerly read any more Tony Hill or Karen Pirie books she cares to deliver, but this one is an unhappy two stars from me.
August 26, 2021
I adore Val McDermid, i have read a lot of her thriller novels and so was super looking forward to this.
However, I was left really disappointed! This book was so slow - something I never would say about a Val McDermid book. Really slow, and a little too political for me.
In contrast to some of the reviews I have read, I actually enjoyed the opening to this book with the person giving birth. This intrigued me, but as the book progressed I became less and less interested.
I'm not sure if you would have had to live through the 1979 troubles for you to actually find this book interesting?
I didn't enjoy this book at all! I hate saying it, as I love McDermid, but I'm just going to forget that this book was written by her.
However, I was left really disappointed! This book was so slow - something I never would say about a Val McDermid book. Really slow, and a little too political for me.
In contrast to some of the reviews I have read, I actually enjoyed the opening to this book with the person giving birth. This intrigued me, but as the book progressed I became less and less interested.
I'm not sure if you would have had to live through the 1979 troubles for you to actually find this book interesting?
I didn't enjoy this book at all! I hate saying it, as I love McDermid, but I'm just going to forget that this book was written by her.
September 6, 2021
I enjoy Val McDermid’s novels, especially her Inspector Karen Pirie series. Known for her crime fiction, this time she approaches it from the world of Scottish journalism in 1979. McDermid creates a good sense of time and place with colorful, interesting characters. The plot is solid and the tension builds throughout the story.
This is tagged as Allie Burns #1, so I look forward to the next one in this new series and seeing Allie grow as an investigative journalist
This is tagged as Allie Burns #1, so I look forward to the next one in this new series and seeing Allie grow as an investigative journalist
October 18, 2021
[Book rating: 5*, Audiobook Rating 4*]
has used her time in lockdown productively, creating - the first in what will be a new series, featuring Glasgow-based investigative journalist Allie Burns as its heroine.
fits the historical crime/mystery genre, set entirely in the titular year, over 40 years ago - in her acknowledgements (contained within the print edition), the author discusses the challenges of writing fiction set in an "historical" period that is still well within living memory for many readers. has undertaken significant research to ensure that her book is immersed in accurate details of its time, including characters' attitudes, prevailing political conditions, and music and film references. That said, this is no kitschy nostalgia-fest - while the late 20th century was in many respects a simpler time, the challenges the characters face highlight a few of the ways that society has advanced in the last 40 years. But the music was great! ( helpfully includes her late-70s playlist at the end of the print edition - a device she used to immerse herself in the feel of 1979 Scotland while writing).
Briefly, the plot follows the protagonist, twenty-something journalist Alison "Allie" Burns, employed by the (fictional) Glasgow Daily Clarion, as she works on a couple of career-boosting stories with colleague and friend Danny Sullivan. One story revolves around a dodgy tax evasion scam, the exposure of which has some serious personal consequences for Danny. The other springs from Allie's observation of a Scottish pro-nationalist group's meetings, uncovering a nascent cell of activists who favour violence as a means of gaining political traction. Danny and Allie find themselves crossing paths with an IRA-affiliated active cell based in Glasgow, with all the potential risk that entails. When a violent death hits close to home, Allie must use all her investigative skills to peel back the layers of intrigue and identify a merciless killer.
McDermid has clearly drawn on her own experience as a news journalist over the timeframe in which the book is set, and it shows. The newsroom scenes virtually leap off the page as the characters competitively seek out breaking stories, protect sources, call in favours and battle to get their copy past the in-house lawyer.
In terms of perspective and subject-matter, is a literary side-step from 's two best-known crime series, one featuring Psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and D.C.I. Carol Jordan (adapted into the award-winning ITV series The Wire in the Blood), the other D.C.I. Karen Pirie. However, long-term fans like myself will recall her 1990s era Lindsay Gordan series, which also featured a female investigative journalist as the main protagonist.
I found Allie to be a well-conceived and three-dimensional heroine, and found the (comparatively recent) historical setting and political themes enthralling. This was a cracking good read, with several unexpected twists along the way and a satisfying conclusion convincingly presented in newspaper copy style.
In addition to reading a print copy, I also listened to the audiobook edition narrated by Scottish actress (of Harry Potter movie fame). While I found her diction good and her accent both fitting and easy to understand, I did have a couple of issues. I tend to use 1.25 or 1.5 speed when listening to most audiobooks, which has never presented any issues in the past. However, when I attempted to play this audiobook at a higher speed, the audio took on an unpleasant "tinny" quality. I felt that there was really no alternative but to listen at "normal" (1x) speed - hence the deduction of a star from my review of the audiobook. There were also a couple of jarringly odd pronunciations - "participle" and "quotient" spring to mind. As I'm a speaker of Australian English ("Strine"), I couldn't tell whether this was simply a dialect variation or not. In any case, it distracted my attention away from the story.
I'd highly recommend to new and existing fans of the Queen of Crime, . While this title doesn't quite fit the same mould as many of her other books, her signature complex plotting and well-developed characters make a rewarding and stimulating read. I can't wait to read future instalments in the Allie Burns series!
My thanks to the author , audiobook publisher RB Media Recorded Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to listen to and review the audiobook edition of this title.
has used her time in lockdown productively, creating - the first in what will be a new series, featuring Glasgow-based investigative journalist Allie Burns as its heroine.
fits the historical crime/mystery genre, set entirely in the titular year, over 40 years ago - in her acknowledgements (contained within the print edition), the author discusses the challenges of writing fiction set in an "historical" period that is still well within living memory for many readers. has undertaken significant research to ensure that her book is immersed in accurate details of its time, including characters' attitudes, prevailing political conditions, and music and film references. That said, this is no kitschy nostalgia-fest - while the late 20th century was in many respects a simpler time, the challenges the characters face highlight a few of the ways that society has advanced in the last 40 years. But the music was great! ( helpfully includes her late-70s playlist at the end of the print edition - a device she used to immerse herself in the feel of 1979 Scotland while writing).
Briefly, the plot follows the protagonist, twenty-something journalist Alison "Allie" Burns, employed by the (fictional) Glasgow Daily Clarion, as she works on a couple of career-boosting stories with colleague and friend Danny Sullivan. One story revolves around a dodgy tax evasion scam, the exposure of which has some serious personal consequences for Danny. The other springs from Allie's observation of a Scottish pro-nationalist group's meetings, uncovering a nascent cell of activists who favour violence as a means of gaining political traction. Danny and Allie find themselves crossing paths with an IRA-affiliated active cell based in Glasgow, with all the potential risk that entails. When a violent death hits close to home, Allie must use all her investigative skills to peel back the layers of intrigue and identify a merciless killer.
McDermid has clearly drawn on her own experience as a news journalist over the timeframe in which the book is set, and it shows. The newsroom scenes virtually leap off the page as the characters competitively seek out breaking stories, protect sources, call in favours and battle to get their copy past the in-house lawyer.
In terms of perspective and subject-matter, is a literary side-step from 's two best-known crime series, one featuring Psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and D.C.I. Carol Jordan (adapted into the award-winning ITV series The Wire in the Blood), the other D.C.I. Karen Pirie. However, long-term fans like myself will recall her 1990s era Lindsay Gordan series, which also featured a female investigative journalist as the main protagonist.
I found Allie to be a well-conceived and three-dimensional heroine, and found the (comparatively recent) historical setting and political themes enthralling. This was a cracking good read, with several unexpected twists along the way and a satisfying conclusion convincingly presented in newspaper copy style.
In addition to reading a print copy, I also listened to the audiobook edition narrated by Scottish actress (of Harry Potter movie fame). While I found her diction good and her accent both fitting and easy to understand, I did have a couple of issues. I tend to use 1.25 or 1.5 speed when listening to most audiobooks, which has never presented any issues in the past. However, when I attempted to play this audiobook at a higher speed, the audio took on an unpleasant "tinny" quality. I felt that there was really no alternative but to listen at "normal" (1x) speed - hence the deduction of a star from my review of the audiobook. There were also a couple of jarringly odd pronunciations - "participle" and "quotient" spring to mind. As I'm a speaker of Australian English ("Strine"), I couldn't tell whether this was simply a dialect variation or not. In any case, it distracted my attention away from the story.
I'd highly recommend to new and existing fans of the Queen of Crime, . While this title doesn't quite fit the same mould as many of her other books, her signature complex plotting and well-developed characters make a rewarding and stimulating read. I can't wait to read future instalments in the Allie Burns series!
My thanks to the author , audiobook publisher RB Media Recorded Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to listen to and review the audiobook edition of this title.
November 1, 2021
3 stars
You can read all of my reviews at
This is a good historical fiction mystery thriller set in 1979 Scotland. Allie Burns is an investigative journalist at a newspaper in Glasgow, Scotland. She's living in a "man's world" and struggles to make her way and write the kind of stories she wants to write. Allie teams up with a co-worker to follow the trail of an illegal tax evasion scheme. From there the story escalates to much bigger issues that could cost Allie her life.
I really wanted to like this book more, but I found it dense and difficult to follow at times. Perhaps my aversion to math and all that it entails influenced my feelings about the book. I also think the pace of the book played a part in my frustration with it. I'm used to reading books that move along a lot faster. I understand that some books need to move more slowly and be methodical, but they are not my favorite. So, that's on me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a complimentary copy of the book and the opportunity to read it. All opinions are my own.
You can read all of my reviews at
This is a good historical fiction mystery thriller set in 1979 Scotland. Allie Burns is an investigative journalist at a newspaper in Glasgow, Scotland. She's living in a "man's world" and struggles to make her way and write the kind of stories she wants to write. Allie teams up with a co-worker to follow the trail of an illegal tax evasion scheme. From there the story escalates to much bigger issues that could cost Allie her life.
I really wanted to like this book more, but I found it dense and difficult to follow at times. Perhaps my aversion to math and all that it entails influenced my feelings about the book. I also think the pace of the book played a part in my frustration with it. I'm used to reading books that move along a lot faster. I understand that some books need to move more slowly and be methodical, but they are not my favorite. So, that's on me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a complimentary copy of the book and the opportunity to read it. All opinions are my own.
August 27, 2021
Overall I enjoyed 1979, but I did have my reservations.
Set in Glasgow in January...er...1979, Allie Burns is a relatively new young journalist on a Scottish tabloid paper. A colleague brings her in on an investigative story which exposes them both to risk, and then Allie immediately sniffs out another major scoop involving dangerous undercover work and a serious risk of reprisal.
Allie is an engaging protagonist. She is perhaps a little implausibly 21st Century in her standing up to the laddish culture in the male-dominated newsroom of boozing, misogyny and sexism, but that culture is very well drawn and rings true to my memory of those times. Gay issues play an important role in the story and it is shocking to be reminded that as late as 1979 homosexual activity was still illegal in Scotland and that one could be prosecuted for it. (I looked it up and this didn’t change until 1981 which this English reader, who had plenty of gay friends at the time, found horrifying.) The atmosphere of the time is generally well evoked, but I did feel that Val McDermid was straining at it a bit. She has plainly done plenty of research, but it was rather too near the surface much of the time; people seemed to do a lot of explaining to each other what it was like in 1979, even though they were living in it, for example, and (with the exception of one Pink Floyd album) everyone was listening only to music and reading only books from that exact moment...and so on. I also thought that the plot plodded just a little, with rather too much sightly laboured exposition.
I expected a little better from such an experienced and rightly respected author. This was still a perfectly decent four-star read for me and I will certainly try the next in the series, but I hope that Val McDermid will be able to relax into the story and the period rather more and allow them to develop more naturally.
(My thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley.)
Set in Glasgow in January...er...1979, Allie Burns is a relatively new young journalist on a Scottish tabloid paper. A colleague brings her in on an investigative story which exposes them both to risk, and then Allie immediately sniffs out another major scoop involving dangerous undercover work and a serious risk of reprisal.
Allie is an engaging protagonist. She is perhaps a little implausibly 21st Century in her standing up to the laddish culture in the male-dominated newsroom of boozing, misogyny and sexism, but that culture is very well drawn and rings true to my memory of those times. Gay issues play an important role in the story and it is shocking to be reminded that as late as 1979 homosexual activity was still illegal in Scotland and that one could be prosecuted for it. (I looked it up and this didn’t change until 1981 which this English reader, who had plenty of gay friends at the time, found horrifying.) The atmosphere of the time is generally well evoked, but I did feel that Val McDermid was straining at it a bit. She has plainly done plenty of research, but it was rather too near the surface much of the time; people seemed to do a lot of explaining to each other what it was like in 1979, even though they were living in it, for example, and (with the exception of one Pink Floyd album) everyone was listening only to music and reading only books from that exact moment...and so on. I also thought that the plot plodded just a little, with rather too much sightly laboured exposition.
I expected a little better from such an experienced and rightly respected author. This was still a perfectly decent four-star read for me and I will certainly try the next in the series, but I hope that Val McDermid will be able to relax into the story and the period rather more and allow them to develop more naturally.
(My thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley.)
October 18, 2021
has used her time in lockdown productively, creating - the first in what will be a new series, featuring Glasgow-based investigative journalist Allie Burns as its heroine.
fits the historical crime/mystery genre, set entirely in the titular year, over 40 years ago - in her acknowledgements (contained within the print edition), the author discusses the challenges of writing fiction set in an "historical" period that is still well within living memory for many readers. has undertaken significant research to ensure that her book is immersed in accurate details of its time, including characters' attitudes, prevailing political conditions, and music and film references. That said, this is no kitschy nostalgia-fest - while the late 20th century was in many respects a simpler time, the challenges the characters face highlight a few of the ways that society has advanced in the last 40 years. But the music was great! ( helpfully includes her late-70s playlist at the end of the print edition - a device she used to immerse herself in the feel of 1979 Scotland while writing).
Briefly, the plot follows the protagonist, twenty-something journalist Alison "Allie" Burns, employed by the (fictional) Glasgow Daily Clarion, as she works on a couple of career-boosting stories with colleague and friend Danny Sullivan. One story revolves around a dodgy tax evasion scam, the exposure of which has some serious personal consequences for Danny. The other springs from Allie's observation of a Scottish pro-nationalist group's meetings, uncovering a nascent cell of activists who favour violence as a means of gaining political traction. Danny and Allie find themselves crossing paths with an IRA-affiliated active cell based in Glasgow, with all the potential risk that entails. When a violent death hits close to home, Allie must use all her investigative skills to peel back the layers of intrigue and identify a merciless killer.
McDermid has clearly drawn on her own experience as a news journalist over the timeframe in which the book is set, and it shows. The newsroom scenes virtually leap off the page as the characters competitively seek out breaking stories, protect sources, call in favours and battle to get their copy past the in-house lawyer.
In terms of perspective and subject-matter, is a literary side-step from 's two best-known crime series, one featuring Psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and D.C.I. Carol Jordan (adapted into the award-winning ITV series The Wire in the Blood), the other D.C.I. Karen Pirie. However, long-term fans like myself will recall her 1990s era Lindsay Gordan series, which also featured a female investigative journalist as the main protagonist.
I found Allie to be a well-conceived and three-dimensional heroine, and found the (comparatively recent) historical setting and political themes enthralling. This was a cracking good read, with several unexpected twists along the way and a satisfying conclusion convincingly presented in newspaper copy style.
I'd highly recommend to new and existing fans of the Queen of Crime, . While this title doesn't quite fit the same mould as many of her other books, her signature complex plotting and well-developed characters make a rewarding and stimulating read. I can't wait to read future instalments in the Allie Burns series!
fits the historical crime/mystery genre, set entirely in the titular year, over 40 years ago - in her acknowledgements (contained within the print edition), the author discusses the challenges of writing fiction set in an "historical" period that is still well within living memory for many readers. has undertaken significant research to ensure that her book is immersed in accurate details of its time, including characters' attitudes, prevailing political conditions, and music and film references. That said, this is no kitschy nostalgia-fest - while the late 20th century was in many respects a simpler time, the challenges the characters face highlight a few of the ways that society has advanced in the last 40 years. But the music was great! ( helpfully includes her late-70s playlist at the end of the print edition - a device she used to immerse herself in the feel of 1979 Scotland while writing).
Briefly, the plot follows the protagonist, twenty-something journalist Alison "Allie" Burns, employed by the (fictional) Glasgow Daily Clarion, as she works on a couple of career-boosting stories with colleague and friend Danny Sullivan. One story revolves around a dodgy tax evasion scam, the exposure of which has some serious personal consequences for Danny. The other springs from Allie's observation of a Scottish pro-nationalist group's meetings, uncovering a nascent cell of activists who favour violence as a means of gaining political traction. Danny and Allie find themselves crossing paths with an IRA-affiliated active cell based in Glasgow, with all the potential risk that entails. When a violent death hits close to home, Allie must use all her investigative skills to peel back the layers of intrigue and identify a merciless killer.
McDermid has clearly drawn on her own experience as a news journalist over the timeframe in which the book is set, and it shows. The newsroom scenes virtually leap off the page as the characters competitively seek out breaking stories, protect sources, call in favours and battle to get their copy past the in-house lawyer.
In terms of perspective and subject-matter, is a literary side-step from 's two best-known crime series, one featuring Psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and D.C.I. Carol Jordan (adapted into the award-winning ITV series The Wire in the Blood), the other D.C.I. Karen Pirie. However, long-term fans like myself will recall her 1990s era Lindsay Gordan series, which also featured a female investigative journalist as the main protagonist.
I found Allie to be a well-conceived and three-dimensional heroine, and found the (comparatively recent) historical setting and political themes enthralling. This was a cracking good read, with several unexpected twists along the way and a satisfying conclusion convincingly presented in newspaper copy style.
I'd highly recommend to new and existing fans of the Queen of Crime, . While this title doesn't quite fit the same mould as many of her other books, her signature complex plotting and well-developed characters make a rewarding and stimulating read. I can't wait to read future instalments in the Allie Burns series!
May 14, 2023
Αργό, ήσυχο και βραδυφλεγές. Έβαλε πολλά καρπούζια κάτω από τη μασχάλη, με αποτέλεσμα να τα περάσει όλα επιφανειακά - εκεί που η Άλι έπρεπε να επιβιώσει σε ένα ανδροκρατούμενο και αρκούντως μισογυνίστικο εργασιακό περιβάλλον, ήρθε ο Ντάνι να ψαχουλέψει τις οικονομικές ατασθαλίες της εταιρείας που δούλευε ο αδερφός του, τον οποίο οι γονείς τους τον αγαπούσαν περισσότερο και ήταν κρίμα κι άδικο, και μετά όλως τυχαίως η Άλι ανακάλυψε έναν επαναστατικό πυρήνα που ήθελε να οργανώσει βομβιστικές επιθέσεις σε στόχους στη Σκωτία εν όψει του δημοψηφίσματος και υποστηρίζοντας την ανεξαρτησία της από το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, και μετά τσουπ, κάποιος είχε έναν φίλο που ήξερε έναν τύπο που είχε έναν γνωστό στον IRA, και μετά, τσουπ τσουπ, ένας μπάτσος της ασφάλειας το έπαιζε σε διπλό ταμπλό (σωωωωώπααα), και ακόμα πιο μετά έσκασε μύτη η μη αποδοχή της ομοφυλοφιλίας και η κατακραυγή κλπ κλπ κλπ, κι όλα αυτά λίγους μήνες πριν την πρωθυπουργική θέση αναλάβει η Μάργκαρετ Θάτσερ.
Αυτό που άξιζε περισσότερο, είναι η αναζήτηση πληροφοριών που προέκυπτε προχωρώντας η ανάγνωση του βιβλίου-το ιστορικό υπόβαθρο,ο αγώνας για την εθνική ανεξαρτησία (;) της Σκωτίας, ο αγώνας για την ισότιμη μεταχείριση των φύλων, ο αγώνας για μια δημοσιογραφία που θα λειτουργεί υπέρ της αποκάλυψης της αλήθειας, ο αγώνας για την αποδοχή της διαφορετικότητας,και τέλος, ο αγώνας που δίνουμε, ανεξαρτήτως εποχής, να είμαστε αρεστοί, επιθυμητοί και αγαπητοί για αυτό που είμαστε και για αυτά που έχουμε πετύχει.
Όχι κακό, όχι, όμως, συγκλονιστικό.
3/5
Αυτό που άξιζε περισσότερο, είναι η αναζήτηση πληροφοριών που προέκυπτε προχωρώντας η ανάγνωση του βιβλίου-το ιστορικό υπόβαθρο,ο αγώνας για την εθνική ανεξαρτησία (;) της Σκωτίας, ο αγώνας για την ισότιμη μεταχείριση των φύλων, ο αγώνας για μια δημοσιογραφία που θα λειτουργεί υπέρ της αποκάλυψης της αλήθειας, ο αγώνας για την αποδοχή της διαφορετικότητας,και τέλος, ο αγώνας που δίνουμε, ανεξαρτήτως εποχής, να είμαστε αρεστοί, επιθυμητοί και αγαπητοί για αυτό που είμαστε και για αυτά που έχουμε πετύχει.
Όχι κακό, όχι, όμως, συγκλονιστικό.
3/5
August 19, 2021
1979 is the first instalment in the Allie Burns series set against the bustling backdrop of 1970’s Glasgow. The story begins when we are introduced to Allie Burns, a young investigative journalist whose work leads her into a world of corruption, terror, and murder. It’s only January, and the year 1979 has already brought blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest. For Allie Burns, however, someone else’s bad news is the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, a chance to escape the “women’s stories� to which her editors at the Scottish daily The Clarion have confined her. Striking up an alliance with budding investigative journalist Danny Sullivan, Allie begins covering international tax fraud and a group of Scottish ultranationalists aiming to cause mayhem ahead of a referendum on breaking away from the United Kingdom. Their stories quickly get attention and create enemies for the two young up-and-comers. As they get closer to the bleeding edge of breaking news, Allie and Danny may find their own lives on the line.
Drawing on McDermid’s own experiences as a young journalist, 1979 is redolent of the thundering presses, hammering typewriters and wreaths of smoke of the Clarion newsroom. A journey to the past with much to say about the present, it is the latest pitch-perfect, suspenseful addition to McDermid’s crime pantheon. It's compulsive, enthralling and atmospheric and not only looks at crime and the gritty underbelly of the city but also touches on the changes there have been in technology, fashion, music, detection and the things we consume. The novel explores issues of class, gender, sexuality and politics alongside a high-stakes investigation into corruption and unrest in Glasgow in the Seventies. Allie’s story will be told in five instalments,each set a decade apart, tracking the changing state of Scotland’s criminal, social and political landscape, as well as this memorable protagonist’s life right up until 2019. A riveting, captivating and propulsive start to a series that shows a hell of a lot of promise. Highly recommended.
Drawing on McDermid’s own experiences as a young journalist, 1979 is redolent of the thundering presses, hammering typewriters and wreaths of smoke of the Clarion newsroom. A journey to the past with much to say about the present, it is the latest pitch-perfect, suspenseful addition to McDermid’s crime pantheon. It's compulsive, enthralling and atmospheric and not only looks at crime and the gritty underbelly of the city but also touches on the changes there have been in technology, fashion, music, detection and the things we consume. The novel explores issues of class, gender, sexuality and politics alongside a high-stakes investigation into corruption and unrest in Glasgow in the Seventies. Allie’s story will be told in five instalments,each set a decade apart, tracking the changing state of Scotland’s criminal, social and political landscape, as well as this memorable protagonist’s life right up until 2019. A riveting, captivating and propulsive start to a series that shows a hell of a lot of promise. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2021
Setting is often a key feature of McDermid's books, and in this case it wasn't just the location (Glasgow), but also the year, 1979. Scotland was about to vote in a referendum on devolution, a proposal that would result in a partial, quasi-home rule Assembly. All across the UK, it was the "Winter of Discontent" with tension over taxes and labor strikes causing inconvenience and shortages, creating a feeling of unhappiness that was exacerbated by unusually cold, wet weather. And across the Irish Sea the IRA was escalating their campaign to separate from the UK with increasing violence.
A rich backdrop of potential plotlines for McDermid's main character, fledgling journalist Allison Burns, newly added to the staff of a major Glasgow tabloid. As she struggles to make a place for herself in the testosterone-heavy newsroom, Allie collaborates with another young hack, Danny Sullivan. Their two investigations lead them into dangerous territory, and McDermid does a great job of blurring the lines so that the obligatory murder might have been the result of either - or neither.
Although the book is full of references to pop music of the day, there is one unmentioned album of that year that ran through my head the entire time I was reading - the Kinks' Low Budget, particularly "Superman":
Woke up this morning, what did I see?
A big black cloud hanging over me
I switched on the radio and nearly dropped dead
The news was so bad that I fell out of bed
There was a gas strike, oil strike, lorry strike, bread strike
Got to be a Superman to survive
Gas bills, rent bills, tax bills, phone bills
I'm such a wreck but I'm staying alive
Some of those issues seem to haunt us today, but we are in a better place (well, at least most days) in terms of one cultural element playing a role in this book which I haven't yet mentioned: homophobia. Thankfully, these days it couldn't quite drive a plot, or even a subplot, in the same way that it does in this book.
An easy 5 stars based on comparison with books of a similar genre.
A rich backdrop of potential plotlines for McDermid's main character, fledgling journalist Allison Burns, newly added to the staff of a major Glasgow tabloid. As she struggles to make a place for herself in the testosterone-heavy newsroom, Allie collaborates with another young hack, Danny Sullivan. Their two investigations lead them into dangerous territory, and McDermid does a great job of blurring the lines so that the obligatory murder might have been the result of either - or neither.
Although the book is full of references to pop music of the day, there is one unmentioned album of that year that ran through my head the entire time I was reading - the Kinks' Low Budget, particularly "Superman":
Woke up this morning, what did I see?
A big black cloud hanging over me
I switched on the radio and nearly dropped dead
The news was so bad that I fell out of bed
There was a gas strike, oil strike, lorry strike, bread strike
Got to be a Superman to survive
Gas bills, rent bills, tax bills, phone bills
I'm such a wreck but I'm staying alive
Some of those issues seem to haunt us today, but we are in a better place (well, at least most days) in terms of one cultural element playing a role in this book which I haven't yet mentioned: homophobia. Thankfully, these days it couldn't quite drive a plot, or even a subplot, in the same way that it does in this book.
An easy 5 stars based on comparison with books of a similar genre.
February 10, 2022
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
1979 is book one in a new series by Val McDermid - the Allie Burns series. This book is about Allies role as an investigative journalist in Glasgow. Allies on the look out for the next big story to launch her career into the big leagues. Poor Allie doesn't have it easy especially since its the 70s and equality for women in the workplace wasn't as advanced as it is today. She always lands the small, insignificant stories and lings for a bigger one. Allie starts an alliance with another journalist- Danny Sullivan but the duo start to get enemies crawling out of the woodwork, especially the more they dig up. Danny is found murdered and Allie feels the threat to her own life hanging in the balance. Will she uncover enough for her big break and keep her life in doing so!
I struggled with the pace of this book, it seemed to drag until about 60% of the way through, which was tough going when it's on audio. It's also a very long audio book too. I liked the story line but just couldn't connect to the characters. It also took me a while to get used to the narrator as her accent is Scottish which is fine as the book is set in Scotland, but I just struggled to stay focused on the story.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
1979 is book one in a new series by Val McDermid - the Allie Burns series. This book is about Allies role as an investigative journalist in Glasgow. Allies on the look out for the next big story to launch her career into the big leagues. Poor Allie doesn't have it easy especially since its the 70s and equality for women in the workplace wasn't as advanced as it is today. She always lands the small, insignificant stories and lings for a bigger one. Allie starts an alliance with another journalist- Danny Sullivan but the duo start to get enemies crawling out of the woodwork, especially the more they dig up. Danny is found murdered and Allie feels the threat to her own life hanging in the balance. Will she uncover enough for her big break and keep her life in doing so!
I struggled with the pace of this book, it seemed to drag until about 60% of the way through, which was tough going when it's on audio. It's also a very long audio book too. I liked the story line but just couldn't connect to the characters. It also took me a while to get used to the narrator as her accent is Scottish which is fine as the book is set in Scotland, but I just struggled to stay focused on the story.
June 9, 2022
It started badly and only got worse . Blizzards, strikes, unburied bodies, power cuts, terrorist threats and Showaddywaddy’s Greatest Hits topping the album charts; 1979 was a cascade of catastrophe.
An interesting new series from Val McDermid, featuring young Allie Burns, who is starting her journalistic career and has to fight for her place as a woman investigative reporter in a world that favours men.
There are basically two investigations, and they are quite slowly paced, especially the first one. The book only really starts to show some tension towards the second investigation.
What McDermid excells in, is her characters, and the dense sense of place she gives late 70s Glasgow, a cold foggy world of constant cigarette smoke, booze, curries and music.
This book feels more like an introduction to the character of Allie, and it'll be interesting to see how she develops.
3.5 stars
(Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
An interesting new series from Val McDermid, featuring young Allie Burns, who is starting her journalistic career and has to fight for her place as a woman investigative reporter in a world that favours men.
There are basically two investigations, and they are quite slowly paced, especially the first one. The book only really starts to show some tension towards the second investigation.
What McDermid excells in, is her characters, and the dense sense of place she gives late 70s Glasgow, a cold foggy world of constant cigarette smoke, booze, curries and music.
This book feels more like an introduction to the character of Allie, and it'll be interesting to see how she develops.
3.5 stars
(Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
September 16, 2022
A new series following Allie Burns a journalist based in Glasgow working for The Clarion newspaper. She teams up with Danny Sullivan who uncovers a tax fraud story involving his brother Joseph. Without giving anything away they then investigate a conspiracy to use explosives by Scottish Nationalists.
The story for me was slow but I enjoyed the setting of 1979 with Hillman Hunters and Morris Minors. The ending was tidy and I may read the next one set in 1989. The list of songs at the back also brought back a few memories.
The story for me was slow but I enjoyed the setting of 1979 with Hillman Hunters and Morris Minors. The ending was tidy and I may read the next one set in 1989. The list of songs at the back also brought back a few memories.
August 27, 2021
Val McDermid’s Carol Jordan and Tony Hill series is a big favourite of mine but this, the first book of a new series featuring a newspaper reporter, was only ok. I listened on audible and I liked the narrator most of the time as I’m not familiar with different Scottish accents but her Irish people sounded American. It was only in the last 2 hours that the book got interesting so I don’t think I will continue with any more of the Ally Burns series.
December 12, 2021
A halfhearted historical, a dire crime novel, this latest publishing obligation from McDermid is characterized by sheer laziness. Allie Burns, journalist, is tired of writing for the Women's section of her newspaper. She yearns to be taken seriously as a reporter. Not an easy thing in 1979 when the newspaper business is run by males who only want her to make coffee for them. Not surprisingly, our plucky heroine eventually stumbles upon two major criminal enterprises, one involving money-laundering and the other a potential terrorist plot aimed at the Scottish government. (This particular cell is made up of students from the uni nicknamed Deke and Ding-Dong, so it's obvious we're not dealing with individuals from the Baader-Meinhof group.) The inevitable murder happens after 300 pages (and the book is just over 400); the victim is obvious from the outset, as is the perpetrator. What really kills the book is the unimaginative and repetitive prose. One character is described as being "incredulous". Two pages later another character is described this way, and they still are "incredulous" twenty pages later. Was a thesaurus not at hand for either the author or her editor? McDermid even has someone threaten Allie with, "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" Does McDermid know how many times that line has been used in a thriller? Allie falls asleep not once, but twice, and the book she's reading "falls from her hands." The rehashing continues throughout the book.
McDermid's last few books have been pushing an independent Scottish agenda. Fair enough, but she hammers the reader with 'Scottish-isms' that are just purely irritating. Terms like: "shoogly"; "bampots"; "semmit"; "scabby dug"; "bell-ends" litter the text and hardly add anything beyond vernacular verisimilitude.
I can't imagine anyone caring where Allie goes from here.
McDermid's last few books have been pushing an independent Scottish agenda. Fair enough, but she hammers the reader with 'Scottish-isms' that are just purely irritating. Terms like: "shoogly"; "bampots"; "semmit"; "scabby dug"; "bell-ends" litter the text and hardly add anything beyond vernacular verisimilitude.
I can't imagine anyone caring where Allie goes from here.
June 14, 2022
1979 is my first Val McDermid and it’s about fucking time! I listened to the audio book (on Scribd) with the fabulous narration of Katie Leung. She did an incredible job!
I really enjoyed this journey into the past with Allie Burns, an investigative journalist whose stories lead her into world a corruption, terror, and murder. Wonderful start of this new series.
Plenty of LGBTQ even though there are no tags in place for it.
Themes: 1979, winter in Glasgow, investigative journalism, the Clarion, tax fraud, terrorist plot.
5 Stars
I really enjoyed this journey into the past with Allie Burns, an investigative journalist whose stories lead her into world a corruption, terror, and murder. Wonderful start of this new series.
Plenty of LGBTQ even though there are no tags in place for it.
Themes: 1979, winter in Glasgow, investigative journalism, the Clarion, tax fraud, terrorist plot.
5 Stars
December 4, 2021
1979 (Allie Burns #1) by Val McDermid.
This is the author's new series with Allie Burns as the main character. Allie is an investigative journalist at the Clarion. The Clarion is a step in the right direction for her but she has further to go on her way up. Danny Sullivan is a co-worker with ambition but lacks the writing ability of Allie. The two of them start to team up after a chance encounter on a train that brings them to their first partnership at the Scottish daily paper.
Danny has a nose for news and the dares to invade a den of thieves that his brother Joseph works for and with. Allie is the partner that puts Danny's actions into words before its okayed and sent to press. To say sparks fly with this first endeavor is putting it mildly, but fly they do in every direction.
The next endeavor brings us into the political season in Scotland during 1979.
McDermid did her homework and then some on bringing us back to that year of typewriters, no cell phones, no computers and the political forecast. Allie is a character I can continue to follow. She's full dimensional with vulnerabilities in relationships as well as a budding career. This author is hands down one of the best. Highly recommend reading this her latest enterprise.
This is the author's new series with Allie Burns as the main character. Allie is an investigative journalist at the Clarion. The Clarion is a step in the right direction for her but she has further to go on her way up. Danny Sullivan is a co-worker with ambition but lacks the writing ability of Allie. The two of them start to team up after a chance encounter on a train that brings them to their first partnership at the Scottish daily paper.
Danny has a nose for news and the dares to invade a den of thieves that his brother Joseph works for and with. Allie is the partner that puts Danny's actions into words before its okayed and sent to press. To say sparks fly with this first endeavor is putting it mildly, but fly they do in every direction.
The next endeavor brings us into the political season in Scotland during 1979.
McDermid did her homework and then some on bringing us back to that year of typewriters, no cell phones, no computers and the political forecast. Allie is a character I can continue to follow. She's full dimensional with vulnerabilities in relationships as well as a budding career. This author is hands down one of the best. Highly recommend reading this her latest enterprise.
October 17, 2021
This new series is set in the year of its title: the so-called “winter of discontent� with Scotland in the grip of Arctic conditions, service strikes and its first push for independence.
Alison “Allie Burns is the only female journalist on the staff of Glasgow’s Daily Clarion� and still seeking to make her mark in the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere. In a way, this is a sort of full-circle for the author whose first series featured a female journalist, Lindsay Gordon. Val was, of course, a journalist and editor herself before turning to full-time writing.
Thankfully, Allie manages to find an ally in young reporter Danny Sullivan and together they manage to scoop an exposé on a money-laundering scheme by a group of crooked Scottish businessmen. However, when they plan to do a similar exposé on a trio of would-be terrorists attempting to push the independence cause using IRA-style tactics, things start to get very dangerous indeed.
Once again has Val McDermid not only managed to create a well-rounded and likeable protagonist but also vividly and accurately re-create a period of recent history.
Alison “Allie Burns is the only female journalist on the staff of Glasgow’s Daily Clarion� and still seeking to make her mark in the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere. In a way, this is a sort of full-circle for the author whose first series featured a female journalist, Lindsay Gordon. Val was, of course, a journalist and editor herself before turning to full-time writing.
Thankfully, Allie manages to find an ally in young reporter Danny Sullivan and together they manage to scoop an exposé on a money-laundering scheme by a group of crooked Scottish businessmen. However, when they plan to do a similar exposé on a trio of would-be terrorists attempting to push the independence cause using IRA-style tactics, things start to get very dangerous indeed.
Once again has Val McDermid not only managed to create a well-rounded and likeable protagonist but also vividly and accurately re-create a period of recent history.
January 26, 2023
A really good investigative reporter novel. I loved Allie’s perspective, her solid character and ambition. She’s a journalist who nails some big stories with her coworker Danny. It is as a fun read that drew me in after a slow start. I was absorbed by all the characters.
It takes place in Scotland and it must be the 5th I’ve read in six months. I’m still learning the lingo but open to learning more. (Did you know they say “the close� instead of “the stairwell/staircase�? I didn’t lol).
It takes place in Scotland and it must be the 5th I’ve read in six months. I’m still learning the lingo but open to learning more. (Did you know they say “the close� instead of “the stairwell/staircase�? I didn’t lol).
February 21, 2022
Huh. This was earnest and easy going down, but overlong in pages and required too much suspension of disbelief. Other than references to bell bottoms and Pink Floyd, I didn't have a sense of the era, but I loved the atmospheric Glasgow setting. Entertaining for sure, just needed a keener editor's eye.
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