1979
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- Create Date：2021-08-21 02:41:03
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Val McDermid
- ISBN：B0917KXDG6
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Summary
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。
The first novel in McDermid's newest series， 1979 is an atmospheric journey into the past with intriguing insight into the present， and the latest addition to McDermid's crime pantheon。
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。
The first novel in McDermid's newest series， 1979 is an atmospheric journey into the past with intriguing insight into the present， and the latest addition to McDermid's crime pantheon。
Reviews
Cora Boesenach
，
This really was another cracking book from the Queen of crime。 How I loved the story， the descriptions of life in 1979。 Allie Burns is a girl with the gift of writing， she is going to go far in journalism。 The plot was complicated but accurate and believable， Looking forward to the next instalment of this series。
Lou
，
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 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。 。。。more
Emma
，
It’s the end of 1978 and Allie Burns is one of a few female journalists at the Glasgow Clarion newspaper。 Spending her time writing fluffy stories of miracle babies。 Women’s stories。 Danny Sullivan， fellow journalist at the Clarion， may have uncovered a big story。 A tale of money laundering and tax avoidance。 He needs the help of Allie， she has the ability to write up a better story。 As 1979 continues so does their journalistic partnership along with their friendship。 It was a well written novel It’s the end of 1978 and Allie Burns is one of a few female journalists at the Glasgow Clarion newspaper。 Spending her time writing fluffy stories of miracle babies。 Women’s stories。 Danny Sullivan， fellow journalist at the Clarion， may have uncovered a big story。 A tale of money laundering and tax avoidance。 He needs the help of Allie， she has the ability to write up a better story。 As 1979 continues so does their journalistic partnership along with their friendship。 It was a well written novel that hooked me in at the start。 Allie and Danny are likeable and well rounded characters。 I did find the detail of the news stories a bit dry。 But the last quarter of the book really picked up and hooked me back in。 I’ll definitely read more from McDermid。 。。。more
Chris Nolan
，
A change of direction for the great Val McDermid and， although it doesn't grip quite as tightly as her crime threads， it is a fascinating read。 Based in the world of journalism， and specifically investigative journalism， it is firmly placed in the late 1970s， and the reference to events and music from that decade are nostalgic。 If this is the beginning of a new series， I look forward eagerly to more。 A change of direction for the great Val McDermid and， although it doesn't grip quite as tightly as her crime threads， it is a fascinating read。 Based in the world of journalism， and specifically investigative journalism， it is firmly placed in the late 1970s， and the reference to events and music from that decade are nostalgic。 If this is the beginning of a new series， I look forward eagerly to more。 。。。more
Clare Didcock
，
Absolutely love Val McDermid books but found this one so long and drawn out。 I am not a huge fan of journalists but the character of Allie seems a good one。 #1979 #NetGalley
Mary Picken
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Val McDermid has magic flowing from her fingers。 The Queen of Crime is in her element in 1979， the first book in her latest series。 This one has Allie Burns， news journalist as its protagonist and in introducing us to Allie’s world in the Glasgow Clarion， McDermid beautifully and evocatively recreates the smells sounds and attitudes prevalent in a Glasgow newsroom in that era。For all the smoky atmosphere， the male cocks o’the walk， the reliance on drink to get you through a shift; this is a love Val McDermid has magic flowing from her fingers。 The Queen of Crime is in her element in 1979， the first book in her latest series。 This one has Allie Burns， news journalist as its protagonist and in introducing us to Allie’s world in the Glasgow Clarion， McDermid beautifully and evocatively recreates the smells sounds and attitudes prevalent in a Glasgow newsroom in that era。For all the smoky atmosphere， the male cocks o’the walk， the reliance on drink to get you through a shift; this is a love letter to journalism and she makes you mourn its passing just as you recognise the days of bigotry， misogyny and rampant sexism。These are the times in which newsrooms thrum with staff; where there is an expenses budget and reporters are expected to go out looking for stories rather than be chained to a desk with a telephone。 Set at a pivotal moment in history， 1979 has the first devolution referendum in Scotland as the backdrop with the winter of discontent and a Callaghan Labour Government paving the way for the rise of Thatcherism。 The Provisional IRA are conducting their terror campaign with car bombs and shootings and the Shankhill Butchers， a group of 11 loyalists， have been sentenced for 19 sectarian murders。McDermid， whose own journalism experience informs this book and whose spirit runs through it like Blackpool in a stick of rock， brings it all gloriously to life， capturing the essence of the times and places enhanced by references to the music， films， and theatre of the day。It is this world that Allie Burns， a Cambridge graduate from a working class background， has to negotiate as she strives to carve out a place in her new place of employment， The Clarion。 Smart， ambitious and a good writer with a sub’s flair for intros and snappy paragraphs， Allie is ambitious and determined。 She is also isolated in the male dominated newsroom and a wee bit lonely。 Allie makes a friend on whom she comes to rely。 Rhona Dunsyre is on the features desk and is keen to help another woman in the newsroom。 It’s a welcome friendship for Allie whose social life is non-existent。She quickly realises that she’s never going to be handed the interesting jobs; in fact even when she finds a story its more likely to be taken away from her and handed to a more experienced （ie male） journo。 Allie is fed up doing the soft and human interest stories。 She wants something she can get her teeth into。So， when she is approached by the one male journalist with whom she has some rapport， Danny Sullivan， to help him craft a story he is working on the QT， she agrees。 It is the first of two major stories that form the backbone of this murder mystery。 The second is a story that Allie brings to Danny; an explosive scoop that carries serious risk。 Both stories are hard journalism; both have some very shady characters at their heart and Allie and Danny know that these are the stories that will make their careers if handled correctly。Their challenge is to get the stories far enough along before taking them to their editor， so that there’s no danger that they can be taken away from the pair。 That means sticking their necks out rather further than they might like， but no pain， no gain， as they say。Val McDermid’s book is beautifully paced to allow you to steep yourself in the culture of the times and in the characters that populate the book。 As a reader you gain an appreciation of what both Allie and Danny are up against as their personal lives and their professional ones become intertwined。 The tension – and it is there in spades， comes from the danger inherent in the stories and the fear for these two characters as they pursue their stories。Verdict: I really loved this book。 Val McDermid’s sharp and incisive writing brings the characters and the settings to life in vivid， three dimensional colour – so tangible you can smell it。 1979 has tremendous heart and a lot of wit。 You care about Allie and Danny and Danny’s family difficulties tear at your emotions。 Tense， thrilling， rich with atmosphere and crackling with authenticity， this is at once a shocking and thrilling mystery and a love letter to journalism， warts and all。 This is a five star must read start to an unmissable new series。 I can’t wait to meet Allie Burns again。 。。。more
Kath
，
This is book one of a new series by this author， well known for the Tony Hill and Karen Pirie series of books。 I have read and enjoyed books in both of her previous series but this book sadly fell a wee bit short for me。It wasn't Allie。 I really loved her as a character。 How she developed and blossomed both as a character and a person along the way。 I think it was probably the time in which the book was set that didn't quite work for me。 The author didn't quite convince me it was 1979 by any mea This is book one of a new series by this author， well known for the Tony Hill and Karen Pirie series of books。 I have read and enjoyed books in both of her previous series but this book sadly fell a wee bit short for me。It wasn't Allie。 I really loved her as a character。 How she developed and blossomed both as a character and a person along the way。 I think it was probably the time in which the book was set that didn't quite work for me。 The author didn't quite convince me it was 1979 by any means other than keeping throwing in records， tv programs， films， books， and celebrities of the era every so often to remind me。 I found that to be a bit distracting and， on occasion， had me googling stuff just to try and catch her out。 I didn't， by the way， but it did distract me somewhat as I was reading。 Maybe it's cos I am just about old enough to remember the year， especially the music， I personally think that 1979 was the best year for music and it did have me reaching for my hits of 1979 compilation CD which was a nice bonus。。。 but I digress。。。Allie is a journalist， one of few women in a man's world， and is often overlooked， put upon， or gazumped。 When we first meet her she is on a train， in a blizzard， coincidentally with fellow journalist Danny when a woman goes into labour。。。 long story， and Allie does manage to keep hold of THIS story， short and she and Danny strike up an alliance when he subsequently shares a story of fraud with her and asks for her help with it。 She in turn brings him in on her lead about unrest in the upcoming devolution referendum。 Two stories which will catapult our duo into the limelight， and not wholly for the right reasons， as they are all too soon to discover when things take a bad turn。。。Aside from my issues with the pop culture reference overload， I did really enjoy this book。 The insight into the newspaper industry was interesting， especially as today the printed news is somewhat a dying industry。 All that manual typing and carbon paper。 Takes me back to my youth and my mother typing away in a similar fashion。。。 I understand that the author was part of that scene in her own past and that side of things really did feel real。 The two main threads were also both well plotted and executed and held my attention well enough。 When a certain incident happens towards the end of the book， it could refer back to either and so there was more to narrow down to figure out what actually happened。 I did enjoy that side of things。 Sorry for being oblique but I don't want to spoil things。 All in all， a good introduction to what looks like being a cracking new series， and indeed character who I think has a lot more to give。 Looking forward to reconnecting with her in book two。 My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little， Brown Book Group for an advance copy of 1979， the first novel to feature reporter Allie Burns， set in Glasgow in 1979。Allie has just landed a reporting job at the Daily Clarion， a Glasgow tabloid， but to get away from miracle baby type stories and make her mark in the male dominated newspaper world she needs some hard hitting stories。 She teams up with fellow journalist， Danny Sullivan， to investigate first white collar crime then home grown terrorism。 I would like to thank Netgalley and Little， Brown Book Group for an advance copy of 1979， the first novel to feature reporter Allie Burns， set in Glasgow in 1979。Allie has just landed a reporting job at the Daily Clarion， a Glasgow tabloid， but to get away from miracle baby type stories and make her mark in the male dominated newspaper world she needs some hard hitting stories。 She teams up with fellow journalist， Danny Sullivan， to investigate first white collar crime then home grown terrorism。I thoroughly enjoyed 1979 which is a good thriller with a slightly old fashioned feel to it and most apt for the setting。 Of course， it being set in home territory for me doesn’t hurt as familiarity with the locations and local patois （or patter as we like to call it） creates a vested interest and identification。 The novel is told from Allie’s point of view with Danny providing an expanded viewpoint as necessary。 This allows the reader to get involved in the story and root for them when the going gets tough。 Interestingly the novel covers not only their investigation but the fight to get what they’ve uncovered published。 There is plenty of discussion with lawyers and the news editor before print。 It’s an aspect of journalism that most of us don’t think about。 There is another matter of the law raised that seems preposterous to us in the 21st century， but was the case in 1979。The two major investigations that Allie and Danny scoop are slightly perfunctory， because it’s what happens after them that leads to the third scoop， the saddest of them as it becomes personal。The novel held my attention throughout for the writing style that urges the reader on， the great period setting and the home location。 The plot is good as well with three mini plots and a bit of fluff reporting to really show the working life of a junior reporter， albeit one with ambition。1979 is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Jill
，
The start of a new series， 1979 marks something of a change of direction for Val McDermid as she moves away from a crime fiction setting into investigative journalism。 Here we are introduced to Allie Burns， an investigative journalist working for the Glasgow Daily Clarion， looking to make a name for herself with something a little more substantial than the ‘women’s stories’ usually assigned to female journalists。 Alongside her colleague Danny Sullivan， she enters a world of international fax fra The start of a new series， 1979 marks something of a change of direction for Val McDermid as she moves away from a crime fiction setting into investigative journalism。 Here we are introduced to Allie Burns， an investigative journalist working for the Glasgow Daily Clarion， looking to make a name for herself with something a little more substantial than the ‘women’s stories’ usually assigned to female journalists。 Alongside her colleague Danny Sullivan， she enters a world of international fax fraud， attempted terrorism and， eventually， murder。。。I’m a huge fan of Val McDermid and have read the majority of her work。 Although on the whole I enjoyed this book， I do have mixed feelings about it。 The plot of 1979 can be roughly divided into three sections; I felt that each seemed to lack the detail and depth I would normally associate with the author and the eventual denouement seemed decidedly rushed。 Some of the characters also felt a little less nuanced than I would expect; Danny in particular seemed rather unrealistically naïve， given his profession。 Ultimately， perhaps investigative journalism is not as engaging to me as a police procedural。 There is plenty of potential for this series， moving forwards。 I’m looking forward to seeing how the character of Allie develops。 I also think the period setting offers plenty of scope for the author to explore the attitudes and politics of the time。 I will definitely continue with the series。 For me this was a solid read， but perhaps not one of McDermid’s best。Thank you to NetGalley and Little， Brown Book Group UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
McBreakneck
，
A new book by 'Queen Of Crime' Val McDermid is always a big event， the first book in a new series？ One of the most anticipated books of the year。Set in 1979， the two main characters are Danny Sullivan and Allie （Alison） Burns， junior reporters on the Clarion， Scotland's best selling daily paper。The characters， the period and the atmosphere are brilliantly portrayed， with an unflinchingly authentic attention to detail drawn from the author's own life and career。The plot？ At first it feels a bit d A new book by 'Queen Of Crime' Val McDermid is always a big event， the first book in a new series？ One of the most anticipated books of the year。Set in 1979， the two main characters are Danny Sullivan and Allie （Alison） Burns， junior reporters on the Clarion， Scotland's best selling daily paper。The characters， the period and the atmosphere are brilliantly portrayed， with an unflinchingly authentic attention to detail drawn from the author's own life and career。The plot？ At first it feels a bit different， where are the Police， who's committing the serious crimes？ It starts with Danny and Allie chasing stories to report on and it doesn't take long to undercover the big one that could cause them both a lot of serious trouble。If you've read Val McDermid's books you'll know they can often start slowly， before building up to a vice-like tension， and she's done it again here。 The second half is spectacular， with a completely unpredictable plot wrapped around the characters you've already got to know so well。Absolutely compelling， deeply emotionally involving， simply brilliant and the best new book from Val McDermid for a few years。 A contender for the book of the year。I can't wait to see where these characters go next。Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group。 。。。more
Louise
，
Hang on，hang on。 A McDermid book with no psycho killer and no bodies stacking up？ How can this be？This can actually be，very very good。The first in a new series，that gives us journalist Allie Burns in Scotland 1979。Where McDermid has amazingly made it feel fairly modern。 So many times the lack of today's modern technology makes a story feel dated，but not so this time。Full of characters that will hopefully become firm fixtures，I'm hoping to get to know the offices of the Clarion fairly well over n Hang on，hang on。 A McDermid book with no psycho killer and no bodies stacking up？ How can this be？This can actually be，very very good。The first in a new series，that gives us journalist Allie Burns in Scotland 1979。Where McDermid has amazingly made it feel fairly modern。 So many times the lack of today's modern technology makes a story feel dated，but not so this time。Full of characters that will hopefully become firm fixtures，I'm hoping to get to know the offices of the Clarion fairly well over next few years。Nicely plotted，full of details of the time，and just an all round blinking good read。But with McDermid，when is it never？ 。。。more
Angela Thompson
，
1979 by Val McDermid1979。 It is the winter of discontent， and reporter Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop。 There are few women in the newsroom and she needs something explosive for the boys' club to take her seriously。Soon Allie and fellow journalist Danny Sullivan are exposing the criminal underbelly of respectable Scotland。 They risk making powerful enemies - and Allie won't stop there。I enjoyed the first in a new series， we are introduced to Allie Burns & Danny Sullivan who are journa 1979 by Val McDermid1979。 It is the winter of discontent， and reporter Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop。 There are few women in the newsroom and she needs something explosive for the boys' club to take her seriously。Soon Allie and fellow journalist Danny Sullivan are exposing the criminal underbelly of respectable Scotland。 They risk making powerful enemies - and Allie won't stop there。I enjoyed the first in a new series， we are introduced to Allie Burns & Danny Sullivan who are journalists who are waiting to hit it big with the best scoops。Danny is on the cusp of getting the news on a Mr 。 Big and he is secretly doing it through his businessmen brother 。What I like about novels by Val McDermid is that she really gets under the skin of her characters ， good or bad 。 This gives us ， the reader a real insight to the underbelly of those we'd never meet in real life。A very good read。 。。。more
Tatiana
，
A new series by Val McDermid？！ Yes， please！
Priya
，
The setting and the theme for a new series is good and different。 But the pace is slow and more like a literary fiction showcasing how a story breaks in a newspaper。 The murder and the reveal towards the conclusion feels like an afterthought。 The misogynistic atmosphere in workplace doesn’t seem to be much different from now。 3。5 stars
Ceecee
，
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 po 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。 。。。more
Jen
，
I'd love to say I'm not old enough remember 1979 but I'm be almost lying。 Almost。 I'm old enough， technically， memories are a bit sketchy though。 I've photos from around that era， but I can't say I've got much by way of conscious recollection of the era， and as a toddler/mini human， in spite of holidaying in Scotland most summers around that time， I certainly had no awareness of the call for devolution or the IRA or an of the other moments of history that come to inform 1979。 For me， seeing the I'd love to say I'm not old enough remember 1979 but I'm be almost lying。 Almost。 I'm old enough， technically， memories are a bit sketchy though。 I've photos from around that era， but I can't say I've got much by way of conscious recollection of the era， and as a toddler/mini human， in spite of holidaying in Scotland most summers around that time， I certainly had no awareness of the call for devolution or the IRA or an of the other moments of history that come to inform 1979。 For me， seeing the past through aged and acutely aware eyes made this a very intriguing and engrossing story。 Although fictionalised， much of what happens in this novel is grounded in truth， and taken from the very real history of Scotland at this time。 It's given the Val McDermid treatment， obviously， but combining that fact and fiction gave the whole book a kind of authenticity that you could almost picture it as more a biography than a work of fiction。And maybe the reason for that lies in the author's own experiences and history which are echoed in the book。 This is the story of Allie Burns， a relatively new journalist， struggling to be taken seriously in a career， and a world， that is still dominated by men。 She is a woman who knows what she wants， is ambitious and is clearly very switched on and with an eye for a story， as any good journalist should be， but pushed into producing the fluff pieces for the Clarion， the Glasgow based newspaper where she works。 Stories deemed far more suited to her gender， if not her talent。 Against the odds， she finds herself front and centre of two major scoops for the paper， one of her making， one in support of friend and colleague Danny Sullivan， both stories that will send shockwaves across the city。I really liked Allie as a character。 She is very down to earth， but determined。 There were a couple of times when you have to wonder if her journalistic spidey senses were always working at full strength given she missed some rather clear signals about at least one of the people in her life， but when it comes to a story， she is absolutely spot on。 She has a real nose for it， able to take a basic lead and find the real story at the heart of it。 Intrepid， I suppose。 Maybe a trifle cliched， but often used to describe an investigative journalist， and in this case quite fitting。 Between them， it's fair to say that Allie and Danny push the boundaries a little when chasing a story， but all for the greater good and it certainly adds a layer of tension and urgency to this particular story。This is a slower paced book， a good deal of it spent in the setting up of the investigations as well as getting to know the key players within the story。 That's not to say that it is without the tension or the pace。 It isn't。 The book is set at a very key moment in Scottish history， with the bid for devolution and separation from Westminster， with shadows cast across the story from the other side of the Irish sea， and the ongoing conflict between the armed forces and the IRA。 Add in another story thread which could have been ripped from the headlines in the past couple of years， never mind the end of the seventies， a story of the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor and you get a really intriguing and compelling look into the world of journalism that will make you smile， laugh， pause and hold your breath in equal measure。 There is also an element of murder mystery in this book， a story which becomes very personal for the Clarion team and which enhances the sense of threat that builds in the latter stages of the book。 There are so many suspects， so many people with cause to hold a grudge against the victim， that you could almost play eeny-meeny to take a stab at who actually did it。I'm really intrigued to see where Val McDermid takes this series。 Allie is a character who has real potential to develop and grow， both in her career and learning more about her personally， and there are so many headlines and incidents from the early eighties that inspiration shouldn't be lacking。 You are really drawn into the heart of this novel with characters and stories so well fleshed out that they feel real。 The fact that the author is able to draw on her own experience， coupled with her natural ability to spin a bloody good tale means I am definitely looking forward to reading more。 。。。more
Annette
，
Oh it was great to be transported back to 1979， away from current COVID restrictions。 I’d truly forgotten what we worried about in the 1970s but Val McDermid’s new crime thriller certainly jogged my memory。 It also reminded me of the fabulous pop stars and music of the day- I was a big Bay City Roller fan and I could just imagine driving along with the Tom Robinson Band on the car radio as Danny does！Allie Burns is a young reporter working in Glasgow for The Clarion， fresh from Cambridge and a j Oh it was great to be transported back to 1979， away from current COVID restrictions。 I’d truly forgotten what we worried about in the 1970s but Val McDermid’s new crime thriller certainly jogged my memory。 It also reminded me of the fabulous pop stars and music of the day- I was a big Bay City Roller fan and I could just imagine driving along with the Tom Robinson Band on the car radio as Danny does！Allie Burns is a young reporter working in Glasgow for The Clarion， fresh from Cambridge and a journalism course she is keen to make an impression with her new colleagues。 However this is not 2021 and she is a woman working in a man’s world。 She is tough and does not suffer fools gladly but has to put up with poor assignments which are apparently “suitable for a woman” as well as a level of mysogony from her male colleagues。She is drawn to Danny， another young reporter。 He treats her well and once trust has been established he invites her to help him on an assignment to bring down an insurance company that is committing fraud by aiding clients to evade tax。 His own brother is involved and he is very torn about how to investigate the story without revealing that Joseph is involved。Scotland in the 1970s is looking towards devolution and some want independence- not so different from nowadays。 However Danny and Ally get involved in a nationalist terrorist plot involving the IRA as they go undercover to research their story。This is a gritty and compelling read with a fabulous cast of characters。 Allie Burns really got under my skin and I’m definitely looking forward to her next outing as this book has been advertised as the first in a new series。The setting was well described， and I really felt that I was walking the streets of 1970s Glasgow。 The cold of the freezing Winter was almost like another character in the book。 The prejudices of this time were many and it’s hard to believe that it was only 40 years ago。 How glad I am that things have changed in a more positive way in 2021。The newspaper setting was very authentic- it was obvious that the author had first hand knowledge of working for the press at this time。My overall impression was that this was a fabulous read and I highly recommend it 。Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for my arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Paromjit
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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 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。 。。。more
Shirley Schwartz
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Val McDermid is very well-known for her her series Wire in the Blood。 She is known as the Queen of Crime in the UK。 This book is very different from that series。 This book is the first in the Allie Burns series。 Allie is a young and eager reporter for the Clarion in Glasgow。 She is eager to "make her bones" as an investigative reporter， but it is difficult in 1979 for her to be taken seriously。 She is relegated to puff-pieces and light stories until Danny Sullivan approaches her to help him writ Val McDermid is very well-known for her her series Wire in the Blood。 She is known as the Queen of Crime in the UK。 This book is very different from that series。 This book is the first in the Allie Burns series。 Allie is a young and eager reporter for the Clarion in Glasgow。 She is eager to "make her bones" as an investigative reporter， but it is difficult in 1979 for her to be taken seriously。 She is relegated to puff-pieces and light stories until Danny Sullivan approaches her to help him write a story he has uncovered about a big money-laundering and tax evasion scheme occurring within a company in Glasgow。 Danny's brother works for this company and it appears to Danny that he is in it up to his ears。 The story comes out and Danny and Allie get some recognition from it， but it blows up Danny's family。 Then the two are on the scent of another story about some n'er do wells who want to become the Scottish Republican Army。 Danny goes undercover to track the story and puts himself in grave danger。 Allie is drawn in to it as well。 All does not end well for the two intrepid reporters。 The book lagged a bit for me at the beginning but it definitely picked up about half-way through。 Val McDermid covers her story， her timeframe and her characters very well like the master that she is。 This book certainly piqued my interest for reading further books in the series。 Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for providing me with a free early review copy of this book。 I would like to show my appreciation by submitting this review。 。。。more
Pgchuis
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I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley。This is set in a newspaper office and features Allie and Danny， young journalists eager to make a name for themselves。 I didn't really warm to either of them and Danny seemed almost wilfully naive at times。 There was much more telling than showing， and the stories they worked on （there were two unconnected main storylines， which followed one after the other， almost like two distinct novels） managed to be simultaneously unbelievable I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley。This is set in a newspaper office and features Allie and Danny， young journalists eager to make a name for themselves。 I didn't really warm to either of them and Danny seemed almost wilfully naive at times。 There was much more telling than showing， and the stories they worked on （there were two unconnected main storylines， which followed one after the other， almost like two distinct novels） managed to be simultaneously unbelievable and underwhelming。 Depressing and disappointing。 。。。more
Ralph Blackburn
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1979 by Val McDermid（Allie Burns #1）- A new series from Val McDermid begins with a female journalist， Allie Burns， moving to Glasgow， Scotland to work as a reporter for a local newspaper。 There she finds herself either clueless about how to carry on or too smart for her own good。 She makes friends with a young reporter， Danny Sullivan， who is aching for a big break as well。 Danny has a plan for a story， but Allie sees that if he goes through with it， his loving family will toss him aside。 She tr 1979 by Val McDermid（Allie Burns #1）- A new series from Val McDermid begins with a female journalist， Allie Burns， moving to Glasgow， Scotland to work as a reporter for a local newspaper。 There she finds herself either clueless about how to carry on or too smart for her own good。 She makes friends with a young reporter， Danny Sullivan， who is aching for a big break as well。 Danny has a plan for a story， but Allie sees that if he goes through with it， his loving family will toss him aside。 She tries to help him， steer him away from trouble， but its to no avail。 This leads them both into danger from someone they were unaware of at the time。Pop culture references to music， films and even TV shows are scattered here and there。 So is the political climate of Scotland during this tumultuous year。 The story is well written and will definitely find an audience。 For me there was too many long， drawn-out， conversations between Allie and almost everyone else。 Also， I'm used to a Val McDermid novel being more dark and sinister。 。。。more
Liz Filleul
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3。5 starsI have mixed feelings about this book。 It's the first in a new series by Val McDermid， one of my all-time favourite authors， and I really like the concept， which will show the changes in Scotland （I assume） over a 40-year period through the eyes of news journalist Allie Burns。 Tumultuous years for journalism， and it will be interesting to see how Allie's career develops。As a former journalist， I'm always captured by a newspaper setting， so I really enjoyed 1979 from that perspective。 An 3。5 starsI have mixed feelings about this book。 It's the first in a new series by Val McDermid， one of my all-time favourite authors， and I really like the concept， which will show the changes in Scotland （I assume） over a 40-year period through the eyes of news journalist Allie Burns。 Tumultuous years for journalism， and it will be interesting to see how Allie's career develops。As a former journalist， I'm always captured by a newspaper setting， so I really enjoyed 1979 from that perspective。 And I liked the two main characters， Allie and her colleague Danny， a lot， so 1979 was an easy read。But！ There were so many expressions the characters used that I'm sure people just didn't say in 1979。 I was a teenager during the Winter of Discontent， but cannot recall expressions like "getting all my ducks in a row" and "but here's the thing" being used back then。 They sound very 21st century and were very jarring。While I enjoyed the two investigations carried out by Allie and Danny， I thought the second one was too set up by Danny， and lost some sympathy with the characters at that point。 Finally， having the （view spoiler）[murder near the end of the book （hide spoiler）] meant that the denouement felt rushed。 I also thought the identity of the murderer was obvious， but that could be because I've read a lot of crime fiction。 I shall read the next in the series， because I'm invested in Allie's career and the continued social history of Scotland/the UK。 But I don't think Val's more recent work， including this book， is as good as her 1990s/early 2000s novels。 She did set the bar extremely high for herself， though。 Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of the book。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I love all the Val McDermid books and really enjoy how she builds the series over time。 I was a little worried about the switch from crime to investigative news but should have had faith。 As usual， she builds compelling characters， interesting stories and keeps a nice thread of suspense and mystery through the whole story。 I also love how she lets the location play as part of the story。 I'm not the biggest fan of 70s era stories but I think she does a great job setting the tone （I also loved her I love all the Val McDermid books and really enjoy how she builds the series over time。 I was a little worried about the switch from crime to investigative news but should have had faith。 As usual， she builds compelling characters， interesting stories and keeps a nice thread of suspense and mystery through the whole story。 I also love how she lets the location play as part of the story。 I'm not the biggest fan of 70s era stories but I think she does a great job setting the tone （I also loved her inclusion of the 70s-ish soundtrack she listened to in the end notes）。This new series centers around Allie Burns， an early in her career journalist， looking to make a name for herself。 It goes through the process of 2 investigative stories， with a third mystery breaking out mid novel。 In some ways the story of Allie and her fight to be respected by her colleagues shows how far we've come since 1979。。。and in others， how little has really changed。 That is a great perspective from the setting back in time。Definitely look forward to more of Allie's adventures in the future！I received an advance copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Barbara Fisher
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So sorry but not a great read！ Yes， there’s an atmospheric build-up but the core of the book’s setting is wrong （for me）。 A novel without the Internet， where the characters “call on the telephone”rather than message via mobile， or send a letter rather than email is a distraction。 To “get” the social， political， economic and technological setting of the 70s you’d have to have been born in 1961 to even have reached the tender age of 18 in 1979 - so we are looking at a current readership of a post So sorry but not a great read！ Yes， there’s an atmospheric build-up but the core of the book’s setting is wrong （for me）。 A novel without the Internet， where the characters “call on the telephone”rather than message via mobile， or send a letter rather than email is a distraction。 To “get” the social， political， economic and technological setting of the 70s you’d have to have been born in 1961 to even have reached the tender age of 18 in 1979 - so we are looking at a current readership of a post aged 60 age group who could begin to find this era relatable。 Of course age becomes irrelevant when looking at an era of more widespread interest historically e。g。 World War One。。。But the 70s？？！！ Hardly an era of general fascination。 And the IRA？ When today’s terrorism is so very different？ How many under 55s can relate to that。 It’s a poor choice of era/setting for most to relate to I’m afraid。 。。。more
Louise Gray
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Val McDermid is yet to write a book I have not enjoyed。 Her ability to build tension in the context of “normal” life is astonishing。 To go into some of the really clever aspects of this particular work would be to reveal spoilers， but suffice to say that every character has many sides。 Setting the story in the context of the late seventies， with the rampant （and legally supported…） homophobia and a hot political climate was an added bonus， especially for those readers who grew up in that era。
Jennybeast
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I wondered whether I'd like this one， and it turns out the answer is no。 Even Val McDermid cannot overcome my indifference to the 70's and my dislike of the lives of journalists。 The two together are insurmountable。 It's not you， it's me。 Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss。 I wondered whether I'd like this one， and it turns out the answer is no。 Even Val McDermid cannot overcome my indifference to the 70's and my dislike of the lives of journalists。 The two together are insurmountable。 It's not you， it's me。 Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss。 。。。more
Jackie
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Allie （Alison） Burns is a Scottish journalist， new to the Stratclyde section of Glasgow in 1979， when she meets fellow journalist Danny Sullivan。 They strike up a friendship， and try to thwart two threats: the Tartan Terrorist's plans to effect bomb political targets like their IRA counterparts， and tax evasion by Paragon operatives which include Danny's brother。 Allie deals with misogynistic colleagues， and many other obstacles during her investigations， and is a very relatable protagonist。 Goo Allie （Alison） Burns is a Scottish journalist， new to the Stratclyde section of Glasgow in 1979， when she meets fellow journalist Danny Sullivan。 They strike up a friendship， and try to thwart two threats: the Tartan Terrorist's plans to effect bomb political targets like their IRA counterparts， and tax evasion by Paragon operatives which include Danny's brother。 Allie deals with misogynistic colleagues， and many other obstacles during her investigations， and is a very relatable protagonist。 Good read！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=1979
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=1979&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,1979&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0