1979

Written by Val McDermid

Narrated by Katie Leung

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705045626

Val McDermid

VAL McDERMID is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty crime novels. She has won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; her novels have been selected as New York Times Notable Books and have been Edgar Award finalists. She was the 2010 recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Crime Writing. More than 10 million copies of her books have been sold around the world. She lives in the north of England. Visit her website at www.valmcdermid.com.

Reviews for 1979

[janet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good story well written. I can't wait to read the next book

[Brian Greenway · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent narration. Perceptive insights into the reasons for bias and stereotyping both by the press and the police in the 70's.

[Duchess Sarah Ferguson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

[Book rating: 5*, Audiobook Rating 4*]
Val McDermid has used her time in lockdown productively, creating 1979 - the first in what will be a new series, featuring Glasgow-based investigative journalist Allie Burns as its heroine.
1979 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. Val McDermid 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! (Val McDermid 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, 1979 is a literary side-step from Val McDermid'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 Katie Leung (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 1979 to new and existing fans of the Queen of Crime, Val McDermid. 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 1979 a rewarding and stimulating read. I can't wait to read future instalments in the Allie Burns series!

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been reading books by Val McDermid for almost 20 years but she continues to surprise me with her plots. I listened to this one, narrated by Katie Leung, and loved the accents. They made the story seem so Scottish in a way that reading a book doesn't quite do.

It's the year 1979 and Allie Burns is a journalist working at the Clarion newspaper in Glasgow. On a train trip back from visiting her family in Edinburgh for Christmas she runs into her co-worker, Danny Sullivan. The train gets stopped by snow and then a woman goes into labour. Danny and Allie help deliver the baby and Allie writes up the story for the paper. Danny doesn't want his part in it mentioned because he's working on a big investigation about an insurance company fraud. The company is Paragon insurance and Danny's brother, Joseph, is involved up to his neck. Allie, who is the better writer of the two, drafts the article and she and Danny agree tokeep Joseph's name out of it. Despite this Joseph is fired and Danny's parents blame Danny, causing a huge rift between him and the rest of the family. Allie, meanwhile, has been following the Scottish Independence vote story and has heard some guys plotting to plant bombs like the IRA do. Unable to go undercover herself, she convinces Danny to do it and soon he is plotting to get bomb making materials with the other three. The paper's editor is closely supervising this and he gets a few other staffers involved. The crime beat reporter brings in a source who is with the secret police. When Danny sees him he almost has a heart attack. See, Danny is gay (remember this is 1979 and sex between people of the same gender is still illegal) and he has seen the source in gay bars. Lately, he saw this man "snogging" with another of the terrorism plotters. He tells Allie about this, which means coming out of the closet to her but Allie is fine with that. Since this is a mystery, you know someone is going to be killed but I'm not going to disclose who that is. Read the book yourself.

We are planning a trip to Scotland this summer and we have a few days in Glasgow so I'm trying to get a feel for the place through my reading choices. I think I'll have to read/listen to the follow-up before we go.

[librarygeek33 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy Val McDermid's mystery stories. This one didn't have as much scottish atmosphere as some which is what I really enjoy the most about them.

[katiekrug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The best part of this crime novel was the vivid setting - Glasgow in 1979. McDermid deftly weaves contemporaneous cultural and societal and historical references into the narrative. And she's created an interesting character in Allie Burns, a rookie reporter at a daily newspaper.

What didn't work for me was the actual plot - it was both over-simplified and required a degree of suspension of disbelief that I couldn't muster. That said, this is the first in a series, and I would definitely give #2 a try.

3.5 stars

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[daftboy1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 1st book in the series starring Allie Burns a reporter from the Glasgow based Daily Clarion.
She is seen by the old Male hacks as a silly wee lassie, Newsrooms in those days were like old boys clubs and they spent lots of time in the Pub, but she teams up with a nice young colleague called Danny Sullivan they expose a major Tax fraud case that has turned Danny's family against him as his brother Joseph worked for this insurance company who was carrying out this fraud.
Allie move on to next big scoop that involves Scottish independence militants who want to cause havoc with a bombing spree. (1979 was a big year for Scotland the country was going through transition and the Nationalists for gaining a foothold in politics) The potential bombers buy explosives with the help of Danny's money.
They need to keep their investigation under wraps. They might some dodgy dangerous people along the way.
Danny is brutally murdered Ali who really liked him finds his body. Danny was in the closet as being Gay in Scotland in those days was a big shame.
Allie has a few suspects she thinks could have committed the murder but it turns out to be his brother Joseph as he was after Danny's money and life insurance from the newspaper.

I am looking forward to reading 1989 next book in this series.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The start of what seems to be another great series from Val McDermid, this one set in the journalistic milieu of late 1970s Glasgow. Hard to put down and a very enjoyable read.

[northernteacher-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I'm a great fan of Val McDermid usually but decided that I had to close the book at page 44 and not reopen it. I was in my 20's during the title period and was sure I would enjoy it but there were too many plots, characters and overall disbelief for me to be bothered. A pity.

[runner56_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Let me say from the start that I am a no 1 fan of Mz McDermid and rate the Karen Pirie as one of the best if not the best modern detective series. By comparison 1979 is terrible. New kids on the block Allie and Danny want and need a front page scope. Danny in particular is hoping to become the new Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein and unbelieveably a story presents itself very close to home. No sooner can the reader catch his breath than Allie discovers a terrorist threat in the heart of Scotland and with Danny's help hopes to make the big time. This is 1979 and homophobia, misogyny, heavy male drinking back slapping culture is all the rage and quite rightly Val McDermid incorporates these vital elements within her story. I use the word story loosely, the plot is way over the top, reminiscent of a badly made for tv series, and whilst i laud her highlighting issues of the time, the overall effect makes for very poor reading. Avoid at all costs!

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

1979 is a new series featuring reporter Allie Burns. At The Clarion, Allie isn't taken seriously because she is a woman, only getting puff pieces to write or edit. When she becomes friends with another reporter, Danny Sullivan, they team to break two stories, one involving money laundering and the second to crack a terrorist plot. Meanwhile, Rona, another reporter, takes Allie under her wing, advising Allie on how to build up contacts and how to dress more fashionably.
I enjoyed this series debut, although the Scottish dialect had me puzzling over some parts. I look forward to more Allie Burns novels.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Allie Burns and Daniel Sullivan are colleagues at the Clarion, in Glasgow. Their first collaborative effort comes as the result of Danny delivering a baby on the Glasgow train. Allie writes the story up.

Their next story results from Danny realising that his own brother is working as a courier for a company which has put some tax evasion schemes in place. Joseph is obviously getting a kickback from the scheme. Eventually Danny and Allie investigate the scheme and their exposure results in a much higher profile for both of them at the Clarion.

But their next investigation is much more dangerous.

A very good read, as one would expect from a writer of McDermid's standing.

[pomo58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a big fan of Val McDermid I wanted to like this novel more than I did. It isn't that 1979 is a weak novel, I think it is a very good glimpse of the period and sets up the rest of the series very well. I am just used to far more tension and edge-of-my-seat suspense, if not downright fear. So it is less about the quality of the book than about what I was expecting.

Having said that, I loved being transported back to that time period. McDermid mines her own experience as a journalist during this time to offer a fine look at what it was like, terminology and conversational phrases included. I found myself enjoying this aspect as much as the stories/cases that form the crime element of the novel.

While there will likely be other readers such as myself who come to the book expecting something grittier or darker, I think most readers will come away both invested in Allie Burns and curious to see where she is in ten years. As a first book in a seemingly very structured series I fully expect to look back on this book fondly after reading the rest of the installments.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Val McDermid has been one of our most prolific crime novelists, and has now published more than forty books, including four series focusing on different protagonists. However, she has not allowed the sheer volume of her output to compromise its quality, and she is known for her watertight plots, finely drawn characters, and empathetic lead protagonists.

This novel marks the start of a new series, following Alison (“Allie”) Burns, a young reporter on a Glasgow-based newspaper. McDermid’s career also featured a period as a crime reporter, and her insights into the chauvinistic attitudes proliferating throughout the press corps in the late 1970s emerges very clearly. As the novel opens, Allie is on a train travelling back to Glasgow after her visit home for Christmas. She notices that a fellow passenger is Danny Sullivan, one of her colleagues from the paper. Having previously only had a nodding acquaintance, following an unusual incident on the journey, they become friends, and end up working together on a couple of major stories: one arising out of an investigation that Danny had been following in his own time for months, and the other from a lead and suspicion that Allie had allowed to ferment for a while.

I was just sixteen back in 1979, but remember it very clearly. Now it is most frequently thought of as following the ‘winter of discontent’ when the government, led by Jim Callaghan, was beset with strikes across much of the country, unemployment started to rise, and the economy was still fragile after the bailouts from the IMF. McDermid captures the feel of the time admirably, with casual references to the popular hits of the time, and the stilted fare available on television (just here channels back then, of course).

One of the big stories brewing at that time was the referendum in Scotland over the possibility of devolution. The Scottish National Party at that time had nine MPs in Westminster. While this is a mere fraction of their current parliamentary presence, at that time it marked the peak of their success, and was enough of a cabal to prove significant when the party withdrew its support for Callaghan’s government after the result of the referendum was announced.

The two principal journalistic stories develop powerfully as the novel progresses, and Allie in particular emerges as a very empathetic character I won’t say much more for fear of inadvertent spoilers, but I was very impressed with the book as a whole, and am looking forward to the next episodes in the series.

[pgchuis · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.