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2022 British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (shortlist)
2022 Macavity Award for Best Novel (nominee)
A Scottish journalist is drawn into a world of corruption, terror, and murder in the new novel by ‘one of crime fiction’s most eminent writers’ (Entertainment Weekly).
The year started badly and only got worse—blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest were the norm. For investigative journalist Allie Burns, however, someone else’s bad news was the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, and 1979 is ripe with possibilities.
But Allie is a woman in what is still 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 an impending referendum. And then Danny is found murdered in his flat. For Allie, investigative journalism just got personal.
The debut of an intense new series, 1979 is an atmospheric journey into the past with intriguing insight into the present, from a Diamond Dagger winner and multiple Edgar Award finalist.
‘The queen of psychological thrillers.’ —Irish Independent
‘There are few other crime writers in the same league.’ —The Washington Post
Genre: Mystery
The year started badly and only got worse—blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest were the norm. For investigative journalist Allie Burns, however, someone else’s bad news was the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, and 1979 is ripe with possibilities.
But Allie is a woman in what is still 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 an impending referendum. And then Danny is found murdered in his flat. For Allie, investigative journalism just got personal.
The debut of an intense new series, 1979 is an atmospheric journey into the past with intriguing insight into the present, from a Diamond Dagger winner and multiple Edgar Award finalist.
‘The queen of psychological thrillers.’ —Irish Independent
‘There are few other crime writers in the same league.’ —The Washington Post
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Remarkable and compelling . . . the Queen of Crime has delivered another masterpiece." - David Baldacci
"A brilliant thriller, as well as a perfect snapshot of the social and political issues of the time." - Linwood Barclay
"Absolutely fantastic. I have been reading Val McDermid for twenty-five years, so I am really saying something when I tell you I enjoyed this novel the most." - Chris Brookmyre
"Brilliant characters, masterful plotting and a pitch-perfect evocation of the heyday of newspapers. I loved it." - Chris Hammer
"Packed full of Val McDermid's trademark brilliance, 1979 is a thrilling snapshot of a fascinating era." - Jane Harper
"A new series from Val McDermid promises to be an event - and 1979 delivers. Full of wit, thrills and incisive social observation and features a marvellous new character to follow through the years to come." - Mick Herron
"A brilliant novel by a supremo of the genre at the height of her powers. A cast of engaging new characters promise to make this an unmissable new series." - Peter James
"Val McDermid is the absolute QUEEN. Allie is a fabulous character, I'll go wherever she takes me and I'm dying to see what she does next." - Marian Keyes
"Unrivalled. Unmissable. Unforgettable. 1979 is Val McDermid at her nail-biting, heart-rending best." - Chris Whitaker
"A brilliant thriller, as well as a perfect snapshot of the social and political issues of the time." - Linwood Barclay
"Absolutely fantastic. I have been reading Val McDermid for twenty-five years, so I am really saying something when I tell you I enjoyed this novel the most." - Chris Brookmyre
"Brilliant characters, masterful plotting and a pitch-perfect evocation of the heyday of newspapers. I loved it." - Chris Hammer
"Packed full of Val McDermid's trademark brilliance, 1979 is a thrilling snapshot of a fascinating era." - Jane Harper
"A new series from Val McDermid promises to be an event - and 1979 delivers. Full of wit, thrills and incisive social observation and features a marvellous new character to follow through the years to come." - Mick Herron
"A brilliant novel by a supremo of the genre at the height of her powers. A cast of engaging new characters promise to make this an unmissable new series." - Peter James
"Val McDermid is the absolute QUEEN. Allie is a fabulous character, I'll go wherever she takes me and I'm dying to see what she does next." - Marian Keyes
"Unrivalled. Unmissable. Unforgettable. 1979 is Val McDermid at her nail-biting, heart-rending best." - Chris Whitaker
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