Reviews
Reviews
The Queen of Crime has done it again, this time with Allie Burns, a relentless investigative journalist who birddogs crime and terror back in the days of typewriters and smoke-filled newsrooms. Masterfully set in Edinburgh, 1979 transports us from the first page. Val McDermid’s latest is more than just a compelling story. It’s an irresistible and palpable journey that’s especially gratifying in today’s remote world. – Patricia Cornwell
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 and a thrilling addition to the genre. – Peter James
A tour-de-force by the amazing McDermid. From the very first pages she effortlessly transports us back in time . . . The plot and characters are remarkable and compelling. Hopefully, we will see the crackerjack Allie Burns back on the pages. The Queen of Crime has delivered another masterpiece. – David Baldacci
Val McDermid is the absolute QUEEN. It’s great that this is the first of a new series. Allie is a fabulous character, I’ll go wherever she takes me and I’m dying to see what she does next. – Marian Keyes
Packed full of Val McDermid’s trademark brilliance, 1979 is a thrilling snapshot of a fascinating era. – Jane Harper
McDermid is at her considerable best here . . . The good news is that this excellent novel marks the start of a new series. ― Guardian
A brilliant thriller, as well as a perfect snapshot of the social and political issues of the time. If there’s a novel that better captures what working on a newspaper was like back in the day, I can’t think of it. – Linwood Barclay
Unrivalled. Unmissable. Unforgettable. 1979 is Val McDermid at her nail-biting, heart-rending best. – Chris Whitaker
While “gripping” is an adjective over-used in book reviews, it’s a fitting description of a sensational novel. A surefire bestseller from one of Britain’s most accomplished writers. ― Sunday Express
A new series from Val McDermid promises to be an event – and 1979 delivers. It’s full of wit, thrills and incisive social observation, and features, in Allie Burns, a marvellous new character to follow through the years to come. – Mick Herron
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. Immersive in its authenticity and pungently atmospheric . . . For someone who remembers the print newsrooms in their heyday, it was a trip into the past so realistic I could smell the fag smoke on my clothes. – Chris Brookmyre
McDermid can do edge-of-seat suspense better than most novelists . . . An excellent opener to what promises to be an outstanding series. ― Spectator
Brilliant characters, masterful plotting and a pitch-perfect evocation of the heyday of newspapers. I loved it. – Chris Hammer
A nail-biting new series. ― Observer
A fast-paced triple whammy of a thriller, with all three plots, each credible, running simultaneously. It uses all the crime-writing skills she has honed over the years, and adds something else – a pin-sharp portrait of tabloid journalism in its messy, misogynistic 1970s heyday. Allie Burns is off to a flying start, and well worth following down the decades. ― The Scotsman
Val McDermid was a newshound at the time and it shows . . . This is her best book in years. ― The Times, Book of the Month
Allie is a gratifyingly multi-faceted character, and the sociopolitical elements here add a frisson. ― Financial Times
The work of a writer at the peak of her powers. ― Herald
The fast-paced storytelling flows irresistibly, and McDermid marshals a wide-ranging cast of characters with aplomb. ― Irish Times
Her evocation of the Winter of Discontent is spare and skilful . . . allowing the characters, not the period, to take centre stage. ― Scotland on Sunday
Captures the bleakness and misery of the era with pitch-perfect accuracy. ― Irish Independent
A superb evocation of the humiliations and triumphs of being a junior reporter, set against the backdrop of the broken Britain of 1979 . . . Riveting. ― Daily Express
A novel as touching as it is gripping. ― Big Issue
There are all sorts of reasons to love this book, from the unvarnished truth about newsrooms in the late 70s, to glimpses into social history . . . Engrossing. ― The i
An engrossing read. ― Sunday Post
A delightful throwback . . . McDermid looks back in anger – and with some measure of affection – at the vexed era she lived through that gave rise to her socially engaged mysteries. ― Washington Post
The Crime Queen has done it again and created a character we will all come to know and love. A masterpiece. ― Daily Record
A pacey read. ― Daily Express
