1979
The unmissable first thriller in an electrifying, brand-new series from the No.1 bestseller
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3.8 • 91 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
THE FIRST IN A THRILLING NEW SERIES FROM THE NO.1 BESTSELLER
Karen Pirie returns . . . Pre-order Past Lying, the eagerly-awaited new Karen Pirie thriller, publishing October 2023
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She's on the hunt for a killer story . . .
1979. It's the winter of discontent, and Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop. One of few women in the newsroom, she needs something explosive for the boys' club to take her seriously.
Soon Allie and fellow reporter Danny Sullivan are making powerful enemies with their investigations - and Allie won't stop there. When she discovers a terrorist threat close to home, she devises a dangerous plan to make her name.
But Allie is a woman in a man's world . . . and putting a foot wrong could be fatal.
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'A supremo of the genre at the height of her powers' PETER JAMES
'The Queen of Crime has delivered another masterpiece' DAVID BALDACCI
'Allie is a fabulous character, I'll go wherever she takes me' MARIAN KEYES
'A thrilling snapshot of a fascinating era' JANE HARPER
'McDermid at her nail-biting, heart-rending best' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Her best book in years' THE TIMES, BOOK OF THE MONTH
'Allie Burns is off to a flying start, and well worth following' SCOTSMAN
'A perfect snapshot of the social and political issues of the time' LINWOOD BARCLAY
'Full of wit, thrills and incisive social observation and features a marvellous new character' MICK HERRON
'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
'The good news is that this excellent novel marks the start of a new series' GUARDIAN
'Brilliant characters, masterful plotting' CHRIS HAMMER
'An excellent opener to what promises to be an outstanding series' SPECTATOR
'The fast-paced storytelling flows irresistibly' IRISH TIMES
'Riveting' DAILY EXPRESS
'Sensational. One of Britain's most accomplished writers' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'A nail-biting new series' OBSERVER
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1979, this sterling series launch from McDermid (Still Life) introduces Allison "Allie" Burns, a new reporter for the Clarion newspaper in Glasgow. Fresh from Cambridge University, Allie impresses her colleague Danny Sullivan with her writing talent, and they become friends. The two share a desire to cover a big story rather than the lightweight pieces they're assigned. Feminism has yet to make its mark on women in the workplace, and Allie is thwarted by men in the newsroom who don't take her seriously. But Allie's star rises after Danny discovers a national money laundering scheme and he enlists her help with the investigation. She then discovers a secret IRA cell in Belfast looking for weapons, and she and Danny are caught in a dangerous situation resulting in another lead story. The mutual attraction between Allie and Clarion editor Rona Dunsyre provides some romantic heat. McDermid does an excellent job capturing a time in Scotland's history fraught with political unrest, IRA terrorism, and labor strikes that nearly paralyze the country. Fans will look forward to seeing more of the highly capable Allie.
Customer Reviews
Allie Burns series
Allie (Alison) Burns and Danny Sullivan are two young journalists who team up to investigate corruption involving Danny’s brother, and also stumble across an IRA inspired bombing plan for Scotland. Allie is strong and confident, but always tasked with the lightweight stories. Also, an insight into newspaper internal politics in the late 1970’s.
A bit slow.
I have read all Val McDermid’s books so far and couldn’t wait for this new one but found it a little dull and lacking the excitement of early works.
Good ending saves the day
Laboured through the book which took ages to be truly interesting. Didn’t expect to be reading about a gay / IRA plot so probably wouldn’t have been my choice had I researched more. Having said that, the last quarter of the book took a great turn for the best and was compelling stuff.