1989

1989, by reigning queen of UK crime Val McDermid, is a sequel to her change-of-pace 1979 , the memorable beginning to a quintet of books set in a Glaswegian tabloid office … This is every bit as accomplished as its predecessor, with the same crisp sense of an increasingly distant era * Financial Times *
One of Britain’s most successful crime novelists … The novel evokes glorious nostalgia for those who recall mobile phones like house bricks and laptops the size of suitcases * Sunday Times *
A book of many parts … [McDermid is] subverting the crime genre to her own ends. How the remaining three volumes will turn out is anyone’s guess * The Times *
There is a great deal to enjoy in this novel … McDermid remains a masterly setter of a scene and developer of a storyline. There is an agreeable warmth to much of the book, and the evocation of the world of journalism and politics of the late 20th century is convincing … [A book] that will be deeply enjoyed * Scotsman *
Studded with a wealth of period detail … It whips along like bushfire * Herald *
McDermid convincingly recreates the grim era of AIDS, Lockerbie and Hillsborough while providing several juicy mysteries for the reader to gnaw on * Daily Mirror *
Praise for 1979 * - *
The Queen of Crime has done it again … Irresistible – Patricia Cornwell
McDermid is at her considerable best here * Guardian *
A supremo of the genre at the height of her powers … An unmissable new series – Peter James
Allie is a fabulous character, I’ll go wherever she takes me and I’m dying to see what she does next – Marian Keyes
McDermid can do edge-of-seat suspense better than most novelists … An excellent opener to what promises to be an outstanding series * Spectator *
A tour-de-force … The Queen of Crime has delivered another masterpiece – David Baldacci
Packed full of Val McDermid’s trademark brilliance, 1979 is a thrilling snapshot of a fascinating era – Jane Harper
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 nail-biting new series * Observer *
Allie Burns is off to a flying start, and well worth following down the decades * Scotsman *
A new series from Val McDermid promises to be an event - and 1979 delivers … A marvellous new character to follow through the years to come – Mick Herron

Val McDermid is an international number one bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than forty languages. Her multi-award-winning series and standalone novels have been adapted for TV and radio, most notably the Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. The Karen Pirie novels have now been adapted for a major ITV series.

Val has been chair of the judges for the Wellcome Book Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize, and has served as a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker Prize and the Royal Society Book Prize. She is the recipient of eight honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She is a visiting professor in the Centre of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Among her many awards are the CWA Diamond Dagger recognising lifetime achievement and the Theakston’s Old Peculier award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Writing. Val is also an experienced broadcaster and much-sought-after columnist and commentator across print media.

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