This is the first book in the Allie Burns series by author Val McDermid. I love the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid so I was hoping for more of the same with this new series about an investigative journalist based in 1979. Investigative journalist Allie Burns is based in Glasgow and is looking for the next big story to catapult her career forward. Allie is definitely suffering from being a woman in a mans and it is the norm for her to get the low profile stories to cover. In an effort to get a break in journalism she forms an alliance with colleague Danny Sullivan and sort out the bigger stories. But problems occur once the pair start digging into the more high profile cases and very quickly they are creating enemies. When you start investigating international tax fraud and terrorist groups there are always going to be more attention from less desirables and when Danny’s body is found murdered in his flat Allie’s life becomes so much more dangerous. The series started very slow for me and struggled to really get into the story. I have enjoyed plenty of books by this author and would not write it off just yet because there were signs of hope for future books. As yet I don’t love the characters or feel any connection and also would have preferred series being modern day rather than 1979. Although I lived through the 70’s and understand the mood at the time I feel that many younger readers will fail to connect or simply prefer a more modern timeframe. I would like to thank both Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 1979 and during the winter of discontent, reporter Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop. She and the least objectionable of her colleagues, Danny Sullivan, are on two cases - a fraud and a terrorist angle to the Scottish devolution issue - that get very serious very quickly and put their lives into danger. The first in a planned 5 book series, this gets off to a decent start and features a good heroine in Allie, who’s feisty and smart and vulnerable and very relatable. McDermid does a job good evoking the sights and sounds of 1979 (smoky newsrooms, a woman knowing her place, the Troubles) but sometimes it does seem lathered on a bit thickly (Allie often name-drops what she’s reading) and there’s a distinct lack of pace at the start but it’s entertaining and I’d be happy to read more of Allie’s adventures. Worth a read.

Absolutely love Val McDermid books but found this one so long and drawn out. I am not a huge fan of journalists but the character of Allie seems a good one. #1979 #NetGalley

Oh dear. Slow, plodding and with a very unrealistic plot. Unlike the statement on the book jacket: certainly not “at the top of her game”. Perhaps book 2 will be better

I found this novel totally unconvincing. The naivety of the lead characters, journalists in a tough city, is unbelievable in the context of 1979.