1979 is the first of the semi-autobiographical Allie Burns series. Like McDemid, Allie is a smalltown Scots girl who wins a place at a major English university and, after an apprenticeship on provincial English newspapers, lands a job on a major Scottish daily.
She's initially confined to 'miracle baby' stuff - so-called women's stories - in the sexisr world of Seventies journalism, but she has talent and literary style, and thus becomes involved in her colleague Danny Sullivan's breakthrough story about tax avoidance. The problem is, the story came from Danny's adopted brother who is central to the scam. Danny is praised by his colleagues, ostracized by his family.
When Allie happens upon a scoop of her own - the terrorist wing of Scots Nationalism, she naturally turns to Danny for support. Only a man would be accepted undercover. The story gets really big, verging on too big. Allie and Danny get close, but not that close, because it turns out Danny is gay. And Allie's friend and supporter from the Clarion's Women's Section is also not what she seems...
The background detaial - the Winter of Discontent - is brilliantly brought to life. I remember it well. The world of newspapers, pre-Murdoch, is very much another country. The characters are compelling. McDermind is, of course, at the pinnacle of her craft. Only the best writers can get away with leaving the murder as long as she does. I genuinely thought there wasn't going to be one - and it didn't bother me one jot.
An excellent book from one of the very best. I'm looking forward to 1989.
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