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Preview
  • 1979

  • Allie Burns, Book 1
  • By: Val McDermid
  • Narrated by: Katie Leung
  • Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

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1979

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: Katie Leung
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Summary

Hailed as Britain's Queen of Crime, Val McDermid's award-winning, internationally best-selling novels have captivated readers and listeners for more than 30 years. Now, in 1979, she returns to the past with the story of Allie Burns, an investigative journalist whose stories lead her into world a corruption, terror, and murder.

The year started badly and only got worse - blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest were the norm. For journalist Allie Burns, however, someone else's bad news was the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, and the year is ripe with possibilities. But Allie is a woman in a man's world. Desperate to get away from the "women's stories" the Glasgow desk keeps assigning her, she strikes up an alliance with wannabe investigative journalist Danny Sullivan. From the start, their stories create enemies. First an international tax fraud, then a potential Scottish terrorist group aiming to cause mayhem ahead of the impending devolution referendum. And then Danny is found murdered in his flat. For Allie, investigative journalism just got personal.

The first novel in McDermid's newest series, 1979 is an atmospheric journey into the past with intriguing insight into the present, and the latest addition to McDermid's crime pantheon.

©2021 Allie Burns (P)2021 Recorded Books
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Good story, let down by poor narration

The story was good, but somehow felt familiar- I did wonder if I had already read this book, or was begin to confuse the plot with one of Denise Mina’s Paddy Meehan books (also well worth reading, by the way).
However the narrator really let it down with some madly off mark mispronunciations. Two examples that stick in my mind are epitome and Stranraer, but there were plenty more that a good editor should really have picked up on.

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