Queen Val does it again and '1989' is another great installment into the Allie Burns series.

Older and maybe wiser, she's running the northern news operation of the Sunday Globe, chafing at losing her role in investigative journalism and at the descent into the gutter of the UK tabloid media.

But there's plenty to keep her occupied. The year begins with the memorial service to the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, but Allie has barely filed her copy when she stumbles over a story about HIV/AIDS that will shock her into a major change of direction.

The world of newspapers is undergoing a revolution, there's skulduggery in the medical research labs and there are seismic rumblings behind the Iron Curtain. When kidnap and murder are added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties.

Once I picked up this book I literally couldn't put it down.

It continues the story of Allie Burns and the investigations she gets caught up in and it really is a great storyline.

What really jumped out to me was how Val McDermid had pulled events from that year and very compassionately included them in them storyline.

A great novel and highly recommended!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

I was young and just getting married in 1989 so I thought this would be neat to read. Plus I’m obsessed with Scotland. It was a bit hard for me to get into even though I think the narrator was perfect for it. I might try another book by Val McDermid in the future, but ultimately 1989 wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 18 August 2022

In Val McDermid's thrilling novel "1989," readers are taken on an exhilarating journey through time, delving deep into the complexities of crime, suspense, and human psychology. Set against the backdrop of the late 1980s, this gripping mystery captivates from the first page to the last.

McDermid masterfully weaves together two seemingly unrelated storylines: one from the past and the other in the present day. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the two, gradually revealing how they intertwine and influence each other. This clever structure adds an extra layer of intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they piece together the puzzle.

In Val McDermid's thrilling novel "1989," readers are taken on an exhilarating journey through time, delving deep into the complexities of crime, suspense, and human psychology. Set against the backdrop of the late 1980s, this gripping mystery captivates from the first page to the last.

McDermid masterfully weaves together two seemingly unrelated storylines: one from the past and the other in the present day. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the two, gradually revealing how they intertwine and influence each other. This clever structure adds an extra layer of intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they piece together the puzzle.

The characters in "1989" are impeccably developed, with each one possessing a distinct personality and a hidden past. DI Karen Pirie, the sharp-witted and tenacious protagonist, leads the investigation with determination, making her an instantly likable and relatable figure. Supporting characters are equally well-crafted, eliciting empathy, suspicion, or curiosity, depending on their roles in the enigmatic plot.

As the story progresses, McDermid's prose skillfully draws readers into the dark and enigmatic world of the 1980s, painting a vivid picture of the era's cultural nuances and political climate. The author's attention to detail and meticulous research add authenticity to the setting, making it feel as though readers are stepping back in time.

One of the most commendable aspects of McDermid's writing is her ability to create complex, multi-layered mysteries that keep readers guessing until the final pages. The plot twists and turns, with unexpected revelations skillfully timed to maintain a high level of suspense throughout. The unravelling of the two parallel storylines is both satisfying and surprising, leaving readers in awe of McDermid's storytelling prowess.

Though the novel touches on dark and somber themes, including loss, betrayal, and the fragility of human relationships, it also shines a light on resilience, justice, and the enduring power of truth. McDermid successfully strikes a perfect balance between emotional depth and thrilling action, making "1989" an engaging and emotionally charged read.

In conclusion, Val McDermid's "1989" is a triumph in the crime fiction genre. With its intriguing plot, well-crafted characters, and impeccable historical detail, the novel is a captivating journey through time and the depths of the human psyche. Fans of mystery and suspense will find themselves utterly absorbed in this riveting tale, reaffirming McDermid's status as a master storyteller.

For some reason, I really couldn't get into this. At all. It felt like squeezing into mental skinny jeans about four sizes too small, my mind simply balked at the impossibility (and futility) and joylessness of it.
I've read and mostly liked Val McDermid in the past, and I'm a huge '80s fan, but this... was... so... slow, it basically felt like events were unfolding in real time. And let's be honest, a lot of those events aren't all that exciting to begin with. There's some clunky character exposition (that night-in-with-friends at the very beginning was straight out of Writing 101), there is a vain, self-absorbed, mean, physically unattractive newspaper tycoon baddie that makes Dr. Evil look nuanced, there's the tycoon's enterprising daughter who managed to tick me off right from the first paragraph, and of course there's our MC Allie, who is given to thinking quite a lot and reminiscing and pondering, and it's all so terribly, terribly earnest. Reading this soon turned into a chore, not an enjoyment.
Which also explains why I threw up my hands and gave up about 1,597 pages before the finish line; when reading feels so much like work, I'd prefer to get paid for it instead of giving away huge chunks of my time for free.
There was some flicker of excitement when I noticed there's a 1989 playlist at the end of the book, but boo again; it's about as uninspired as is humanly possible, featuring nothing but the usual suspects ("Come On Eileen" anyone? "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"? Bowie's "Let's Dance"?), like one of those sad cheapo 3-disc compilations you can pick up at the larger supermarkets. Not quite sure what to make of this, as the author's obviously been around in the 1980s -- is it really possible that musically, she never came across anything but bland TOTP fodder? I'm amazed.
Also, quite saddened.

Thank you, Netgalley & publisher; maybe I'll get back to this one when I get stranded on that desert island with nothing but "1989" for company.

Allie Burns is back with a bang. Facing danger, terror and corruption you can't help but enjoy it. A pulse racing game.

The second mystery featuring journalist Allie Burns pick ups the baton ten years later, with Allie bringing her accrued decade of experience to the table for a new outing. As with any McDermid offering, the period details are spot-on, plot water-tight, and payoff both satisfying and realistic.

I will read anything written by Val MacDermid. I look forward to her characters, and plot developments. This, her second Allie Burns mystery is also billed as historical fiction, delving into both the AIDS crisis and the Cold War. T
he role of the tabloid media is covered as well. The beginning of the book is pedantic and felt wooden to this reader. However, after the first portion of the book, laying the groundwork for the rest, the plot kicks in. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC.

A man sails to Ranaig, an obscure, fictional Scottish island. He’s on a mission to kill.

He’d been working out how to kill Wallace Lockhart for months, evolving and discarding plans one after the other till his researches had eventually led him to this. It matched his existing skills, it embraced elements of poetic justice, and it had the added beauty of not requiring an alibi. A man would die, but the timing was impossible to predict.



Whenever it happened, his avenging angel would be far away. The only downside was that, as he lay dying, he would not know which of his inhumanities he was dying for.

Wallace Lockhart, the island’s owner, shared in an interview with a travel magazine that he never went anywhere without his personalized naturopath-developed vitamin capsules. A perfect vessel for the white powder the island intruder thoughtfully provides: “He didn’t know when the cyanide would catch up with its intended victim. But it was only a matter of time.” It’s a chilling opening to a complicated historical crime story.

The history depicted in 1989 feels like yesterday, not thirty-three years earlier; it’s that vivid. N.B. Val McDermid published 1979, the first Allie Burns novel, in 2021 and she plans to continue the series of decades-spaced mysteries. The Allie Burns of 1979 is a fledgling journalist, naïve perhaps, but intelligent (she’s a recent Cambridge grad). She’s committed to the newspaper business. Georgetown literature professor Maureen Corrigan, writing in the Washington Post, introduced the series.

McDermid’s latest, “1979” returns to where she started — namely, a crime story about a female investigative journalist in Glasgow who’s wrestling with the misogyny of her workplace and barely articulated questions about her own sexuality. McDermid says in her Acknowledgments that she herself was a young “journalist living and working in Glasgow in 1979.”

Corrigan describes McDermid’s novels as “socially engaged mysteries,” an apt description since the events of the day—particularly the messy, awkward moments—drive Allie’s journalistic engine. Ten years later, Allie is no longer a journalist but rather the northern news editor of the Sunday Globe. Her boss, Wallace Lockhart, fancies himself another Rupert Murdoch—beating the Australian news baron fuels his ambitions daily.

Allie Burns lurks outside the Lockerbie memorial service, hoping to snabble some fresh stories for her newspaper. She isn’t an invited guest like the PM and the US ambassador and other illustrious people.

And walking close on their heels, the unmistakable bulk of Wallace ‘Ace’ Lockhart. A couple of inches over six feet, solid legs bearing the wide body of a heavyweight boxer gone to seed, the newspaper proprietor was upholstered in a double-breasted black coat with an astrakhan collar. He topped it off with the inevitable homburg that Allie believed he wore solely because he thought it lent him a resemblance to Churchill, especially when he was smoking one of his Cohiba Esplendidos.

Allie has no love for Lockhart: he’s a bully who wrecked her life. Before he bought the Globe & Clarion group, “she’d been happily running the investigations unit of the Sunday Globe.” Lockhart fired practically everyone, he shut down the investigations unit, and “added insult to injury by giving her the meaningless title of northern news editor. Boss of sweet fuck all.” She doesn’t want to chase headlines, she wants to dig deep and write stories that make a difference. Fat chance with him in charge. After the service he tracks down Allie and tells her to make sure any story she writes has some good pictures of him.

Only four days into the new year, and already Allie was despising herself for being at the beck and call of Ace Lockhart’s monstrous ego. Not for the first time, she wondered how her dreams and ambitions had slumped so low.

Allie’s partner Rona is also in the news business although she works the entertainment side of the street. They met in Glasgow, “managed to stay under the gaydar for a few years,” but they eventually moved to Manchester, a more accepting environment. 1989 has the potential to be a Where’s Waldo type of plot, with Allie popping up in the most news-worthy spots of the year’s calendar but Val McDermid is far too skilled a writer to let that happen. Allie and Rona have a fabulous, tight group of friends in Manchester, many of whom are gay. Men who are living through the sad, desperate initial days of the AIDS crisis. Their friend Jess is working on the frontlines.

“My group is prepping for a clinical trial of a combined therapy to prevent HIV-positive people from developing pneumocystis. We’re excited about it, because it’s such a major life-threatening infection for patients with AIDS. And I also heard today that one of the research groups reckons they’ve got some promising leads towards a vaccine against HIV.”



‘That’d be a game changer,”’ Bill said.



“No kidding,” Jess said.

Spurred on by her friends’ stories, Allie begs them for access to men and women working to find a cure for AIDS; they’re worried, because they don’t want to be vilified in the tabloids. Allie writes the investigative story of her career, only to have the bigots that run the paper transform it into a homophobic, cruel, and vile piece. She is furious. Her time for seething and obsessing is over. She hops on a train to London and heads to her editor’s favorite watering hole, the Subs Bar. She traps Gerry Richardson in his booth and dumps a load on his head.

“I resign, Gerry. I’m far too good a journalist to carry on working for an ignorant bigot who’s too stupid to realise how stupid he is. If brains were shit, Gerry, you’d be constipated. I’ve worked for some bloody good news editors over the years, and you’re so far from being one of them, you might as well be in fucking Australia.”

Whoa! “She turned on her heel and marched out, head high, to a chorus of cheers and applause.” She goes down in a blaze of glory.

A metaphor for 1989 is trains on parallel tracks, racing to an unknown destination. Readers know that Wallace Lockhart is going to die but they don’t know when. Or who wants him dead—and why? How will his death impact Allie’s investigations into AIDs research: she discovered financial irregularities in the work that stretch across the English Channel to behind the Iron Curtain. Eastern Europe is in turmoil: every day there are stories of desperate East Germans risking everything to cross the wall from Communism to Freedom. I challenge you to pick a year more intense in its recent history than 1989. It’s a tour de force from Val McDermid—bring on 1999.

1989 is the second book in the Allie Burns series, which follows the career of investigative journalist Allie Burns.
In 1979, Allie was a junior reporter chasing her first big story. Ten years later, she is living in Manchester with her girlfriend Rona and is the Northern editor of a London-based tabloid newspaper, the Sunday Globe, but she is till an investigative reporter at heart. The world of media is changing, and since the Sunday Globe was taken over by Ace Lockhart, a bullying egomaniac “tycoon” (very Rupert Murdoch-like!), Allie is expected to find stories that are sensationalist or gossippy rather than hard-hitting or innovative. This frustrates her enormously so when she receives a lead about a story concerning a HIV/AIDS drug trial that has been stopped abruptly and moved to East Germany, she’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
In her quest for the truth, Allie finds herself in Berlin, in the time when it was still a divided city. There she becomes embroiled in a hairbrained scheme to allow her contact’s girlfriend to defect to the west, and finds herself face to face with Ace Lockhart's daughter in two separate circumstances.
I was surprised by some of the twists, and particularly liked the way Allie used her skills and her determination to track down the truth about both the victim and the killer at the end of the book.

Val McDermid has managed to capture 1989 as only somebody who lived through it could – the little pop culture references will take you straight back to the days when mobile phones were bricks, fax machines were ubiquitous and information had to be looked up at the library. Sexism was as widespread as smoking, the Berlin Wall was still present but had started to crumble and AIDS is known as “the gay disease” with homophobia and fear ever present.
I had forgotten that Lockerbie, Kegworth, Hillsborough, (and the Marchioness – but that’s not included in the book) all happened in 1989, and this book took me right back to that time!

What didn’t quite work for me:
There is a lot going on in this book with multiple storylines, reflecting multiple social issues and with multiple characters. It’s a slow burn since the different storylines don’t come together until the end, making it hard to maintain a focus in places. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the way that Val McDermid reflects the pace at which things were changing in the world of tabloid newspapers and shows how small changes & choices can affect society as much as the big ones.

Recommendations
This is a book for anyone who enjoys the murder-mystery genre, especially if they liven through 1989. I don’t think you would have needed to read 1979 to understand this book, but it will definitely give you a background on the key characters. I hope we will rejoin Allie again in 1999, where I expect we will see her handling something related to the murders of Steven Lawrence & Jill Dando and of course the Millennium Bug! I think this would be an amazing TV series!


Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.

4.5 upped to 5
Another well written and well plotted mystery featuring the journalist Allie Burns. Ten years later Allie is older, a more experienced journalist and is living in a different world where a lot is going on and things are changing.
The Wall of Berlin is going to fall, the AIDS is killing and is seen as the gay virus.
Val McDermind bring back memories of those years, music included, and mix mystery and historical facts. The mix works and the plot is twisty, dark, and gripping.
I was surprised by the twists, enjoyed the lighter moments, and was happy things changed as the sexism and homophobia were rampant at the end of the 80s
Loved it, can't wait for the next story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Val McDermid's latest book, while interesting, felt a little contrived and, often times, as if she was trying to hammer points home that didn't need to be. Enjoyable, but not up to her usual standards.

*Thank you to Grove Atlantic, Val McDermid, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/1989-2/


“The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated. Our struggle must remain nonviolent and free of hatred.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of oppressed peoples everywhere; December 10, 1989

There are some incredible things that happened in 1989; the first Simpsons episode aired, Seinfeld, the creation of the world wide web thank you to Tim Berners-Lee (not Al Gore!), the Berlin wall came down, they awarded The Dalai Lama the Nobel Peace prize and I graduated high school. It was so exciting to read a historical thriller that I actually lived through! McDermid creates a vivid sense of memory through events, music, and technological references (a cell phone the size of a suitcase!).

Starting this fast-paced book in Scotland’s outer Hebrides, we learn that poison has been placed in the vitamin capsules of one Wallace “Ace” Lockhart, a much maligned media baron. Once this happens, it is not talked about until the last few gripping chapters. This is the second novel in the journalist Alison “Allie” Burns series. I have not read the first one “1979”, but I had no trouble following along as this seems to be a completely different story. We first catch Allie covering the aftermath of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, and then the Hillsborough stadium disaster in Sheffield. Though trained as an investigative journalist, the newspaper she has been working for has been taken over by Ace Lockhart, and now she is expected to cover fluff pieces and nothing that requires too much thought. Allie and her partner, Rona, have moved from Glasgow to Manchester. In researching the author, Val McDermid, it seems she also worked on newspapers in Glasgow and Manchester, including as Northern Bureau Chief for a Sunday Tabloid.

One very important news story in 1989 was the HIV/Aids epidemic, which was running rampant across the gay community all over the world. In the wider world, 1989 was also a big year. Particularly in the conservative UK, the epidemic has raised eyebrows and judgemental attitudes but also increasingly pressuring health services for that community. After Allie falls on a story about AIDS in Edinburgh, she discovers there is more to the story. A drug trial that aims at stopping the effects of HIV has been stopped abruptly and moved to East Germany. She needs to head behind the Iron Curtain to write the story that she hopes will boost her out of fluff and back into investigative reporting. In order to get to East Berlin, she is persuaded into a plan to allow her source’s girlfriend to use her passport to get back into Manchester. At the same time, Ace Lockhart’s daughter Genevieve is also in Berlin and gets into her own trouble. Allie is called upon to rescue her bringing everything to a climax.

There are so many situations going on in this book that it was sometimes difficult to concentrate on one of those plots. I found myself getting a little lost at what the protagonist was doing or even where she was. This is my first time reading Val McDermid, and I enjoyed her descriptions of Scotland, Manchester and East Berlin. She was able to fit in a lot of history in the pages of this book and I only wish she had gone into more depth on some pieces of history, rather than touching upon so many. There are powerful themes such as AIDS and what was very real bias towards homosexuals in that year and area. She addresses these in detail. McDermid is also able to weave genuine history through a fictional story and it was so interesting.

.

Allie Burns is running the northern news section of the UK’s Sunday Globe. The paper was bought and gutted of staff by the very successful businessman Ace Lockhart, and now Allie must manage a stable of freelancers, and she no longer gets to do the in-depth investigative pieces she lives for; the Globe is now more of a tabloid, chasing after easy stories and sensationalizing everything. And Allie is beginning to question how long she can continue in an untenable situation.

After filing her story about the Pan Am Lockerbie crash, she gets wind of a story concerning Scottish HIV/AIDS sufferers. It’s 1989, and there is little to no sympathy for people suffering from AIDS, and little to no options for treatment in Scotland. While working on this story, she also learns that a pharmaceutical company may be taking advantage of AIDS patients’ desperation. And in the background, we learn more about Ace Lockhart, his family and past.

I totally enjoyed this slowly evolving but never dull story set in the era of big hair and big shoulder pads. Allie Burns is compelling, and I loved her relationship with Rona. It’s loving and supportive, as the two contend with professional problems and opportunities.

Ace Lockhart was pretty awful, as well as his transactional attitude to everything, including his interactions with his daughter (who was pretty awful herself!)

And though McDermid sets up a mystery at the story’s start, and doesn’t pick up this plot point till near the end of the book, this story thread is just one of several that the author weaves together well to tell a story that had me hooked from its start to satisfying end.

That you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I looked forward to meeting up with Allie again 10 years later, having really enjoyed the first in the Allie Burns series, 1979. She remains a reporter of integrity yet finds herself working for a loathsome boss and a tacky organisation owned by the despicable Wallace (Ace) Lockhart.
On the personal front, all is good in Allie’s life. She’s in a serious relationship with the wonderful Rona, although her parents continue to disown her for it.
Allie is thrown into a number of adventures, including a hairbrained scheme behind the Berlin Wall and the rescue of the despicable Lockhart’s precious daughter. There’s also a fiendish murder which stirs her investigative juices.
This sweeping story reminded me of what was going on in the late 80s, although I can’t say it brought back fond memories of the world we were living in: the atrocity of the Berlin Wall, the horror of the Hillsborough disaster, AIDS and the Lockerbie bombing. I really did enjoy Val McDermid’s 80s playlist, though.
On the whole I enjoyed this book, but wasn’t totally gripped and did find it a little longwinded. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Unfortunately this one didn't really grab me. I picked it up unaware that this was the second in a series, it can however be read as a stand alone. It features prominent events from 1989 and topical issues like the AIDS 'epidemic' all set within the politics of the media. I did not like the dialogue between characters which was used as a vehicle to tell the reader the back story, which is not uncommon, however it felt contrived and Allie was telling Rona things that she would already know given they were in a relationship and living together. This was off putting to me and I also felt it was slow paced.

EXCERPT: He'd been working out how to kill Wallace Lockhart for months, evolving and discarding plans one after another till his researches had eventually led him to this. It matched his existing skills, it embraced elements of poetic justice, and it had the added beauty of not requiring an alibi.

ABOUT '1989': It's 1989 and Allie Burns is back. Older and maybe wiser, she's running the northern news operation of the Sunday Globe, chafing at losing her role in investigative journalism and at the descent into the gutter of the UK tabloid media. But there's plenty to keep her occupied. The year begins with the memorial service for the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, but Allie has barely filed her copy when she stumbles over a story about HIV/AIDS that will shock her into a major change of direction. The world of newspapers is undergoing a revolution, there's skullduggery in the medical research labs and there are seismic rumblings behind the Iron Curtain. When murder is added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties.

MY THOUGHTS: 1989 . . . I personally don't remember too much about that year. My sons were eight and eleven. I think that was the year we moved to a small acreage. I do remember some of the music - thanks to Val Mcdermid's playlist in the back of the book. I do remember the Berlin Wall coming down, but I couldn't have told you what year it was.

1989 follows on from the first book, 1979, following the life and career of investigative journalist Allie Burns, set against the background of real events.

The story is told from many perspectives, but the dominant one is Allie's. She is a character with a strong moral compass, she's a thinker, and not inclined to rush in where angels fear to tread - unless there's a good story in it. I loved her unconventional sense of justice.

There are multiple issues highlighted in the plot, ranging from homophobia to corporate fraud to well hidden war crimes to the power of big business behind politics.

McDermid does her usual stirling job of weaving real life events and news into the plot. Margaret Thatcher is in power. The Berlin Wall falls (or is pushed). The AIDS crisis is in full swing. The Hillsborough disaster.

She breathtakingly describes the living conditions in East Germany - the power of the Stasi, the fear, the drabness. She had my heart in her hands when Allie put her own freedom in jeopardy to smuggle someone out of East Berlin. And there's a very clever murder, the setup for which is where the book begins.

1989 is a slow burn, made even slower for me by my constant need to look up various events that occurred. But it is an interesting read with great depth and perception.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#1989 #NetGalley

I: #valmcdermid @groveatlantic

T: @valmcdermid @groveatlantic

#crime #historicalfiction #mystery #series #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Val McDermid, FRSE, FRSL is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill in a grim sub-genre that McDermid and others have identified as Tartan Noir. At Raith Rovers football stadium, a stand has been named after McDermid.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of 1989 by Val McDermid for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

It’s tantalising to read what’s essentially an historical drama-thriller, but set in a time period one actually lived through. Weaving major events, music and technological references throughout the narrative, Val McDermid creates a vivid sense of the time.

In a gripping opening sequence, an unknown foe places a fatal trap for Wallace "Ace" Lockhart, at the media baron's isolated retreat in Scotland's outer Hebrides. This metaphorical ticking time bomb sits in the background for much of the novel, as events unfold around the main protagonists.

Meanwhile, our heroine - journalist Alison "Allie" Burns - is working hard covering news stories including the aftermath of the bombing of PanAm Flight 103 over Lockerbie, and later in the book the Hillsborough Stadium disaster in Sheffield. She's no longer working as an investigative journalist, after the takeover of the company by Ace Lockhart, but is working as the northern news editor of the Sunday Globe, based out of Manchester, where she and her partner Rona have relocated from Glasgow. She's finding her work frustrating and rather soul-destroying, and would love the opportunity to move out of the tabloid world and back into serious investigative journalism. We can imagine that author Val McDermid is drawing significantly on her own experience here, as prior to her fiction career taking off she also worked on national newspapers in Glasgow and Manchester, including as Northern Bureau Chief for a national Sunday tabloid.

In the wider world, 1989 was also a big year. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is running rampant among the UK's gay male community, raising judgemental attitudes in the conservative press and increasing pressure on health services. The break up of the Soviet Union is imminent, following upon the policies of glasnost and perestroika instituted by the USSR's last head of state, Mikhail Gorbachev.

A story lead takes Allie to East Berlin, where she's reluctantly persuaded to participate in a plan to allow her source's girlfriend to defect to the west. At the same time, Ace Lockhart's beloved daughter and heir, Genevieve, is also in Berlin establishing contacts with pro-democracy activists, and becomes embroiled in a caper of her own. Allie is called upon to put her superlative investigative skills to the test in bringing events to a dramatic climax.

I admit that my personal preference is for McDermid's police-based crime series (Tony Hill/Carol Jordan and Karen Pirie) and several of her standalones, however 1989 is still a great read, featuring the intricate plotting and nuanced characters for which the author is renowned. McDermid uses evocative settings, great characterisations and relationships and new perspectives on pivotal historic events to draw the reader into the world of her characters.

I'd enthusiastically recommend 1989 both to existing fans of Val McDermid's substantial body of work, and to new readers who are interested in "recent history" historical settings and tensely plotted crime-thriller narratives.

My thanks to the author, Val McDermid, publisher Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Is there no end to the talents of this wonderful writer?! Not only is she the doyenne of crime writers but now she is involved in this splendid series in which she combines her considerable skills as a journalist with her ability to tell a gripping story, and all set against a backdrop of contemporary events. 1989 was a momentous year and journalist Allie has a memorable story to tell.

1989 is the second in this new series by Val McDermid, following on last year’s 1979. Protagonist Allie Burns works for a newspaper and the term “intrepid” most aptly describes her as a reporter.

Allie has moved ahead in some ways since the conclusion of 1979, much as one would over a ten year period. No spoilers though so that readers who love Allie can catch up with her on their own.

This novel reflects some of the tragedy and chaos of the period. As the book opens the Lockerbie bombing has just happened, AIDS is raging and the Berlin Wall still stands. The homophobia and blame that victims of AIDS faced is heartbreakingly described.

One plot line follows Allie as she pursues a story about an AIDS drug trial. This takes her into East Berlin and gives readers a chilling feel for what it was like to live there.

There are many characters here from mogul Ace whom someone wants to kill, his daughter Genevieve, scientists, the Stasi, Allie and her partner and many more. Readers will like some of these characters more than others.

I liked this book quite a bit but I would still say that this author’s Karen Pirie books are my favorite. That said, I love that McDermid is a writer who tries new things and her depiction of the period feels most accurate. I also enjoyed spending time with Allie. I look forward to what comes next in 1999.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this title. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to 1989. This is the second novel in Val McDermid’s series featuring journalist Allie Burns. I liked the first one (https://www.jackreidy.com/blog/2021/10/04/1979-by-val-mcdermid/) and now it is 10 years later and there have been quite a few changes in 10 years.


But before I get into that, let me thank Netgalley for the chance to read this before publication. I read the first in the series and liked it so I was glad of this chance.

In 1979 Allie began her career in journalism and had an early success with a Glasgow paper which led to a career in investigative journalism. I don’t think it necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one but it is nice to know more of the back story on many of the characters.

When she had the chance to join an investigative team in Manchester, she jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, the newspaper was soon bought by Ace Lockhart who thought investigative journalism was a waste of money and the newspaper should concentrate on sensational news that made more money. The most of team she joined was let go and Allie become the main reporter for the northern UK.

But she does manage to work some investigation into the job. While looking into trials of an AIDS medication that were terminated in Scotland and moved to East Germany, she gets involved in a complicated series of event.

Val McDermid weaves many events of the late 1980s into a great story.