
1979
Allie Burns, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Katie Leung
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By:
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Val McDermid
About this listen
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 BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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The death of Tom Bettany's estranged 26-year-old son brings him back to London. His return sparks the interest of everyone from mobsters to MI5 officers - he may have thought he left his old life as a spy behind, but nobody just walks away. Tom Bettany is working at a meat processing plant in France when he gets the voicemail from an English woman he doesn't know telling him that his estranged 26-year-old son is dead. Liam was smoking dope on his London balcony when he fell....
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Not Slough House
- By ili pika on 07-02-19
By: Mick Herron
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The Keeper of Lost Causes
- Department Q, Book 1
- By: Jussi Adler-Olsen
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Carl Mørck used to be one of Denmark’s best homicide detectives. Then a hail of bullets destroyed the lives of two fellow cops, and Carl - who didn’t draw his weapon - blames himself. So a promotion is the last thing he expects. But Department Q is a department of one, and Carl’s got only a stack of cold cases for company. His colleagues snicker, but Carl may have the last laugh, because one file keeps nagging at him: A liberal politician vanished five years earlier and is presumed dead. But she isn’t dead...yet.
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Dark, Cold, and Danish
- By Ted on 11-28-12
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The Secret Hours
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service “to investigate historical over-reaching.” Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so. But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn.
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Just about perfect
- By June Lapidow on 09-28-23
By: Mick Herron
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The Teacher's Lie
- By: Brid Cummings
- Narrated by: Mia Wasikowska
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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It’s been two years since Anna Cartwright’s life fell apart. During her first school trip as a young teacher, a student went missing and was never found. Not only was her career ruined, she was also accused of having an affair with fellow teacher and prime suspect Graham. Facing questions from journalists, police and family, Anna said she didn’t know what happened. She was lying. Now, Anna has returned to Australia. Her only hope is Land’s End Area School, an isolated concrete wasteland perched on the cliffs.
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Twisty
- By Dave on 12-19-24
By: Brid Cummings
What listeners say about 1979
Highly rated for:
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- Laura Lehman
- 06-09-22
I almost returned this book
I felt it started slow. I didn’t like Danny at the beginning.
The story brought up interesting perspectives on what is betrayal and entrapment. Especially relevant in the 21st century.
A view of 1970’s politics was also interesting.
I was pretty well engaged in the book by the 3/4 mark.
A few character developments were well telegraphed in advance but that was fine.
I would recommend the book.
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- Boston
- 11-18-21
Great story great performance
The characters are believable and well written, the plot unfolds with essential details moving to a surprise conclusion
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1 person found this helpful
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- A. M. Smith
- 11-24-21
Glimpse of the Scottish world of journalism
Was sucked right back into the Glasgow I used to inhabit in those years. Val McDermid has the knack of getting the details just right. Enjoyed it a lot and the reader was excellent- apart from a few mispronunciations of “Stranraer”, “epitome” and “slavish”! I must be getting old and crotchety!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 04-01-23
Excellent!
Started a tiny bit slow for me but wow it got very good. Excellent story and character development. Reader was great.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-15-22
Don’t read the trailer!
This is another fine example of Val McDermid’s art. It uses 20/20 hindsight to delve into several issues that still plague Scotland, such as independence from the English rule.
I found the narrator charming. Possibly because my Granny was from Scotland and it sounded familiar!
One disappointment was the descriptive blurb in Audible. That blurb mentions a major plot reversal which doesn’t occur until three fourths of the way through the novel. But knowing this thing was going to happen affected my objective enjoyment of the story. I anticipated it at each turn of a chapter, so when it occurred, I found it anti-climactic.
In conclusion, this, to me, isn’t my favorite McDermid novel, but I think at least one other reviews was far too critical. It’s easily worth the one credit it cost me.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Mrs Sarah Fawcett
- 06-30-22
Guessing till the end
I was unsure at first about the story because it’s different from the titles of Val’s I normally listen to but kept listening and I am so glad I did.
The characters really grew on me and the plot twists kept you guessing.
I am looking forward to more from Ali Burns and hope she gets with Ronna.
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- Donna
- 10-08-21
Not my cuppa
I wish I'd more carefully read the blurb about
this one. It is thoughtfully well written but
for me YUCK! I felt as if I'd into wandered into
YA land. Spend your credit elsewhere.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Sarah G. Drake
- 10-16-21
Classic McDermid
Since June 2020, I have listened, transfixed, to all of Val McDermid's books and have enjoyed the many variations of her craft. This one takes us back to 1979 - perhaps to the early years of her career as a writer. Similar to uncovering the serial killer's first murder, reading this story might tell us more about the writer than all of those that followed. As always, I love Katie Leung's delivery.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-14-24
What a surprise!
I found myself listening to Graham Nortons book club (also here on Audible) about 6 months ago. Funny how this was the last book reviewed and the one I recalled most. I recall the reviewer kind of downplaying how old it was (comparatively) and what a "nice little story " it turned out to be.
The story was FABULOUS! It took me a bit to get the hang of the Scottish accent, but eventually the story rolled over me in a beautiful narration and held my attention throughout
Autocratic greed, surprise babies, government corruption and a dunderheaded attempt to change the political landscape all play a part in a story of young journalists chasing stories worth writing all while trying to find/earn their place in the world . It is wonderfully devoid of gratuitous love stories. Every characters personal and professional life was perfectly woven into the larger story. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to it's follow up.
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- Alysha Ann Olsen
- 08-04-22
She just knows how to tell a story....
I love Val McDermott's writing and I actually enjoy her standalone novels at this point more than the Tony Hill books. As series often do they have gotten old and it's just hard to find new ways to explore that relationship. But at the end of the day she is a terrific storyteller and writes great characters. I have loved every single one of her standalone books and this is no exception. People complained about the narrator being difficult to understand. I had no issues. her Scottish accent is superb but some people might have to listen to it on a slow down speed.
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