Rubbish! - 1 star

Let me say from the start that I am a no 1 fan of Mz McDermid and rate the Karen Pirie as one of the best if not the best modern detective series. By comparison 1979 is terrible. New kids on the block Allie and Danny want and need a front page scope. Danny in particular is hoping to become the new Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein and unbelieveably a story presents itself very close to home. No sooner can the reader catch his breath than Allie discovers a terrorist threat in the heart of Scotland and with Danny's help hopes to make the big time. This is 1979 and homophobia, misogyny, heavy male drinking back slapping culture is all the rage and quite rightly Val McDermid incorporates these vital elements within her story. I use the word story loosely, the plot is way over the top, reminiscent of a badly made for tv series, and whilst i laud her highlighting issues of the time, the overall effect makes for very poor reading. Avoid at all costs!