1989

This is the second in Val McDermid’s series about journalist Allie Burns, and while I have read the first one (1979) I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to do so. You could still follow and enjoy this new addition without knowing the character’s full backstory.

This new novel has a much more complex plot than Allie’s first outing, with many strands intertwining. These include the power of newspaper proprietors, the slow thawing of Glasnost, the impact of AIDS and several others. Allie is in the thick of everything, but is feeling the burden of seeing the worst side of humanity.

I think of Val McDermid as a crime author, but this book is more in the thriller and/or spy genre, so it didn’t appeal to me as much as some of her other books. I was uncomfortable with the use of the Lockerbie bombing, Kegworth air crash, and most of all the Hillsborough disaster in the book. The section of the book describing Hillsborough felt exploitative to me, and could have been dealt with in less detail or omitted completely.

One of the other plot strands (can’t say too much in order to avoid spoilers) was very familiar, having been used in other works of fiction, so the reveal didn’t have the expected impact for me.

So all in all, 1989 is well-written and keeps you turning the pages, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I have McDermid’s previous books.