1989 by Val McDermid

1989 by Val McDermid is the sequel to 1979. It is the second Allie Burns thriller, also known as The Nines thrillers – there will be a 1999 and a 2009 at some point in the future. I read 1989 straight after 1979, which I never do. But I loved 1979 so much I just had to keep going!

Needless to say, it’s now 1989. The book starts with a daring murder plot, which is then not mentioned again for the vast majority of the story.

Journalist Allie is 35 and living in Manchester with her partner, Rona. Most of her old colleagues have been made redundant and Allie is now northern news editor for a Sunday tabloid. During the story, she has to report on both the Kegworth air disaster and Hillsborough. The newspaper is part of Ace Media, a rival to Rupert Murdoch’s empire.

Allie is no longer supposed to do investigative journalism, but starts looking into an AIDS story in her own time. Young men dying of AIDS are moving from Scotland to Manchester and there are rumours of a failed drug trial. Allie puts herself in great danger travelling to East Germany to find out more about the drugs trial.

Meanwhile, Genevieve, the heiress to Ace Media, is on a charm offensive around Eastern Europe, as borders look set to open up. Allie and Genevieve will never be friends, but they find themselves forced to help each other..

1989 is another brilliant page turner from Val McDermid. While I wait for 1999 to be published, I’m going to read some of her other novels, of which there are many!

If you enjoy a thriller, I would definitely recommend both 1979 and 1989.