1979

The shadows hide a deadly story . . . 1979.

It is the winter of discontent, and reporter Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop. There are few women in the newsroom and she needs something explosive for the boys’ club to take her seriously. Soon Allie and fellow journalist Danny Sullivan are exposing the criminal underbelly of respectable Scotland. They risk making powerful enemies – and Allie won’t stop there.

When she discovers a home-grown terrorist threat, Allie comes up with a plan to infiltrate the group and make her name. But she’s a woman in a man’s world . . . and putting a foot wrong could be fatal.

This is the atmospheric, heart-pounding first novel in a gripping new series by the Queen of Crime Val McDermid.

‘Brilliant . . . Sensational . . . Unforgettable’ Guardian

‘No one can plot or tell a story like she can’ Daily Express

‘Compulsively readable’ Irish Times

‘One of today’s most accomplished crime writers’ Literary Review

‘As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get’ Sunday Express

‘It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go’ Daily Mail