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On the Radar: Party like it's 1989

The 1980s revival has been going on in music since… well… around 1991, but long have we been looking forward to the literary equivalent here in the crime fiction genre. Step forward, Val McDermid, to lead the way and be the Kate Bush of the…
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1979 by Val McDermid

What constitutes a historical crime novel? That’s something I mused upon while reading this book, the first in a new series from the queen of crime, Val McDermid, featuring journalist Allison ‘Allie’ Burns. Unsurprisingly, it is set in… 1979. But that’s only a handful of…
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On the Radar: The Scottish Resistance

No, no, we’re not talking about independence. This isn’t a political column. It’s Scots author Val McDermid’s new graphic novel, Resistance, which leads off our new books roundup this week. Her compatriot Denise Mina has previously adapted Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo…
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On the Radar: Back to the former you

We’ve given this week’s new books column the title ‘back to the former you’ because it’s a theme that ties together all the novels included. For example, Kate Simants dug up her experiences as an investigative reporter in a children’s home for the basis of…
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