McDermid herself was a journalist and experienced this milieu first hand. She draws a remarkably vivid picture of the tabloid newsprint culture of 40 years ago - a boozy, nicotine-saturated blend of cynical editors, cosily complicit cops, corrupt but highly skilled printers, and journalists with expense accounts, few illusions and the occasional streak of idealism.
As a woman, Allie tends to be given stories involving mothers giving birth on trains and nude models cavorting on beaches in January. But this is a McDermid novel, and things soon change. Working with Danny Sullivan, the least unsympathetic of her male colleagues, Allie stumbles on a scam involving tax fraud.
Another investigation brings a further complication. The movement for Scotland’s independence is gathering momentum, and a group of youthful hotheads plan to copy the IRA’s violent tactics. With Allie’s help, Danny goes undercover and infiltrates the cell, which leads to danger from an unexpected direction and to a shocking climax.
The novel’s setting serves as an implicit commentary on our own past and present. It will be fascinating to see how the settings evolve in later books. In the meantime, we can enjoy this excellent opener to what promises to be an outstanding series.