1979 by Val McDermid

It's 1979 and Cambridge educated Allie Burns works as a reporter at the Daily Clarion in Glasgow. Allie is desperate to cover a real story rather than woman-focused ones her bosses have given her. When co-worker Danny Sullivan confides in Allie that he has a scoop about some international tax fraud going on and that he could use her help in writing the story, she's thrilled to be working on something of substance. She and Danny become friends and when she infiltrates a group who wants independence for Scotland, Danny returns the favor, aiding Allie by going undercover. 1979 is McDermid's first book in the Allie Burns series and subsequent books will feature Allie every ten years (1989, 1999 and 2019).