When Does "58 Minutes" (1987) Take Place?

"58 Minutes" is a crime novel written by Walter Wager that released December 8th, 1987. So when is "58 Minutes" set? 


It takes place roughly in the years: 

~1980s AD 

We know this because early in chapter two the unnamed narrator specifies, "Satisfaction gleamed in his left eye as he put more coins into the phone slot. Nothing showed in the right eye. It was artificial, a replacement for the one lost in a 1981 shootout with the French antiterrorist police." so it is most likely after 1981 AD. 

Also, later in the same scene the narrator tells us, ..."West Germany's internal security apparatus," ... "a dozen other intelligence organizations and millions of newspaper readers and television viewers around the world were aware of his violent activities." and the real-world West Germany was a nation-state that only existed in the aftermath of World War II, from May 23rd, 1949 AD to October 3rd, 1990 AD. While anyone might still refer to the western part of Germany, it would probably read 'western Germany' and most likely not be capitalized. So it must be before October of 1990 AD. 

More specifically, as Frank Malone is meeting his daughter to celebrate the Christmas holiday with her, it almost certainly takes place in December of whatever year it is during the 1980s AD. 

Furthermore, chapter one begins with a time setting subheading that reads: "DECEMBER 21." 

The entire narrative covers less than 24 hours so it’s all contained within whichever calendar year it is. 

It was adapted to film as "Die Hard 2: Die Harder".