Tag: #PrimeSuspect

#Review of Tennison This is book 1 of a new Pre-PrimeSuspect series that follows #Tennison from the start of her career @LaPlanteLynda @ZaffreBooks @simonschusterUK #TeamTennison @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #BlogTour

Tennison

By Lynda La Plante

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Join me as I join a project blog tour, thank to Compulsive Readers for inviting me onto and then for selecting me.

For the next few months, you will see blog posts from me and reviews about books in the Tennison series. I am part of Team Tennison. Why? Because there is a revival happening in the books and this series brings something new and joins some dots. Lots of you will know the character Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect on tv and many of you may not yet. Whether you do or not, this series is a treat to discover more about such an iconic character in a compelling back story.

LLP Tennison graphic (1)

So, let’s start with Tennison, the first book, with, naturally, the blurb and then my review. 

Blurb

TennisonFrom the creator of the award-winning ITV series Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren, comes the fascinating back story of the iconic DCI Jane Tennison

In 1973 Jane Tennison, aged 22, leaves the Metropolitan Police Training Academy to be placed on probationary exercise in Hackney where criminality thrives. We witness her struggle to cope in a male-dominated, chauvinistic environment, learning fast to deal with shocking situations with no help or sympathy from her superiors. Then comes her involvement in her first murder case.

 

Review

Have you ever wondered what Jane Tennison was like when she was younger and just starting out in the police force? Or are you a reader who likes to know where careers and adult lives begin, before they hit the “big time” and they become experts in their field? If so Tennison is the book (and series) for you.

Meet Jane Tennison at the tender, sprightly age of 22. She has her whole life ahead of her and she’s decided the police force would be the place for her. The Metropolitan Police Training Academy certainly thinks so too, since of course, she passes and enters the force.

We see Jane from the very beginning of her career, out on probation and why she chose this career in the first place, which is very interesting as is the general attitudes of the public and the police service.

There’s certainly no soft touch in this police force and the males are brutally harsh, coupled with chauvinistic attitudes and it seems you have to learn everything at the speed of light just to keep up and be, perhaps tolerated.
There’s a humanistic quality of which is relatable as we see the young Jane Tennison struggle, but she finds that there is a colleague who is willing to be more sympathetic and empathetic and gives her advice for then and on future career prospects. It’s written in a way that engages with curious minds, such as mine, and makes you care and want to follow the arc through to how we know she was later in life.

In a world where we often see people already at the top of their career, successfully navigating their way through it, this seems essential and fascinating reading. Both plot and writing style are strong and it is very compelling and engrossing to read.

A murder case comes up on the radar and it is down to the business of solving this serious crime. There is a women who has been murdered and that is just the beginning… The case itself would also, in this age of internet and computers that we live in, be an eye-opener to those who have been brought up with only this and may feel nostalgic with those who were. It shows how policing used to be done with polaroid cameras, notebooks and pens. There’s careful and due diligence paid for the time era, that whether you lived through the 1970’s or not, you can picture it all in your ‘mind’s eye’ with consummate ease. 

In my view, not all prequels and backstories are necessary, but this one is, in the way it unfolds, it for fascinating, compelling and essential reading. Tennison leaves you wanting more, which to the delight of readers, I can say there are more.

 I am looking forward to reading and reviewing the rest of the series as part of Team Tennison.

I fully and wholeheartedly recommend Tennison, whether you know Prime Suspect or not. You’re in for a compelling read, where you will wonder what happened to the time.

About the Author

Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National Theatre and RDC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing – and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series WIDOWS.

Her novels have all been international bestsellers. Her original script for the much-acclaimed PRIME SUSPECT won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Writer’s Award.

Since 1993 Lynda has spearheaded La Plante Productions. In that time the company has produced a stunning slate of innovative dramas with proven success and enduring international appeal.

#Review By Lou of – The Real Prime Suspect By Jackie Malton @Thursley @Inmulholland @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours #TheRealPrimeSuspect #Memoir #NonFiction

The Real Prime Suspect
By Jackie Malton

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I am excited to reveal my review on the blog tour for The Real Prime Suspect. This is one for those who like the successful TV drama, Prime Suspect and other crime drama series and/or about policing. Check out the blurb and my review below, then a bit more about Jackie Malton.

Jackie Malton was a no-nonsense girl from Leicestershire who joined the police force in the 1970s when women were kept apart from the men. Feisty and determined, Jackie worked in CID and the famous flying squad before rising to become one of only three female detective chief inspectors in the Metropolitan Police. In The Real Prime Suspect, Malton describes the struggles she faced as a gay woman in the Metropolitan Police, where sexism and homophobia were rife.

Jackie dealt with rapists, wife beaters, murderers, blackmailers and armed robbers but it was tackling the corruption in her own station that proved the most challenging. Ostracised and harassed by fellow officers furious that she reported the illegality of some colleagues, Malton used alcohol to curb her anxiety.

A chance meeting with writer Lynda La Plante five years later changed the course of her life. Together they worked on shaping Jane Tennison, one of TV’s most famous police characters, in the ground-breaking series Prime Suspect. Not long after, Malton recovered from alcoholism and now works as an AA volunteer in prison and as a TV consultant.

Jackie has spent her life working in crime. Now she’s ready to share her story.

Review

The Real Prime Suspect gives great insight into policing and what it was like to be a female police officer moving up the ranks, but being one of the very few who did, dealing with changing times and legislation as well as a male dominated work force. She was also a member of The Flying Squad.

Jackie Malton tells her story with candour and dignity as certain things are recognised and shown how times move forwards, things learnt, police doing their best and working hard under tough conditions. It demonstrates how far policing has come and what they have to deal with day to day in human behaviour. It is fascinating how Malton talks of operations she was on, some heartbreaking, some with the hard end of the realities of the job. All are fascinating and told with authenticity in what is a well written memoir with so many points covered.

To read her story is truly fascinating and eye-opener as she takes readers through the decades with much integrity. There’s a feeling of not just determination to succeed, it goes further than that, a real bravery (not a word I ever use lightly), to make a real difference. The book is very open about tough times regarding her health, a test she fails. She shows, she is as human as the rest of us, even with the extraordinary opportunities that opened up new worlds for her. 

Readers will be able to see how and why she is such a successful and reliable police consultant on many favourite TV series, from Cracker to Prime Suspect to Life On Mars, with a lifetime’s knowledge and experience to impart to help the script writers reach a script idea that has plausibility about it.