Let me kick off this review by saying fantastic plot, amazing characters, and yes to everything that Tennison represents! What a brilliant novel! Even though it was over 500 pages long, I breezed through this novel. The reading experience of Tennison is both easy and enjoyable, making for a smooth glide through its pages. If I had to define Tennison, I would call it a "proper" police procedural, as it focuses extensively on the police investigation. If you like shows like Line of Duty and Whitechapel, then I recommend giving this novel a chance.
This was my introduction to Jane Tennison, and I think she's an amazing character. The author's representation of a 22-year-old 'newbie' learning the ropes in the police force is commendable. She's so amazing that you can't help but support her. Tennison's character matures and gains valuable lessons in both her personal and professional life. I'm eager to see how she evolves throughout the rest of the series. I found her to be extremely likeable, and her friendship with fellow WPC Kathy Morgan was a highlight for me. In addition, they have to prove themselves as police officers and also as women who are capable of handling this job.
With its 1970s backdrop, one might expect to see a lot of misogyny and typical male bravado, but while men did exhibit some expected chauvinistic behaviour towards women, most of it was just joking around and harmless, similar to today's pranks. At times, Jane and Kath were both protected and taken care of. As the story progresses, it becomes clear how much love and respect they have for one of them.
The ending of the novel was another great aspect. I was caught off guard by a sudden plot twist just when I thought the author was winding things down! The conclusion of the storyline left me excited to know what's next for Tennison, and I am eagerly anticipating her growth. I'm looking forward to getting my hands-on book 2 - Hidden Killers and diving back into this series! Lastly, this book is one of the very few that evoked such strong emotions in me with a lump on my throat and a tear on my cheek.
Lynda is an author whose books I buy without hesitation!!
Many thanks to @simonschusteruk @Tr4cyF3nt0n and specially @LaPlanteLynda the Queen of Crime.
About the Author
Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
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