Reviews with content warning for Hate crime - My Policeman

"He needed me years ago, Marion." (p. 231)

yeah, fuck you marion, but also lowkey fuck you tom for continuing to be in a relationship with her and then blaming her for never leaving while it obviously takes two people to make a relationship.

i know what marion did was by far the most horrible thing in this book & this whole thing is fucked up for everyone involved, and mostly for patrick, but why is marion the only one being blamed when tom could've left her too, considering that he clearly didn't love her & it must have actually been easier for a man with a stable job to divorce and be unmarried in the 50s than it must've been for a woman?

also, we stan queen julia!

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valentina05's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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madysonyoung's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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hmatt's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm not sure I was sold on this story throughout part I, but it came together beautifully and tragically as the perspectives changed back and forth.

Despite how synopses may read, this is absolutely not a book about the title policeman (Tom). While he is the main subject, the story tells us very little about him except for how his wife and lover perceived of him throughout time. It really tells us more about the relationship between his wife and his lover. A reader who neglects to acknowledge the unreliability of these two narrators loses the point of the story entirely, in my opinion. I found it brilliant because they are each so selfishly obsessed with their own idea of this man who doesn't have a voice of his own throughout the narrative.

'What about my silence, Marion? Did you ever think about that? You have no idea...' His voice cracked. He loosened his grip on me and turned his face away.

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neptunereign's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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oliverlang's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

If you're looking for a book with a happy ending and queer joy, this isn't it. It's a telling of a life from 2 different perspectives - 2 people in love with the same man - and the outcome of those relationships as a result.

I didn't not enjoy this book, it was easy to read and there were some nice parts but it's not a must read for me. As a queer person, it will never not be wild to me reading about the criminalisation of the existence of lgbtq+ people.

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