You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
didn't really start, and decided later this book Bub special wasn't worth reading
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first of the Prime Suspect books introduces DCI Jane Tennyson. Jane had moved to AMIT 18 months previously and was still waiting for her first murder investigation. She was fed up with being overlooked but this is 1990 and even at this rank and with her record women were treated as inferiors. Jane was particularly irked as this latest murder had been allocated to an officer, John Shepherd, who was on leave at the time. There seems to have been a breakthrough when Shepherd collapses in the Superintendents office, a heart attack. This is Janes opportunity and she grabs it.
They have hours to prove that the man in custody, George Marlow, is the murderer of a prostitute - Della. Then as she's coming up to speed Jane realises this isn't Della at all. There's been a right mess-up and they have to let Marlow go. He's still the Prime Suspect and Jane doggedly pursues him. We are led through the investigation and more victims emerge. Jane is also fighting mis-information and worse from her team especially the DS.
We get caught up with her personal life - not only giving a bit of insight into Jane (self-obsessed, self-centred, ambitious, obsessive, wanting to prove how good she is at her job even to the exclusion of a personal life) but how life was for women pursuing a career (male resentment and so on) especially in such a male dominated workplace as the (The London Metropolitan) Police Force.
There is a tension and, as the investigation gains momentum, it feels pacy. It's a good story. I look forward to reading the next two books.
They have hours to prove that the man in custody, George Marlow, is the murderer of a prostitute - Della. Then as she's coming up to speed Jane realises this isn't Della at all. There's been a right mess-up and they have to let Marlow go. He's still the Prime Suspect and Jane doggedly pursues him. We are led through the investigation and more victims emerge. Jane is also fighting mis-information and worse from her team especially the DS.
We get caught up with her personal life - not only giving a bit of insight into Jane (self-obsessed, self-centred, ambitious, obsessive, wanting to prove how good she is at her job even to the exclusion of a personal life) but how life was for women pursuing a career (male resentment and so on) especially in such a male dominated workplace as the (The London Metropolitan) Police Force.
There is a tension and, as the investigation gains momentum, it feels pacy. It's a good story. I look forward to reading the next two books.
Actually 2.5 stars. It was way better on tv and the format of this he book seemed to be a copy of a script without the directing instruction.
You can tell this comes adapted from a TV series with the number of short scenes. It was a bonus that I have never seen the series so the suspense and surprise was there. The Protagonist DCI Jane Tennison is overlooked in preference to male colleagues to head a murder investigation. She isn't a nice person and it shows in her failed relationships and how she'll step into dead man's shoes to get what she wants. But she's is a great character. It was a page turner for me and I certainly couldn't wait to discover the outcome.
3.5* with high probability of continuing the series.
It was easier to relate with on-screen Tennison. The on-page Tennison comes of as a bit of a split-personality, which isn't a really good feel for a crime novel if it's not deliberate. She gets better as the book progresses, thank God. The camaraderie and the shift in the relationship with her coworkers was a bit too sudden for my taste. Lack nuance and subtlety all together.
The crime solving part is awesome and I have absolutely no qualms about it - even though I have seen the tv show recently and remember pretty much everything.
It was easier to relate with on-screen Tennison. The on-page Tennison comes of as a bit of a split-personality, which isn't a really good feel for a crime novel if it's not deliberate. She gets better as the book progresses, thank God. The camaraderie and the shift in the relationship with her coworkers was a bit too sudden for my taste. Lack nuance and subtlety all together.
The crime solving part is awesome and I have absolutely no qualms about it - even though I have seen the tv show recently and remember pretty much everything.
I had heard and seen so much about Helen Mirren and the TV series that I wanted to try the books. This is a good police procedural and my rating is really closer to 3.25. It goes very deep into the culture of misogyny in the police, but the who dunnit part didn't have a whole lot of red herrings; it was a book about a female Detective Inspector trying to succeed. The writing felt a bit like a screenplay (probably because it was based on the TV script?) so it moves very quickly with good character investment even if the writing is very direct and lacks nuance. Plan to read more.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Murder