Aug 25, 20223 min read

THE REAL PRIME SUSPECT - JACKIE MALTON with Hélène Mulholland

#BlogTour #TheRealPrimeSuspect @Thursley @Inmulholland @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours

"FROM THE BEAT TO THE SCREEN. MY LIFE AS A FEMALE DETECTIVE BY"

Synopsis

The Real Prime Suspect is a jaw-dropping, gritty memoir from Jackie Malton, former DCI and the inspiration for legendary TV detective Jane Tennison in Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect. Jackie Malton was a no-nonsense girl from Leicestershire who joined the police force in the 1970s. It was a time of sex segregation in the police force.

Male recruits were given a truncheon; female recruits received a handbag and were assigned social work duties. But Jackie desperately wanted to become a detective. Feisty and determined, Jackie made her way into some of the most male-dominated departments of the police force. She 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 an openly gay woman in the Metropolitan Police, where sexism and homophobia were rife. Utterly compelling, the book is rich with fascinating cases and intriguing characters from Jackie’s time on the force. 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 Malton is a true trailblazer.

She forged a path in a male-dominated world and through it all she remained true to herself. Jackie has spent her life working in crime. Now she's ready to share her story.

My Review

This book was a dream read for me as I feel like I was brought up with the Prime Suspect series.

Prime Suspect is a class act series and a true pioneer in its time showing a female lead in a crime series.

Jane Tennison played by Helen Mirren became a must watch during my childhood and over lockdown we enjoyed watching all seven seasons.

So been invited to read "The Real Prime Suspect" and delve into the person behind the persona was a real pleasure.

I found this read gritty, gripping and completely obsessive, seeing Jackie Malton's life and career laid bare.

While the crimes that pepper this read are fascinating the real core is Jackie's insatiable character her grit to rise above the sexism at the time and still within the police force to become the best of the best fighting the in-just and corruption at every turn and even close to home and in turn develop parts of her story and life into the Jane Tennison character we all know and love.

I devoured this read and it is an absolute must for any true crime, thriller or police procedural's fan, A fantastic journey through a career that captivates and inspires.

5 stars all the way!