The Real Prime Suspect: From the beat to the screen. My life as a female detective.

The Real Prime Suspect is a riveting and heartfelt memoir of Jackie Malton’s progress through the predominantly male police force from the 1970s to her retirement in the late 1990s. It takes in the varied areas of policing she worked in, including advising on TV series, which she continued after leaving the service.

She writes with a certain stoicism, whether about her treatment by some of her male counterparts or about the terrible crimes she investigated, but the toll of her experiences is clear. Malton speaks very honestly about the police force and does not try to hide the reality of corruption and poor treatment of minorities. She is equally honest about herself, whether it be her sexuality or her alcoholism and recovery.

Though the subject matter of the book is often dark there’s also humour and affection here. Malton’s personality shines through so that by the end of the book the reader feels like they’ve made a friend. You can’t help but admire her determination to battle on despite the enormous obstacles faced, and feel grateful for her work to protect the public.

The book gives an excellent snapshot of the changes in British society since the 1970s as well as being a fascinating memoir. Definitely to be recommended.

I received a copy of this book to review from LoveReading.