Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I have watched nearly all of Linda La Plante’s series on television but I am shocked to say that I have never read any of her books!!

Jane Tennison has been promoted to Sergeant, it’s 1979 and the police force is a different place from today. DNA evidence not being discovered until 1986!!

When a woman’s body is found in Peckham Market and another body a short distance away, this case becomes a race agains time as more victims are discovered. There is a link to all of the victims but it’s up to Helen and her team to discover it. Even if at times Helen struggles against the male dominance of the force. Loved how they had to do real police work gathering forensic evidence.

Even though I haven’t read the others in this series, I was riveted and loved how it all came together at the end. Enjoyed seeing how the evidence comes together like a giant jigsaw puzzle to get the conclusion at the end.

Will look out for her other books!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I've been a huge supporter of Lynda's writing, and even devoured the tv shows on ITV. This was another great read, as you can expect from a great and accomplished author. Recommended.

Another great instalment of Tennison set in the 1970s. I was already a Lynda La Plante fan, but this new (ish) series has got me gripped.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked all the books by this author and although I have read this I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again.

Hi Karen,

My next review is as follows:-

"Murder Mile" written by Lynda La Plante and published in Hardback by Zaffre on 23 Aug. 2018 . 384 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1785764660

Jane Tennison now a Detective Sergeant has been posted to Peckham CID, which was considered to be one of London’s toughest areas. It is February 1979 and during what the newspapers call “The Winter of Discontent” and the rubbish collections are not being collected and thus there is a big pile of overflowing dustbins on the streets wqith the infestation problems that causes. Two murdered bodies are reported and and Jane and her colleagues are under great pressure to identify the killers.


The bodies were quite close to each other but the method of killing in each case was different. Did this mean that the deaths were accidentally close to each other and different assailants were involved or was the same murderer just trying to be difficult to detect?

There is a lot of banter and sexual chatter between the various detectives and a wry humour as well. I have read a number of books by this author and I enjoy her style of writing. Of course we always think of Helen Mirren role in the Prime Suspect series that was shown on TV but the books are very different and I understand as a number of TV series have taken liberties with story lines that don’t agree with the author’s original premise such as the author R D Wingfield and his Detective Frost. The David Jason character was just another TV cop whereas the author had invented a much warmer character than that portrayed by Jason.

DS Jane Tennison has to work very long hours and do a lot of work which is under appreciated by her male superiors amongst her police department in an attempt to locate the killer of the two victims. Eventually, she is successful and she saves the day but there is a lot of doubt that she will pull it off and plenty of male coppers that will scoff at her efforts. Recomemnded.



Best wishes,

Terry
(To Be published on eurocrime.co.uk)

The murders keep stacking up!

Jane Tennison is now a Detective Sergeant in the Met where, it being 1979, misogyny is rife. Life for a female DS is at best irritating, and at worst humiliating, as this was a time before political correctness, where women were expected to accept being called ‘love’ and generally patronised.

Still, Tennison has grit and determination, and in this case, she really needs it. She and DC Edwards are called out in the early hours of the morning to an alley in Peckham where a market trader has stumbled upon the body of a woman. She has been strangled and appears to have sexually assaulted; there is nothing to identify her.

A round of door to door queries raises no useful information, and the victim doesn’t match up to any reported missing persons. With nothing to go on the police can do little but go through normal procedures and hope for a lead. Then they find another body, this time in the boot of the victim’s own car which is parked just around the corner from Bussey Alley where the first victim was found. This woman is clearly well-to-do, and, in this case, she has been stabbed to death.

Jane has an ally in DS Paul Lawrence, a forensics officer, and she needs all the friends she can get as DCI Moran is not a fan, and, suffering from sleep deprivation he has little confidence in Jane. As the case progresses, he pulls no punches in dressing her down both privately and in front of the full team.

Lynda La Plante’s writing is sharp and punchy, and this is a real page-turner. As the bodies mount, so does the suspense, and it keeps on rising. Some of the detail is quite graphic and not for those of a delicate disposition, but isn’t this what we expect from La Plante?

The character of Jane Tennison is complex as she must balance her off-duty self as a young attractive woman, against the resilient and driven, not to mention ambitious detective. Somehow, she carries it off, but at some cost to herself.

As one would expect from this author, this is a compelling and convincing crime thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Loved this book & the throwback to policing in the late 1970’s.

It’s only when you read something like this that you stop to appreciate just how things have changed over the years. This also includes a few what would be called inappropriate comments these days!

Thoroughly enjoyed this & look forward to reading more in this style.

4.5 stars

What most intrigued me about this book is to recognise what a massive leap forwards there has been in resources, policing techniques and procedures since 1979. No computers, DNA testing or mobile phones and sundry other things. There's no mention of austerity measures, political correctness or red tape. It was the era of walkie-talkies, written reports, unrecorded suspect interviews and panda cars. DS Jane Tennison and her team are testy and irritable towards each other either in a bid for power or recognition. Or, perhaps it was hunger and sleep-deprivation. On the team is aggressive Moran who is coping with a new baby that cries a lot, a wife with baby blues and a stressful case of strangled, stabbed victims. It doesn't get any worse! There's the down-to-earth, gregarious Romeo Gibbs who can be vulgar, supply dark or sick humour. The dubious Boss, Blake who is good at lying to save his snobby chums. Professor Dean Martin - it's obvious which film star his mother liked. Lastly, Paul Lawrence, quietly intelligent and an asset to the team. Jane is ambitious, dedicated and gradually earning respect, although she's apt to be a risk-taker and the wrong side of a vigilante. It was fairly predictable I thought, but it didn't spoil the story. It was an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre.

Newly promoted and assigned DS Jane Tennison is quick on the job when a woman is found murdered. Although new in rank, she certainly is not new in experience. Right in the middle of this case, yet another body is found. It appears that these murders might be connected and there is someone who could very well be a likely subject. Both Jane and her team work feverishly to try and find the murderer.

The story takes place in London 1979, where women police officers were not well respected, even if they had a rank, such as a Detective Sergeant, Jane faces such prejudice. However, she is no nonsense and is quite a vigorous worker. These facts make her an enjoyable character in Murder Mile. Her hardworking nature belies the rather rude and ignorant behavior of some of her fellow officers. Another interesting facet of this book is that it is set at a time then known as the "Winter of Discontent", which was an extremely difficult time in London history, including a bad political climate. This was in part responsible for the filth on the streets as is often mentioned in the novel. The tie-in to those times and the brutal murders discovered make the story a very interesting one.

Murder Mile had a bit of a slow start for me, but truly gained traction by the second murder. By then, I was a bit more involved with Jane and the other characters. As a matter of fact, it was rather difficult to put down at this point, and I ended up reading this book in two sittings. It was a rather gritty story, but that is exactly what I expect when it comes to reading crime fiction. Lynda La Plante kept me interested, especially during the investigative process while I remained in the dark as to who the killer was. This is the fourth in the Tennison series. Although I hadn't read the previous books, or have seen the connected television series, Prime Suspect, I was able to enjoy this as a standalone read. I look forward to continuing this series and seeing the growth of Jane Tennison.

Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review; this is my honest opinion.

This is the fourth book in the series featuring the young Jane Tennsison. I particularly enjoyed this book as it was set in 1979, the ‘winter of discontent’, which I remember well. We find Jane has been transferred to Peckham, one of the worst areas for crime, and has been promoted to Detective Sergeant. Jane is sent to a crime scene where the body of a young woman has been dumped in an alleyway and she has been strangled and sexually assaulted. A second woman’s body is found nearby in the boot of a car. Jane and her team then have to consider whether the two murders are linked. A third body is then discovered. Jane is gaining in confidence now and is not afraid to voice her opinions which does not always go down well with her superiors. Also what is interesting is how the investigating methods have changed. Information cannot be accessed by the touch of a button, no internet searching, no mobile phones, just a lot more time spent investigating.
I have always been a big fan of Lynda La Plante’s books and I am really enjoying this series seeing how Jane’s career has evolved. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I just finished Murder Mile by Linda La Plant and as usual I was not disappointed. She continues to amaze me with stories about Tennison young and older. It really doesn’t matter what age is portrayed, Tennison does what she does best which is to her own and constantly be at odds with her superiors but never really understanding that they keep opposing her behind her back which results in frequent postings to get rid of her. Tennison perseveres and keep moving up in the ranks. I recommend this book to anyone who red/watched Prime Suspect. A lot of the characters move with her which is always nice when you already know them. I give this book 5 stars and thank NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

'Murder Mile' is Queen of Crime, Lynda La Plante's fourth book in the Jane Tennison series, and what a cracker it is! I have read every one of her books and can tell you this is executed in Lynda's inimitable style. A classic crime novel that is truly timeless!

Jane is just as busy getting herself into trouble as she was in the first three installments. Her superiors refuse to let her go along with her gut instincts leading her to disobeying their orders and carrying out unofficial business without the backing of those in charge. I thought her writing was effortless and flowed extremely well. I also happened to appreciate the short chapter structure as it tempted me to read on and on. As with all of her titles, Lynda has infused the story with multiple suspects, plenty of drama and action and lots of misdirection. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, but I was a little disappointed at the denouement, as it didn't fully ring true to me.

It appears that you can always rely on Lynda to produce a thrilling, immersive story. I got through this one pretty damn quickly as it was difficult to put it down, and when you do you find you are still thinking about what would end up happening. A nostalgic trip back to the 1970s!

Many thanks to Zaffre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

With thanks to Netgalley and Zaffre for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Murder Mile Is the fourth book featuring the young Jane Tenninson.

Jane Is now a Detective Sergeant based at Peckham police station. At the end of a boring night shift, Jane and her colleague were called to the dead body of a young woman found dumped in Bussey Alley. Excited by the investigation she volunteered to stay on duty and attend the postmortom. The Woman was stabbed multiple times and her face was skined to avoid identification on the body, Jane and the team cross checked her details with the missing person list with no success.

The same day an abandoned car was found, the police tried to trace the owner but but could not contact them. The son collected the car and found the body of his dead mother stuffed in the boot of the car.

When another body is found, the media described the area as the murder mile. Jane believes that the son murdered his wife, but how was he is he linked to the other victim?.

I enjoyed the Lynda La Plants first three Tenninson novels. I was glad that Jane was working with old colleagues from previous investigations. D.I Moran, Spencer Gibbs, and DS Paul Lawrence, it felt like meeting old friends.

Although Jane had been promoted to sergeant her bosses were still not prepared to listened to her gut instincts. This forced Jane at times to interview suspects unofficially and get herself into big trouble.

The story flowed nicely with short chapters to tempt me to read another chapter. The storyline was well crafted with plenty of suspects and red herrings. However I was a little disappointed with the confession because the killers motivation did not make sense to me.

The ending did not spoil my overall enjoyment of the story though. I recommend Murder Mile and look forward to reading the next part of Jane`s career.

What is there to say.... Lynda La PLante always delivers a great mystery with great storytelling and narrative. This is no disappointment.

this is the first book i’ve read in the jane tennison series but i am familiar with the character from the tv programmes. this is a police procedural novel you should not miss. set in the ‘70’s, sexism and political correctness are rife making acceptance and recognition of jane’s promotion within the police difficult. the storyline is good and well written.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Tennison has made it to a Detective Sergeant by the time Murder Mile begins, although being 1979 she is known as WDS just in case anybody should be any doubt that she is female. The widespread strikes that occurred in the ‘Winter of Discontent’ mean that rubbish is piling up in the streets and the rats are becoming brave. All is quiet on the night shift though until an unidentified woman is found dead, amidst the rubbish on the streets of Peckham, a less than desirable area of London.

I love this series which takes us back to Jane Tennison’s earliest years. The fairly well-to-do young woman who defied her mother to become a policewoman instead of making a desirable marriage always had the spark of the woman we know she became (through the TV series Prime Suspect) but she is raw, prone to thinking and talking far too much for her junior rank, and most crucially being female in what was very much a man’s world.

By 1979 she has been promoted and is fairly established, now the sexism is less overt, but not by any means eliminated but although these elements are not only present, but absolutely fascinating, fortunately the author has remembered that readers of crime fiction want a solid mystery to solve as well as enlightenment about the (relatively) recent social history.

So we have one dead body which despite some elementary mistakes made during securing the crime scene, is quickly promoted to a murder. With Jane forgoing sleep to secure herself a place on the investigation team she follows a lead. Where it takes her has trouble written all over it in very large letters. Alluding to interference from the Masons many of whom she knows to be in the police force, has Jane learnt how to hold her tongue at the right time.

There have recently been a few debates on crime fiction series in the book blogger world, and here we have an acclaimed writer making the most of the form by using it to develop her character. This character development is all the more believable because we know the finished article so to speak.

Having started with a fairly meek young woman, by this, book four in the series we have a far more firm and decisive woman, one who is no longer so easily put off her stride by her peers and is learning that no matter how brilliant her deductive skills, policework depends on an entire team. That tightrope is now being walked a little more carefully by the young detective.

Great characters can only take us so far in crime fiction though and of course in the hands of such an assured writer as Lynda La Plante the reader is guaranteed a solid plot, fairly told with enough red herrings to keep those brain cells ticking over and evaluating the facts while the clues unfold at a pace that feels natural to the background investigation. In fact, everything I look for in my crime fiction.

I'd like to thank the publishers Bonnier Zaffre for allowing me to read an advance review copy of Murder Mile which will be published on 23 August 2018. Not a book to be missed for those who enjoy a trip back to the past alongside good quality crime fiction.

First Published UK: 23 August 2018
Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre
No of Pages: 384
Genre: Crime Fiction - Series
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Previous Books in the Tennison Series

Tennison: Prime Suspect 1973
Hidden Killers
Good Friday

This is the fourth book in the Tennison series. I haven't read the previous three but I am familiar with the character of Jane Tennison, firstly from the TV series Prime Suspect and more recently the series covering the earlier part of her career, called Tennison.

It is a great book. A typical police proceedural in some ways and perhaps unusual now to read one based in the 1970's rather than present day.

Tennison has recently been appointed as a DS and picks up a murder case. One murder quickly becomes three and you follow Tennison and her colleagues unravel the story and resolve the case. I couldn't help but picture the actress who plays Tennison on the TV and I didn't feel as though this detracted from the read at all. I hope the series returns to TV soon.

Great read. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to read the previous three now!

I love these books set in Tennison's past. I especially love the author's attention to detail with respect to the way things were in those days. She definitely doesn't pull her punches with the way she describes the values and prejudices of the era. Some of the things included are indeed quite hard to read about in this day and age of inclusion and equality, but that's just how it was then and it definitely gives the reader a greater feel for the time in which the story is set.
Tennison has hit the dizzy heights of DS and is now working from Peckham CID. Set in the late 70s, this book includes a lot of what was really happening in England at that time, especially the political changes that were brewing, and it even incorporates the winter of discontent, with all the rubbish piling up; the author skilfully weaving all of this into her narrative.
In the midst of all this going on around her, Jane is called to an incident. A young woman's body has been found in an alleyway. Just as the police are starting to work on this investigation, another body is found and the press get hold of the story and start to run it, spinning it along the lines of police incompetence. It then begins a race against time to nail the perp and bring them to justice.
Even though Jane has made DS, she is still not wholly trusted in the force. Well, she is after all still only a woman, but she is stronger and wiser now and is not afraid to voice her opinions, to speak her mind, even when it still gets her into trouble.
As we are set in the 70s, there is more of the grunt work investigation to be found in this book. Access to information is not at fingertips, no one has a mobile phone, so the detectives have to rely on the basics to get anywhere. Even just connecting victims proves to be hard; no quick internet searches in this book! Here Jane is starting to come into her own as she has good instincts and, on the whole, pieces things together very well, albeit sometimes only eventually. Even if sometimes what she thinks and feels doesn't sit well with the rest of the squad and she is dismissed with a flea in her ear, she doesn't give up. She has learned from her past mistakes and it's a complete joy to see her develop further in this book, even if she has to try twice as hard just to keep up with the boys! Yes, she's a grafter but she still has a lot of room for improvement, she has a long way to go to get to the character we all know she is going to be, but it's been a pleasure and a joy being with her on her journey thus far and I can't wait to see what happens to her next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

It’s 1979 and Jane Tennison has now risen to the rank of Detective Sergeant in Peckham CID. Strikes across Britain as part of the ‘Winter of Discontent’ have left rubbish mounding up on the streets and it is here where the body of a young woman is discovered, strangled. When a second body is found nearby, and then a third, days later, newspaper headlines are quick to decide that a serial killer is on the loose in what has now become known as ‘Murder Mile’. Fighting to overcome the sexism that is lingering in the police force, Jane knows that she needs to tread carefully if she is going to find the killer before any more bodies are discovered.

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Lynda La Plante’s work and I still maintain that Jane Tennison is one of the best (if not the best) detectives in fiction. This is now the fourth book in the Tennison series and I feel that we are now seeing signs of the Jane that we know and love from the Prime Suspect series. Her promotion to Sergeant has given her a bit more gravitas and, even though she is still dealing with the sexist attitudes of much of the force, she is now in a position to make people sit up and take notice.

In Murder Mile, Lynda la Plante has encapsulated the unrest in Britain in the winter of 1978-79 when widespread strikes in the public sector helped lead the Conservative party, under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, to victory in the 1979 general election. The attention to detail such as this helps to create a very realistic setting, painting a clear image of the investigation. I feel that this would easily transfer to television, and I hope that, one day, we get the chance to watch it!

In a time before a lot of the more modern detection techniques, it is good to see Jane having to rely on her own instincts to help her to solve the case. As she tried to make a connection between the victims, it was good to see Jane questioning the theories of her superiors, although her fear of not being taken seriously often led to her putting herself in danger.

Murder Mile is another great addition to the Tennison series and I can’t wait for the next one as we approach the 1980s!