A hard read, but an informative one that gives valuable insight into the world of the Met and the problems that need solving therein. This is a timely book, in light of the very public scrutiny the Met has come under and through reading this I became increasingly aware of just how high the mountain still to be climbed was.
A very brave and thought provoking narrative that interspersed tethe factual policy type experiences with insights into hos that impacted the author's personal life. - for of course the two cannot be separated.

Will return to post review when posting to socials ✨ thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!

I truly hope this book gets picked up by the media and hits the desk of every politician in the country. Jess McDonald's bravely honest account of her time in the Metropolitan Police is timely and desperately needed. The institution is rotten to the core, and needs to be knocked down and rebuilt from scratch. In its current state, the people most suited to the role are being bullied out of post. And that's not the worst of it. What a sorry state to be in, when you can't trust a police officer. Shameful. In addition, all officers need to be better supported to do the job, in order to mitigate burnout and PTSD. Our entire criminal justice system needs an overhaul, as it's not fit for purpose. Thank you, Jess, for writing 'No Comment' and in doing so shining a torch into the darkest corners of the Met. Hopefully someone will do the same for the CPS.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC.

This slipped to the bottom of my electronic TBR pile by accident so I'm months late to reading it.
I'm so glad I did.
Jess is one of a small cohort of direct entry candidates for Met Police training, aiming to bring diversity to the force by bringing people from a variety of backgrounds and skills into the fold. This memoir details her experiences, through training and beyond.
It won't be surprising to anyone with a passing interest in the news that the reality for all the new recruits can be hard to take, and the experience changes them more than it changes the Met. At times, reading Jess's quite raw account, it reminded me of Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt - another story of a young person entering a venerable profession where the process of training is gruelling and frustrating, and the system seems to want to break anyone who doesn't conform rigidly to a template.
The ending can't be discussed without spoilers, but I want to know what Jess does next.

This is an excellent insight into the met police, how it works - or more accurately doesn't - and why the whole institution is in shambolic disarray at the moment. I would have loved a bit more depth to it - either a bit more about the author's life, or a bit more about the work, but overall a great read.

I work on the other side of the table as a criminal defence solicitor who is on call for a 1/3 of every month at the police station and this was a fascinating read. I could appreciate the frustrations as times and was surprised with some bits. A very engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I think I experienced this book the way I was intended to. There was the excitement and curiosity at the start, and it started to not be as enjoyable towards the end - which I suppose mirrors Jess' experience.

As a former journalist, I empathised with a lot of her frustrations (e.g. CPS and convictions). It is emotionally taxing to interview (in a different way) victims of crimes and hear what they have been through or how they have been let down by the system.

I liked Jess' sense of humour and her warts-and-all accounts of events; it illustrated that police are real people doing a difficult job. I think she also showed that there is compassion and integrity within the police force.

Where this book fell down for me is the ending, it just felt a bit rushed and flat. As a side note, I also really disliked her boyfriend, Bill!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing how she helps to make a difference outside of the police force.

An in-depth look into the Metropolitan Police and the systemic problems that continue to this day. The author, Jess McDonald doesn't hold back when it comes to portraying her eye-opening and harsh reality of working as a Direct Entry Detective. She shows the reader the true gruelling reality of life as a Detective in the Met, especially as a female.
Jess does not hold back, the book is well-written and gives a unique perspective on what appears to be a problematic scheme, the Direct Entry Detective. This pathway is for people who want to be a Police detective but without the 'on the beat' precursor. This unfortunately brings a lot of stigma from the other detectives who have worked on the frontline as such and gained invaluable experience and insight that the direct entrants just wouldn't understand.
Unfortunately, this book does make for light reading for anyone wishing to join the Met, it is damning and highlights all that is wrong, which in my opinion is not a bad thing as without evidence and discussion of experience things will never change.
This is an excellent non-fiction read for anyone curious about policing in the UK specifically the Met (Metropolitan Police London), becoming a detective or what it is like to be a detective, what it is like to be a female detective and the problems that stem from the top down and what needs to change to make a better environment but also to ensure true justice is being achieved.

A very interesting account of what it feels like to train and work in the Met. Unfortunately none of it really surprised me, but it was good to have it straight from the horse's mouth. I am hopeful however, that the Met are at last recognising these issues.

This was an eye-opening and fascinating look behind the scenes of the life of met. It's not what I initially expected but I found it incredibly interesting

True-crime has hit the world with an absolute storm and this book is a perfect example of the genre. I knew nothing about the subject before delving in deep, but since reading this, I have now researched more! Someone needs to give Netflix a call.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

As a serving police officer I found this hard to read at first, then as I read further I started to notice some truth to some of the things that were being mentioned.

There are issued in policing but the services are aware of that and trying to make a change, but change takes time. Hopefully this will open some eyes to some of the trauma that officers see on a daily basis and that most officers are good but get tarred with the same brush as the few rotten eggs.

An eye-opening and frank account of the author's experience joining the direct-entry detective recruitment drive that the Met police operated to bring new detectives into the force without having to complete the minimum 2-year probationary period.

From the giddy heights of the excitement at being accepted for the scheme and completing her comprehensive training, its a brutal and rapid descent into the reality of life on the front line. Its not helped by the attitude of existing police officers to the new recruits, they are seen as having an easy ride even though the reality is nothing like that.

Jess McDonald writes openly and brilliantly about what's happening, the challenges of being thrown in with very limited support. For the most part, even when faced with back-breaking shifts and hopeless workloads, she still keeps an optimistic eye on the future for the Met police.

Later in the book we read about the difference between how the Met carry out their investigations with a victim-centred approach; and how the CPS are focussed on successful prosecutions in court, which often means that domestic crimes are dropped before they come to court. I hadnt known about the fundamental disconnect before, but the author calls it out for what it is and the impact that it has on victims' opinions of the justice system.

Really eye-opening reading- I hope that the author keeps writing about her experiences.

Jess decides to become a police officer and is one of the first hundred recruits on to the direct entry scheme to become detectives in the Met (London metropolitan police).
This is a warts and all account of her experience and that of her fellow detectives.
I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to hear that it’s a tough gig, but this really brings home the crisis in policing that led to this initiative, and the prejudice and trauma a police officer can face.
You’ll need a strong stomach for some of the crime Jess encounters including domestic violence, but it’s never less than fascinating.
Highly recommended if - as admits - you’re fascinated by true crime and police exposés.

A very real and harrowing account of life in the British Police. Enjoyed the book and would recommend.

I found this a fascinating read. It’s often stories told from within that give the most and this certainly does that.

Everything is covered in just the right amount of detail and personal touches.

Goes a long way to show how policing is changing and how many officers are breaking everyday just trying to do their best.

What a fantastic insight into the world of policing and the direct entry route.
The life of any emergency service is hard but thrown in and resented by some colleagues for not having to do two years on the beat.
The psychological harm that is done, when everyone else runs away the police run to the source of the issues.
A very honest and revealing look at the service and the obvious reasons for lack of retaining staff

When Jess is disillusioned with work, she is very impressed with the way a member of the police force acts in court and speaks to him afterwards. He urges her to look into joining a new scheme to join the force at detective level. Making loyal friends through training, Jess joins the force and finds the work is a strain mentally as well as physically. When she asks her new boss, prior to starting work, if she can have time off due to mental exhaustion, he takes against her. This is exasperated when Jess goes above his head and gets the time she needs. After this, she is not treated well and bullied in the workplace, eventually leaving. Throughout the book, is her obsession with her ex-boyfriend, which would not have helped her focus.
This is a well written book and gives an insight into the workings of the Met Police. It felt like many established police officers were waiting for the scheme to fail and did what they could to ensure this. I highly recommend this book.

Problems with the Metropolitan Police in London have been in the news for several months but this book approaches it from a different angle, the view of a woman hired in a pilot programme to fast track new entrants into the role of detective within a year.
Jess Mcdonald is excited at the prospect of joining the police and has an idealised view of the difference she hopes she will make.
After training, which takes place at the state-of=the-art Hendon training college, and at a rundown police station, she is drafted into the CSD, or the "rape squad." She finds it very difficult to make an impact. Resources are spread very thinly - and unlike TV police dramas, the work is solo and lonely. The elephant in the room is always the discrepancy between the objectives of the Crown Prosecution Service (lawyers) and the police, who want to achieve more prosecutions for victims of domestic abuse and rape.
There is also a lot of resentment among police who graduated the "hard way" and had to do two years in uniform before being considered for detective.
Mcdonald is crushed to be bullied by a male manager, whose copious notes on her failings are inherited by his successor who if anything treats her even more badly. She bravely talks to their superiors and her grievances are upheld, but there's no proper investigation. Meanwhile, all the colleagues she trained with and became friends with are, one by one, leaving the Met. As does Mcdonald, who leaves the police exhausted and disillusioned. "I so wanted it to be different., The disconnect between how I thought the role would be and the reality was undeniable."
Essential reading for the new Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley.

No Comment is a personable and thought-provoking insight into the life of a probationer Met detective, who is thrown in at the deep end after completing the direct entry scheme.

McDonald’s narrative is conversational and easy to read, balancing humour and pathos as she depicts (and unpicks) situations that are often deeply complex. She hadn’t originally known how the book was going to end when she started writing it midway through her Met journey, and I found her reflections at the end particularly interesting and insightful. While none of her findings are surprising revelations, it’s important to see them from this first-person perspective. Having read Helena Kennedy’s Misjustice recently, I found there were plenty of parallels.

Astute, vivid and engaging, No Comment is a very readable memoir of life on the front line.