Murder Mile by Lynda La Plante
Prime Suspect meets Ashes to Ashes as we see Jane Tennison starting out on her police career . . .
The fourth in the Sunday Times bestselling Jane Tennison thrillers, MURDER MILE is set at the height of the 'Winter of Discontent'. Can Jane Tennison uncover a serial killer?
February, 1979, 'The Winter of Discontent'. Economic chaos has led to widespread strikes across Britain.
Jane Tennison, now a Detective Sergeant, has been posted to Peckham CID, one of London's toughest areas. As the rubbish on the streets begins to pile up, so does the murder count: two bodies in as many days.
There are no suspects and the manner of death is different in each case. The only link between the two victims is the location of the bodies, found within a short distance of each other near Rye Lane in Peckham. Three days later another murder occurs in the same area. Press headlines scream that a serial killer is loose on 'Murder Mile' and that police incompetence is hampering the investigation.
Jane is under immense pressure to catch the killer before they strike again.Working long hours with little sleep, what she uncovers leaves her doubting her own mind.
About the author
Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National Theatre and RDC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing - and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series WIDOWS.
Her novels have all been international bestsellers. Her original script for the much-acclaimed PRIME SUSPECT won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Writer's Award.
Since 1993 Lynda has spearheaded La Plante Productions. In that time the company has produced a stunning slate of innovative dramas with proven success and enduring international appeal.
Based on Lynda's best selling series of Anna Travis novels, Above Suspicion, Silent Scream, Deadly Intent and Silent Scream have all adapted into TV scripts and received impressive viewing figures.
Lynda has been made honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Writer's Award 2000.
On 14th June 2008 Lynda was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List (Writer and Producer for services to Literature, Drama and to Charity).
On 3rd October 2009, Lynda was honoured at the Cologne Conference International Film and Television Festival with the prestigious TV Spielfilm Award for her television adaptation of her novel, Above Suspicion.
Books penned by Lynda La Plante include: The Legacy, The Talisman, Bella Mafia, Entwined, Cold Shoulder, Cold Blood, Cold Heart, Sleeping Cruelty, Royal Flush, Above Suspicion, The Red Dahlia, Clean Cut, Deadly Intent and Silent Scream, Blind Fury (this entered the UK Sunday Times Bestsellers List at number 1 having sold 9,500 copies in its first two weeks), Blood Line, Backlash, Wrongful Death, and Twisted, which have all been international best-sellers.
In Feb 2012 Lynda's chilling tale of THE LITTLE ONE was published in conjunction with Quick Reads through Simon & Schuster UK.
Review
‘Murder Mile’ is a blistering addition to the Tennison series and I loved it! This is the fourth book in the Jane Tennison series and it can be read as a standalone quite easily. However, I would advise reading the whole series as I have thoroughly loved them all so far!
Jane is now a DS and back working in Peckham CID and she is also back to working on murder cases. When she is called to a body found in an alley, the police are baffled as there are hardly any clues and they can't identify the poor woman. We find Jane working during the Winter of Discontent and as high as the rubbish is piling up, the bodies are soon doing the same! They are all concentrated in one area in Peckham and soon the media are calling the area ‘Murder Mile’. The only connection is their location and the team are baffled!
Part of the charm of these books for me is that they don't hold any punches with showing how life actually was in the 1970s. I think we forget now we live in a world of inclusivity, how only 50 years ago that it was a completely different experience. That casual racism and sexism were rife, even among those male colleagues who seemed to support Jane working in the police! I like how La Plante doesn't sanitize the books for today’s readers and really shows how it was for a woman working in a male-dominated profession.
Jane is a more confident person in this outing and this reflects the experience she now has under her belt! She isn't afraid to voice her opinions and will even question her seniors as well! She still gets into trouble for doing this but hey she isn't Jane unless that happens at least once a book. Spoiler alert - she is always right though! I love reading books that are set back when technology isn't relied upon to such an extent that it is now, as it means detectives like Jane have to use their marbles and piece everything together through observation and nuances. It makes for an interesting read and I thoroughly enjoy them!
Let me know if you pick this one up!
