My Policeman

By: Bethan Roberts

Narrated by: Emma Powell, Piers Hampton

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

An exquisitely told tragic tale of thwarted love, My Policeman is soon to be adapted into film by Amazon Prime starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin.

It is in 1950s Brighton that Marion first catches sight of Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier, and Marion is smitten - determined her love will be enough for them both.

A few years later, in Brighton Museum, Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world.

Tom is their policeman, and in this age, it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.

©2021 Bethan Roberts (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK

Critic reviews

"I loved it. Devoured it! A wonderful read. Tense, romantic, smart; a beautiful portrait of a seaside town poised at an exact moment in history, with people trapped by laws and mores." (Russell T. Davies on Instagram)  

Bevan Roberts allows you to.luxuriate in her words

A beautiful.elegy of the consequences of repression, fear and longing that is told from.two.sides of a love triangle. way better than the movie

Incredible narrator

Piers Hampton makes and INCREDIBLE job narrating this story. The story is captivating by itself, beautiful writing and a gripping story, but Hampton made an amazing job!! I was marveled at all the Patrick chapters. I truly enjoyed this

speechless..

i really loved the story it broke my heart .. it’s the first time that i physically reacted to the dialogues . maybe it’s my imagination but i literally visualize every single event. i really loved the book i will read it again of course! it’s one of my favorites now. and the narrators did a very good job i felt every thing and they made it look so vivid and clear. thank you so much i had so much fun and i felt in love with it

Brilliant.

I found this novel engaging, interesting and thought provoking. The characters all came to life through the narrator and it took you back to a time when you could believe in the sacrifices made by individuals to hide their true feelings and life choices.

Beautiful story .. simply beautiful

Wow what can I say . This story really got to me. I won’t give anything away but if you are looking at reviews , deciding whether to pick this or not . Do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Implausible

A spiteful schoolteacher, louche rakish homosexual curator and barely two dimensional policeman. This unlikely terrarium of ill suited protagonists act out a miserable cliched existence in late 50s Brighton. That this trio should continue to be in each others lives 40 years later beggars belief. The plot is perfunctory due to the writers lack of skill in writing convincingly about the gay experience. Endorsed by Woman’s Weekly this dire book becomes a dreadful film starring a wooden Harry Styles. Hated it

absolutely beautiful

Such a tragic waste of lives, so beautifully written and I couldn't put it down.

5 stars all round

An enjoyable audio version in 2 voices. loved the way it was told. The book was a real prospective as to what was going on with gay relationships in the early 60's. How men/women ended up married to hide what was really happening. This story is well written and quite emotional to read.

Beautiful and sad

Couldn’t put it down, had to hear the whole story as much as I could in one go!

Beautifully written

Didn't want it to end. Heartbreaking and poignant - a story that stays with you a while. So much joy, so much pain. Highly recommend a listen.

Kinda disappointed

I kinda of loved some parts, but hated most others. I feel like when a protagonist is so deeply unlikable with no redeeming qualities it’s hard to empathise with them or enjoy the story.

Brilliantly presented and good story

….although I was a little disappointed that the story ended / was confused by the ending?

Narration was brilliant and book was well written, with gold description.