Tennison

A gripping British police procedural (DCI Jane Tennison Book 1)

By: Lynda La Plante

Narrated by: Julie Teal

‘Classic Lynda, a fabulous read’ MARTINA COLE

‘Lynda La Plante practically invented the thriller’ KARIN SLAUGHTER

From the creator of the award-winning ITV series Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren, comes the fascinating back story of the iconic DCI Jane Tennison.

In 1973 Jane Tennison, aged 22, leaves the Metropolitan Police Training Academy to be placed on probationary exercise in Hackney where criminality thrives.

We witness her struggle to cope in a male-dominated, chauvinistic environment, learning fast to deal with shocking situations with no help or sympathy from her superiors.

Then comes her involvement in her first murder case.

PRAISE FOR LYNDA LA PLANTE
‘The UK's most celebrated female crime author’ DAILY MAIL
‘La Plante excels in her ability to pick out the surprising but plausible details’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
‘Satisfyingly full of twists and turns’ INDEPENDENT
‘Absorbingly twisty’ GUARDIAN

Only Lynda La Plante book I have been not liked

What disappointed you about Tennison?

It was boring not the usual fast pace of La Plante's other novels, Jane was not believable especially if you are a fan of prime suspect.

What could Lynda La Plante have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

go back to her former style

Have you listened to any of Julie Teal’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

What character would you cut from Tennison?

The characters were all weak and Jane was the most annoying, yes this is where she starts her career but she had no spark, drop Jane and focus on the plot

Another Disappointment from Lynda LaPlante

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The story is set in the early 1970's but is it a romance, mystery a pastiche? The crime is a rehash that has been written so many times and much better than this effort. It certainly is a page turner you want to get to the end quickly and wonder why you wasted your time listening to this.The writing is sloppy, and uninspired. It appears that the hidden intention is another television series introducing us to the young, naïve Jane Tennison. It's a leap to believe that she turns into the gutsy fortyish DCI Tennison.

Has Tennison turned you off from other books in this genre?

I enjoy reading/listening to novels about young women detectives such as Helen Grace and Maeve Kerrigan and would love to know more about their early lives. But Tennison turned me off of Tennison and Lynda LaPlante.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator didn't have much to work with and her narration is flat.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Tennison?

I would not have asked the author to rewrite most of the book.

Any additional comments?

Save your credits or cash and read one of the newer writers!