The Real Prime Suspect

HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE TRUE CRIME AWARDS 2023

‘Jaw-dropping’ -Val McDermid

‘A police memoir like no other’ -Kerry Daynes, bestselling author of The Dark Side of the Mind

‘Honest, shocking and funny’ – Barbara Machin, creator of Waking the Dead

When Jackie Malton joined the police force in 1970, male recruits were given a truncheon and female recruits were given a handbag. At every step, she fought sexism and homophobia on top of the rapists, murderers, and armed robbers she tackled in the streets. And when she was harassed by her own colleagues for reporting bent coppers, Jackie was thrown into a shame and isolation that she tried to dim with alcohol. At the height of her success, as she became one of only three female detective chief inspectors in the Met, and as a chance meeting with the writer Lynda La Plante catapulted her into the world of TV, Jackie was battling her own demons harder than ever before.

In this thrilling and revealing memoir, meet the real woman behind the iconic character Jane Tennison – every bit as tenacious, determined, and fearless, with an extraordinary story to tell.

Author Biography

Jackie Malton (Author)

Jackie Malton was a police officer for twenty-eight years. During her career she worked in the drugs squad, CID, the flying squad, fraud squad and as a hostage negotiator. Jackie acted as an adviser on Prime Suspect and has consulted on many popular police dramas including Cracker, The Bill and Life on Mars. She presented the documentary series, The Real Prime Suspect. Jackie regularly gives talks on policing and currently volunteers in a male prison supporting offenders recovering from addiction. Twitter: @thursley.

Helene Mulholland (Author)

Helene Mulholland has been a journalist for over twenty years and previously worked at the Guardian as a political reporter. Helene now works on a freelance basis. The Real Prime Suspect is her first book.