Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "novelisation"

Widows by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The classic heist thriller from Lynda La Plante - her first novel, a novelisation of her first TV series, 'Widows'.

Set in 1984, when gangland is ruled by men, Harry Rawlins is the mastermind behind numerous successful robberies that have left the police with no trace of the perpetrators. But their latest plan goes horribly wrong - the hijack of a security van results in the deaths of Harry and two of his team, leaving their wives - Dolly, Linda and Shirley - widows.

Dolly Rawlins is an incredible character - strong, fierce, clever and resourceful, she becomes determined to finish what Harry started when she finds detailed plans included in his infamous ledgers. She recruits Linda and Shirley and later a fourth woman, Bella, to commit the same robbery that went so disastrously wrong. But the police are tracking Dolly wherever she goes, while local criminals are searching for Harry's ledgers and the fourth man of Harry's team still remains missing.

As the women rehearse the crime, their enemies are closing in, building to the incredibly tense perpetration of the crime and its aftermath. Gripping from beginning to end, the novel explores the complexity of the relationships between the four women and finds you willing them to succeed, despite operating on the wrong side of the law.

Of course, it's impossible to talk about the novel without also talking about the TV series and the author herself. Originally shown in 1983, the first series of 'Widows' was Lynda La Plante's first TV series, developed from a plot outline entitled 'The Women' and submitted alongside others. The words of encouragement written on that outline encouraged La Plante to create the series and its characters - most notably Dolly Rawlins, brought to life in a superb performance by Ann Mitchell.

Years before Jane Tennison became the iconic first female senior detective in 'Prime Suspect' in 1991, and before Martina Cole published her first novel in 1992, Lynda La Plante put women at the centre of the gangland and heist genre. Dolly and the other widows would return in a second series two years later and Dolly would return again in 'She's Out' a decade after the second series. Both series have also been novelised.

I first saw 'Widows' on its realise on VHS in 2002, already a fan of Lynda La Plante as a result of the brilliant 'Trial & Retribution' TV series (and novelisations). At the time, the 'Widows' novels were out of print, but I was lucky enough to find second-hand copies, much to my excitement. Now, years later, the original is back in print, revised and updated, ahead of a new movie adaption later this year (the second time the series has been adapted; La Plante herself produced an American TV remake in 2002).

Thrilling, detailed, with twisting plotting and endearing yet flawed characters, 'Widows' proves - alongside all her other work - why Lynda La Plante is and always will be a crime-writing legend. As a reader, her work is gripping and powerful; as a writer, she is an inspiration and a hero.



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Widows' Revenge by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lynda La Plante’s gripping sequel to her gangland thriller ‘Widows’.

Originally published in 1985 as ‘Widows 2’, ‘Widows’ Revenge’ is a novelisation of the second series of La Plante’s hugely successful ‘Widows’, the first series and novelisation of which had been broadcast and published two years before. As she did last year with the original novel, La Plante has revised and updated the ‘Widows 2’ novel, now available in a stunning hardcover edition.

(Warning: contains spoilers for 'Widows')

Dolly, Bella, Linda and Shirley return, months after their escape to Rio following the successful robbery that had originally been planned by Dolly’s husband, Harry, assisted by Linda and Shirley’s husbands, Joe and Terry, who both died in their attempt at committing the robbery. Unbeknownst to Dolly and the others, Harry survived and has now followed them to Rio. Meanwhile, Dolly has returned to London, making preparations to move on with her life following Harry’s betrayal. Hunting the women down to their villa, Harry attacks Linda and she reveals to him where Dolly has hidden the money they stole.

Alerted to the danger they are in, Dolly hurries to move the money, and so begins a cat-and-mouse game between the women and Harry. Tragedy strikes as they enact their plan to have him arrested and framed for the robbery they committed, further fuelling their desire for revenge. As Harry plans a new robbery and the police begin to close in on them all, can the widows hold on to their freedom and their new lives?

Despite having seen the television series (multiple times) and previously read the novel in its incarnation as ‘Widows 2’, I was nevertheless hooked from the first to the final page, on tenterhooks throughout. Much like the first novel, the plot is engrossing and fast-paced; the characters well-written, their stories captivating. Dolly is without a doubt my favourite character, the first of the strong women La Plante became famous for creating. Her conflicting emotions for Harry are hidden beneath a steely exterior. She still drives the plot despite Bella taking a lead in their plans against Harry. The novel hurtles towards its conclusion, neatly tying the loose ends and concluding the story arcs of many of the characters that continued from the first novel.

Most of the cast of characters return in the sequel, which was also matched on screen, apart from Bella being recast after Eva Mottley left the production, tragically passing away shortly afterwards.

Coupled with La Plante’s writing, Ann Mitchell’s superb performance as Dolly and the performances of the rest of the cast continued to thrill audiences. It was no surprise that Dolly would return ten years later in ‘She’s Out’, nor that even thirty-five years later the novel would top bestseller lists and a brand-new movie adaptation be produced.

With ‘Widows’ Revenge’, Lynda La Plante once again proves why she is the Queen of modern crime fiction.



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The Returned by Seth Patrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A thought-provoking, character-driven horror novel, based on the TV series ‘The Returned’, novelised by Seth Patrick.

Camille, fifteen years old, finds herself alone on the mountainside, with no memory of how she got there. She cannot remember dying in a bus crash four years before, her only concern to return home. But her home is now a broken one; her parents, Claire and Jerome, are separated and her sister, Lena, now nineteen, is wracked with guilt and painful memories, spending much of her spare time at the local Lake Pub.

Elsewhere, Julie, haunted by an attack that almost killed her several years before, meets a young boy, Victor, apparently abandoned and with nowhere to go. She takes pity on him, but soon finds that his presence may fill a hole in her life.

Others are slowly beginning to return home, their presence four years later not as readily welcomed as Camille and Victor find themselves. Simon finds his wife, Adele, now engaged to another man. Serge, brother to the landlord of the Lake Pub, hides dark compulsions that threaten to ignite the tension that is descending across a town that has been haunted by its losses for the past four years.

With a large cast of characters, ‘The Returned’ carefully unspools its growing tension, secrets and lies slowly rising to the surface. The complex web of each of the characters' stories unravels with each revelation, while the personal battles build to a war for the town itself. Sides are taken, leading to its inevitable climax. But another danger lurks and threatens to engulf the town in another tragedy.

The novelisation is based on the first season of the critically acclaimed 2012-15 French TV series ‘Les Revenants’, which was broadcast internationally at ‘The Returned’. The TV series was itself based on the concept of a 2004, also French, film ‘Les Revenants’/‘They Came Back’ – released in the UK under the title ‘The Returned’ – which follows a similar premise of the dead returning to their former lives. The TV series ran for two seasons, but the reported second novel was never published. A single season US remake also premiered in 2015.

Absorbing and well-written, ‘The Returned’ is a far deeper and emotional exploration than you’d usually expect from a zombie horror, like the film and TV series before it, excellently portraying grief and loneliness and the lengths to which people will go to protect those they love.



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Halloween: The Official Movie Novelization by John Passarella

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The gripping novelisation of the 2018 film sequel to the 1978 slasher classic.

Michael Myers is back to terrorise the sleepy town of Haddonfield. For forty years, he has remained incarcerated, having been apprehended shortly after the conclusion to his killing spree in the original film, when he apparently escaped after being shot six times by Dr Loomis during his attack on Laurie Strode. Two journalists are determined to get an interview with Myers, to see behind the mask before he is transferred back to Smith’s Grove Sanitorium and they lose the opportunity. But he remains silent and impassive.

The journalists turn their attention to Laurie Strode, the lone survivor. She is practically a recluse, semi-estranged from her daughter, Karen, and granddaughter, Allyson. Haunted by the events of that night forty years before, she has fortified her property, awaiting the day that Michael will return to finish what he started.

During his transfer, Michael escapes. Laurie knew the day would come and she is prepared. But she is the only one that is. Leaving a trail of bloodshed and carnage in his wake, Michael returns to Haddonfield on Hallowe’en night. After waiting forty years, Laurie soon comes face to face with the Shape, in what may be their final confrontation.

Passarella’s novelisation, based on the screenplay by Danny McBride, Jeff Fradley and David Gordon Green, deepens and enriches the plot and characters of the film. I absolutely loved every second, flying through the pages, becoming once again enthralled by Michael and Laurie’s cat-and-mouse game. I waited an entire year to read it on Hallowe’en (as I wanted to watch the film first when it was released the previous year) – it was certainly worth the wait and did not suffer from me already being familiar with the plot. This is the perfect companion to the film.

It’s worth noting that “Halloween” (2018) is a direct sequel to “Halloween” (1978) only, ignoring the events of “Halloween II” (1981), which took place on the same night as the original, and every sequel since. However, we’ve experienced abandonment of sequels and changes to the timeline before – “Halloween H20”; as well as an anthology film – “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” - and a remake series – “Halloween” (2007) and “Halloween II” (2009). There are subtle nods to these forgotten sequels – Laurie being Michael’s sister is somewhat of an urban legend, made up so people can make themselves feel like it wouldn’t happen to them, so Allyson suggests; while those deadly Silver Shamrock masks may be for sale once again to the world's children.

Of course, you can’t kill the Boogeyman. Michael will return next year in “Halloween Kills”, and once more in 2021 in “Halloween Ends”. I hope John Passarella will get to tackle both those films and write a further two novels as sequels to this one.

Perfect to read on autumnal nights, “Halloween” is a sublime horror novel, that will grip you in its clutches and drag you relentlessly through Michael’s night of terror. You can only pray you will survive ‘til morning.



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She's Out by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Dolly Rawlins returns in Lynda La Plante’s final instalment in the trilogy, following ‘Widows’ and ‘Widows’ Revenge’.

‘She’s Out’ was originally published in 1995, a novelisation of the TV series of the same name, which served as a sequel and conclusion to the TV series ‘Widows’, which aired two seasons in 1983 and 1985. Much like the two novels before it, ‘She’s Out’ was out-of-print for many years, though was reprinted recently and thus not as rare as copies of the first two books, prior to the publication of this newly revised version to follow the republication of the first two novels.

(Warning: contains spoilers for ‘Widows’ and ‘Widows’ Revenge’)

After spending nine years in prison for the murder of her husband, Dolly is soon to be released. Her dreams of starting afresh and opening a home for disadvantaged children have kept her going throughout her sentence, with the proceeds of the diamond heist safely hidden away awaiting her release.

But Dolly isn’t the only one awaiting her release. Ester Freeman is busy gathering a group of women together on the outside, women who served time with Dolly and have all heard the rumours about the diamonds that the police were never able to recover. Also waiting for Dolly is DS Mike Withey, who holds her responsible for death of his sister, Shirley Miller. Unbeknownst to him, his mother, Audrey, is complicit in the disappearance of the stolen diamonds.

On her release, Dolly finds that Ester has made arrangements for her. Chauffeured to a remote manor house, Dolly is immediately suspicious. But Ester assures her she and the other women only have Dolly’s best interests at heart and that the manor house will be perfect for Dolly’s plans. On the spur of the moment, Dolly purchases the property, only afterwards discovering the amount of work that will be required. Ester has cleaned her out; now she must retrieve the diamonds. As the women continue their elaborate con and Mike persuades his superiors they should be paying close attention to Dolly Rawlins, Dolly begins the process of pursuing her dream of opening the manor to help children.

But the cracks soon begin to appear. Dolly’s criminal record, the presence of the other women and continued police harassment threaten to bring her dreams crashing down, while the risks she takes to retrieve the diamonds may prove fruitless. Backed into a corner, unsure who she can trust, Dolly begins making a different plan – to commit a dangerous and audacious robbery of a mail train transporting millions of pounds. But with so much mistrust and double-crossing, Dolly’s carefully laid plans threaten to unravel with tragic, violent consequences.

Full of flawed and intriguing characters, the novel explores the often-tragic stories of women pulled into a life of crime, continuing a theme firmly established in the first series/novel. The characters and their stories are at the novel’s heart, which asks both how many of them are ‘real’ criminals; and how possible is it for someone to truly be able to rehabilitate themselves? Both questions are as significant to our society twenty-five years later as they were at the time of original broadcast/publication, if not more so.

After her time inside, Dolly is colder, harder, less trusting, and still wracked with guilt. Despite his betrayal and her subsequent revenge against him, Dolly still misses Harry dreadfully. Her memories of him and the other widows allow us brief glimpses beneath her exterior and we are rooting for her throughout. On TV, Ann Mitchell returned as Dolly, showcasing the quality that the right mix of writing and acting can bring to the performance of a character.

Captivating throughout, ‘She’s Out’ hurtles relentlessly towards its devastating denouement, the final chapters full of action, tension and emotion, concluding the trilogy in a satisfying, intense and ultimately fitting way.

Having now revisited the entire trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed reacquainting myself with every character and every twist and turn. Both the original TV series and the three novels, now reworked and republished with matching cover art, standout for their gripping storytelling and strong characterisation, both as separate pieces of work and as a whole. It certainly won’t be the last time I revisit the story of Dolly Rawlins.

Of course, if you look hard enough, as in life, there are always some threads left to pull if you so choose. Lynda’s new novel, ‘Buried’ (which will be out next week) promises that some of these threads may linger in the background of new character DC Jack Warr’s life and a case he becomes involved with. Some stories may always leave a final surprise for us. I cannot wait to read it.

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Halloween Kills: The Official Movie Novelization by Tim Waggoner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Michael Myers wreaks havoc on Haddonfield once more.

Michael has finally been trapped and left to burn; the horror is finally over. But he rises from his fiery grave to relentlessly continue his massacre.

The town of Haddonfield remains scarred by Myers' brutal murders forty years before, those he came into contact with still haunted by his legacy. They are shocked to discover he has once again escaped and left a trail of corpses in his wake.

Meanwhile, Laurie Strode, believing her plan to have worked, soon realises that Michael still stalks amongst them and that the streets will run with more blood before Hallowe'en night ends.

'Halloween Kills' is Tim Waggoner's novelisation of the second film in the legacy sequel trilogy, that follows only the original film and none of the intervening sequels, based on the screenplay by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green.

Picking up directly after the events of 'Halloween' (2018), Michael is trapped in the basement as the inferno rages throughout Laurie’s house, while Laurie, Karen and Allyson are journeying to the hospital, having left Michael for dead. But the Shape isn't so easy to kill, his escape from the flames as thrilling on the page as it is on the screen. Including flashbacks to 1978, we also discover what happened in the aftermath to Michael’s attack on Laurie and her rescue by Dr. Loomis, with Michael’s recapture before he is returned to Smith’s Grove.

Not only does the story of Laurie’s family and her trauma continue and the novel detail the ensuing bloodshed of Michael's massacre - this is also a story about Haddonfield itself, and the effect Michael’s dark legacy has had on the town and other survivors. Other characters make a return, including Tommy and Lindsey. The trauma of the town and its reaction to Michael’s evil escalates into a volatile cocktail of fear and vengeance, a tale of mob violence and the darkness of humanity, as dangerous as the almost supernatural essence that Michael embodies beneath the mask.

Tim Waggoner has done a marvellous job of translating screen to page; 'Halloween Kills', as both a companion to the film and a novel in its own right, is a delight for Michael Myers fans, lovers of Hallowe'en itself, and readers of slasher horror and dark thrillers. A highly recommended novel.



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Trial and Retribution by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The novelisation of the classic police procedural legal thriller.

Five-year-old Julie Harris never gets home for her dinner. As the hours go by, fears mount that she has been abducted.

DI Pat North is leading the police search for the little girl. When the worst happens and her body is discovered, a murder investigation is launched, headed by Detective Superintendent Mike Walker.

Walker and North soon apprehend their prime suspect, continuing to build the evidence against him. As the case nears trial, there are still questions left unanswered. Can the verdict ever bring justice for Julie?

'Trial and Retribution' is the first in the police procedural series by Lynda La Plante, novelised from the intense and emotive first season of the TV series of the same name. Introducing us to Mike Walker, Pat North and the team, we delve deep into their first investigation, following the abduction and murder of a little girl.

'Trial and Retribution' was first broadcast in 1997. Starring David Hayman as Det. Supt. Walker and Kate Buffery as DI North, it has often been labelled as La Plante's follow-up to her highly acclaimed 'Prime Suspect'. It ultimately ran for twelve seasons - comprising fourteen of La Plante's trademark feature-length mini-series and the final two seasons featuring traditionally shorter two-part episodes. High in quality across its writing, casting and direction, pioneering in its use of split-screen technology to convey multiple perspectives and the multi-faceted nature of criminal investigation, the series garnered critical acclaim and huge popularity - it was and remains a landmark crime drama.

The series' signature is that we follow the case from beginning to end - starting with the crime itself and its discovery, seen from multiple perspectives through victims and witnesses, following the ensuing police investigation, with particular attention to detail with both forensic science and police procedure as the officers follow and gather evidence, culminating in the trial as the evidence is presented, examined and assessed. As such, this is a combination of both police procedural and legal thriller – with this depth into the full criminal justice process within a single narrative still a relative rarity.

Every character is impeccably developed, following each of their entwined stories through the evidence and a compelling psychological depth. The effect of such a devastating crime is explored with empathy and respect - for the victim's family, the community, and the investigators. Walker, on page and screen, is a riveting character - an old school detective, incredibly driven, committed and passionate about his work. Between Lynda and actor David Hayman, they developed a powerhouse character in Mike Walker, so perfectly realised on the page as much as the screen and the driving force of the narrative, going on to lead the series throughout its duration.

Exploring difficult themes of child abduction, sexual assault and murder, as well as domestic violence, this is a dark and intense thriller. Despite the heaviness of its subject matter, it’s a fully immersive and fascinating novel - relentless and gripping from the first page, as the scene is set for this horrific crime, through to its tense conclusion as the verdict is read and we are left to decide if justice has been served.

My personal experience with the series began with 'Trial and Retribution VI' on screen. It was then through the series of six novelisations, beginning with II, that I first experienced the preceding five stories, before a DVD release of I-IV finally arrived in 2004, followed by V-VIII in 2005. Now the series is making a return to print (and audio), I couldn't resist revisiting them. Alongside 'Widows', this series introduced and cemented me as a lifelong fan of Lynda's work. Needless to say, I loved this story as much revisiting it again as I did when I first both read and watched it!

Tragic and captivating, ‘Trial and Retribution’ is an enthralling police thriller, marking the beginning of a masterpiece series.



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Blood on Satan's Claw: or, The Devil's Skin by Robert Wynne-Simmons

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A bewitching folktale of terror.

The discovery of a skull buried in a field begins the horror that befalls the rural community of Chapel Folding.

The children begin to act strangely, their childish games and squabbles developing a more sinister nature, a cult forming around the girl who holds a vicious claw.

Now a disease is spreading throughout the village, visible by the fur growing on the skin. Evil, malignant and contagious, has taken root, the idyllic countryside blighted and cursed in a war for the soul.

'Blood on Satan's Claw; or, The Devil's Skin' is the novelisation of the 1971 film 'The Blood on Satan's Claw', a story of supernatural horror, devil worship, demonic possession and religious mania, and one of the forebears of the folk horror sub-genre. Written by Robert Wynne-Simmons, who wrote the original screenplay and co-wrote the reworked version alongside director Piers Haggard, the novel combines a vivid depiction of its rural setting and its inhabitants with slow-burning, ominous plotting to produce a vision of nightmarish, vintage horror.

Set in the early 18th century, this is a time when the beliefs and customs of folklore and old Paganism still held firm and Christian fears of witchcraft and Satanism were at the height of hysteria, beliefs combining and conflicting, with the English Civil War and England's witch trials still in living memory. Exploring the epidemic qualities of terror and hysteria, which we've witnessed so often throughout history and continue to this day, Wynne-Simmons crafts an atmospheric narrative of compelling and creeping dread.

Following a dizzying amount of characters, with the switch between narratives sometimes feeling a little disjointed, it has the feel of a story once told orally, transcribed on to the page from a tale around the campfire. At its centre is teenager Angel, who, under the influence of the devil, becomes sorceress and seductress, a pawn in his plan to return to the realm of flesh and bone. Meanwhile, surrounding the cult building around her are those who hope to combat the evil, yet many may fall before it is thwarted, as the superstition and horror mounts to a final crusading attempt to prevent Satan setting foot upon the earth.

A folk horror classic, 'Blood on Satan's Claw' creeps beneath the skin to explore the influence of superstition and the supernatural on the human mind.



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Halloween Ends: The Official Movie Novelization by Paul Brad Logan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The thrilling conclusion to the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode.

Michael Myers has vanished. Since his escape and recent killing spree he has evaded capture and apparently disappeared. But Haddonfield is a scarred town that cannot forget.

After accidentally causing the death of a child, Corey Cunningham has become the town's new boogeyman. Laurie Strode sees through this prejudice, having suffered at the hands of town opinion herself, and introduces Corey to her granddaughter, Allyson.

But as Hallowe’en approaches, evil stirs in the shadows, and death comes to this little town once again.

'Halloween Ends' is the novelisation of the 2022 film, written by Paul Brad Logan, and based on the screenplay by Paul Brad Logan, David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Chris Bernier. The last in Gordon Green's legacy trilogy, and thirteenth entry in the franchise overall, it concludes the story that began with ‘Halloween [2018]’ and continued with ‘Halloween Kills’. A fantastic companion to the movie and a riveting horror thriller on its own merit, the novel vividly translates the events portrayed on film to the page, delving deeper into the psyches of the characters.

Whereas 'Halloween [2018]' was the ultimate battle between Laurie and Michael forty years on and 'Halloween Kills' the continuation of that night, exploring the ongoing horror for Laurie and her family and the wider impact on the town and its citizens, 'Halloween Ends' is the denouement to that massacre, set four years later, a slow-burning and character-driven narrative of psychological depth, philosophical perspective, and the possibility of supernatural influence. It’s not necessarily the typical slasher, yet this gives the story its strength, exploring the concept of evil as a contagion, an infection spread through tragedy, abuse and trauma.

Severely weakened, still suffering from the wounds inflicted four years earlier and severely malnourished, an aging Michael Myers lurks in a disused sewer on the outskirts of Haddonfield. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode, the original survivor of Michael’s 1978 massacre, having waited forty years for the day he would escape so she could finally bring an end to it, but then tragically losing her daughter in the havoc that followed, has finally managed to begin the process of healing and living a life. The narrative is largely led through Corey and Allyson's story, blending romantic elements while further developing the central theme of the legacy of trauma; how evil and its scars afflict subsequent generations.

Throughout forty-five years, the series has walked the shadows between the flesh and blood and the supernatural, as is fitting for the festival it celebrates. This trilogy has honoured the original film and its creative spirit, very cleverly towing those shadows. Michael is a man, who, despite his inhuman abilities, can ultimately die. Yet this darkness within him, that has lived there since he was six years old, leaving him only a shell, may be the purest evil, almost its own entity in the way that Michael himself can appear almost supernatural in the form of the Shape; as he dons the mask that perfectly visualises that blank, pale, emotionless face that Dr. Loomis witnessed in the child who appeared to have no conscience or reason left, with "the blackest eyes, the Devil's eyes." You cannot really explain Michael Myers - he is unlike any flesh and blood serial or spree killer, and yet he is also not supernatural in the way Freddy or Jason (in his later films at least) may be.

Central to the entire legacy trilogy is Laurie Strode, the original final girl. Now a grandmother, a survivor; we've witnessed the effect of that Halloween night of 1978 and how it shaped her entire life and that of her family. She's developed into a feminist icon, both in character on the screen (and page), and through her portrayal by Jamie Lee Curtis. Horror is often attributed the reputation of not being kind to female characters - objectifying, sexualising and victimising them. Yet, in some ways, it has been ahead of the curve - in how many other genres would a "final girl" be one of the heroes of the narrative? The trilogy has essentially been Laurie’s story of survival – how she lived with her trauma and reclaimed the narrative, not simply being one of Michael’s victims, and how ultimately she emerges on the other side.

A fitting final chapter to this strand of the legacy, 'Halloween Ends' is a gripping installment in what is arguably the original and leading of the slasher franchises. Doubtless, Michael will ultimately return in some shape or form, and I will welcome it when that day arrives. As the story itself suggests, perhaps evil truly never dies.



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Alibi by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An intense police and legal thriller following the case of a dangerous predator.

The discovery of a woman's mutilated body disposed of on waste ground launches a major inquiry, police fearing this is only the beginning.

As the number of victims rises, it is clear they are hunting a man who will continue to attack and murder women if he isn't apprehended.

Miraculously, one of the victims survives. With her evidence, police believe they have their killer – but he has alibis for each of the attacks. How can justice be achieved if truth is blurred by lies?

'Alibi', previously published as 'Trial and Retribution II', is the novelisation of the second season of Lynda La Plante's police procedural legal thriller series 'Trial and Retribution', originally televised and published in 1998. Lightning-paced and intricately detailed, the novel begins with the disappearance of the first victim, the investigation rapidly developing into the pursuit of a serial offender following the discovery of three victims in quick succession. We follow the police investigation with particular focus on witness interviews and forensics, as they build their case, leading to the trial.

The team of the previous investigation returns, led by Det. Supt. Mike Walker, DI Pat North and DS Dave Satchell. With a major breakthrough leading them to identify their prime suspect, Walker becomes intensely focused on his certainty of Damon Morton's guilt, despite the evidence initially suggesting otherwise - his wife and girlfriend both provide alibis, while his employees seem determined to take responsibility for the crimes. Yet the testimony of the only surviving victim implicates Morton.

As is often the case with novelisations, the performances of the actors and the cinematography merge with your reading experience. David Hayman's intense portrayal of Walker drives his vivid realisation on the page, while the crimes are brought into sharp focus through the forensic examinations and testimony of witnesses. The investigation exposes the chilling sadism and narcissism of a killer who controls and manipulates those around him, detailing the sexual violence, mutilation and torture inflicted upon the victims, culminating in the drama of the courtroom and a final post-verdict twist, while we also witness the determination and resilience of a survivor to overcome her trauma and see justice done.

This was the first of the six novels I read after discovering the series on screen with 'Trial and Retribution VI', and remains one of my favourites in the series (which ultimately ran to twenty-two stories on screen). It was also the first Lynda La Plante novel I read, as well as one of the earliest police procedurals and legal thrillers I experienced on the page, a cornerstone in cementing me a lifelong fan of La Plante’s work and these sub-genres of crime fiction.

Dark and disturbing, ‘Alibi’ is a gripping novelisation of a riveting chapter in this landmark series.



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