Stalker

by John Stalker

In 1984, when he was Deputy Chief Constable of Manchester, John Stalker was asked to go to Northern Ireland to investigate the alleged "shoot to kill" policy by RUC policemen of suspect terrorists. With a team of six experienced policemen he spent two years conducting three murder enquiries. He came to some very startling conclusions. Just as he was about to complete his inquiry he was called back to Manchester, suspended from duty and subjected to an intense investigation for alleged improprieties. This book reveals what Stalker found out about the RUC, the links between what he was finding and the allegations against him and the extraordinary nature of the investigation into his own career.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ireland, Biography, History, Politics, Irish Literature, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stalker Affair by John Stalker is an amazing book that'll get you thinking about the people and places around you. John Stalker became apart of the Manchester City Police team as a teenager. Although, he wanted to become a journalist at first he quickly fell in love with his career. Throughout his journey he goes through many positions before becoming one of the very best. Many years pass until one day he's asked to join a team of highly trained policemen in a mission to solve a case. He's informed that in the part of town they'll be in doesn't have the same rules for policemen as their hometown does; being undercover doesn't make it easier on them either. As the team is picking up the pieces and putting the puzzle together they're suddenly dropped from the task. John Stalker, throughout the book, explains every detail of the thoughts and kind of people he's met throughout his life as a policeman; which is why it was so easy to gets you trapped in his world for a few minutes while reading the book.

[Nada · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this book to read it, I thought I'd be reading about an actual stalker. I was in fact reading about Stalker, John Stalker, who rose to the rank of Deputy Chief Constable in Manchester. Living in Australia and being a child at the time of this saga, the Stalker affair had no impact on me at the time. I must say, however, it is a timeless piece of writing and bears relevance in this day and age. Any person who has tried to do the right thing despite adversity and controversy will appreciate the message herein. I must say that I cannot truly grasp the media intrusion and the inherent stress this event caused Mr Stalker and his family or indeed the stress inflicted on any player in this saga including Kevin Taylor. Having said this, John Stalker came out the other side with his dignity in tact and his investigations did have some impact. Very well written!

[Jordan Phizacklea-Cullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Stalker was Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police when in 1984 he was asked to head an inquiry into three Royal Ulster Constabulary killings of IRA volunteers in Northern Ireland. His inquiry uncovered disturbing evidence of a 'shoot-to-kill' policy existing in the RUC that caused international outrage. Stalker's memoir painstakingly charts the numerous difficulties he encountered from police chiefs during his investigation, and the deeply stressful fallout that effectively ended his career as a policeman after 30 years. What emerges is a portrait of a sensitive, intelligent and thoughtful brand of gentlemen, and if the prose is occasionally a little 'more sinned against than sinning', it's a book that raises stark questions about how the police hierarchy operates.

[Daniel Mallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book teaches one thing it is that truth and justice can be and is still easily trampled into the ground.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meticulous, conscientiously written book by a meticulous, conscientious man.