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Living the Dream: Confessions of a Trainee Detective
When Jade finally achieved her dream of becoming a detective, she discovered that the reality wasn’t quite as she'd imagined. Living the Confessions of a Trainee Detective offers a gripping and unfiltered look at the hidden realities of life as a detective in training. With unflinching honesty, Jade pulls back the curtain on her journey within Thames Valley Police, exposing the camaraderie and conflicts, the pride and frustrations, the adrenaline-fuelled moments, and the thankless tasks.
This powerful memoir will captivate, enlighten, and take you far beyond TV's glamour and heroics. Join Jade on a journey that is eye-opening, deeply personal, and profoundly human—as she discovers what it truly means to live the dream.
This powerful memoir will captivate, enlighten, and take you far beyond TV's glamour and heroics. Join Jade on a journey that is eye-opening, deeply personal, and profoundly human—as she discovers what it truly means to live the dream.
230 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2025
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Jade Cameron
1 book1 followerJade Cameron is a former police detective turned author. She joined Thames Valley Police on a fast-track programme, qualifying as a detective within two years. In her debut memoir, Living the Dream: Confessions of a Trainee Detective, she offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at modern policing and the intense challenges of the fast-track detective training programme.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 29, 2025
Jade Cameron’s Living the Dream is a raw and detailed memoir chronicling her journey through the Thames Valley Police’s Direct Entry Detective program. From training school at Sulhamstead to the intense rotations in frontline policing, CID, and the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit, Cameron walks us through every major stage of her policing experience. Her voice is candid and self-aware, painting a picture that is often at odds with the glossy, heroic portrayals of policing in popular media. Rather than just highlighting dramatic chases or high-profile arrests, the book delves into the bureaucracy, exhaustion, moral conflicts, and the emotional highs and lows of trying to serve justice from inside a creaking, often contradictory system.
What struck me most about Cameron’s writing was how unfiltered it felt. Her tone is not academic or lofty, it’s personal, conversational, and painfully honest. She doesn’t flinch from showing us the mess behind the badge: the inconsistencies in training, the petty politics, the emotional toll of witnessing trauma, and the disillusionment that sets in when reality doesn't match the dream. I found myself frustrated on her behalf, especially during the parts where senior officers were more obsessed with hat angles than officer readiness. The sense of institutional rigidity, the disconnect between the supposed values of the police and their day-to-day actions, came through powerfully. Her prose didn’t try to impress; it tried to tell the truth. That made it all the more impactful.
At the same time, what made the book really compelling was that it wasn’t just a complaint. Cameron never acts like she’s above the job or the people she worked with. She respects the mission of policing and clearly cares about victims and doing good work. But she also refuses to ignore the cracks in the system or the way people burn out trying to patch them. Some of the more emotional chapters, especially her breakdown, the cases that haunted her, and her eventual decision to quit, were tough to read. You could feel the weight of it all pressing down. Her honesty about the mental strain and the constant balancing act between professionalism and personal wellness felt incredibly important.
I’d recommend Living the Dream to anyone curious about what being a modern-day detective is actually like, beyond the TV scripts and recruitment posters. It’s not a sensationalized tell-all. It’s the story of someone who believed in the job, gave it her all, and eventually had to walk away. If you're thinking about joining the police, if you've ever burned out from a system that didn’t quite work the way it should, or if you just want to understand the complex realities of public service, this book is worth your time. It’s thoughtful, brutally real, sometimes funny, and often heartbreaking.
What struck me most about Cameron’s writing was how unfiltered it felt. Her tone is not academic or lofty, it’s personal, conversational, and painfully honest. She doesn’t flinch from showing us the mess behind the badge: the inconsistencies in training, the petty politics, the emotional toll of witnessing trauma, and the disillusionment that sets in when reality doesn't match the dream. I found myself frustrated on her behalf, especially during the parts where senior officers were more obsessed with hat angles than officer readiness. The sense of institutional rigidity, the disconnect between the supposed values of the police and their day-to-day actions, came through powerfully. Her prose didn’t try to impress; it tried to tell the truth. That made it all the more impactful.
At the same time, what made the book really compelling was that it wasn’t just a complaint. Cameron never acts like she’s above the job or the people she worked with. She respects the mission of policing and clearly cares about victims and doing good work. But she also refuses to ignore the cracks in the system or the way people burn out trying to patch them. Some of the more emotional chapters, especially her breakdown, the cases that haunted her, and her eventual decision to quit, were tough to read. You could feel the weight of it all pressing down. Her honesty about the mental strain and the constant balancing act between professionalism and personal wellness felt incredibly important.
I’d recommend Living the Dream to anyone curious about what being a modern-day detective is actually like, beyond the TV scripts and recruitment posters. It’s not a sensationalized tell-all. It’s the story of someone who believed in the job, gave it her all, and eventually had to walk away. If you're thinking about joining the police, if you've ever burned out from a system that didn’t quite work the way it should, or if you just want to understand the complex realities of public service, this book is worth your time. It’s thoughtful, brutally real, sometimes funny, and often heartbreaking.
June 8, 2025
Cop shows and the true crime stories glorify the role of police officers, but what is it really like, particularly between those rare drama-filled moments? In Living the Dream, Jade Cameron reflects on her two years as a trainee detective, giving us the highlights of her training and service through the cycle of various detective units with the Thames Valley police in the UK. Compelled to serve by a strong desire to help people, she enrolls in the Detective Constable Degree Holder Entry Program, skipping the usual years of service as a uniformed officer to instead become a Trainee Detective. Cameron shares many details of her experience at “Sully” (the Thames Valley Police training center, nicknamed after the village in which its located). The camaraderie of her training cohort carries her through this initial phase of her education, and she expects similar fellowship and support from her coworkers once she transfers out to the police department, while they save the world.
Cameron’s language is smooth as can be, and this was a relatively easy read. She wrote this memoir as though she was sitting beside us, sharing her story comfortably in conversation. While the book is full of acronyms, she masterfully balanced description and shorthand so that the reader can follow along. As an American only mildly familiar with the British police structure, I was able to understand her locations and duties quite well.
She also gives us a fairly deep dive into the day-to-day reality of a British detective – not just of the more concrete details (such as the bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork), but the seemingly universal toll it takes on the psyche of those that serve. While she focuses on her own experiences, she alludes to the burnout her colleagues seem to also be experiencing.
While Cameron was full of hope when first in Sully, that hope dies as the story wears on. Unfortunately, from the beginning she notes that her hope would erode, and the story would have been much more powerful if she hadn’t revealed this quite so early in the book.
This is a story that needs to be told. First responders everywhere suffer with higher rates of burnout, PTSD, and even suicide than the population at large, and Living the Dream shows us some of the ways the system itself contributes to these problems. While Cameron doesn’t propose any firm solutions, she demonstrates the brokenness experienced by many police officers.
Cameron’s language is smooth as can be, and this was a relatively easy read. She wrote this memoir as though she was sitting beside us, sharing her story comfortably in conversation. While the book is full of acronyms, she masterfully balanced description and shorthand so that the reader can follow along. As an American only mildly familiar with the British police structure, I was able to understand her locations and duties quite well.
She also gives us a fairly deep dive into the day-to-day reality of a British detective – not just of the more concrete details (such as the bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork), but the seemingly universal toll it takes on the psyche of those that serve. While she focuses on her own experiences, she alludes to the burnout her colleagues seem to also be experiencing.
While Cameron was full of hope when first in Sully, that hope dies as the story wears on. Unfortunately, from the beginning she notes that her hope would erode, and the story would have been much more powerful if she hadn’t revealed this quite so early in the book.
This is a story that needs to be told. First responders everywhere suffer with higher rates of burnout, PTSD, and even suicide than the population at large, and Living the Dream shows us some of the ways the system itself contributes to these problems. While Cameron doesn’t propose any firm solutions, she demonstrates the brokenness experienced by many police officers.
June 20, 2025
I was kindly gifted a copy of “Living the Dream” by Jade Cameron.
It’s an honest, heartfelt account of her time within the UK’s Police Force.
From expectations to anxieties, to frustrations and disappointments; Jade openly speaks about her journey right from the very beginning with her training to the first real day on the job. Then following Jade as she navigates her way through different departments, mountains of paperwork and trying to do the best job possible with what proves to be inadequate training.
I love the fact how candidly Jade speaks about her feelings while she was active in the service, many relatable- such as feeling insecure, being “the new guy”, how it felt getting that first arrest, first charge and leading her first interview.
She talks in detail about her training, her time in each of the departments within the force, some of the cases she dealt with and the challenges each one brought. With all the emotions and actions compounding which ultimately led Jade make her decision to leave.
The book moves smoothly along, without too many statistics that can bamboozle some readers. It’s written very simply so it’s easy to understand the dynamics but that doesn’t take away how excellently it’s been put together for the reader. It’s written in a way which makes you feel like you’re sitting having a cuppa and a natter but with all the important bits left in.
If you’re interested in really knowing what it’s like for the people behind the uniform then I highly recommend this book.
From first day nerves to bureaucracy, saving their own skin and life long friends. A great inside view of what it’s like to be a modern day officer.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ for this!
It’s an honest, heartfelt account of her time within the UK’s Police Force.
From expectations to anxieties, to frustrations and disappointments; Jade openly speaks about her journey right from the very beginning with her training to the first real day on the job. Then following Jade as she navigates her way through different departments, mountains of paperwork and trying to do the best job possible with what proves to be inadequate training.
I love the fact how candidly Jade speaks about her feelings while she was active in the service, many relatable- such as feeling insecure, being “the new guy”, how it felt getting that first arrest, first charge and leading her first interview.
She talks in detail about her training, her time in each of the departments within the force, some of the cases she dealt with and the challenges each one brought. With all the emotions and actions compounding which ultimately led Jade make her decision to leave.
The book moves smoothly along, without too many statistics that can bamboozle some readers. It’s written very simply so it’s easy to understand the dynamics but that doesn’t take away how excellently it’s been put together for the reader. It’s written in a way which makes you feel like you’re sitting having a cuppa and a natter but with all the important bits left in.
If you’re interested in really knowing what it’s like for the people behind the uniform then I highly recommend this book.
From first day nerves to bureaucracy, saving their own skin and life long friends. A great inside view of what it’s like to be a modern day officer.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ for this!
July 2, 2025
Living the Dream by Jade Cameron
When the author finally achieved her dream of becoming a detective, she discovered that the reality wasn't quite as she'd imagined. Living the Dream is her personal account of her time in the police. She offers a gripping and unfiltered look at the hidden realities of working in the police.
She shares all of her struggles, frustrations, sleepless nights, camaraderie, conflicts, pride, adrenaline-fueled moments, and thankless tasks. She almost completely, and sadly, dismantles the glamorous and heroic image of being in the police, conjured up by the TV.
🤔 My thoughts on this book
Her confessions only confirmed what I thought was the issue with the police system. A system that often focuses on ticking the boxes, doing their procedures, and sadly ignoring the real implications of having to deal with all kinds of situations. Reading her account showed me how the system often pushes police officers to curb their human side to complete their "tasks", rarely going beyond the bureaucracy of having to fill in documents. I loved this book because it really shows what happens behind the curtains of the police environment.
"Why should I read this book❓"
If you are a young person whose dream job is to work in the police, I highly suggest reading this book, not to make you shy away from it or question your dream, but to help you go into that more aware of how things can really be. If you are just interested in reading something different or have always been fascinated by the police, then you will find this book riveting.
When the author finally achieved her dream of becoming a detective, she discovered that the reality wasn't quite as she'd imagined. Living the Dream is her personal account of her time in the police. She offers a gripping and unfiltered look at the hidden realities of working in the police.
She shares all of her struggles, frustrations, sleepless nights, camaraderie, conflicts, pride, adrenaline-fueled moments, and thankless tasks. She almost completely, and sadly, dismantles the glamorous and heroic image of being in the police, conjured up by the TV.
🤔 My thoughts on this book
Her confessions only confirmed what I thought was the issue with the police system. A system that often focuses on ticking the boxes, doing their procedures, and sadly ignoring the real implications of having to deal with all kinds of situations. Reading her account showed me how the system often pushes police officers to curb their human side to complete their "tasks", rarely going beyond the bureaucracy of having to fill in documents. I loved this book because it really shows what happens behind the curtains of the police environment.
"Why should I read this book❓"
If you are a young person whose dream job is to work in the police, I highly suggest reading this book, not to make you shy away from it or question your dream, but to help you go into that more aware of how things can really be. If you are just interested in reading something different or have always been fascinated by the police, then you will find this book riveting.
September 9, 2025
I was kindly gifted this book by Jade herself and I thought it was very eye-opening indeed!
I really felt for Jade and her frustrations with the police force multiple times through this book. I was shocked and even outraged in parts that Thames Valley Police are allowed to get away with some of the things they do and how flimsy and uneccessary some of their procedures are.
I couldn't help but feel so gutted for Jade that this was her dream job and when she'd finally got there, it was so far from a dream for her. It was very clear to see why Jade felt the way she did about the police force in the end.
This book was very well written; it was raw and personal, filled with stories of her experience and explanations for procedures and terminology which was super helpful and interesting. A great read and I would definitely recommend to anyone curious about what becoming a detective really entails.
I really felt for Jade and her frustrations with the police force multiple times through this book. I was shocked and even outraged in parts that Thames Valley Police are allowed to get away with some of the things they do and how flimsy and uneccessary some of their procedures are.
I couldn't help but feel so gutted for Jade that this was her dream job and when she'd finally got there, it was so far from a dream for her. It was very clear to see why Jade felt the way she did about the police force in the end.
This book was very well written; it was raw and personal, filled with stories of her experience and explanations for procedures and terminology which was super helpful and interesting. A great read and I would definitely recommend to anyone curious about what becoming a detective really entails.
May 4, 2025
I really enjoyed how this book combined the personal storyline of Jade with insightful, real-life observations about police work - the exciting stuff we see in crime shows, as well as the day-to-day things that bog officers down and keep them trapped in a system that sometimes does more harm than good. The thrilling, exhausting, and exasperating moments leave you with an appreciation for these detectives, yet make you wonder whether you'd ever want to be in their shoes.
The story flows smoothly and keeps you intrigued, so it's an easy but interesting read!
The story flows smoothly and keeps you intrigued, so it's an easy but interesting read!
August 1, 2025
I love Living the Dream: Confessions of a Trainee Detective because it offers a raw, honest look into the realities of police work, far from the TV stereotypes. Jade’s openness about her fears, struggles, and emotional highs and lows makes her story incredibly relatable and human. Her resilience and humor shine through, even in the darkest moments.
The book deeply moved me with its balance of vulnerability and strength. It gave me a true appreciation for the mental toughness required in such a demanding role. It’s inspiring, eye-opening, and unforgettable.
The book deeply moved me with its balance of vulnerability and strength. It gave me a true appreciation for the mental toughness required in such a demanding role. It’s inspiring, eye-opening, and unforgettable.
January 11, 2026
A must read if you're thinking of joining the police. Written from the experience of a highly intelligent young woman who had always wanted to be a police officer, the book tracks a year of training alongside frontline policing and illustrates the frustrations of this logical and honest individual, when confronted with the systemic bureaucracy of police targets and processes. Police do a really difficult job often in difficult circumstances, but in my view they need to challenge accepted custom and practice in order to do what is right.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews