Hidden Killers

Tennison #2

by Lynda La Plante

Before Prime Suspect there was Tennison - this is her story

Jane Tennison has been been promoted to the role of Detective Constable in London's Bow Street CID but she is struggling with some of the decisions her colleagues are making. The more experienced detectives move swiftly from one criminal case to the next, with Jane left doubting both their methods and their finding. When Jane becomes inextricably involved in a multiple rape case she must decide whether to toe the line or endanger her position by seeking the truth. But will her decision put her life in peril?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Procedural, Mystery Thriller

464 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2016

About the author

Lynda La Plante, CBE (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.

Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.

She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.

Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).

Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.

Reviews

[Jess☺️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden Killer's by Lynda la Plante is the second book in the Jane Tennison series which only gets better and better and more addictive.
It's a police thriller which is set in the 1970's where a young Jane Tennison continues to fight to fit into the man's world of the police force 🙄
The characters continue to grow and become more enjoyable to read with each book.
I highly recommend this book/series as it continues to be fast paced with an edge of your seat excitement and it also has a bit of frustration add into it.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

WPC Jane Tennison had only recently been promoted to Detective in London’s Bow Street CID and was thrilled her goal had been achieved so soon. But what she had left behind was causing her great angst. Was the accused guilty of the rape? As he waited in prison for a sentencing date, Jane knew her gut feeling was causing trouble – what should she do?

In the meantime, a woman’s accidental drowning was beginning to look like a lot more. Once again Jane was going on her feelings that something was wrong with the conclusion of the Bow Street Detectives. She was getting herself into trouble for going off on her own, to investigate and find clues that the others said weren’t there. Was Jane just an over enthusiastic rookie, or was she right?

Hidden Killers is the 2nd in the Tennison series by Lynda LaPlante and even though I haven’t read the first, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I was able to pick up some of what had happened in the past from back story, but it wasn’t detrimental to Hidden Killers. Plenty of twists and turns, lots of cops over indulging in booze (which seems to be the norm) and a raw detective determined to make her name and see justice served. Highly entertaining crime reading, and definitely recommended.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quickly became absorbed with the intriguing storylines. Jane Tennison's character is truly fleshed out and we get a feel for how she will develop her skills with each new case. I enjoyed listening to Julie Teal's voice as she narrated this book.

[Deborah (debbishdotcom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top six books last year was Tennison by Lynda LaPlante. As a fan of the (ahem) older Jane Tennison via LaPlante’s Prime Suspect series I loved that she’d leapt back in time, allowing us to meet a young Jane and giving us the opportunity to understand how the popular character of the 1990s became so resilient… not to mention a bit of a hard-arse.

Happily LaPlante is now offering up another episode in the life of young Jane – with her passion for justice and occasional disdain for authority – as she continues to doggedly pursue the baddies.

It’s interesting (as I said in my review of Tennison) to have opportunity to reflect on the role of women in the police service – and society in general – in the early 1970s. And Jane’s still pushing boundaries and breaking through barriers in this outing.

Again we’re offered two cases. I struggled with this a little in Tennison, but it works well here; as the two investigations are paced very differently. The serial rapist case is essentially closed fairly early in the book, but Jane’s tying together loose ends in her own time. And then there’s the case her colleagues are eager to label as unsuspicious… a decision Jane disagrees with and is determined to prove.

But it’s the character of Jane that makes this novel a wonderful read She’s tenacious and details-oriented. And her ethics mean she doesn’t cut corners and won’t be satisfied with anything less than the truth… and justice. We slowly see however, that she’s learning to play the game.

I loved spending time with Jane again and only regret another year or so may pass until she returns to the page!

Read the full review on my site: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...

4.5 stars

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a present, so unfortunately I felt compelled to read right through, but dear me, this is turgid crap. I'd have had more fun having teeth pulled. How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways:

1) The English. This is dreadful. Being able to tell the difference between past and present tense would be a desirable trait in an author. The proper use of punctuation instead of endless conjunctives is to be preferred. And knowing what are words and what are not is also a fantastic place to begin - have a hint, "Tarra" is not a word.

2) The Narrative. This is even more dreadful. Wrapped up in English that would make a teenager blush, a good two thirds of the book seems to be spent just recapping what has happened for those not paying attention before. And not just recapping - oh no. Spelling out the most minute of details ("...and you got the coat back, as you're wearing it") in the most painstaking of ways, nothing, but nothing may be left the reader to guess, assume or infer, nothing must be shown, everything must be told always. Because if we aren't told that she's touching her lip because her lip was injured in the attack, we might forget that her lip was injured in the attack. It hasn't been mentioned for three pages after all.

3) The Characters. Not for a very long time has a main character annoyed me more. Smug, self-righteous, the only one able to see the truth with her whole two months of experience, this is a Mary-Sue to end all Mary-Sues. The other characters are no better. Wooden, archetypal, and mainly there to highlight how wonderful our main character is - even though, even as the author writes her, she comes across as smug, self-righteous and generally insufferable.

4) The Plot. It's not even worth my time giving spoilers. If your whole plot rests on characters randomly bumping into each other at random times just as the plot happens to need that to occur and for no other reason than because you can't be bothered to come up with a plausible way for them to meet, it's not a plot.

On the whole, this book isn't so much a book or a story as a collection of words thrown together. Badly.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lynda La Plante’s books, to me she is the Queen of Crime and the decision to write a series of books featuring Jane Tennison just starting off in her career was a stroke of genius. I was a huge fan of Tennison, and felt that Lynda did an excellent job of capturing the time that it was set, and the same can be said of Hidden Killers.

Jane Tennison is one of the genre’s most popular characters, and it was a joy for fans to read about her as a young police officer in the 1970s when Tennison was released. In Hidden Killers, Jane begins to realise her dream of being part of the CID, though it isn’t without its hardships and hurdles. She faces much adversity being a woman, but what I enjoyed about Hidden Killers especially was that as the story progressed and Jane began to prove herself, the men started to accept her into the fold with one of them eventually stating that she was ‘one of them’. She is by no means perfect and makes mistakes, which is why she felt like such a real character. Her naivety at times allows her to look at cases differently than her superiors do which sees her coming up with connections that they had missed or didn’t want to see. Her reaction towards her superiors planting evidence and roughing up suspects also shows us the kind of person she is and the officer that she wants to be and the story here shows the results achieved with both styles of policing.

It’s refreshing to read a crime series not set in the present day and, as with Tennison, I imagined the scenes in this book almost through an old-fashioned filter. Lynda does a great job of capturing the time period and it’s a believable and authentic read and as with all of her books the research that has been carried out to give us that realism is always evident. London is brought to life here on the page, and it’s always interesting to read about it from a different time period.

Storyline wise and I felt it was incredibly strong, with two cases for our new WDC to get her teeth into. Both cases really test Jane and, even though the way the story was written is why this happened, without Jane I don’t think half the evidence that was found would have came to light and perhaps that’s indicative of why we need female police officers in the force or why times had to change and that old-school style of policing is now a thing of the past. Even though in some cases I’m sure some people wish it still remained. It was an interesting dynamic to see Jane working alongside a woman in the office called Edith. Edith used to be a police officer but gave it up and instead sits in the office brooding and lamenting over that time, whereas Jane is almost a pioneer for the female police officer and isn’t afraid to just give up when times get hard. Lynda’s books aren’t short reads by any means but I never felt that this one went on too long. It’s a slow-burner as the teams gather evidence and build these cases to eventually take them to trial and the last 15% or so was action-packed and delivered a fantastic finale. If you are a crime fan yet to discover Jane Tennison then this is a great place to start and if you are a fan of Prime Suspect yet to discover this series, then I highly recommend you check it out.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynda La Plante’s, “Hidden Killers” is the second in the “Tennison” series of books featuring WDC Jane Tennison of the “Prime Suspect” popular tv and book series.

After a quick recap of the necessary facts from the events in book one, we move straight into Jane being used as a decoy in an undercover operation, to trap an assailant targeting women at night - which proves to be quite terrifying for her.

Jane’s eagerness and obvious determination to become a detective against the odds in a male dominated 1970’s police force, shows some brilliant resilience and the two cases she is tasked with investigating are given her undivided attention, to give the victims the justice they deserve.

What I like about La Plante’s writing is how she describes every scene in detail, leaving nothing out and no stone unturned. This keeps the pace steady but as the denouements reach their peak, the tension mounts and you follow everything at a faster speed getting the adrenaline juices flowing.

You really can’t complain at Lynda La Plante’s “Tennison/Prime Suspect” police procedurals, she keeps her readers seriously addicted to the storylines and with strongly developed characters and interesting and intriguing plots, these are certainly ‘go to’ crime novels for sure.

I’m looking forward to book three, “Good Friday” as Jane investigates further criminal activity and I’m enjoying following her career as she develops into a mature and successful police detective.

#HiddenKillers - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable following Tennison's move up the ranks.

[Janel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden Killers is the second book in the Tennison series; in book one, we first meet Jane Tennison as a WPC (Woman Police Constable), in this one she is promoted to WDC (Woman Detective Constable) and is expected to hold her own at crime scenes. An element I’m really growing to like about this series, is the multiple investigations that are taking place, as it really allows us to see the development of Tennison in regard to her policing skills. I also really like that the officers have to work hard to secure results, it’s not a series of lucky coincidences but rather, LaPlante has created a well-detailed plot.

At just shy of 500 pages, you have plenty of time to get to know the characters and form opinions of them. I didn’t like the underhand tactics some of the officers used and it took me a while to decide if I liked them or not because I believe if anyone should follow the law unequivocally, it’s the police, regardless of whether they believe they’re doing the right thing or not. And that’s one of the things I really like about Jane, her constant battle to seek the truth and question things, even though she’s advised to willingly accept what she’s told.

I really love the simplicity with which LaPlante writes, it gives this novel an authentic feel and allows you to easily to slip into this read – I read this book in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also like the insight we get into what it’s like to be a woman in a male dominated police force, this is done seamlessly and really makes you admire Tennison’s determination.

Again, I have to highlight the fact that this series is set in East London and ventures into Central London, areas I know well, and this gives that added enjoyment due to the familiarity of the locations used. The more I read of this series the more determined I am to watch the TV series, Prime Suspect, as this series is the prequel to the television drama. So, if you enjoyed the TV drama, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book.

Like Tennison, Hidden Killers is a well-rounded and well-fleshed out novel; it’d make a great read for fans of police procedurals that focus in detail on the case and how the officers cope at work, with enough of an insight into their personal lives to help you form a connection to their characters. I recommend you read this series in order; I’m looking forward to reading book 3: Good Friday.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Jane Tennison series by author Lynda La Plante. I find this series of books easy to get right into already feeling that I know the characters and the writing style so well. For anyone who grew up watching the TV series ‘Prime Suspect’ it is only natural that you can imagine Helen Mirren playing the lead character Jane Tennison. In Hidden Killers Jane has just been promoted to WDC on the crime squad and as per usual is battling against the male egos of the other officers. Lynda La Plante books are not short novels so I always feel I get a good detailed insight into all sub plots and background details.

This book opens with Jane acting as a prostitute, to catch the perpetrator of a series of sexual assaults in the area. The attacker takes the bait and put under arrest leaving Jane with a commendation for bravery. Jane is awarded CID status and makes the move to Bow Street Station as a Detective. Her very first call-out is to a non-suspicious death, a young mother drowned in the bath while her young child is crying in the next room. Two separate cases interweave and Jane begins to doubt both the evidence against her attacker in the prostitute case and the death of the young mother in the bath. Jane not only suspects that the incorrect conclusions have been made for the two cases but also around the evidence obtained by her colleagues.

These are good straight forward crime novels with plenty of action and suspense making them a very entertaining read.

[BooksandBacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Tennison's character in the Tennison series evolves as she goes from being a WPC in book one to a WDC in “Hidden Killers”, where she is expected to take charge at crime scenes. I'm really enjoying how this series has multiple investigations, which shows Tennison's progress in her policing abilities. The officers' dedication to achieving results is impressive. LaPlante's plot is well-detailed and not just a lucky string of coincidences.

To catch the perpetrator of a series of sexual assaults in the area, Jane poses as a prostitute at the beginning of the book. Jane's bravery earned her a commendation, as the attacker was arrested after taking the bait. Jane attained CID status and transferred to Bow Street Station as a detective. She is called out for the first time for a death that is not considered suspicious. A young mother lost her life in the bathtub while her child cried in the next room. Jane starts to question the evidence in both the prostitute case and the death of the young mother in the bath as two separate cases become intertwined. Not only does Jane suspect that incorrect conclusions were made in two cases, but she also has doubts about the evidence collected by her colleagues.

Two cases presented in the Storyline gave our new WDC plenty to work on and sink her teeth into. Jane was crucial in both cases and her involvement led to the discovery of a significant amount of evidence that may have gone unnoticed. This highlights the importance of having female police officers and the need for a modern approach to policing. Even though it's gone, I'm sure some people wish it was still there in some cases. It was interesting to witness Jane and Edith working alongside each other. Edith relinquished her police officer position and now handles the office, while Jane is a female police pioneer who doesn't give up easily. While Lynda's books are generally long reads, this one didn't feel like it went on too much. The teams work slowly but surely to gather evidence and build their cases, which culminate in an exciting finale. If you are a crime fan yet to discover Jane Tennison then I highly recommend you start with book 1 “Tennison”.

Many thanks to @LaPlanteLynda @simonschusteruk & @Tr4cyF3nt0n for a spot on the tour.

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook - 13:21 hours - Narrator: Julie Teal
4.0 solid stars out of 5.0

I listened to #2 "Hidden Killers" immediately after listening to #1 "Tennison" and although the stories and plots were different, of course, the following is a slightly modified version of the "Tennison" review adapted as a review for "Hidden Killers":

Lynda La Plante's "Anna Travis" series is a wonderful example of this writer's ability to introduce a character, such as rookie Detective Constable Anna Travis, and then progress the development of the character through nine books over nine years, to a time when Anna Travis has risen to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector.

"Tennison" is the back story of the iconic DCI Jane Tennison from the TV series "Prime Suspect", starring the wonderful Helen Mirren. "Hidden Killers" is the second book in the "Tennison Series".

Set in the early 1970's, both books feature a very young Jane Tennison and her life as a Probationary WPC in the tough, male-dominated world of the London Police. Tennison, a naïve young trainee just out of police college, has started serving her probationary weeks as a real police constable, in a real police station, where real chauvinism abounds, and young WPCs, particularly probationers, are referred to, by the males of course, as "plonks".

This reviewer's credibility needed to be gently cast to one side as Jane Tennison became involved in a good deal more police activity, both inside and outside the station, than one could possibly imagine would happen in the "real world". But this is relatively light-hearted, but by no means light-weight fiction, written by an author with an excellent knowledge of the workings of the British Police and an outstanding record as a writer of British crime fiction.

At 13:21 hours, "Hidden Killers" is a satisfying novel, extremely well narrated by Julie Teal. Teal has an ability that few female narrators possess: she is able to vocalise different male characters, voices and accents without compromising her superb reading skills.

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was well written but I just couldn't get into the plot or the characters. Could have easily been at a least a decent read but I might not have read it in the right time. Don't know if I have read from Lynda La Plante before, I think I have. But I'll give her another go because I think I have a possibility to like her writing if I just connect with the characters or story.

[Gayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

My usual problem with LLP - too much detail. She went into the kitchen , put on the kettle, took a mug out of the cupboard etc - feels like set of stage directions sometimes. That said, Jane T is an interesting characther and good plot keeps me reading - if skimming a bit to the end

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to in audio format.

Hidden Killers is the second book in the Jane Tennison prequel series.

Jane was excited to finally complete her probationary year at Hackney. Jane's colleagues had been investigating a series of rapes in the area with no success. One evening DI Moran asked Jane if she wanted to work undercover to trap the rapist. Proud to be given the opportunity to work as a decoy Jane borrowed her older sister's clothes for something suitable. On the street she tried to lure the rapist to her. The rapist took the bait and he was arrested but not before attacking Jane and giving her a split lip.

The man told CID he hated prostitutes because one stole money off him but denied he had raped anyone. The man seemed plausible and Jane wondered if they had arrested the right man.

The next day Jane was delighted to hear she had passed her exams and earned a place in CID for all her hard work. She was to be stationed at Bow Street police station as a WDC. On her first day Jane ruffled the feathers of her new boss when she attended a cut and dried suicide of a young man. At the scene Jane felt something was not right and worked on her own to prove it was murder going against her boss.

In this book Jane showed signs of the tough detective she was to become. Although she was hard working she felt she always right and annoyed her fellow detectives. Jane was so against corruption she was willing to believe DCI Moran with no hard evidence. Instead she did not think twice about snitching on Moran to her new boss.

I enjoyed both the separate investigations in this story. The audio book was 13 hours long but the story did not drag for me. I recommend this book for all Jane Tenninson fans.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read book one in this early Jane Tennison series and loved it and was looking forward to book 2. It didn't disappoint. Jane is ahead of the rest even at the start of her career. She sees links and opportunities to solve clues and move the case along and takes them despite going against the authority within the Police.
I felt the story was well told and developed. It felt real and I really got engrossed in it.
I loved the plot from the start with the reader following the clues with Tennison and seeing the conclusions reached.
Its interesting to see where the highly accomplished detective Tennison from Prime Suspect came from.
There were two stories running here and I felt both of them were given enough attention to feel gripping.
It was interesting to see how the role of women in work was at that time and the difficulties it meant for women who were just trying to do their work while having to bat away prejudice at the same time
I would highly recommend this one and hope book three will come soon.

[James F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynda La Plante has done it again.Excellent read I enjoyed reading this book and couldn't put it down. Jane Tennison is a young police officer who applies herself to become a detective. she is sent to finalize an accident where a young wife has fallen in a bathtub and has drowned. Tennison feels something isn't right and ask for help from Lawrence a forensic investigator. it was going to be classified as an accidental drowning. Tennison pursues the clues. The next case she is used as a decoy in a park where a man has attacked women for sex Tennison is attacked and captures the suspect the case does not end there. pick up a copy of the book you won't be disappointed.

[Nat K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this sequel to 'Tennison'. The story moved along at a good pace. It was interesting to see how Jane Tennison grew in confidence via her move from being a WPC to a WDC. By joining an all male detective squad, she has to prove herself over and over. It's a fine line in trusting her instincts, and not stepping on the toes of her superior officers.

I'm looking forward to reading book 3 of the Tennison (early years) series.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of the Tennison prequel books - and a Hackney case and a Bow Street case see her become a fully fledged CID detective. I think the book was too long for the plot at nearly 500 pages - it seemed a little slow-moving at times.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐

[♥︎♥︎Sofia♥︎♥︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will always be grateful to Ms La Plante for writing some of the best female TV characters in history but her prose writing is eye-wateringly bad. Sorry.

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second in a series that Lynda La Plante wrote from 2015.
1. Tennison (2015)
2. Hidden Killers (2016)
3. Good Friday (2017)
4. Murder Mile (2018)
5. The Dirty Dozen (2019)

In the first book in the series, TENNISON, in the aftermath of an explosion in the bank vault, the police operation descends into pandemonium and panic. Police officers search the rubble for survivors and find Gibbs and a badly-injured. This incident and its impact on Tennison and colleagues is often referred to in HIDDEN KILLERS.

Actually though the background to this series needs mentioning. The televised series that resulted from the original PRIME SUSPECT books, featuring Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, was immensely popular.
1. Prime Suspect (1991)
2. A Face in the Crowd (1992)
3. Silent Victims (1993)

Following on from the success of Prime Suspect, the author and ITV launched a new series, Prime Suspect 1973, a prequel to Prime Suspect. Set in London in the 1970's, this series, followed the early career of the formidable DCI Jane Tennison, the role that established Dame Helen Mirren as a household name. However La Plante walked away from the collaboration when she felt they were trying to change it too much. ITV scrapped the series but La Plante went on to write 4 more novels beginning with HIDDEN KILLERS.

This book is really a collection of the cases that Detective Constable Jane Tennison becomes involved in beginning with a case where she is used as a decoy for a rapist.

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynda la Plant takes us back to the early career of Jane Tennison of Prime Suspect fame (Helen Mirren). Set in the 1970’s the tenacity of the new detective in a traditionally male environment is so brilliantly written you can feel her passion to prove her worth. In addition to the fantastic characterisation is an equally outstanding plot. So glad I’ve rediscovered this author!

[Amy Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lynda La Plante's Jane Tennison series...in this 2nd prequel, Jane is promoted...working one tough case while the remnants from her last one are holding on. Love how Jane learns from her rookie mistakes. Lynda's police procedurals show the nitty gritty of police work and always gets it right.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Lynda La Plante - finely crafted story line, characters well defined and plausible. I was gripped from start to finish. I have read most of the Tennison novels and seen several of the TV series. We will never tire of Tennison! More please Lynda!

[Trudy Ackerblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Hidden Killers a very enjoyable read. Following a young female CID detective cut her teeth in the atmosphere of male detectives who consistently question the work of a woman succeed is too much fun. I will definitely move on to the third book, Good Friday.

[Kaitlin Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’m missing something but this book was so painful to read, and I wish I hadn’t wasted my time.

I can’t even describe what made it so horrendously bad. The writing was bad. The characters were bad. The plot was sub-par and nothing surprised me.

Just don’t bother with this book, in my opinion.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious

A police procedural that reads like a government manual. Plodding prose style. Nothing at all like the television show with Helen Mirren.

[Wendy Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent second book. Really enjoying the characters.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series.