Straight from the Pig's Mouth

by Al Lester

A warts-and-all, often laugh-out-loud funny memoir of policing in New Zealand.

"This book takes you into the life of a New Zealand police detective. I tell it how it was and spare few details so that you too can see the world through one policeman’s eyes. The stories contained in this book range from the humorous, strange and bizarre to extreme violence and murders. This is the lot of a Kiwi policeman and was the life I lived for 31 years."

From his fledgling days as a constable to being a detective sergeant on high-profile cases, retired Christchurch policeman Al Lester has many a story to tell as he reflects on a career on the wafer-thin blue line.

Al’s a man who took policing seriously, always doing his level best to keep criminals in check and turn chaos into order. He never lost sight, however, of how to see the lighter side of the job, enjoying a laugh when the occasion arose, and often at his own expense.

Welcome to the world of a Kiwi cop.

(No actual pigs were harmed in the making of this book.)

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

299 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2018

Reviews

[Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read from kiwi author but I really wanted to tackle the editing to make it more cohesive and stop with the repetition. The stories and case studies were great, and I admired the way that the police force has changed (for the better) in the last 20 years.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has great stories, but the writing style missed the mark. An editors hand would make this story flow.

The writing has a lot of repetition. It reads like a police report with sequential detail, stringed together with (what felt like) al's jokes in his voice. The two styles feel incongruent, and it's a shame. It has a lot of potential but falls short on some key aspects.

I will say that it is an easy read. I read it while sick and the short chapters made it easy to follow along.

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read. Fairly interesting and some laughs to be had.

[Becci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool stories, Al seems like a good guy, it’s nice that he shares his non judgemental views and interactions.
Easy read, I feel like Al could have given a bit more info in some areas, maybe he’s not allowed.. but I’m sure all readers secretly want to know more.

[Jess Lowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains some good yarns although not terribly well written

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good read. Would’ve been great to have more context of the author’s life rather than just his police career, that’s what was missing for me.

[Dameijiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

first English book I've ever finished...Thanks NZ police, it's easy to read and understand.

[Jeanna Rodgers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really entertaining and interesting anecdotes but needed a bit of editing to make the style more enjoyable. Might look at some of his other books when I have time

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted look at the career of a Christchurch detective. Nothing too gritty an easy read by a good story teller.

[Lyn O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great insight into the life of a NZ police officer from wo to retirement. Very well written and I'm going to purchase a few more books he has written.
Highly recommend

[Sarah Gardyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but not the best writing style.

[G parr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting reflection on the no ollice in New Zealand