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On the Line: Life – and Death – in the Metropolitan Police
Welcome to London. Population: 8.7million. And it's your job to keep them safe.
A unique insight to life on the streets of London as a female constable, Girl on the Line follows PC Alice Hearn throughout ten years in the Met, from rookie to constable. As she deals with violent criminals, heart-breaking domestic situations, petty crime, life, death, and everything in between, she builds up a portrait of a living, complex city, and what it truly means to look after it.
From procedurals to gripping foot chases to threats of terrorist attacks, this book covers all aspects of life in uniform, and how it really feels to wear the boots of a London copper.
337 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2019
19 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 15, 2021
Очень пафосный и довольно скучный рассказ о работе лондонской полиции. Повсюду наркоманы, алкоголики, домашнее насилие, неблагополучные семьи и кражи. А девушка-то хотела приносить пользу этому обществу. Да, еще очень трудно совмещать семью и посменную работу. А мы-то не знали.
Написана книга слабенько, но не будем придираться, все же автор не писатель. Другой вопрос, куда смотрел ее редактор, потому что предложение "я с облегчением выдохнула и только тогда поняла, что всё это время задерживала дыхание" повторилось раз 5 или 6. В первой же главе, прочитав "... и наркоманка сказала "да пошли вы к черту, копы!" я переключилась на оригинал и у меня большой вопрос к издательству: зачем ставить книге рейтинг 12+ и полностью ее этим убивать? В какой вселенной полицейский гонится за бандитом и кричит ему "А ну, стой, негодяй!"? В оригинале все нужные слова на месте и полицейские - живые люди.
Еще книга очень английская)) в ней есть глава, которая называется "Роза". Мне неоднократно приходилось делать то же, о чем рассказывает в ней автор, но я даже представить не могу, что я или кто-то из бывших коллег мог бы сказать задержанной наркоманке "let's get it over with and we'll make you a nice cuppa"))
В целом, если вы вообще ничего не знаете о работе полиции Лондона, то прочитать можно. Всё достоверно и пара историй мне в том или ином виде встречались в британских процедуралах. Но пафос всё испортил.
Написана книга слабенько, но не будем придираться, все же автор не писатель. Другой вопрос, куда смотрел ее редактор, потому что предложение "я с облегчением выдохнула и только тогда поняла, что всё это время задерживала дыхание" повторилось раз 5 или 6. В первой же главе, прочитав "... и наркоманка сказала "да пошли вы к черту, копы!" я переключилась на оригинал и у меня большой вопрос к издательству: зачем ставить книге рейтинг 12+ и полностью ее этим убивать? В какой вселенной полицейский гонится за бандитом и кричит ему "А ну, стой, негодяй!"? В оригинале все нужные слова на месте и полицейские - живые люди.
Еще книга очень английская)) в ней есть глава, которая называется "Роза". Мне неоднократно приходилось делать то же, о чем рассказывает в ней автор, но я даже представить не могу, что я или кто-то из бывших коллег мог бы сказать задержанной наркоманке "let's get it over with and we'll make you a nice cuppa"))
В целом, если вы вообще ничего не знаете о работе полиции Лондона, то прочитать можно. Всё достоверно и пара историй мне в том или ином виде встречались в британских процедуралах. Но пафос всё испортил.
July 11, 2018
For ten years Alice Vinten devoted her life to the Metropolitan Police force in London, we join her at the beginning of her career, in the training centre learning what it takes to be an office, from there we follow at key points in her policing career until she decides it is time to walk away. It is so tempting to tell you everything about this book as it is fantastic but I won’t spoil it, I’ll just tell you a bit!
I was so excited to pick up this book, and I’m really glad I did, it feels modern with Alice being exactly the kind of police officer anyone would want walking around our streets but it was disheartening to see the way some of the other officers act with their egos outweighing everything and I truly believe they are now missing a very valuable member of their ranks!
Alice was kind no matter who she met, from probationary officers who were about to see their first body, to young children caught up in domestic violence. Some of the situations are truly horrendous, it must be difficult to see the worst of our society every single day then somehow cope with it enough to go to the next job and the next but everyone has a breaking point, that one last call that is too much.
The book had a good balance of her work and personal life, many other books don’t seem to get that right but Alice has. She has children and discusses them in the book but in relation to how it affects her work and her thought processes rather than great detail.
Girl on the Line was engaging and I wanted to read more about what she had done, I loved the style of writing and despite knowing very little of what actually happens in the police Alice did a good job of explaining different things, from the terms they used to who can drive the cars. I hope she comes out with a follow up to this*, more of the shocking crimes she dealt with on a daily basis, it would go to the top of my reading pile in a flash!
*after writing this I did some googling and are happy to say it seems Alice is working on a crime novel! I’ll be keeping my eye out for that!
I was so excited to pick up this book, and I’m really glad I did, it feels modern with Alice being exactly the kind of police officer anyone would want walking around our streets but it was disheartening to see the way some of the other officers act with their egos outweighing everything and I truly believe they are now missing a very valuable member of their ranks!
Alice was kind no matter who she met, from probationary officers who were about to see their first body, to young children caught up in domestic violence. Some of the situations are truly horrendous, it must be difficult to see the worst of our society every single day then somehow cope with it enough to go to the next job and the next but everyone has a breaking point, that one last call that is too much.
The book had a good balance of her work and personal life, many other books don’t seem to get that right but Alice has. She has children and discusses them in the book but in relation to how it affects her work and her thought processes rather than great detail.
Girl on the Line was engaging and I wanted to read more about what she had done, I loved the style of writing and despite knowing very little of what actually happens in the police Alice did a good job of explaining different things, from the terms they used to who can drive the cars. I hope she comes out with a follow up to this*, more of the shocking crimes she dealt with on a daily basis, it would go to the top of my reading pile in a flash!
*after writing this I did some googling and are happy to say it seems Alice is working on a crime novel! I’ll be keeping my eye out for that!
May 24, 2018
MY FAVOURITE TRUE-LIFE BOOK
I once my self was going to train as a police woman. I went to an introduction meeting and received a letter to state the dates of eighteen weeks of training . I decided that training to be a police woman wasn’t for me with shifts from 6 a.m to 2 p.m and 2 p.m to 10 p.m. I already knew how many weeks of training there were and what shifts the police do, before I started to read this book. And I knew that you were not allowed any time off during your training no matter what your reason could be. As I was going to do my training years ago, but never did, this is why I was keen to read Alice Vinten’s account of being in the police force. I’m now glad after reading Alice Vinten’s account that I didn’t do my training. I won’t explain why, but once you get to the end of this book you will know why. At first Alice was eager to train at a police College, the Metropolitan Police’s training centre. Alice talks the reader through taking calls on her radio and the experiences that occurred after reaching the scenes. Alice spent ten years as an officer in the Metropolitan Police. Now in her thirties, she lives in Leigh-on -Sea with her two sons.
I once my self was going to train as a police woman. I went to an introduction meeting and received a letter to state the dates of eighteen weeks of training . I decided that training to be a police woman wasn’t for me with shifts from 6 a.m to 2 p.m and 2 p.m to 10 p.m. I already knew how many weeks of training there were and what shifts the police do, before I started to read this book. And I knew that you were not allowed any time off during your training no matter what your reason could be. As I was going to do my training years ago, but never did, this is why I was keen to read Alice Vinten’s account of being in the police force. I’m now glad after reading Alice Vinten’s account that I didn’t do my training. I won’t explain why, but once you get to the end of this book you will know why. At first Alice was eager to train at a police College, the Metropolitan Police’s training centre. Alice talks the reader through taking calls on her radio and the experiences that occurred after reaching the scenes. Alice spent ten years as an officer in the Metropolitan Police. Now in her thirties, she lives in Leigh-on -Sea with her two sons.
March 5, 2025
An excellent read. Extremely well written with great narrative flow, with a lot of interesting facts and information delivered lightly. This is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in reading or writing crime fiction, or anyone fascinated with the workings of contemporary London society.
One thing this collection of vignettes makes clear is how the general public are oblivious to the barrier such public servants place between them and the harsh realities of life and the protection they offer... But who is protecting them?
Vinten also gives a few glimmers of her own private life, but only enough to show how human she is and how this makes her job more enjoyable or harder. We also receive many insights and tip offs as to the attitudes and issues women face in the force even now, often from their own sex, they are so entrenched.
Vinten has a natural talent for setting a scene and highlighting the little details that flesh out character and atmosphere and I enjoyed how she lightly sketched out the facts, explaining any police slang or acronyms relevant to the story at hand until, by the end of the book, you have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge yourself.
I now plan to look into her book put together after this one as she definitely knows how to inform and entertain at the same time.
One thing this collection of vignettes makes clear is how the general public are oblivious to the barrier such public servants place between them and the harsh realities of life and the protection they offer... But who is protecting them?
Vinten also gives a few glimmers of her own private life, but only enough to show how human she is and how this makes her job more enjoyable or harder. We also receive many insights and tip offs as to the attitudes and issues women face in the force even now, often from their own sex, they are so entrenched.
Vinten has a natural talent for setting a scene and highlighting the little details that flesh out character and atmosphere and I enjoyed how she lightly sketched out the facts, explaining any police slang or acronyms relevant to the story at hand until, by the end of the book, you have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge yourself.
I now plan to look into her book put together after this one as she definitely knows how to inform and entertain at the same time.
July 2, 2021
[This book is very honest and, therefore, very graphic. Trigger warnings: violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, rape, abandonment, addiction, child abuse, drug use, alcoholism, spontaneous abortion/miscarriage, abortion, and in depth medical descriptions of victims/bodies.]
Alice Vinten is a former Met Police Officer who chronicles her 10 years on the force, from her training to becoming the most senior member of her local department. "Girl on the Line" provides snapshots of her day-to-day life as an urban police officer: each chapter chronicles a different call that she's answered, from non-emergency wellbeing checks to terrorist threats, and they're tied together in chronological order. While the chapters themselves mostly stand alone, the unifying theme is Vinten's own development through her 20s and into her early 30s. She starts as a rookie and moves her way up the ranks in her local department; she has kids; she gets married; she moves out of her parents home. Ultimately, the most interesting development for me was Vinten's transition from an eager and excited probationer, who is willing to take any call especially if it's in the fray of all the action, to a senior police woman, who has come to prioritize her safety and her ability to create positive change.
I found Vinten's writing engaging and really straightforward, in an inviting way. If you're a voracious reader, you'll rip through this book in a day. Vinten, as a narrator, is honest and likable. What I appreciated the most was her ability to reflect on her own thoughts, feelings, and motivations: throughout the book, she includes italicized inner thoughts that do the work of revealing small doubts and frustrations, even when she's a gung-ho trainee and probationer. This allows the reader to not only see Vinten as a police officer, but also as a young woman in a male-dominated field, a critical and creative problem solver in an often procedural role, and a caring and empathetic young woman. You'll see Vinten wondering if it is okay to speak and interact with children she encounters at calls, critiquing colleagues whose language and "police culture" she doesn't agree with (at times including herself!), and speculating about her own courage and competence. She does an absolutely effective job of painting a three dimensional picture of herself as a police officer, daughter, mother, and young woman.
I felt that this book would have been taken to the next level if Vinten delved into some meta-analysis of her experience with the police. I mentioned to a friend that I felt that this book does a fantastic job of describing WHAT happens, but would benefit from going deeper into the HOWs and WHYs. In the chapter where she decides to separate from the police, she speaks about a "broken system" contributing to a "broken society," but doesn't elaborate. She also discusses a very personal decision around family planning and motherhood that she makes during training with the help and support of the police, that would have been interesting to hear more about. She tangentially mentions cultural issues, like misogyny, the stigmatization of mental health issues and addiction, victim-blaming--especially in sexual assault/rape scenarios, and a lack of empathy around how criminals--especially repeat offenders--are viewed, and her stories highlight how these issues, while present in society overall, are especially troublesome when they appear amongst police. Based on the final chapters of the book and her decision to leave the police force, I would have appreciated a deeper look into these topics. In the acknowledgements of the book, Vinten also mentions that she and her husband, who was also a police officer, divorced. As a reader I would have liked to know if that decision was affected at all by their mutual employment with the police. Overall, this critique is just to say that I do think that Vinten has more books about her experience with the police in her and I hope they come to light.
Alice Vinten is a former Met Police Officer who chronicles her 10 years on the force, from her training to becoming the most senior member of her local department. "Girl on the Line" provides snapshots of her day-to-day life as an urban police officer: each chapter chronicles a different call that she's answered, from non-emergency wellbeing checks to terrorist threats, and they're tied together in chronological order. While the chapters themselves mostly stand alone, the unifying theme is Vinten's own development through her 20s and into her early 30s. She starts as a rookie and moves her way up the ranks in her local department; she has kids; she gets married; she moves out of her parents home. Ultimately, the most interesting development for me was Vinten's transition from an eager and excited probationer, who is willing to take any call especially if it's in the fray of all the action, to a senior police woman, who has come to prioritize her safety and her ability to create positive change.
I found Vinten's writing engaging and really straightforward, in an inviting way. If you're a voracious reader, you'll rip through this book in a day. Vinten, as a narrator, is honest and likable. What I appreciated the most was her ability to reflect on her own thoughts, feelings, and motivations: throughout the book, she includes italicized inner thoughts that do the work of revealing small doubts and frustrations, even when she's a gung-ho trainee and probationer. This allows the reader to not only see Vinten as a police officer, but also as a young woman in a male-dominated field, a critical and creative problem solver in an often procedural role, and a caring and empathetic young woman. You'll see Vinten wondering if it is okay to speak and interact with children she encounters at calls, critiquing colleagues whose language and "police culture" she doesn't agree with (at times including herself!), and speculating about her own courage and competence. She does an absolutely effective job of painting a three dimensional picture of herself as a police officer, daughter, mother, and young woman.
I felt that this book would have been taken to the next level if Vinten delved into some meta-analysis of her experience with the police. I mentioned to a friend that I felt that this book does a fantastic job of describing WHAT happens, but would benefit from going deeper into the HOWs and WHYs. In the chapter where she decides to separate from the police, she speaks about a "broken system" contributing to a "broken society," but doesn't elaborate. She also discusses a very personal decision around family planning and motherhood that she makes during training with the help and support of the police, that would have been interesting to hear more about. She tangentially mentions cultural issues, like misogyny, the stigmatization of mental health issues and addiction, victim-blaming--especially in sexual assault/rape scenarios, and a lack of empathy around how criminals--especially repeat offenders--are viewed, and her stories highlight how these issues, while present in society overall, are especially troublesome when they appear amongst police. Based on the final chapters of the book and her decision to leave the police force, I would have appreciated a deeper look into these topics. In the acknowledgements of the book, Vinten also mentions that she and her husband, who was also a police officer, divorced. As a reader I would have liked to know if that decision was affected at all by their mutual employment with the police. Overall, this critique is just to say that I do think that Vinten has more books about her experience with the police in her and I hope they come to light.
March 4, 2022
I've enjoyed reading several real-life accounts of life as a police officer, among them two incredible books by John Sutherland, and I thought this sounded interesting, so I downloaded the sample hoping it would come up to the same standards. Sadly, what I read was not very engaging.
It takes a very good author to pull off 'first person present tense' in any book, and sadly it doesn't work here. I felt I was reading a series of staccato sentences with very little depth or emotion, and I made it to 51% of the sample before giving up. This one's not for me. It reads like a quick attempt to cash in on the current trend of 'ex-police' telling their stories.
If you want a really deep, thoughtful, and utterly compelling account, read John Sutherland. This one had a feel of being written by a rather whiney little girl.
EDITED: Just read some of this author's posts on Twitter. What the F????
Won't touch her stuff with a barge pole now. Shudder.
It takes a very good author to pull off 'first person present tense' in any book, and sadly it doesn't work here. I felt I was reading a series of staccato sentences with very little depth or emotion, and I made it to 51% of the sample before giving up. This one's not for me. It reads like a quick attempt to cash in on the current trend of 'ex-police' telling their stories.
If you want a really deep, thoughtful, and utterly compelling account, read John Sutherland. This one had a feel of being written by a rather whiney little girl.
EDITED: Just read some of this author's posts on Twitter. What the F????
Won't touch her stuff with a barge pole now. Shudder.
May 7, 2019
Memoirs of a former police constable in London's Met. This was interesting and a quick easy read that I swept through in one evening.
February 28, 2020
An interesting and informative read that has helped me with research for my police procedural crime novel.
October 4, 2019
This was one of those little gems you pick up by chance, only to find that it is a fascinating, well-written book. Each chapter deals with a different type of case, detailing the satisfactions and disappointments inherent to this most difficult of jobs.
The writing was clear and concise and the book contained several pieces of information on police procedure and career structure that were interesting because not generally known.
I would recommend this book to anybody and would consider it a "must" for anybody hesitating as to whether a career in the police force is for them or not.
The writing was clear and concise and the book contained several pieces of information on police procedure and career structure that were interesting because not generally known.
I would recommend this book to anybody and would consider it a "must" for anybody hesitating as to whether a career in the police force is for them or not.
October 23, 2018
Before I read this book I felt fairly ambivalent towards the Police. I recognise they do a pretty thankless job but have met enough that have prevented me from feeling too sympathetic about it. I have to say that I’ve had a slight change of heart.
Firstly, it helps enormously that Alice Vinten is an incredibly likeable narrator. She takes us from her days at Hendon, her enthusiastic years as a probationer, some of her more notable assignments through to her disillusionment and decision to leave the Force. Each chapter is titled after a main protagonist, either a victim of crime or a perpetrator. The narrating voice remains honest, respectful and compassionate.
This was an absorbing and thought provoking read, I was left feeling that her departure must have been a huge loss to her colleagues and those she helped protect. Highly recommended.
Firstly, it helps enormously that Alice Vinten is an incredibly likeable narrator. She takes us from her days at Hendon, her enthusiastic years as a probationer, some of her more notable assignments through to her disillusionment and decision to leave the Force. Each chapter is titled after a main protagonist, either a victim of crime or a perpetrator. The narrating voice remains honest, respectful and compassionate.
This was an absorbing and thought provoking read, I was left feeling that her departure must have been a huge loss to her colleagues and those she helped protect. Highly recommended.
April 22, 2019
I read this book this time last year, it's so exciting to see it in the shelves again as it comes out in paperback. This is the first book that I picked up in a long time and devoured in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I love crime/detective stories and I love London, so to have a book that gives a real insight into what police life is really like in London was refreshing - there is no Hollywood warping, just brutal honesty that brought me to tears. It's a beautiful blend of the excitement of Vinten's work and the emotional toll that such a career takes; it answered questions I hadn't thought to ask - how do you balance your own life with your passion for your job, and is it possible to leave a life of adrenaline and triumphs behind and not feel a huge loss?
September 30, 2020
I don't know why this author went into the police service when she seems much more suited to social services given her angst over neglected children . And she claims sexism when she drops to 60% employment because her family needed her but expects equal treatment when it comes to much sought after extra training. A man in the same situation would have treated the same way plus the lack of full time job probably indicated she was losing interest...as she eventually did. Rather a waste of expensive training for the authorities to have gained only ten years of her services before she bailed.
May 29, 2018
Well done to a real copper
Top 5 star read real people and a real hero as the author.sensitive and professional and vulnerable all in this great informative book
Top 5 star read real people and a real hero as the author.sensitive and professional and vulnerable all in this great informative book
October 8, 2018
I loved it, what a work life, and it makes me really appreciate the police, they really are on the coal face so to speak.
May 21, 2019
The author’s account of her ten years working within the Metropolitan Police is a frank account of what life is like as a police officer. What’s really interesting to read as well is the author’s account of what it’s like to be a woman working within this profession, and even more so, what it’s like to be a mother. The police is, and always has been, a very male dominated profession and I can only imagine that you more often than not have to have very broad shoulders indeed to survive.
I read this book in two days flat and upon finishing each chapter I couldn’t wait to turn the page and see who Alice would face next. I’ve always respected what police officers do and quite often what they have to give up in order to do this job and this book reinforces everything I feel. I could have read a further 350 pages of Alice’s accounts as I’m sure there are more. A very entertaining and honest read which I would not hesitate to recommend.
I read this book in two days flat and upon finishing each chapter I couldn’t wait to turn the page and see who Alice would face next. I’ve always respected what police officers do and quite often what they have to give up in order to do this job and this book reinforces everything I feel. I could have read a further 350 pages of Alice’s accounts as I’m sure there are more. A very entertaining and honest read which I would not hesitate to recommend.
May 25, 2019
PC Alice Hearn, now Alice Vinten, spent 10 years working as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police. Girl on the Line is her honest and excellent account of her time in the Met, from training and probation to police officer and police driver. The reader is introduced to a whole range of scenarios a police officer may be required to deal with, including domestic violence, mental health concerns, bomb threats and death.
Girl on the Line is above all a collection of the human lives Vinten came across whilst serving, and the people that left an impact on her. Vinten provides us with a glimpse into the day-to-day life of not just a police officer, but a female police officer, and some of the challenges she has had to deal with. With honesty and empathy, Vinten manages to capture both the camaraderie and team work that define the police, as well as some of the heart-breaking stories that show just how challenging the job can be.
Girl on the Line is above all a collection of the human lives Vinten came across whilst serving, and the people that left an impact on her. Vinten provides us with a glimpse into the day-to-day life of not just a police officer, but a female police officer, and some of the challenges she has had to deal with. With honesty and empathy, Vinten manages to capture both the camaraderie and team work that define the police, as well as some of the heart-breaking stories that show just how challenging the job can be.
March 18, 2021
Great insight into the Job
Alice Vinten’s account of her ten years in the Metropolitan Police service is a gripping read.
She’s a great writer, hitting the reader with unexpected revelations as the book develops, seeding them for maximum impact.
The hallmarks of the best kind of police officer thread her writing: the combination of vocation, intelligence and just a dash of the necessary aggro needed to put yourself repeatedly in appalling danger. Her honesty about her view of female domestic violence victims, and her own attitude to violent arrests, is fascinating.
Definitely a writer to watch.
Alice Vinten’s account of her ten years in the Metropolitan Police service is a gripping read.
She’s a great writer, hitting the reader with unexpected revelations as the book develops, seeding them for maximum impact.
The hallmarks of the best kind of police officer thread her writing: the combination of vocation, intelligence and just a dash of the necessary aggro needed to put yourself repeatedly in appalling danger. Her honesty about her view of female domestic violence victims, and her own attitude to violent arrests, is fascinating.
Definitely a writer to watch.
June 11, 2023
Oh my what a read!! Alice you are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing parts of your decade with the Met the stories and circumstances that are unique to you but the same scenarios that are played out for officers up and down the country. To read of your dream and then to hear that was nearly taken from you whilst at Hendon, having to make a life-altering decision and how this shaped and affected you making you the officer you became. Always striving for the best, always wanting to make a difference and make things better proving you can do this whilst always sticking to the rules. Thank you 215.
May 21, 2025
Was interesting to hear a female perspective of working on the police force - a range of calls and experiences she dealt with. Discussed the change in how she felt at work once becoming a mother. Only near the end did she acknowledge the sexism and how males in her role see her or view female officers as a whole.
See below notes made during read:
Not sure how i feel about her describe being a officer and saying "here we are again. I think about how much of our time is wasted in hospitals, babysiyting violent or suicide mental health patients who we've had to section for their own safety" - making it almost blaming a person in crisis who would no doubt already be feeling guilty
See below notes made during read:
Not sure how i feel about her describe being a officer and saying "here we are again. I think about how much of our time is wasted in hospitals, babysiyting violent or suicide mental health patients who we've had to section for their own safety" - making it almost blaming a person in crisis who would no doubt already be feeling guilty
May 31, 2021
An engaging and entertaining look at life in the London Met, told from the point of view of a rookie female officer who finds herself suffering from the usual sexism inherent in the force. It's a matter-of-fact telling that includes some surprisingly dark and explicit material when it comes to dealing with death and violence, truly stomach churning at times. Alice Vinten is a likeable narrator and she builds a good picture of what it's like to be on the front line. Not a hugely complex or lengthy book, but incredibly readable so that I finished it in 2 or 3 sittings.
February 8, 2023
This book is very honest and very raw for the very beginning. It’s shows you the working way of a female police office who see life and death in her job. The way the book is written and talks about the people in the book is done so and so respectful though out. I admire her strength and commitment to been a police women she did so well at her job. Some of the contents of this book deal with death in a very raw and painful manner but the way it’s written is so respectful. Alice deserves all the happiness and love with her children now she no longer a police officer. Xxx
February 29, 2024
What an incredible autobiography book of this fine Met Police officer
I loved this non fiction autobiography book of this author life in the Met Police. It is an excellent read and it hold no barriers as to what this officer faced daily. No two days are the same and you don't know what will happen in the next hour.
But it is a great read of a book and highly recommended for anyone whom wish to join the Met Police full time or as a special.
I definitely will be rereading it again soon. Best wishes Sean ex RE
I loved this non fiction autobiography book of this author life in the Met Police. It is an excellent read and it hold no barriers as to what this officer faced daily. No two days are the same and you don't know what will happen in the next hour.
But it is a great read of a book and highly recommended for anyone whom wish to join the Met Police full time or as a special.
I definitely will be rereading it again soon. Best wishes Sean ex RE
August 26, 2021
Fantastically written and so eye opening. I enjoyed how brutally honest this was about all aspects of the job. As someone who is due to start training as a PC in 2 weeks time I think this was the perfect reality check of what is to come. Thank you Alice for sharing not only your experiences of the job but also aspects of your life outside the job too.
August 19, 2023
we all know i love a memoir from a member of the emergency services. and this was no different! im not sure ive read one about a police officer before and alice vinten's story was just perfect. it was compelling and entertaining, offering a real insight into the life as part of the met.
i now have a craving for more books like this !
i now have a craving for more books like this !
March 7, 2024
A brutally honest insight into the life in the Met Police and a really important take on the challenges faced as a woman.
A really excellent read which left my heart racing through shocking stories, intimidating criminals and the fast-paced day to day life of an officer.
It’s a gripping read and it’s written tremendously well. Highly recommend!
A really excellent read which left my heart racing through shocking stories, intimidating criminals and the fast-paced day to day life of an officer.
It’s a gripping read and it’s written tremendously well. Highly recommend!
November 13, 2024
Hi All
I have to say this is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
This is about Alice’s journey into becoming a police woman, mother hood.
It’s a true story about all different peoples lives and how herself and her colleagues were able to save people’s lives.
I really do recommend it
Such an easy read x
I have to say this is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
This is about Alice’s journey into becoming a police woman, mother hood.
It’s a true story about all different peoples lives and how herself and her colleagues were able to save people’s lives.
I really do recommend it
Such an easy read x
May 28, 2019
The Met Police - Female Insight
I enjoyed this book which followed the new female rooky recruit at Hendon, as she developed her career. Showed the emotional demands of the job faced with the risk of modem day policing. Sad but realistic ending
I enjoyed this book which followed the new female rooky recruit at Hendon, as she developed her career. Showed the emotional demands of the job faced with the risk of modem day policing. Sad but realistic ending
July 12, 2022
A real eye -opener. This book demonstrates why we need more women, and more mothers, in the police service. I love the way that the author shows us her thought processes as well as her actions, including the cases where she jumps to the wrong conclusions and has to re-think her opinions.
September 11, 2022
An engaging account of a female Met police officer's day-to-day, from the beginning of her career, to ten years in. This is quite a page-turner, but it exposes some of the harsh realities of being a young female officer.
October 6, 2024
Was an interesting read as like another reviewer said, this is the exact kind of police woman we need any walking our streets but also sad when you read about the environment she worked in.
Excellent read and very insightful
Excellent read and very insightful
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