Line of Duty - The Real Story of British Police Corruption

by Wensley Clarkson

'I'm interested in one thing and one thing only, and that's catching bent coppers.'Line of The Real Story is an astonishing exposé from inside the secret world of police corruption, starring a cast of twisted cops more chilling than all four H's put together. These characters operate well outside the letter of the law, inhabiting a murky, amoral world, leaving chaos in their wake.Who are the real-life Kates and Steves, tasked with hunting these corrupt cops? How has corruption invaded today's UK police forces? Who are the masterminds behind it all? In Line of The Real Story, bestselling author Wensley Clarkson goes behind the headlines and the hit show to look back at the history of corruption, and the AC-12 units which sniff out and expose the crooked coppers among the good.Referencing real-life historic and notable cases and people, from a range of sources and first-person interviews, this book tells the shocking truth behind the fiction, and its hard-hitting impact on real-life modern policing.Get ready to go undercover, infiltrate the criminal underworld - and uncover the secretive lives of these corrupt guardians of the law.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Vicki Swift · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't really what I was expecting. I wanted it to grip me like the medical books I love, but it was more like a history essay with a lot of theory and not much action. It was far too reliant on the TV show, with almost every chapter starting with 'In Line of Duty...' The three main characters from the show even have an entire chapter each, featuring nothing more than supposition which didn't tell me anything new. I particularly did not enjoy the part that said Steve Arnott is 'almost too late to find domestic bliss now that he's in his mid-thirties'! There's a weird character list at the start which was very strangely written, and when Albany Prison was described as being on the 'Isle of White', I nearly gave up...! It did get better towards the end with some interesting insights in the last two chapters, but on the whole I was disappointed.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of this book really enticed me but I was a bit disappointed. As a huge Line of Duty fan I couldn’t wait to discover what examples there were of real life police corruption and it did deliver on these to some extent, but it was in very small amounts and I felt like it regularly repeated itself with things that had been mentioned on the previous page. Definitely made me think and sympathise with the officers who, in some cases, are so vulnerable that they’re almost forced into corruption.

With regards to the Line of Duty references, there were numerous mistakes. On multiple occasions, the characters were labelled with the incorrect police rank. Various iconic lines were misquoted (spelling errors or just completely getting the character who said it wrong) and even suggesting that the two main characters had an affair in series one. I have rewatched it multiple times and would say that if Steve and Kate had an affair, they hid it so well that even the viewers didn’t see them.

Informative and thought provoking, but if you’re reading because of Line of Duty, stick with Jed Mercurio

[Aimeé Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book as I work in the Prison service and know all the well about corruption !

Having never watched the line of duty when I read the blurb of the book it came across as though it didn't matter if you hadn't watch the television programme.
The first half was definitely centred around the programme which despite not having watched it, it was fairly easy to pick up , but I did find It quite slow.

The second half of the books much better with real life experiences, interviews and cases which is far more up my street and what I was led to believe the book was about.

The whole book contains links to the programme which is fine , as the time states Line of Duty which was irrelevant to me really but I also found it it completely unnecessary. I didn't feel that even if you had have watched the programme it gave you anymore you didn't already know from watching it.

This 100% would have been a much higher rated book if there had been more real story and true life experiences within it

[Claire Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was very much like wading through mud. It promised to give you the real story into British police corruption.

Now I love the series Line of Duty and didn’t expect this book to make reference to it, however I would say at least 70% of it is just talking about the TV show and what’s right and wrong about it. The TV show is just that, a fictional show, for entertainment so can you really make comparisons to the real world? To be honest I’m surprised they’ve been able to rely so heavily on using the show to fill the book out as I cannot see that it has been endorsed by the BBC or Jed Mercurio.

Whilst this book did offer some insight, it didn’t really do what it said on the tin. It’s a 1 1/2 stars from me. A very disappointing read.

[Emma Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fat phobic author.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish this book had lived up to its potential. It felt like it wasn’t sure whether it was a guide to Line of Duty or a real insight into police corruption. In so doing it managed to be neither. The author is clearly very knowledgable and has many contacts within both the criminal fraternity and the police. However, I would have liked to see a much more detailed insight into a smaller number of cases but instead got little more than passing mentions of a large number of different cases. Vast quantities of references to Line of Duty but unfortunately many inaccuracies, from misquotes to errors in the plot details.

[EL]

The fact that this book is called Line of Duty should attract fans of the show, but be warned, if you’ve not seen it, the frequent references to the show will leave you baffled. Fortunately I am a fan, nevertheless, I was still surprised by the frequency of the references.

This is a look at police corruption in the UK, and is highly accessible (albeit a touch patronising) for those not familiar with regular police procedure.
The detail in the Stephen Lawrence chapter at the end was a particular highlight.

One minor gripe I have was in the second to last chapter; when referring to sexuality in the police force, the author disappointingly uses the phrase “lifestyle choice”. Once more for those who choose to be ignorant of this; sexuality is in no way a LIFESTYLE CHOICE. It’s 2020. Please educate yourself.

Other than this blip, a good read to give a historical perspective on the ongoing corruption in the police force.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was quite underwhelming.

If you’re a huge fan of the TV drama then you’ll love it if not, I recommend you give it a miss.

I picked it up thinking it was about real life police corruption, inspired by the drama series Line of Duty.

Sadly it was almost entirely about the tv show and was thin on the ground for real life events.

It read as though the real life stories were fillers in-between sections about the tv characters. Such a shame because they were actually very interesting and I would have loved more!

Maybe it didn’t help that I wasn’t blown away by the drama series, I enjoyed it but didn’t rave about it. This book feels a little cult like and was aimed at the real tv show enthusiast.

[Carole Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Line Of Duty the series you need to read this.
Some of the highest profile crime cases in the UK feature in this book but in a different way to what you will have seen in the media.
The murders of Rhys Jones and Stephen Lawrence feature in the most gut wrenching way. It disgusts me that the people who are meant to look after us can cover such tragedy to protect themselves for money and other reason.
My reason for 4 over 5 stars is the first chapter. I didnt enjoy it but I think that is because I am no historian and post war crimes didnt hook me in so, skip that bit and enjoy the rest.

[Josh Senior · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5*
After a rewatch of Line of Duty and finding this book in a charity shop, I had to pick it up and give it a read. Expecting super interesting insights into real police corruption cases, I was left disappointed after reading.

The cases that we hear about are spoken more generically rather than a keen insight into specific cases. With most of them being in the years before I was born (late 90s) it was hard to relate to the stories, and the fake names didn't help too.

The author seems to have a lot of contacts for knowledge on the subject but it did feel like reading a journalists extremely extended newspaper column with a lot of the same points being repeated over and over again.

[Dignan107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction anecdotal book brimming with information of corrupt members of the police force. No names of course, however proved to be a fascinating insight into the murky world of police informants, criminals & the police service detailing the constant battle for supremacy.

Various mentions of the TV series Line of Duty and when/where real life incidents coincide somewhat with story lines and characters from the show.

Really enjoyed this book, will definitely look into other titles by this true crime author.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Police corruption is endemic and cannot ever be completely rooted out. It is a part of human nature that there will be a small element of any group that will seek to bend or break the rules to their own advantage.

Clarkson's book is a good outline of the history of corruption in the British Police Force and how it subverts the big questions about corruption by masking them behind issues of racism amongst others. Key cases outlined include the Millennium Dome robbery, the Brinks Mat bullion robbery and the Stephen Lawrence enquiry.

[✰matthew✰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

all this book told me is that swathes of the police are corrupt and the ones who aren’t don’t care. i found that out a few pages in and read almost 300 more of the same. might as well not have bothered.

i was, however very interested in the last section about the murder of stephen lawrence and police corruption in the investigation. this book has made me keen to find a book going into more detail about this.

[Tracey White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. When you watch a show like Line Of Duty, you can sometimes feel it is a bit far fetched, that there can't be things like that going on within the criminal justice system. And then you read this book. What an eye opener! I knew there were some problems but not on this scale. It looks like crime does pay, on both sides of the law.

[Sal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't actually finish this story; I found the writing style quite lazy with the same words and phrases being repeated time and time again and I got fed up with the constant references to the tv series Line of Duty - the book was supposed to be 'the real story of British Police corruption ' not the story of the series.

[Lorene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The review of this book made me want to read it. Then, upon reading, I discovered that unless you have watched the British tv series Line of Duty it will be difficult to follow the story of this book.
I’m sure if you know English characters - real or imagined- it would make this book much more enticing to read.

[Carla Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this view of the TV series from the point of crime writer Wensley Clarkson and real criminals and corrupt officers. As well as their opinions on the series it was crammed with crime events, stories and the vast history of real police corruption.

[Mark Worsnop · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book, but I enjoyed it more the further it went on. The Stephen Lawrence section towards the end was particularly interesting. Maybe I should re-read the opening chapters.

[Jonny Inchiliffe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be a hundred pages shorter if every paragraph didn’t start with “in Line of Duty”. Certain chapters were great but I expected a lot more depth and detail to stories. Very vague and generic examples of corruption.

Had potential, experienced writer who really loves Line of Duty.

[Andrew Hargreaves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite possibly the worst book I have ever had the misfortune to buy. It reads like a tabloid with references to un-named sources throughout and bizarre links back to TV show. Avoid.

[Mark Stockley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get through. Full of conjecture and quite unbelievable. Very sensational and comes across patronising. I did learn that undercover cops had to take cocaine so they could fit in..whatever.

[Patrick Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing read of the impacts of British policing, and corruption officers stemming as far back as the Stephen Lawrence enquiry. A must read that could be read a second time

[Deborah Longman Author · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was full of promise, but sadly it disappointed.

[Kez Hedges · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and troubling but important book.

[Nicola (Nikki) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fab read could not put put it down a real eye opener on Police Crouption a must read

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read 3/4 then quit. Really boring read.

[Elaine Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic if you love line of duty

[Alex Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow

[Druss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

[Katt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5