What do you think?
Rate this book
Tennison #5
The Dirty Dozen
April 1980 and Jane is the first female detective to be posted to the Met’s renowned Flying Squad, commonly known as the ‘Sweeney’. Based at Rigg Approach in East London, they investigate armed robberies on banks, cash in transit and other business premises.
Jane thinks her transfer is on merit and is surprised to discover she is actually part of a short-term internal experiment, intended to have a calming influence on a team that likes to dub themselves as the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
The men on the squad don’t think a woman is up to the dangers they face when dealing with some of London’s most ruthless armed criminals, who think the only ‘good cop’ is a dead cop. Determined to prove she’s as good as the men, Jane discovers from a reliable witness that a gang is going to carry out a massive robbery involving millions of pounds.
But she doesn’t know who they are, or where and when they will strike...
Jane thinks her transfer is on merit and is surprised to discover she is actually part of a short-term internal experiment, intended to have a calming influence on a team that likes to dub themselves as the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
The men on the squad don’t think a woman is up to the dangers they face when dealing with some of London’s most ruthless armed criminals, who think the only ‘good cop’ is a dead cop. Determined to prove she’s as good as the men, Jane discovers from a reliable witness that a gang is going to carry out a massive robbery involving millions of pounds.
But she doesn’t know who they are, or where and when they will strike...
490 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2019
1092 people are currently reading
2651 people want to read
About the author
Lynda La Plante
123 books1,829 followersLynda 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
September 30, 2019
The Dirty Dozen is the 5th in the Tennison series by Lynda La Plante and sees Jane Tennison joining the Flying Squad – the first woman detective to be included in what’s known as the dirty dozen; a men’s club like no other. But Jane’s made of tough stuff and is determined to do her job to the best of her ability and prove to these biased, hostile men (especially her boss!) that she deserves to be a member of the Flying Squad. And what’s that about an experiment?
Robberies, murder, coercion, corruption, undercover work – Jane has seen it all. But the sheer ruthlessness of the gang they were following was shocking. What would be the outcome for Jane in this intense, fast paced and gripping thriller? I thoroughly enjoyed The Dirty Dozen and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Robberies, murder, coercion, corruption, undercover work – Jane has seen it all. But the sheer ruthlessness of the gang they were following was shocking. What would be the outcome for Jane in this intense, fast paced and gripping thriller? I thoroughly enjoyed The Dirty Dozen and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2019
I have always enjoyed the character Jane Tennison by author Lynda La Plante and was a big fan of the television series 'Prime Suspect' so was more than happy to read this latest book in the series.
This is the fifth book in the series and follows Tennisons early career when she became a member of the notorious 'Flying Squad' known as the Sweeney. The book is based in 1980 before mobile phones were commonly used. Tennison is the first first female detective to work for the Flying Squad and is seen as an experiment. This is not a popular appointment and she is not accepted easily by her colleagues and bosses who see themselves as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Based in East London, they investigate armed robberies on banks, cash in transit and other business premises, so there is plenty of action. Jane Tennison is up for a fight and keen to prove herself as capable as her male colleagues.
This book is full of action, good gritty characters and a plot that works. Good read and recommended.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Zaffre for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fifth book in the series and follows Tennisons early career when she became a member of the notorious 'Flying Squad' known as the Sweeney. The book is based in 1980 before mobile phones were commonly used. Tennison is the first first female detective to work for the Flying Squad and is seen as an experiment. This is not a popular appointment and she is not accepted easily by her colleagues and bosses who see themselves as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Based in East London, they investigate armed robberies on banks, cash in transit and other business premises, so there is plenty of action. Jane Tennison is up for a fight and keen to prove herself as capable as her male colleagues.
This book is full of action, good gritty characters and a plot that works. Good read and recommended.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Zaffre for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2019
The Dirty Dozen by Lynda La Plante is the 5th book in the Jane Tennison early years and it's a fantastic addition to the series.
Jane has now joined the big boys club "The Flying Squad" and as you can imagine being the only woman in the room is definitely going to cause a stir 😉.
On her first day she's swept up into solving a bank robbery.
Lynda La Plante had thriller down to a T, It's fast paced with plenty going on it never drops for a minute,it's frustrating at times but there's also many edge of your seat moments.
I definitely recommend this series 📖
Jane has now joined the big boys club "The Flying Squad" and as you can imagine being the only woman in the room is definitely going to cause a stir 😉.
On her first day she's swept up into solving a bank robbery.
Lynda La Plante had thriller down to a T, It's fast paced with plenty going on it never drops for a minute,it's frustrating at times but there's also many edge of your seat moments.
I definitely recommend this series 📖
November 6, 2021
I love a novel with a strong female lead and this is superb crime fiction Gripping from start to finish and with great characterization. Filled with action and also filled with action, drama, mystery and humour.
April 3, 2020
In the latest Jane Tennison book Jane has a new job with the Flying Squad. She has to deal with an all-male team and isn't accepted easily. Jane is thrown into a bank robbery investigation on her first day of work and becomes involved with a gang of violent criminals. I love this series and hope there are more books to come!
September 29, 2019
I could not get into this one, it just seemed to drag on and on. To be honest I was bored and gave up.
April 29, 2025
Another strong entry in this series. In this volume, Jane Tennison is newly arrived on the Flying Squad, which reminds me of the 1970s TV show, 'The Sweeney.' The Flying Squad investigate armed robberies and other violent crimes and drive at dangerous speeds in chase of criminals (at least this is what I understand of the job).
It felt very authentic to the times and I enjoyed the story. One thing that made me chuckle was the conversation regarding the clothing the forensic experts wear - nowadays, we are so used to seeing the white coveralls they wear on TV.
Jane Tennison remarks, "Its's about time the job issued some sort of protective clothing for this type of work."
Dabs responds, "As Scene of Crime Officers we're issued with waterproof leggings and a coat, but they make you sweat so much it's not worth the both of wearing them."
Laura Kirman provides excellent narration.
It felt very authentic to the times and I enjoyed the story. One thing that made me chuckle was the conversation regarding the clothing the forensic experts wear - nowadays, we are so used to seeing the white coveralls they wear on TV.
Jane Tennison remarks, "Its's about time the job issued some sort of protective clothing for this type of work."
Dabs responds, "As Scene of Crime Officers we're issued with waterproof leggings and a coat, but they make you sweat so much it's not worth the both of wearing them."
Laura Kirman provides excellent narration.
Read
August 2, 2020Did not finish
May 9, 2022
In volume five of the series Jane is assigned to the Flying Squad otherwise known as the Sweeney (as in the famous 1970s TV series). As usual she faces sexism from colleagues, and a superior who undermines her and denies her credit for the good detection and leads she uncovers. An added complication is that she discovers she is there as an experiment to see if a woman can tone down the rampant behaviour exemplified by the unit's styling themselves as the characters from the blockbuster film, 'The Dirty Dozen '. So the stakes are high when she sets out to prove herself.
The team are dealing with a bank robbery as she arrives and the novel concerns the subsequent investigation. Jane's character is the most fully realised, and her empathy with members of the public, as well as her insights and intelligence are well portrayed. As before, she can occasionally make mistakes through her dogged determination to crack the case. The other characters are more one dimensional. Jane makes alliances with two of them - the forensic officer Dabs, with whom she has a natural affinity from her previous friendship with the expert Paul Lawrence, and the only black officer, Lloyd, another outsider who has had to fight for acceptance. However, there isn't an accurate portrayal of the racism such an officer would have had to deal with, unlike, for example, in the TV series 'Life on Mars' which did attempt to show the racism endemic in the 1970s as well as the sexism.
The book is a bit pedestrian compared to the previous volume. There is a lot of repetitive detail about interviews etc, some carried out by colleagues. It does pick up when Jane's immediate boss begins to value her contribution as opposed to trying to seduce her. I wasn't totally convinced by something which happens near the end, as the perpetrator was not a hardened bank robber but rather one of their associates, and I do find it lazy writing to kill off a character instead of dealing with the fallout from certain events. I can't be clearer without spoilers, but it is also not quite consistent that a certain person is able to give Jane key information if they really were studiously turning a blind eye to what their family were doing. It is also left unexplained why a certain key witness' testimony is ignored if the person who ignored it really doesn't merit Jane's suspicions. So for these reasons, I would rate the book at 3 stars.
The team are dealing with a bank robbery as she arrives and the novel concerns the subsequent investigation. Jane's character is the most fully realised, and her empathy with members of the public, as well as her insights and intelligence are well portrayed. As before, she can occasionally make mistakes through her dogged determination to crack the case. The other characters are more one dimensional. Jane makes alliances with two of them - the forensic officer Dabs, with whom she has a natural affinity from her previous friendship with the expert Paul Lawrence, and the only black officer, Lloyd, another outsider who has had to fight for acceptance. However, there isn't an accurate portrayal of the racism such an officer would have had to deal with, unlike, for example, in the TV series 'Life on Mars' which did attempt to show the racism endemic in the 1970s as well as the sexism.
The book is a bit pedestrian compared to the previous volume. There is a lot of repetitive detail about interviews etc, some carried out by colleagues. It does pick up when Jane's immediate boss begins to value her contribution as opposed to trying to seduce her. I wasn't totally convinced by something which happens near the end, as the perpetrator was not a hardened bank robber but rather one of their associates, and I do find it lazy writing to kill off a character instead of dealing with the fallout from certain events. I can't be clearer without spoilers, but it is also not quite consistent that a certain person is able to give Jane key information if they really were studiously turning a blind eye to what their family were doing. It is also left unexplained why a certain key witness' testimony is ignored if the person who ignored it really doesn't merit Jane's suspicions. So for these reasons, I would rate the book at 3 stars.
August 20, 2019
I wanted to love this book. It had a glowing review from Karin Slaughter and the author is quite prolific so I really thought it would be great. Unfortunately it was not.
The author was unnecessarily wordy and included details that were entirely unnecessary (I do not need to know the exact height of every character introduced). To illustrate my point, the book starts as the main character is waking up for her first day of work; that work day does not end until page 162. That’s over 160 pages to tell us about roughly 14 hours. The amount of detail is tedious and boring and unnecessary and had me skimming and skipping ahead quite a lot.
The author was unnecessarily wordy and included details that were entirely unnecessary (I do not need to know the exact height of every character introduced). To illustrate my point, the book starts as the main character is waking up for her first day of work; that work day does not end until page 162. That’s over 160 pages to tell us about roughly 14 hours. The amount of detail is tedious and boring and unnecessary and had me skimming and skipping ahead quite a lot.
September 10, 2019
The Dirty Dozen is part of a series, and I have not read the other books yet. It's okay as a standalone, though. This is an interesting look at a woman, Jane, in a man's world. The world is the police, as this story is a police procedural. It's intriguing and entertaining but a bit mundane at times. Still, it's a good overall look at what a strong intelligent woman is capable of when faced with obstacles and, well, men and their superiority complexes. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2019
Absolutely brilliant series. The 5th instalment of the early years of Jane Tennison’s career, as she joins the Flying Squad.
The fast-paced action begins in Chapter One, Jane’s first morning on the job, and continues throughout the novel. There are so many clever aspects to this investigation which develops Tennison’s character personally and professionally.
Organised crime, collusion, doubts about the honesty and integrity of the team, and of course the chauvinism is rife. Excellent writing, excellent read!
The fast-paced action begins in Chapter One, Jane’s first morning on the job, and continues throughout the novel. There are so many clever aspects to this investigation which develops Tennison’s character personally and professionally.
Organised crime, collusion, doubts about the honesty and integrity of the team, and of course the chauvinism is rife. Excellent writing, excellent read!
October 26, 2019
I enjoyed the first 4 novels in this series, but was a little disappointed in this one. I felt that in some places Ms La Plante was being overly pedantic. She captures the era remarkably well but the plot had nothing original: definitely not as good as the earlier ones, in my opinion.
January 1, 2024
This is the 5th in the series of books charting the career of Prime Suspect's Jane Tennison when she first joined the police. It is April 1980 and Jane has now served 6 years, the last one of which as a Detective Sergeant, no mean feat for a woman in the Met. What is really surprising is that she is the first female office to have just been posted to the Flying Squad, commonly known as "The Sweeney", a section of officers who deal with armed robberies on banks, cash in transit and other business premises. Since a conviction is hard to obtain before or after a robbery, they very often have to catch the criminals in the act. That could be a very dangerous job for a woman and a good reason for not wanting one on the team. Based at Rigg Approach in East London, she believes she got the job on merit until she is firmly put in her place by being told she is part of an experiment to see if a female office would have a calming influence on a group of male detectives who like to dub themselves "The Dirty Dozen" after the film. Despite this and the fact that her presence is clearly unwelcome, she is determined to prove herself and take no flack from the men. During her first day in the new job there is a vicious armed hold up on a Securicor van and she quickly has to adapt and become involved in the investigation, although it annoys her that she is consigned to forensics and office work. When she later gets assigned to what seems a pointless lead, she quickly uncovers a witness to the gang's planning of the raid and possibly a massive future plot too. Will her colleagues take her fears seriously and or will she end up completely out of her depth?
The story itself is set over a very short period of time and the investigation is intensive, although it occasionally gets a bit bogged down in procedure, and really only centres on the main story line with a tiny bit of Jane's home life thrown in for good measure. Set in 1980 in the Metropolitan police, any woman officer would have a tough time of it, not least in the Flying Squad where it's all old school macho stuff but for them to behave in any other way would be totally unrealistic. The author does not shy away from this or the less than "pc" way that things were done back then, and it makes a nice change to have a story set in a time where the emphasis is more on intelligence and fact finding than simply forensics. I like the progression of Jane's character through these early stories. Even in her youth she is starting to show dogged detectives skills mixed with the same impulsiveness and determination to do things her way without always thinking and upsetting the "brass". The characters are well drawn and some like Paul Lawrence and Stanley from earlier books make a reappearance. This is a well thought out story, very much a "will they/won't they catch the bad guys" kind of plot. It's possibly not the most exciting story in this series so far but takes us one step further along Jane's career, and leaves threads like the Countryman enquiry open to maybe continued in future books. A great series and worth reading in order to get the best from them. 4.5*
The story itself is set over a very short period of time and the investigation is intensive, although it occasionally gets a bit bogged down in procedure, and really only centres on the main story line with a tiny bit of Jane's home life thrown in for good measure. Set in 1980 in the Metropolitan police, any woman officer would have a tough time of it, not least in the Flying Squad where it's all old school macho stuff but for them to behave in any other way would be totally unrealistic. The author does not shy away from this or the less than "pc" way that things were done back then, and it makes a nice change to have a story set in a time where the emphasis is more on intelligence and fact finding than simply forensics. I like the progression of Jane's character through these early stories. Even in her youth she is starting to show dogged detectives skills mixed with the same impulsiveness and determination to do things her way without always thinking and upsetting the "brass". The characters are well drawn and some like Paul Lawrence and Stanley from earlier books make a reappearance. This is a well thought out story, very much a "will they/won't they catch the bad guys" kind of plot. It's possibly not the most exciting story in this series so far but takes us one step further along Jane's career, and leaves threads like the Countryman enquiry open to maybe continued in future books. A great series and worth reading in order to get the best from them. 4.5*
April 9, 2020
This is the fifth in the Tennison series and I found this one quite slow. The plot was bogged down with lots of police procedurals and the plot took quite a while to evolve, other than the opening scene. I do like Jane Tennison as character but this book just didn’t have the same impact or thrill as some of the others in the series.
August 12, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an advance copy of The Dirty Dozen, the fifth novel to feature the early career of Jane Tennison at the Met.
It’s now 1980 and DS Jane Tennison has just become the first woman to join the renowned Flying Squad on merit she believes until she’s rather brutally told that it’s an experiment and she fitted the bill. She’s hardly in the door, literally, when she’s caught up in the investigation of a violent armed robbery. Determined to prove her worth her tenacious investigating turns up several leads, including possible future robberies.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Dirty Dozen which is a well plotted, absorbing read with an interesting, much as it pains me to say it, historical setting. Despite the Flying Squad, or as it more commonly known, Sweeney setting and its members being referred to as the eponymous Dirty Dozen it is not an overly violent novel and the squad seem more interested in detection and surveillance than using violence. It makes for a good read but I’m not sure how historically accurate it is. There is never a dull moment as Jane turns up lead after lead, pushing the narrative forward and holding the reader’s attention. It is interesting to watch it play out without the modern communications (phone boxes? I’m not even sure I remember how they worked) and forensics we are so used to.
It is different to see Jane Tennison as a young woman. She is not the objective, hard headed detective she becomes in Prime Suspect. In this fifth novel she is not a raw recruit but she can be impetuous and has the arrogance of youth that makes her think she knows best. Both lead to missteps, which, more maturely, she learns from and her progress is fascinating. I like the idea of putting her in the male dominated, macho and misogynistic atmosphere of the Sweeney, a microcosm of the prevailing attitude of the police force as a whole. I actually think that she got off rather easily with the team, on the whole, accepting her quickly without much hazing.
The Dirty Dozen is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
It’s now 1980 and DS Jane Tennison has just become the first woman to join the renowned Flying Squad on merit she believes until she’s rather brutally told that it’s an experiment and she fitted the bill. She’s hardly in the door, literally, when she’s caught up in the investigation of a violent armed robbery. Determined to prove her worth her tenacious investigating turns up several leads, including possible future robberies.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Dirty Dozen which is a well plotted, absorbing read with an interesting, much as it pains me to say it, historical setting. Despite the Flying Squad, or as it more commonly known, Sweeney setting and its members being referred to as the eponymous Dirty Dozen it is not an overly violent novel and the squad seem more interested in detection and surveillance than using violence. It makes for a good read but I’m not sure how historically accurate it is. There is never a dull moment as Jane turns up lead after lead, pushing the narrative forward and holding the reader’s attention. It is interesting to watch it play out without the modern communications (phone boxes? I’m not even sure I remember how they worked) and forensics we are so used to.
It is different to see Jane Tennison as a young woman. She is not the objective, hard headed detective she becomes in Prime Suspect. In this fifth novel she is not a raw recruit but she can be impetuous and has the arrogance of youth that makes her think she knows best. Both lead to missteps, which, more maturely, she learns from and her progress is fascinating. I like the idea of putting her in the male dominated, macho and misogynistic atmosphere of the Sweeney, a microcosm of the prevailing attitude of the police force as a whole. I actually think that she got off rather easily with the team, on the whole, accepting her quickly without much hazing.
The Dirty Dozen is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
September 17, 2019
The 5th Book in the Tennison series - 1980 Jane is part of the Flying Squad - a good read with detailed attention to early forensics.
August 19, 2019
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
The Dirty Dozen is the fifth book in the young Jane Tennison series.
Jane`s years of hard work had paid off when she joined the elite Flying Squad (The Sweeney) who dealt with armed robberies. Jane`s first day on the job was a true baptism of fire when a Securicor van was robbed on a busy high street. An off duty policeman tried to stop the robbery but he was shot in the stomach.
Jane was annoyed as she treated as probationary and had to help the forensics officer. After meeting Her new boss DCI Murray, Jane was angry when she found out she was given the job as an experiment. After several officers were arrested for corruption the MET decided a female would be a calming influence.
A couple of days later a lady went to the police to say she had heard somebody in a cafe planning a robbery. Jane found out that Emma had gone to the station on behalf of her sister. Rachel had been left death after a road accident, however she was able to lip read.
Jane persuaded her boss to allow her to go undercover as a waitress to see if the robbers would appear again. Jane finds herself invited to the wedding of one of the suspects daughters. Will.Jane find herself out of her depth?
I like this series about the young Jane Tennison. It was nice that reoccurring characters D'S Stanley from the Dip Squad and D'S Paul Lawrence were in this book.
Jane is so headstrong and sometimes acts before thinking. I can't help but wonder if she would of become such a high ranking officer in real life.I think Rachel and Emma were interesting characters and I wished they had played a bigger part. I also would of been interested if the Countryman enquiry had been expanded in the storyline.
I thoroughly recommend this series. I can't wait to see what happens next for Jane.
The Dirty Dozen is the fifth book in the young Jane Tennison series.
Jane`s years of hard work had paid off when she joined the elite Flying Squad (The Sweeney) who dealt with armed robberies. Jane`s first day on the job was a true baptism of fire when a Securicor van was robbed on a busy high street. An off duty policeman tried to stop the robbery but he was shot in the stomach.
Jane was annoyed as she treated as probationary and had to help the forensics officer. After meeting Her new boss DCI Murray, Jane was angry when she found out she was given the job as an experiment. After several officers were arrested for corruption the MET decided a female would be a calming influence.
A couple of days later a lady went to the police to say she had heard somebody in a cafe planning a robbery. Jane found out that Emma had gone to the station on behalf of her sister. Rachel had been left death after a road accident, however she was able to lip read.
Jane persuaded her boss to allow her to go undercover as a waitress to see if the robbers would appear again. Jane finds herself invited to the wedding of one of the suspects daughters. Will.Jane find herself out of her depth?
I like this series about the young Jane Tennison. It was nice that reoccurring characters D'S Stanley from the Dip Squad and D'S Paul Lawrence were in this book.
Jane is so headstrong and sometimes acts before thinking. I can't help but wonder if she would of become such a high ranking officer in real life.I think Rachel and Emma were interesting characters and I wished they had played a bigger part. I also would of been interested if the Countryman enquiry had been expanded in the storyline.
I thoroughly recommend this series. I can't wait to see what happens next for Jane.
January 5, 2024
In this fifth instalment, Jane Tennison is on the flying squad where she gets a tip where a gang is going to commit a robbery involving millions of pounds. Who are they? And where and when will they strike?
This is definitely my favourite of the series so far. It was interesting to follow Jane into the flying squad and I love the friendships that she has made with some of the team. However, there were some of them that I wanted to know more about. I did love getting to know the characters that were introduced and seeing old faces return, which made me happy.
This book had me laughing, screaming, smiling and nearly crying. I love Jane and seeing her character progress throughout the series. I find her absolutely hilarious at times and I love that she is now sticking up for herself against her male counterparts.
I’m interested to see how the next book of the series will go, following onto this book’s ending.
Thank you to Zaffre, Compulsive Readers and Lynda La Plante for having me on the #teamtennison blog tour.
⚠️ CWs: domestic abuse, car accident, death, murder, gun use, car accident, derogatory language, alcohol use, cursing, racism, arson, cheating, sex, postnatal depression, physical assault; mentions ableist language, sexual assault ⚠️
This is definitely my favourite of the series so far. It was interesting to follow Jane into the flying squad and I love the friendships that she has made with some of the team. However, there were some of them that I wanted to know more about. I did love getting to know the characters that were introduced and seeing old faces return, which made me happy.
This book had me laughing, screaming, smiling and nearly crying. I love Jane and seeing her character progress throughout the series. I find her absolutely hilarious at times and I love that she is now sticking up for herself against her male counterparts.
I’m interested to see how the next book of the series will go, following onto this book’s ending.
Thank you to Zaffre, Compulsive Readers and Lynda La Plante for having me on the #teamtennison blog tour.
⚠️ CWs: domestic abuse, car accident, death, murder, gun use, car accident, derogatory language, alcohol use, cursing, racism, arson, cheating, sex, postnatal depression, physical assault; mentions ableist language, sexual assault ⚠️
August 28, 2019
Jane Tennison’s career progresses once again in The Dirty Dozen. Assigned to the Flying Squad, she finds herself involved in the investigation of a bank robbery on her first day. The men of this unit are dependent on each other as they chase violent criminals and don’t believe that any woman is capable of succeeding in their world. Even though Jane passed her interviews and has developed an excellent record in her six years with the police, she once again has her doubts when she learns that her assignment to the unit is an experiment. Despite the negative comments and put-downs by members of the squad, she does find support from their forensics member when she makes a number of discoveries and suggestions as they work together.
Lynda LaPlante takes the reader into the squad room and out on the streets with the squad, painting a clear picture of the dangers and pressures faced by these officers. Her books covering Tennison’s early career take place during a period when women were fighting to be accepted onto the force. She has proven herself over and over and I look forward to seeing her career progress in the future.
I would like to thank BookishFirst for providing this book in exchange for my review.
Lynda LaPlante takes the reader into the squad room and out on the streets with the squad, painting a clear picture of the dangers and pressures faced by these officers. Her books covering Tennison’s early career take place during a period when women were fighting to be accepted onto the force. She has proven herself over and over and I look forward to seeing her career progress in the future.
I would like to thank BookishFirst for providing this book in exchange for my review.
October 16, 2021
It is April 1980 and Jane Tennison is the first female detective to join the Met's Flying Squad. On her first day she is called to the scene of an armed robbery. She will try to prove herself and win over her colleagues who are not too keen to have a woman on the team.
I quite enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
I quite enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
February 24, 2020
"The Dirty Dozen" is really a very good read. At the beginning it was a little bit difficult to engage in the story, but quickly we are gripped and cannot let it down. We go throughout the plot like watching a movie.
Even though "The Dirty Dozen" is the fifth novel in the Jane Tennison thriller series, it can be read as a standalone novel.
There was a lot of protagonists in the book. All characters were well designed and seemed realistic. Jane Tennison's character is credible and likable. She has started a new job in the Flying Squad, an elite team of London Police dealing with bank robberies which is entirety composed of men. Jane struggled to prove herself before being accepted by the team. A difficult and dangerous investigation of a bank robbery will be the opportunity for her to show all her talents.
I really enjoyed reading this excellent book and I highly recommend it.
Read: February, 2020
Source: NetGalley and the Publisher: Bonner Zaffre
Even though "The Dirty Dozen" is the fifth novel in the Jane Tennison thriller series, it can be read as a standalone novel.
There was a lot of protagonists in the book. All characters were well designed and seemed realistic. Jane Tennison's character is credible and likable. She has started a new job in the Flying Squad, an elite team of London Police dealing with bank robberies which is entirety composed of men. Jane struggled to prove herself before being accepted by the team. A difficult and dangerous investigation of a bank robbery will be the opportunity for her to show all her talents.
I really enjoyed reading this excellent book and I highly recommend it.
Read: February, 2020
Source: NetGalley and the Publisher: Bonner Zaffre
July 6, 2019
Jane Tennison, is the first detective to be posted into the flying squad (Sweeney) Based in east London.
Her new colleagues are not very impressed and feel she is not up to the job, her new boss looks on her as a waste of space has no time for her and as her post is experimental is unhappy about the situation.
Jane knows she has to prove herself, needs to find a way to do it and quickly.
Katie the office secretary feels threatened by Jane as she has been the only female among the men (The dirty dozen) in the office for a long time, it is her domain. She hates Jane on sight and is determined to make her life a misery.
A job is on, the team has intelligence that a gang are going to carry out a huge robbery worth millions of pounds. The gang are known to use weapons which makes it doubly dangerous.
Can Jane prove herself and help the team find the clues and get arrests.
A good story. I have read better but it's quite gripping. Worth a read.
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Her new colleagues are not very impressed and feel she is not up to the job, her new boss looks on her as a waste of space has no time for her and as her post is experimental is unhappy about the situation.
Jane knows she has to prove herself, needs to find a way to do it and quickly.
Katie the office secretary feels threatened by Jane as she has been the only female among the men (The dirty dozen) in the office for a long time, it is her domain. She hates Jane on sight and is determined to make her life a misery.
A job is on, the team has intelligence that a gang are going to carry out a huge robbery worth millions of pounds. The gang are known to use weapons which makes it doubly dangerous.
Can Jane prove herself and help the team find the clues and get arrests.
A good story. I have read better but it's quite gripping. Worth a read.
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
September 18, 2019
It appears I am in the minority for my opinion on this novel. I didn't enjoy the writing style, it was so heavy on detail and procedures I found it tedious and boring. At one point the author describes the exact motion used by Jane to turn off an alarm clock. At another point we are taken moment by moment through her thought process on what to wear. The premise of the story is good and I understand the need to present her as wary and downtrodden by her male counterparts, but she comes across as petty and suspicious to me, rather than someone standing up for her right to be included on the illustrious 'flying squad'.
August 20, 2019
I received a copy of The Dirty Dozen through BookishFirst in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Dirty Dozen is the latest adventure about our lovely Jane Tennison. It's the fifth novel in a series written by Lynda La Plante, however, like other novels in the series, you can really pick up at any point and follow along as you please.
Jane Tennison is a female detective during the 1980s, and it is not an easy road for our leading lady. Not only does she have to face additional struggles from the public, but she must fight against those on the inside as well. Yet she keeps shouldering on.
I should probably remind people; this isn't the Jane Tennison you're used to seeing in her original series. This is a younger, less experience Jane. It's been a blast seeing her before she became the character many of us are so used to reading about. Seeing where and how she gained the skills she did.
This novel sees Jane trying to make a go at joining the Flying Squad – those in charge of investigating robberies and the like. She's certainly got the skills for the job, but how will the rest of the team handle this change? If her history is any indication, not well.
I love Jane Tennison's series, they do an excellent job of showing what a woman in the field would have gone up against in that time. And of course, Lynda La Plante makes the mysteries that Jane must solve fascinating along the way. It makes for a perfect balance.
The Dirty Dozen is the latest adventure about our lovely Jane Tennison. It's the fifth novel in a series written by Lynda La Plante, however, like other novels in the series, you can really pick up at any point and follow along as you please.
Jane Tennison is a female detective during the 1980s, and it is not an easy road for our leading lady. Not only does she have to face additional struggles from the public, but she must fight against those on the inside as well. Yet she keeps shouldering on.
I should probably remind people; this isn't the Jane Tennison you're used to seeing in her original series. This is a younger, less experience Jane. It's been a blast seeing her before she became the character many of us are so used to reading about. Seeing where and how she gained the skills she did.
This novel sees Jane trying to make a go at joining the Flying Squad – those in charge of investigating robberies and the like. She's certainly got the skills for the job, but how will the rest of the team handle this change? If her history is any indication, not well.
I love Jane Tennison's series, they do an excellent job of showing what a woman in the field would have gone up against in that time. And of course, Lynda La Plante makes the mysteries that Jane must solve fascinating along the way. It makes for a perfect balance.
August 5, 2019
It is now 1980 and Jane Tennison has become the first female to be posted to the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad, colloquially known as ‘The Sweeney’. Thrown straight into investigating an armed robbery, Jane is proud of her achievements until she realises that her transfer is part of an experiment to try to tame the male dominated team known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’. Determined to prove her worth, Jane learns that a gang is about to carry out a multi-million pound raid, the only problem being she doesn’t know who they are and where or when the raid will take place…
The more this series progresses, the more we see Jane Tennison moving towards the no-nonsense detective we know and love from the Prime Suspect series. Now part of the famous Flying Squad, she is, again, having to fight the rampant sexism that exists in the police force, discovering that her posting is, in fact, part of an experiment. You can feel Jane’s frustration, a detective who deserves to be where she is due to her competence, yet it is still her sex that is dictating her role.
In The Dirty Dozen, we see the Flying Squad investigating an armed robbery but Jane is sidelined, tasked with the jobs that her boss deems unimportant. Fortunately for Jane, she grabs the challenge with both hands and, working alongside a fellow officer, Dabs, begins to uncover information that opens up the case. When she is sent on a wild goose chase to interview a potential witness, the whole investigation takes a turn after Jane realises that this information is gold dust. It was good to see Tennison trusting her instincts, refusing to give up even when her superiors displayed a lack of interest – this was definitely the tenacious Prime Suspect detective emerging.
Due to its 1980 setting, there is definitely an Ashes to Ashes feel to The Dirty Dozen and I could imagine Gene Hunt ”firing up the Quattro’ at any moment! Some of the vocabulary used in the book, especially to describe people, made me wince, but this is of the time and made me feel glad that this terminology is no longer acceptable. I always enjoy the references to real-life incidents in this series, in this case the Iranian Embassy siege, as it helps to place the book firmly in a particular time.
I am still absolutely loving this series and my only concern is that we are nearing the time when DCI Tennison will cross paths with George Marlow, taking us to the start of the Prime Suspect series. This is a series that I hope will continue for a while yet!
The more this series progresses, the more we see Jane Tennison moving towards the no-nonsense detective we know and love from the Prime Suspect series. Now part of the famous Flying Squad, she is, again, having to fight the rampant sexism that exists in the police force, discovering that her posting is, in fact, part of an experiment. You can feel Jane’s frustration, a detective who deserves to be where she is due to her competence, yet it is still her sex that is dictating her role.
In The Dirty Dozen, we see the Flying Squad investigating an armed robbery but Jane is sidelined, tasked with the jobs that her boss deems unimportant. Fortunately for Jane, she grabs the challenge with both hands and, working alongside a fellow officer, Dabs, begins to uncover information that opens up the case. When she is sent on a wild goose chase to interview a potential witness, the whole investigation takes a turn after Jane realises that this information is gold dust. It was good to see Tennison trusting her instincts, refusing to give up even when her superiors displayed a lack of interest – this was definitely the tenacious Prime Suspect detective emerging.
Due to its 1980 setting, there is definitely an Ashes to Ashes feel to The Dirty Dozen and I could imagine Gene Hunt ”firing up the Quattro’ at any moment! Some of the vocabulary used in the book, especially to describe people, made me wince, but this is of the time and made me feel glad that this terminology is no longer acceptable. I always enjoy the references to real-life incidents in this series, in this case the Iranian Embassy siege, as it helps to place the book firmly in a particular time.
I am still absolutely loving this series and my only concern is that we are nearing the time when DCI Tennison will cross paths with George Marlow, taking us to the start of the Prime Suspect series. This is a series that I hope will continue for a while yet!
February 16, 2020
The Dirty Dozen – Can Tennison make it in the Sweeney?
Linda La Plante has brought back one of her most famous characters in a prequal, where we really see what made Jane Tennison the ballsy copper we all love. This is a trip back to the early 80s when men were men and did manly things. The police were rozzers, pubs shut in the afternoon and were more than a one room but had vaults!
Jane Tennison has become the first ever woman on the Met’s Flying Squad and when she turns up to report for duty, she has not even got through the door when she if off on a ‘shout’. An armed robbery that has gone wrong, one person shot, but sounds like they got a way with at least one cash box.
Jane is sent off with Dabs to a crash site and a shooting at the police in connection with the robbery. The lads club do not want a woman getting in the way. It does not help that when they get back to the ‘factory’ her new chief makes it clear he does not want a woman on the squad. She knows she is not only fighting crime but fighting the in-built sexism in the force too.
Can Jane Tennison prove to her colleagues that she can be an asset to the team, as well as crack open the case. Tennison has to go that extra mile to prove that she is a real copper and not there just to make the numbers up.
Lynda La Plante has managed to create classic Tennison and helps to understand her outlook and her toughness in her later career. This really is classic La Plante, and it is so good to have her back.
Linda La Plante has brought back one of her most famous characters in a prequal, where we really see what made Jane Tennison the ballsy copper we all love. This is a trip back to the early 80s when men were men and did manly things. The police were rozzers, pubs shut in the afternoon and were more than a one room but had vaults!
Jane Tennison has become the first ever woman on the Met’s Flying Squad and when she turns up to report for duty, she has not even got through the door when she if off on a ‘shout’. An armed robbery that has gone wrong, one person shot, but sounds like they got a way with at least one cash box.
Jane is sent off with Dabs to a crash site and a shooting at the police in connection with the robbery. The lads club do not want a woman getting in the way. It does not help that when they get back to the ‘factory’ her new chief makes it clear he does not want a woman on the squad. She knows she is not only fighting crime but fighting the in-built sexism in the force too.
Can Jane Tennison prove to her colleagues that she can be an asset to the team, as well as crack open the case. Tennison has to go that extra mile to prove that she is a real copper and not there just to make the numbers up.
Lynda La Plante has managed to create classic Tennison and helps to understand her outlook and her toughness in her later career. This really is classic La Plante, and it is so good to have her back.
August 18, 2019
This is the first book I have read in this series, but it is totally okay to be read as a stand alone. After reading this book, I am now going back to read all the books in this series!
This book happes back in the 1980's, and the heroine, Jane Tennison has just been assigned to an all male group of men known as the dirty dozen. The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, known as the 'Sweeny', has always been all male and Jane is met with a lot of conflict and chauvinism from these men who feel she won't be able to handle herself. What is worse is that Jane thought she earned this position but finds out she was not put there from her own merits, but as a tool to try to tame this squad of male chauvinist men.
The moment she gets there they are on their way to an armed robbery. Jane finds out that there is going to be a multi million pound raid, but not when or who.
Determined to prove her worth, she puts up with all the "unnecessary tasks' she assigned to do but gets her foot in the door with Dabs, her partner of sorts. Jane finds out things that her superior deems nothing but allows Jane to break open the case with her tenacity.
The plot is great, I love Jane's character, she is brave, talented and intelligent! She never gives up, and proves her worth! I am excited to read all of these books with Jane Tennison in them, as I am sure this is a great series to read!
I gave this book 5 stars and highly recommend it!
This book happes back in the 1980's, and the heroine, Jane Tennison has just been assigned to an all male group of men known as the dirty dozen. The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, known as the 'Sweeny', has always been all male and Jane is met with a lot of conflict and chauvinism from these men who feel she won't be able to handle herself. What is worse is that Jane thought she earned this position but finds out she was not put there from her own merits, but as a tool to try to tame this squad of male chauvinist men.
The moment she gets there they are on their way to an armed robbery. Jane finds out that there is going to be a multi million pound raid, but not when or who.
Determined to prove her worth, she puts up with all the "unnecessary tasks' she assigned to do but gets her foot in the door with Dabs, her partner of sorts. Jane finds out things that her superior deems nothing but allows Jane to break open the case with her tenacity.
The plot is great, I love Jane's character, she is brave, talented and intelligent! She never gives up, and proves her worth! I am excited to read all of these books with Jane Tennison in them, as I am sure this is a great series to read!
I gave this book 5 stars and highly recommend it!
November 5, 2019
Book #5 in author Lynda LaPlante's Tennison series. I have stayed up to date with this series and was excited to get my hands on a copy of the newest.
Lynda LaPlante books are excellent mystery books if you are itching for something enticing and thrilling. The Jane Tennison character never disappoints and from book #1 I pictured her completely the type of person that she is and appears to look like. Really fun read. I won't go too deep into describing any part of this story only because the entire series is such an intricate, well thought out, well researched, journey of a woman working her way through the ranks of the Police force. You have to read from the beginning to truly enjoy a fantastic series. Could it be read as a stand-alone? Yes. But why would you want to when this book is just as great as all the others before?! It would be a reading travesty to not read the others...and then dive right into this series. Get the books and then be prepared to not want to get up and do much else for a couple of hours.
Highly recommend.
Lynda LaPlante books are excellent mystery books if you are itching for something enticing and thrilling. The Jane Tennison character never disappoints and from book #1 I pictured her completely the type of person that she is and appears to look like. Really fun read. I won't go too deep into describing any part of this story only because the entire series is such an intricate, well thought out, well researched, journey of a woman working her way through the ranks of the Police force. You have to read from the beginning to truly enjoy a fantastic series. Could it be read as a stand-alone? Yes. But why would you want to when this book is just as great as all the others before?! It would be a reading travesty to not read the others...and then dive right into this series. Get the books and then be prepared to not want to get up and do much else for a couple of hours.
Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews