Here’s my review of ‘Good Friday’, the third in the series to feature a young Detective Constable Jane Tennison way before her ‘Prime Suspect’ years.
Thanks to Compulsive Readers for inviting me to join #TeamTennison and read the whole series. Thanks too to Zaffre Books for my copy of ‘Good Friday’ to review – as always, opinions are entirely my own.
After a high-octane and lively Book 1 (‘Tennison’) and a quieter, more typical police procedural Book 2 (‘Hidden Killers’), I wasn’t sure where we’d be headed next with Jane Tennison’s police career!
Where we land in Book 3 is a 1970s London where the peace is threatened by the IRA bombing campaign. DC Jane Tennison is herself occupied by a fairly basic court case and a shoplifting operation, but dreaming of joining the elite Flying Squad. On her way to court one day, Tennison witnesses a devastating bomb blast at Covent Garden Station. As one of the only survivors who could possibly identify the bomber, she begins to (sometimes covertly and against the wishes of her bosses) be involved in the operation…
As with the previous books in the series, the 1970s setting is convincingly portrayed; as part of this, the reader is given an insight into some very dodgy 70s policing. Corruption is rife, possible criminals are framed and there are hugely sexist attitudes holding female officers back, as well as some predatory policemen with their eye on Jane. Creeps. None of this feels anywhere near as shocking as it did in ‘Tennison’ so it’s a bit worrying that this feels like standard police procedure back then.
One of the aspects I really loved about this book is Tennison’s next shift towards independence as she moves out of the police accommodation and into her own flat. Wish I could afford a flat near Baker Street, but I guess property prices were different in the 1970s! This move seems like a daring move for a woman who – just 2 books ago – was living with her parents and who is still struggling with their tendency to be overprotective (side note: as a parent myself, I can totally understand why they don’t want Jane to be a police officer in a seedy city where murders and IRA bombs are regular occurrences!)
I especially liked that Jane became a more rounded character in this book – as well as a naive but clearly very talented police officer, we see more of her personal struggles with flatmates, men and the trauma that her job causes. The horror of the Covent Garden scenes are beautifully balanced with the humour of Jane’s issues with her flatmate’s inconsiderate TV and cooking habits!
This is another quite long book, but the tension builds well throughout as Jane tries to stay one step ahead of the IRA. The final scenes are terrifying and tense as it becomes clear that the next bomb will strike at the heart of the police force itself (not a spoiler – it literally says this in the blurb!) Once again, Tennison takes a key role in a major investigation – surely it’s time for her to start rising through the ranks?
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to read a fast-paced and well-plotted crime thriller. If you haven’t started with ‘Tennison’, I’d really suggest you start there so you can enjoy Jane Tennison’s development as a character – it’s a journey you won’t want to miss. Bring on Book 4, ‘Murder Mile’!
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