And that’s a wrap!……the final chapter in the formidable DI Jane Tennison series, a headstrong female police officer who shaped the Met Police for women for generations to come. 

 

Transferred from Bromley on a promotion to DCI, Jane requests a posting to AMIT, one of the toughest units in the Met handling serious major crimes, fully aware it’s a completely male dominated unit. Keen to be attached to such a prestigious team, she knows her work will be cut out at being accepted, though she could never foresee how much blatant misogyny she would encounter. 

 

After being given a dirty office in the direct position over the canteen extractors, she gets off on the wrong foot with the other staff when her complaints cause the canteen to be temporarily shut down.  Allocated a five year old cold case to solve, whilst bigger and more time sensitive investigations continue to come into the AMIT department, Jane throws everything into finding the missing girl and bring the culprits to justice. But yet again, she has the case steamrolled over her when she nears an arrest and other officers take the credit. 

 

Sadly, Jane is still dismissed by male colleagues and worse than discrimination, she is shamelessly disregarded of her ability and achievements as a police detective and everything she has strove to achieve. If I was frustrated for Jane earlier in the series, this book tipped me over the edge! As a DCI, I was astounded at how she was treated by similarly ranked officers. I’m not sure I’d have had the dedication to remain in the job and her experience of life as a female officer ended exactly as it began with misogyny, sexism and a toxic male culture but knowing the job is a whole life sentence, Jane will not allow them to get her down and she continues to fight the deep rooted attitudes towards women. 

 

I have adored this series, seeing Jane develop from a trainee to DCI, I feel like she has become a friend and the sickening experiences she has had to live through to advance her career, makes me proud to be a woman. She is a credit to herself and the female race. 

 

Next up is the ‘Prime Suspect’ series (most recognised for Helen Mirren playing the television version of Jane) and I’m excited for this next chapter in her career! 

 

#WholeLifeSentence - 4.5 stars