The title of Duncan MacLaughlin’s book, “The Filth,” hints that there are going to be massive, earth-moving secrets revealed about Scotland Yard. Upon completing the book, however, readers will discover this is more of a collection of anecdotes.

The Filth is actually a term used to describe CID (Scotland Yard), one that Mr. MacLaughlin states that detectives who reach that pinnacle “…wear the epithet like a badge of honour.” The author earns his position with this team a little past halfway through the book. The preceding chapters talk about his years growing up before moving on to his training and hiring as a police constable. The last half of the book deals with his time at Scotland Yard.

While I was entertained, I couldn’t help feeling that the promise of the book was never fulfilled. I did not find the huge, dark secrets I expected, and most of the items revealed have been included in movies and television shows for decades before this book was published. As a somewhat entertaining collection of personal stories the book is okay, though anyone connected with any part of law enforcement (and I speak from personal experience) will amass a pile of humorous and dangerous tales. These anecdotes are best shared in the local pub, especially when surrounded by others who can intimately relate and have no problem understanding why dark humor permeates every facet of the retellings.

Originally published over 15 years ago, “The Filth” is well-written and Mr. MacLaughlin shares his thoughts along with the different experiences he relates. Readers may not find a treasure trove of never-before-revealed facts, but they will gain some knowledge of the personal relationships as well as the thinking processes of the men and women working to keep the streets safe for everyone else. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for an advance complimentary Kindle copy of this book.

Usually when a book states on its cover "Exposes the secrets Scotland Yard never wanted revealed” or something similar, I find that it is just a ploy to get you to read/purchase it but here it really is true. Some of the secrets make me wonder how this is legal and I can certainly see why Scotland Yard would have an issue with it. Having read up a little on Mr MacLaughlin and being someone who does not readily trust institutions such as the police, I can also understand it from his point of view.

The title "The Filth" should give you some idea of MacLaughlin's opinion of his fellow officers and as a fan of true crime, I knew I had to give this a go. It did not disappoint! Now I do realise that some of you may think he is merely using the pejorative term or slang for police in the UK but there's no doubt in my mind after reading this that this is in fact MacLaughlin's opinion of his ex-colleagues.

There are sensational and really quite disturbing claims that officers from the Yard's Drugs Squad and the Regional Crime Squad stole drugs, paid phantom informants and fabricated evidence. That is just for starters. Some of it is shocking and I urge anyone who decides to read it to go in with a completely open mind.

An excellent and exciting read. Whether the information is true or not is up for debate. What I do know is that the police are certainly not whiter than white, as they would have us believe. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Thistle Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Duncan MacLaughlin has truly seen London at it's worst. Starting as a young in the Metropolitan Police Cadet Corps (MPCC ) up the ladder to Scotland Yard, was an adventure, that we readers won't soon forget. When I think Scotland Yard, I think Jack the Ripper, but it is so much more. Hearing about all the cases, he worked was fascinating. With fellow officers, an informant with gold teeth and the animal cases (you have to read about it), make this a great book for all you police buffs. I loved reading about it. I received this book from Net Galley and Thistle publishing for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I should preface my review by stating outright I'm not a True Crime genre fan, that I prefer literary fiction, that this is Duncan MacLaughlin's first book and in it he is rather exuberantly non-politically correct (making fun of a gay corpse for example). I admit I laughed at learning that WOLO DICKY BIRD is UK police code for indecent exposure. I liked reading his true-life versions of bad guy catching wherein he ends each caper with a gleeful, "You're nicked!" and the level of the author's affection and esteem for his father is touching. But just as the father's military exploits undermined such institutions as the Hippocratic oath, the son goes on to seemingly disregard aspects of the Official Secrets Act. MacLaughlin uses this bombastic memoir platform to burn all his bridges, which made me feel uncomfortable throughout. Much like those online who offer step-by-step instructions to would-be bomb-builders and anorexia-masters I feel some secrets of Britain's Finest ought to be respectfully kept under wraps.