Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Blunt Force" a Jane Tennison mystery by Lynda LaPlante.

Detective Jane Tennison, recently 'kicked off' the Flying Squad as a result of an incident during an arrest, is now working out of a precinct; and her most recent case is a doozy: the brutal bludgeoning, stabbing and disemboweling of a talent agent well-know in the community.

This has all the hallmarks of a difficult case, with multiple suspects: the victim habituated a brothel that caters to specific tastes; the ex-wife is about as volatile as you can get - in fact she attempts suicide at almost the same time as her ex-husband is murdered; there is a whiff of scandal and drug use at his agency.... all leading to a twisted resolution.

Jane has to put up with an obviously biased boss, who belittles women detectives at every turn, but has the support of other detectives, one of whom was recently demoted himself and becomes her de facto partner throughout the case.

As they begin to piece the parts of the puzzle together, Tennison has to fight against superiors who discount her theories and restrict her avenues of investigation - but Jane presses on and together they get to the bottom of the case, but with a rather unsatisfying resolution - what exactly was the motive?

An interesting subplot or two show up in this novel - Jane Tennison does not have weapons experience, so she joins an 'exclusive' shooting club at the invitation of a fellow officer; and then it becomes increasingly clear that this invitation had an ulterior motive - part revenge, part settling of accounts and part exposure of a corrupt officer.

All in all, this is just what I expected of a Jane Tennison mystery, and Ms. La Plante delivers in spades.

Jane is a police detective in England. Something happens and she is “demoted” to menial cases such as petty theft, nothing exciting. When one day, a well care visit turns into a murder case. Many twists and turns and the different characters are entertaining.

This story is good, I was just distracted by all the procedural detail. It took me a long time to read.... this book is also part of a series so that could have been part of my issue as well. I think I will go back and read the previous books!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Jane Tennison is celebrating her 30th birthday as this book starts. She has just been released from the Sweeney (aka the Flying Squad) and is now working in an upper class part of town (Belgravia) and most calls are about shoplifting from department stores. Then there's a call about a howling blood covered dog in an apartment - the police find a man who been beaten in the head, throat slit and his intestines removed - one of the most brutal crimes Tennison has heard of. They learn he owned a firm that represented actors and directors. His ex-wife is a former actress who has mental problems and she is their first suspect, but her story keeps changing so much the squad realize she's telling stories.

This glamorous world involves sex, drugs and rape and Jane is rather sickened by it all. She's been taking training in shooting guns so she can look for a promotion.

I found this book was overlong and dragged a little. I feel several chapters could be tightened up and I didn't need to hear about all the trips to the canteen and what the cops ate!

I requested to read and review Blunt Force by author Lynda La Plante and publisher Bonnie Books UK. I am normally not a thriller fan but this was very good. This book was set in England in the late 1970s. Jane is a detective in the police department that is still much of a man's world. Spencer is a good guy that sometimes lack motivation. But the two team up and make it work. This murder case of Charles Foxley will keep you guessing until the end. I also think the author sets it up for the next book in the series. You can easily read this without reading the other but would definitely recommend going back and reading the first four books. There is lots of suspense, mystery and betrayal.

I’ve enjoyed LaPlante’s Anna Travis books but my knowledge of Jane Tennison has been limited to the two tv series. This, the 6th book in the Tennison series, takes place in 1983. Jane has been transferred from the Flying Squad to Knightsbridge, where she is limited to shoplifting, burglaries and other paperwork nightmares. Of course, it doesn’t take long before there’s a ghastly murder to investigate. The victim had more than his share of enemies, including his ex-wife, several clients and the previous owner of his apartment. But senior management isn’t happy with their progress, and a new DI is brought in to lead the investigation. Both Jane and Spencer are relegated to second tier and aren’t happy campers.
Lately, I’ve gotten fed up with psychological thrillers that are all about unreliable narrators and a twisty ending. So, I was happy to retreat to a good old fashioned police procedural. LaPlante goes into lots of detail. This is not a fast paced book. And she also doesn’t fall for the need to have a big, banged up ending. I liked that it felt so realistic. But trust me, it was a very satisfactory ending.
La Plante states in her Author’s Note that this series is meant to show how Jane becomes the strong woman we know from Prime Suspect. So, she wisely doesn’t paint Jane as some young DS savant. She makes mistakes, including some stupid ones. But we can see the beginnings of those smart instincts that end up serving her so well.
The segments (not even chapters) bounce between Jane’s and Spencer’s perspectives. This occasionally comes across as choppier than need be.
I recommend this for those who like down to earth police procedurals.
My thanks to netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an advance copy of this book.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (I always think "Why bother to read a book if someone's already told you exactly what happens"?) - plenty of other reviews like that out there if that's what you're looking for.

Although I haven't read any of the previous books in this Tennison series, I'm familiar with the character of Jane Tennison from the "Prime Suspect" TV series (and books), and the book works well as a standalone read. I really like Lynda La Plante's style - she obviously does a lot of research, and her characters are believable.

The book is set in the earlier part of Jane's career - she's a Sergeant at this point in time - and as such the pace, lifestyle, and Police procedures match the period.

This isn't a fast-paced thriller, but the plot is interesting and well thought out, and the various characters come to life on the page (well, apart from the victim obviously!).

I'm going to seek out the other books in this series, and look forward to the next one.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

An interesting back story to a well known character. I enjoyed reading this more than I thought I would. I have not read many of the later series, so I probably didn't get some of the references that an ardent fan might, but this had a good plot and was quite gripping.

BLUNT FORCE – Lynda La Plante
Jane Tennison Series – Book 6
Zaffre Books
ISBN-10: 1499862474
ISBN-13: 978-1499862478
ASIN: B083STRTQQ
August 25, 2020
Mystery-Thriller

London – The Present

DS (Detective Sergeant) Jane Tennison and DS Spencer Gibbs are partners, both of whom have been sidelined from higher levels in their jobs. Tennison was dismissed from the prestigious Flying Squad when a fellow officer is wounded protecting her. She is now taking lessons on using firearms at a high security private shooting club. Spencer made a mistake. They now work out of the Gerald Road police station in the Knightsbridge area, one of the more affluent areas in London where mostly minor crimes take place.

A neighbor upset by a constantly barking dog in an expensive basement suite calls the police. Inside, Spencer finds the beaten and disemboweled body of Charles Foxley, a well-known and very rich and powerful theatrical agent. While the police are in his dwelling, Foxley’s hysterical ex-wife shows up. His murder will not be an easy case to solve.

Charles Foxley is an important theatrical agent and partner at the Foxley and Myers agency. While those remaining at the agency answer the officer’s questions, they are cautious in their responses and are not only dismissive of some of the company’s employees, but also of some of their clients.

The story exposes the undesirable behavior of wealthy and influential people. The more the reader learns about Foxley and his ex-wife, the more this becomes apparent. But did his ex murder him? Or perhaps a work rival or a dissatisfied client? A convoluted trail with many dead ends hinders the investigation, but Jane and Spencer’s dogged determination eventually discovers the truth and may have exposed another crime. In a secondary storyline, Jane plays an important part in exposing a corrupt cop.

Robin Lee

I've really enjoyed getting to know Jane in her early days with this series of pre-Tennison books. This one especially put an emphasis on her determination for self-preservation and advancement.

The book opens with the savage murder of a well known theatrical agent in London’s West End. Detective Jane Tennison (who you later learn has been recently kicked off a special crime detail- the Flying Squad) hopes to solve this case quickly, looking for redemption.
She is teamed up with DS Spencer Gibbs and together they navigate the politics of a corrupt supervisor in the police department, schizophrenic aging actresses, underage young girls presented like bonbons to the show biz elite and all while trying to quickly solve this horrendous murder.
I wanted to like this book. I especially love British mysteries. All the makings of some great storylines we’re there, I just didn’t feel the book pulled it all together. Jane needed more substance. She comes off as too meek and clumsy for a seasoned police officer. When she finally stands up for herself it is late in the book and nearly lost in the story. Maybe if I had read the prior books that introduce her character I would feel differently.
The ending is so abrupt I checked to make sure the entire book downloaded. I did not care for how the storylines were supposedly wrapped up at all. Too many questions left unanswered.
I rated this book 3 stars and feel that is generous.

I was provided an electronic Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above review is my honest review and is not influenced in any way.

Blunt Force is Lynda La Plante's sixth book in a series about Detective Sergeant Jane Tennison. In this thriller, Jane is a driven-to-discover-the truth, work-obsessed detective who’s been kicked off the “Flying Squad” and now works in a quiet police station, relegated to solving petty crimes. When a well-known theatrical agent is brutally murdered, Jane and her friend DS Spencer Gibbs must find the killer. I enjoyed reading this book and plan to read the author’s other novels with the same character. I appreciated Jane's dogged determination and how she persevered in a male-dominated field as she solved the crime. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

A gritty British Police Procedural story that takes you into the murder of a prominent show business executive. During the course of the investigation you, the reader, will be be taken down several unsavory paths as justice is seen to be done and the killer identified and arrested. But during this time you will be exposed to other possible crimes, two of which, I feel were clearly unraveled and solved satisfactorily. However, it is the third crime(?) Which will leave you wondering what is the complete story and was justice done. I have my opinion and I will leave it to you the reader to reach your own conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have rated it 4 stars.

I was provided an electronic Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above review is my honest review and is not influenced in any way.

Blunt Force by Lynda La Plante is a murder mystery and a perfect alternative for a modern Agatha Christie.

Our main character, Detective Jane Tennison investigates the brutal murder of Charles Foxley and Blunt Force is the story of how Jane discovers the truth behind his murder. Jane is a determined detective and as one of the few female detectives, she needs to fight her way for the other officers in the force to see her true potential.

I rated Blunt Force two stars because I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I am a huge fan of murder mystery so when I got the ARC for this book I was originally very excited to read this. There were somethings I enjoyed, like the detail behind the murder and the process that Jane had to do in order to investigate Charles’ murder, as well as the plot. I think the murder behind Charles Foxley was well thought out and in depth and that was one of the things I did enjoy while reading this.

But, I’m going to be honest, there were quite a lot of things I did not enjoy. In the beginning the pace was very slow and I nearly put this down and marked it as ‘did not finish’ but I decided to stick through this story in case there would be more excitement throughout the book. The beginning was boring and that is what nearly made me put this down. When I start the book I would want it to start off interesting and really pull me in. Blunt Force did not do this for me.

And while this is my first book by Lynda La Plante as well as the first book I’m reading in the Tennison series, I wanted to give this an open mind as I knew this was my first book by her. But, for a starter, I was not a big fan of Jane. For a woman who wants to succeed in her career I just found some of her actions quite dumb. Sometimes it was as if she was just a normal girl who came into a murder mystery rather than a detective.

Along with characters, the way some of the characters that appeared in this investigation were absolutely difficult to read. I realize this is reasonable and sometimes witnesses and suspects do act somewhat similar, I felt uncomfortable and irritated while reading about them and when they made appearances. One of the characters I was not a fan of made frequent appearance throughout the story that made me nearly stop reading this. His actions were completely unnecessary and I sometimes found his attitude was completely unnecessary and I felt angry at some times with him.

While these were some of my irritating moments that I did not like, I did enjoy the story behind the murder and quite enjoyed some of the processes that Jane had to go through.

Thank you again to NetGalley for an eARC for an honest review

True police procedural. Though I was a fan of the tv series starring Helen Mirren years ago, this is the first book I've read in this series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the previous novels ans they do reference previous events quite often.

#BluntForce #NetGalley

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read all this authors books and she never ever fails to disappoint. This had a great storyline, lots of twists and good characters. I loved it.

Realizing that I came into this series a total newbie, puts me at a disadvantage. It's obvious from other reviewers that this character has built up a fanbase but it was very difficult to connect to her or Spencer in this book, as their characterizations were all over the place. They at once seemed like good friends/partners but then there would be a shift in tone (esp Spencer at the end had me completely confused) and at least 2 plot lines could've either been dropped or shortened to give the meat of the story more room to breathe. In fact the real victim of this story I feel is shuffled off to the side, forgotten once that glass of whiskey and an old lover calls , which was really disappointing. It's a decent police procedural, but is a bit long and at times I had trouble knowing who was talking. I guess I'm mostly worried about who has the 3 dogs now?

I had not read the first five books in this series, so I was going into this one a little bit blind. That said it was still a satisfying police procedural and I'd be interested to read the earlier books in the series. It felt like it started a little slow for me (which could very well be because I jumped into the middle of a series), but once this book gets moving it's full of little details that keep you guessing and trying to solve the case right along with Jane.

Another great read from Lynda La Plante.

This is the sixth book in the Jane Tennison series.

I love Jane Tennison. This is another brilliant outing for her.

In this book Jane Tennison has been moved off the flying squad after committing an unforgivable error.

She's atough, determined woman trying to succeed in a very male dominated environment.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this pre-publication

I haven’t read a Lynda Lapland in years and I wasn’t disappointed! This was a great read and I’m so glad I’ve discovered her again.
A fantastically well thought out plot and great character depth. I would definitely recommend.

Another great Lynda LaPlante police procedural. Follows Jane Tennison in her younger days with the police. I was a little put off by the sexist way she was treated but it did not take away from the story and was a sign of the times. I did enjoy the story line. I am a great LaPlante fan.