One of those books that was written as a successful tv series. I enjoyed Helen Mirren's performance of a high ranking police officer at a time when female officers were hardly tolerated and she had to struggle against the hostility of her male colleagues. These attitudes from the 1990s made the story a bit dated (although I'm sure they still exist to some extent today), but not a bad police procedural nevertheless. ( )

Loved the TV series and the novel is good too. Great police procedural and an examination of the early days of high ranking female officers. Tennison is deeply unsympathetic at times but you just can't help rooting for her. ( )

I didn't like many (most) of the characters. I also didn't like the heavy-handed portrayal of sexism, but... perhaps way back in 1991 it was really as bad as all that. I think sexism in the workplace is much more subtle now - of course it still exists, but I think that nobody would explicitly state (to a woman, or to other male coworkers) some of the rude things some of the characters in this book said to or about the female lead.

Taking it as a product of its time, it was a decent procedural. I did watch the Prime Suspect series on TV back in the 90s (with Helen Mirren) and had fonder memories of the story from that show than I got from reading this book.

It was decent. It was a product of its time. it could be seen as dated. I might read more in the series, but... only if I were looking for a combo trip down memory lane plus quick straight-forward read. ( )

Great crime book. No, I did not like the characters. Jane was someone I would thoroughly dislike in real life although as a policewoman I rooted for her against the chauvinistic male policemen.. However, it was a good read. ( )

A good procedural crime novel. The focus on building the case against the suspect was an interesting view point. I have not watched the PBS series but am definitely interested in viewing some episodes! ( )