Quirky Cat
Written on Aug 19, 2019
The Dirty Dozen is the latest adventure about our lovely Jane Tennison. It's the fifth novel in a series written by Lynda La Plante, however, like other novels in the series, you can really pick up at any point and follow along as you please.
Jane Tennison is a female detective during the 1980s, and it is not an easy road for our leading lady. Not only does she have to face additional struggles from the public, but she must fight against those on the inside as well. Yet she keeps shouldering on.
I should probably remind people; this isn't the Jane Tennison you're used to seeing in her original series. This is a younger, less experience Jane. It's been a blast seeing her before she became the character many of us are so used to reading about. Seeing where and how she gained the skills she did.
This novel sees Jane trying to make a go at joining the Flying Squad – those in charge of investigating robberies and the like. She's certainly got the skills for the job, but how will the rest of the team handle this change? If her history is any indication, not well.
I love Jane Tennison's series, they do an excellent job of showing what a woman in the field would have gone up against in that time. And of course, Lynda La Plante makes the mysteries that Jane must solve fascinating along the way. It makes for a perfect balance.
Warnings: Like the rest of the Jane Tennison series, sexism plays a major part to the underlying plots. There's also racism portrayed in this novel, and a case of accused sexual assault. Additionally, there are the typical crimes you can expect to find in a novel like this one.
The Dirty Dozen was exactly what I had hoped it would be – a thrilling mystery full of willful and determined characters. Jane has never been one to pick the easy path in life, and that's part of what makes her story so interesting.
I've always loved that Jane's mysteries are set slightly in the past – just enough to set us apart from everything Jane is experiencing. And while sometimes it feels like what she does face is a little extreme...I also can't pretend that it is something that wouldn't have happened.
The Dirty Dozen introduces a new crime into the mix; a bank robbery. I'll confess that the whole bank robbery didn't go down as I expected, and I actually love that. Even this simple concept was flipped on its head, turned into something unexpected and thus interesting.
Seeing Jane adapt to a new way of investigating, and a new team, was fun and a little bit frustrating. I think the reasons why it was frustrating were probably obvious. It can be tough at times to read a novel where we are given more insight than the main character (we've all wanted to scream at a movie or book before, I'm sure). I will say that I enjoyed seeing the complexity of the surrounding characters.
This was another great read from the mind of Lynda La Plante. I can't wait to see what will be next in store for Jane, because I can't even begin to imagine her journey concluding anytime soon (and if I'm wrong, please don't tell me so).