Book 1

Prime Suspect

by Lynda La Plante

Published 8 March 1991
A woman is murdered and the police have a prime suspect, but cannot prove it. Detective Jane Tennison fights to solve the crime and win the respect of her fellow, male, officers. "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing.
Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.

Book 2

Prime Suspect 2

by Lynda La Plante

Published 14 December 1992

Book 2

A Face in the Crowd

by Lynda La Plante

Published 11 September 2012

Book 3

Prime Suspect 3

by Lynda La Plante

Published 13 December 1993

The coroner's report identifies the body as young, black, female, and impossibly anonymous. Yet one thing is clear to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison about the latest victim discovered in one of London's poorest districts - that news of her murder will tear apart a city already cracking with racial tensions, hurling Scotland Yard and Tennison herself into a maelstrom of shocking accusations and sudden, wrenching violence.
Even as London's brutal killer remains at large, Tennison remains locked in a struggle to overcome her station house's brutal chauvinism and insidious politicking. And as the department's deeply rooted racism rears its head to overshadow every facet of her new investigation, the trail of her prime suspect is growing colder. Worse, when the details of the beleaguered detective's stormy personal life explode across the headlines of London's sleasiest tabloids, Tennison's already frenzied determination to bring the killer to justice will be catapulted into obsession - one that could send her spiralling over the edge.

From the BAFTA-winning writer behind the TV series PRIME SUSPECT and author of WIDOWS, now a major motion picture...

As Vera Reynolds, drag queen and night club star, sways onstage singing 'Falling in Love Again', a sixteen-year-old rent boy lies in the older man's apartment, engulfed in flames.

Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison has moved up the ranks, fighting every step of the way to break through Scotland Yard's glass ceiling. Now, on her first day as the head of the Vice Squad, this high-profile case threatens to destroy everything she has worked for.

For when Tennison's investigation reveals an influential public figure as her prime suspect, a man with connections to politicians, judges, and Scotland Yard, she's given a very clear message about the direction some very important people would like her investigation to take. Suddenly, in a case defined by murky details, one fact becomes indisputably clear - that for Tennison, going after the truth will mean risking her happiness, her career . . . and even her life.