276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Gallowstree Lane: 'An authentic depiction of gang life and police politics' From the author of ITV's The Tower

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

With knife crime and gang warfare on the up, especially in London, this book does reflect that culture very well. Oh well, I don't think it marred my enjoyment of this book at all though so I think I've got away with it.

It’s a story of gang activity in London, including a murder, and of a major police operation to prevent guns being delivered to a gang leader. As tenacious DI Sarah Collins struggles fo make progress in identifying the witness to Spencer’s murder or gaining an insight into his life, beleaguered DC Lizzie Griffiths is struggling to juggle single parenting with the demands of a career in the force. The novel opens with a teenage boy approaching a stranger in Gallowstree Lane, North London as his blood flows out onto the street. It is clear from our first introduction to Sarah Collins that we are already supposed to know these members of the Police Force. DI Sarah Collins is interested in Ryan as a witness to her murder investigation, DC Lizzie Griffiths is interested him for a previous assault case she is investigating and DI Kieran Shaw isn’t sure what his interest is but he has one in case the situation messes up Operation Perseus, his two year old investigation into gun running in the borough.If you’re a fan of police procedurals with gritty and realistic characters, this is going to be a great series for you to pick up. What does it mean for all those involved, wether they be the victim, the friends, the family, the gangs that run the streets or the detectives who have to solve the crime.

I genuinely hope that this is adequately conveyed, as I really appreciate the inclusion without it being overplayed, it’s totally natural and perfect. Although the tv show is extremely well done, you still don’t get to fully know the characters as Kate London brings them to life in her novels.The plot is quite fast-paced and filled with a lot of findings, and I really enjoyed the whole investigation experience.

I was neither swept up but the urban atmosphere or convinced by Kate London’s need to use “dem”, “dat” and “diss” when recounting from Ryan’s perspective. Personally, I would have found a directory of the street slang used by some of the various gang members useful in navigating the darker depths of the drug culture described. It is a Sarah Collins and Lizzie Griffiths detective novel, both of them are very strong female detectives, but they don’t have much communication between each other throughout the book, so I don’t really see them as a duo. Sometimes it's difficult to believe that they're all on the same side, but it does produce some wonderful characters and a story which is all too believable. These were, in the main one-act dramas and not very good ones either; no complication, no twist to make them interesting, no learning for the persons involved.I found the plot convincing and very relevant, given the current soaring level of knife crime in London. London understands the real, personal cost of holding the thin blue line and she brings that understanding to her characters. Initially I didn’t take to Kieran, seeing him as selfish, task orientated and highly manipulative, the kind of person who seems plausible and you find yourself agreeing with until you analyse what has been said.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment