The gripping new Detective Jane Tennison thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante.
Detective Jane Tennison made a bad choice.
She was the one who put in a transfer to the quiet, local police station in Bromley, keen to escape the relentless pressure of her former West End department.
Now she regrets her decision. The tedium of petty crime investigations even makes her question remaining in the force.
But then a complicated domestic assault case lands on her desk – Jane’s new boss wants her to wrap up the enquiry as quickly as possible, but something doesn’t add up. This case might still result in a murder charge if the victim dies of his injuries.
The warring neighbours who witnessed the assault intrigue Jane. The case has a sinister underbelly, she can sense it. Against her boss’ orders, Jane decides to dig deeper, and soon uncovers a trove of dark secrets in sleepy Clarendon Court. Jane discovers a handsome young boy had recently disappeared after the tragic death of his girlfriend. Now, every family in the private close is a suspect.
As Tennison hunts for the link between the crimes, she uncovers a truth more shocking than she could have contemplated. One that will either make her career – or break it.
Taste of Blood is the ninth novel in the wildly successful bestselling Jane Tennison series, and it’s more gripping than ever. La Plante’s background in performance continues to pave the way for the most visual, riveting storytelling. Jane Tennison, grieving the loss of an old love, goes against protocol and into dangerous territory to get to the truth behind what’s initially presented as a trite dispute over a fence between neighbours.
Lynda La Plante is a mastermind and reading her work is like watching a master play chess. She’s so intimately comfortable in the skin of the ever-relatable Jane Tennison, that Jane’s POV is written with seamless precision. Add in La Plante’s brilliance at plot and pace, as well as her own continued interest and learnings in forensic science, and you have the very best of thrillers here.
La Plante is nothing short of a writing inspiration. She’s written over forty novels, and it’s no wonder they’ve all become bestsellers! Not to mention the international success of the Prime Suspect TV series and specials. That level of success doesn’t sustain by chance; reading Taste of Blood is a reminder of that.
Rather than tire of her heroine, La Plante ensures we grow along with her, throwing at Jane new challenges, obstacles, threats and hopes at every possible turn. Taste of Blood will leave you with a taste for more!

















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