Endeavour signs ‘gripping’ memoir by former DCI who inspired Prime Suspect
Octopus imprint Endeavour has acquired The Real Prime Suspect by former detective chief inspector Jackie Malton and co-author journalist Hélène Mulholland.
Claudia Connal, publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from literary agent Kate Barker.
The “jaw-dropping, gritty memoir” from the inspiration behind legendary TV detective Jane Tennison of Lynda La Plante’s “Prime Suspect” will publish on 25th August 2022.
Malton joined the police in the 1970s, working in the CID and the famous flying squad before rising to become one of only three female detective chief inspectors in the Metropolitan Police.
In The Real Prime Suspect, she describes the struggles she faced as a gay woman in the Metropolitan Police, where “sexism and homophobia were rife”.
The publisher’s synopsis states that she dealt with rapists, wife beaters, murderers, blackmailers and armed robbers, “but it was tackling the corruption in her own station that proved the most challenging".
“Ostracised and harassed by fellow officers furious that she reported the illegality of some colleagues, Malton used alcohol to curb her anxiety.
“A chance meeting with writer Lynda La Plante five years later changed the course of her life. Together they worked on shaping Jane Tennison, one of TV’s most famous police characters, in the groundbreaking series ’Prime Suspect’. Not long after, Malton recovered from alcoholism and now works as an AA volunteer in prison and as a TV consultant. Jackie has spent her life working in crime. Now she’s ready to share her story.”
Malton was a police officer for 28 years and apart from acting as an adviser on “Prime Suspect” has consulted on many popular police dramas including “Cracker”, “The Bill” and “Life on Mars”. She also presented the documentary series, “The Real Prime Suspect”.
Mulholland has been a journalist for more than 20 years. Previously a political reporter on the Guardian, she now works on a freelance basis, The Real Prime Suspect is her first book.
Connal said: “Jackie Malton is a true trailblazer. Reading her memoir, I was so inspired by the way she forged a path in such a male-dominated world. Through it all she remained true to herself. The Real Prime Suspect is utterly compelling and rich with fascinating cases and intriguing characters from Jackie’s time on the force.”
Malton added: “The Real Prime Suspect is a recollection of episodes in my life lived so far: in policing, in television, in prison, and in my journey of recovery. It is a story of ambition thwarting failure, of hope overcoming despair, and the life-affirming process of change.”
