Blog Tour: Into the Valley by Chris Clement-Green

ARC clearly defined in accordance with review policy here. 

Hi!

I get regular emails asking if I'd be interested in reading all kinds of books. Normally, I'll have a quick glance at the summary and that's it - but with this one, it reeled me in from the first page. I'm delighted to be hosting the second stop on the blog tour for Chris Clement-Green's memoir, Into the Valley. 

PLOT

In 1984, Chris Clement was working in a bookshop when she saw an advertisement in the newspaper looking for recruits to the Thames Valley Police service. Aged 24, Chris applied - and was accepted. This is the story of her training and career - the cases that have stayed with her, the interesting characters she encountered, and her experience of working in an incredibly male dominated environment. Sexism, racism and homophobia were rife - being a woman in the force was, in itself, an obstacle. This memoir takes us through Chris' career via witty, engaging anecdotes.

THOUGHTS

I'm a fan of biographies or autobiographies, I think that every person has a unique story to tell. This book is every bit as engaging and interesting as some of the "celeb" memoirs I've read, Chris has a great way of telling a story and pulling the reader in. I flew threw this, I really enjoyed the setting. Each chapter is almost like a short story - some of the anecdotes were hilarious, others heartbreaking.

I'm also a fan of Police procedurals - I think that fellow fans of The Bill, Ashes to Ashes or Happy Valley would really enjoy this. Chris is a fascinating person and has led a really interesting life. Anyone with an interest in London in the 1980s would also like this. References to race riots, protests and the fear surrounding the AIDS epidemic remind us of how far we have come as a society (not far enough, but it's a start).

RATING

Into the Valley is published by Mirror Books and is available at Amazon. 

Thanks to Laura, the Mirror Books team and the author for granting me access to the book, and for having me on the tour. For author interviews, giveaways, excerpts and more you can check out the other stops here: