No Comment

‘Probably the most important book on the state of British policing you’ll ever read' Graham Bartlett'Vivid and harrowing... Hammers home how urgently the whole criminal justice system is in need of reform’ Mail on SundayJess McDonald was a true crime junkie and Line of Duty sofa sleuth with a strong sense of justice. Under a year later, thanks to a controversial new initiative, she was a detective in the London Metropolitan Police Service.The Met Police’s Direct Entry Detective scheme was aimed at turning people with no experience of the police into detectives. When it was launched, to tackle an unprecedented recruitment crisis, over 4,500 people, Jess included, applied.But why, within just a year of qualifying, had the majority of Jess’ cohort resigned?No Comment is Jess’ candid, eye-opening and often shocking account, exploring the reality of being a detective in the Met and responsible for ‘keeping London safe for everyone’. In her incisive book she explores the challenges of life on the front line, dealing almost exclusively with serious crimes against women, and what that reveals about the Met Police now.

Probably the most important book on the state of British policing you’ll ever read. Written with candour and balance, Jess McDonald lifts the lid on why cultural change is nigh on impossible in the Metropolitan Police and how the justice system conspires against the most vulnerable. A brilliant read which should be compulsory for all Chief Officers if they are serious about understanding what life is really like at the coal face, Vivid and harrowing... Hammers home how urgently the whole criminal justice system is in need of reform’, I was gripped by this unflinching close-up account of life as a new Met detective. As a female outsider, McDonald offers a rare insight into the current state of the UK’s biggest and most controversial police force - a world usually painfully resistant to scrutiny. No Comment is essential reading for anyone interested in the questions being asked of the Met today, and its passionate call for change could hardly be more timely, It's an excellent insight into modern policing and how the system fails to protect victims, communities and the people who work in the job. Jess writes about complex, dark subjects with humanity and warmth. It's a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered what happens after they've called 999 and a shocking indictment of a system not fit for purpose

Jess McDonald grew up in Cheshire, attended Durham University and had a huge range of jobs before she turned 30. Then the big one. At the age of 31, Jess was one of the very first people to gain a place on the Met Police’s controversial Direct Entry Detective scheme and, after just 5 months of training, started work as a Detective Constable tackling serious crime in a busy east London borough.