Description
Book SynopsisAnthony Nott joined the Metropolitan Police in 1971, which was a very different world from that of today. He describes his early experiences in the Met, including the arrest of a man for murdering a prostitute in Kings Cross. He was present when a fellow police officer was almost stabbed to death and witnessed an act of police brutality when he interrupted the beating of a petty criminal in a cell by the CID. He transferred to the county force of Dorset in 1976 where, not long after his promotion to detective sergeant, he engaged in what would be a ten-year long investigation into the disappearance of Monica Taylor and the eventual conviction of her husband, Peter, for what was almost the perfect murder - Monica's remains were never found. He then recounts a series of murder cases in which he was involved from the murder and decapitation of a woman in Bournemouth and the random killing of another, to the extremely violent killing of a gay man in Boscombe Gardens, Bournemouth, in which it took two years to bring the killers to justice. While a detective chief inspector in Bournemouth in 1994, the chance visit of a detective sergeant from Guernsey, who was investigating a life insurance fraud, led to the re-opening of a missing person enquiry from eight years earlier, and resulted in the conviction of Russell Causley for murder, despite his wife's body never being recovered. This book provides an insight into the methodical and transparent way in which the police investigate complicated crimes from riots to the almost perfect murders.
Trade ReviewThis is the autobiography of Anthony Nott, a detective who investigated serious crimes, including many murders and a mercy killing. Policing has changed considerably since the 1970s when Nott began his career, in the wake of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act following miscarriages of justice and a loss of trust in the police service. Each story is compelling and there are good details. One involves a criminal trial concerning events surrounding a football match. After the trial, members of the bar presented the trial judge with a signed match ball. On another occasion, a tramp was accidentally given the police station keys when he was released. Fortunately, he returned them. We also learn what police dream about and how the writer met a young Jon Snow. It is interesting how cases were pursued doggedly over many years and how the outcome was often helped by good luck alongside hard work. Solicitors do not feature much in the book – although the CPS and the bar do. Their roles are respected but do not seem to trouble the police much. The book gives an insight into the mind of the police officer and the criminal. How do you commit the perfect crime and get away with it? I suppose no one would know about the perfect crime as it would be undiscovered, but many people have tried and nearly got away with it. 4 out of 5 Stars.; - David Pickup, The Law Society Gazette
