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‘A warts-and-all memoir of an ex-cop from probationer days on. Fascinating’ IAN RANKIN

‘A humane but unflinching look at the sharp end of contemporary policing’ LUKE JENNINGS

‘I loved this book. Gritty and gripping, moving and shocking, this brilliant police memoir shows that life on the force really is different for girls’ ERIN KELLY

‘COMPELLING’
Sunday Express ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ Mail on Sunday

Welcome to London. Population: 8.7 million. And it’s your job to keep them safe.

A no-holds-barred account of life on the front line of policing, On the Line follows PC Alice Hearn throughout ten years in the Met, from rookie to constable. As she deals with violent criminals, heart-breaking domestic situations, petty crime, life, death, and everything in between, she builds up a portrait of a living, complex city, and what it means to look after it.

‘I’ve never read such an authentic and interesting account of what it’s like to be a female police officer’ Louise Voss
‘Deeply moving and inspiring’ Jane Casey
Alice Vinten is the real deal – all the thrills of a crime novel, only true’ Mel McGrath
‘Heartbreaking, funny and, most of all, honest’ Lisa Cutts
‘Compelling, honest and moving’ Laura Wilson

What's Inside

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Reviews

The Bookseller
Both gripping and thoughtfully written, it provides a vision of the frontline which will fill you with appreciation for those who, like Vinten, risk life and limb to keep us safe
Sunday Express
This compelling memoir ... [is] a portrait of the frontline which will fill you with admiration for those who, like Vinten, daily risk life and limb to keep us safe
Crime Review
An intriguing insight into what it's like to be a woman in what still seems to be very much a man's world
Louise Voss, author of THE OLD YOU and The Detective Lennon series
I've never read such an authentic and interesting account of what it's like to be a female police officer. Should be required reading for anyone wanting to write procedurals or cop dramas!
Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series
Alice Vinten's memoir is deeply moving and inspiring, with twists and dramatic real-life scenes that could have been taken straight from a crime thriller. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what it takes to be a female police officer.
Mel McGrath, author of GIVE ME THE CHILD
Alice Vinten is the real deal - all the thrills of a crime novel, only true. Required reading for anyone interested in what the police really do
Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID SHE SAID
I loved this book. Gritty and gripping, moving and shocking, this brilliant police memoir shows that life on the force really is different for girls
Lisa Cutts, author of MERCY KILLING
Girl on the Line is heartbreaking, funny, and most of all, honest. Alice Vinten has managed to weave her personal experiences, both good and bad, with the horrors and stresses of modern day policing in the Met. The best thing of all about this superb book is that I know I would have loved to work alongside Alice as an officer
Laura Wilson, author of THE OTHER WOMAN
Compelling, honest and moving account of being a woman in the Met
Tom Bale, author of Skin and Bones
Alice Vinten has written an honest, vivid and compelling account of her experiences as an officer in the Metropolitan Police. Superbly written, with the pace of a novel, it offers an illuminating look at the pressures of everyday encounters with brutal, chaotic and tragic lives. Most importantly, it doesn't shy away from reflecting the emotional toll that such a career takes on a conscientious officer.
Luke Jennings, creator of KILLING EVE
A humane but unflinching look at the sharp end of contemporary policing. Vinten has a compassionate eye, and gives a human face to those charged with our safety.
Chris Merritt, author of BRING HER BACK
Absolutely loved it: raw, shocking and exciting, yet very open, personal and thought-provoking too. Write a crime thriller, please!
Caroline Mitchell, author of the Amy Winter series
An authentic, engrossing read.
Strong Words
Life-on-the-streets, I'll-get-you-a-coppah! realness . . . Powerful
Best
The warts-and-all memoir of a Metropolitan Police officer . . . Vinten reveals how she coped with the challenges of life on the front line of London policing.
Ian Rankin
A warts-and-all memoir of an ex-cop from probationer days on. Fascinating