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Anna Travis #3
Clean Cut
This novel contains a terrifying journey for DI Anna Travis and DCI James Langton as they try to nail not one but two murderers who send them running for their lives.
503 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2007
340 people are currently reading
1464 people want to read
About the author
Lynda La Plante
109 books1,793 followersLynda La Plante, CBE (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
July 8, 2008
What did I expect from the author of the first Prime Suspect screenplay?... But I have to admit I was still surprised, grossed out, and ultimately fatigued and turned off by the grimness of this one. The crimes were beyond Gratuitously Disgusting; the central relationship is borderline emotionally abusive and you can't understand why the protagonist puts up with it OR respect her for it. The writing is, shall we say, functional at best. I left this one in the hotel rather than carry it home!
September 20, 2017
This is the 3rd book in the Anna Travis series by author Lynda La Plante. If you have not yet started this series I would suggest you read the books in order to get the full benefit of the building relationships and back stories.
Anna and her boss, James are now having an affair and he is spending more and more time at Anna's flat. Things take a turn for the worse when James is injured while arresting a suspect in the murder of a young prostitute, resulting with him becoming a very difficult patient and this does not help their relationship. Both Anna Travis and James Langton are working on separate murder cases but this changes when a connection is discovered unearthing a underworld of refugees, illegal immigrants, drugs and underworld crime.
This could work as a stand alone but far better to be read in order.
Anna and her boss, James are now having an affair and he is spending more and more time at Anna's flat. Things take a turn for the worse when James is injured while arresting a suspect in the murder of a young prostitute, resulting with him becoming a very difficult patient and this does not help their relationship. Both Anna Travis and James Langton are working on separate murder cases but this changes when a connection is discovered unearthing a underworld of refugees, illegal immigrants, drugs and underworld crime.
This could work as a stand alone but far better to be read in order.
December 1, 2019
This one was a hard read for me; it was grim from the beginning and just devolved from there. While I realize not every story can be upbeat -- nor would I want them to be -- the subject matter of this one was depressing. It was difficult to find redeeming qualities in any of the main characters, including Anna Travis herself.
I enjoyed the first two titles in this series and will give the fourth one a go.
I enjoyed the first two titles in this series and will give the fourth one a go.
September 29, 2011
Am sure some might like this story, but it was way too involved with too many truly nasty characters to keep my interest. I also have never liked Langton and the way he treats Anna--especially in this story.
September 29, 2012
Annoying!!!!! Main character is weak. Leading man is a dickhead. Plot line is so involved the author has to keep repeating what's happened to make sure the reader is keeping up. Ending a big disappointment.
This is the first and last book I will read from this author.
This is the first and last book I will read from this author.
November 12, 2020
Clean Cut is the 3rd book in the DI Anna Travis crime series by English author, Lynda La Plante. Like the other books in the series that I've read, it's a gritty, tense thriller.
Travis' on and off again relationship with her boss DCI James Langton takes a big hit in this book. There relationship is always a testy one as Langton is a moody, often angry, individual. As the story begins, Langton, while going to arrest suspects in the murder of a young woman, is attacked by a machete - wielding man and suffers severe, lift-threatening injuries. The main part of the beginning of this book deals with his recovery and the pressure he puts on Anna. He is determined to recover as he wants to find the man who did this to him.
Anna is assigned to another murder investigation, working with another team. It begins to seem as though there are links to this investigation and the one that Langton was involved with. As Langton struggles to get back to work and investigate his attack and the other case, we begin to get outlines of the whole case; drugs, illegal immigration, voodoo, child abuse, etc. This is a gritty, sometimes graphic, intense thriller. It's also quite long, but it's written so well that it flows and the pages just fly by.
I like Anna Travis. She is very human (a skill at characterization of Lynda LaPlante), smart and intuitive. Even with her relationship with Langton up in the air, he still asks her back on his team and while he spends lots of time angry at the individualist way she works, she comes up with many great clues and breaks in the case. But it is very much a team effort. As the case grows and more evidence and clues and witnesses come in, the team gets bigger and bigger. It's fascinating how the trickle of clues start to add up and how the team begins to build its case.
LaPlante knows how to craft a story and develop characters. There is a tendency towards repetition as the team rehashes their evidence and build up the event timeline, but, at the same time, it is necessary. I like how the story develops slowly and then as we get to the final chapters, how they close down the case. All in all, a great, entertaining story, with a couple of little twists at the end that it will be interesting to see if they come to the forefront in future stories. (4 stars)
Travis' on and off again relationship with her boss DCI James Langton takes a big hit in this book. There relationship is always a testy one as Langton is a moody, often angry, individual. As the story begins, Langton, while going to arrest suspects in the murder of a young woman, is attacked by a machete - wielding man and suffers severe, lift-threatening injuries. The main part of the beginning of this book deals with his recovery and the pressure he puts on Anna. He is determined to recover as he wants to find the man who did this to him.
Anna is assigned to another murder investigation, working with another team. It begins to seem as though there are links to this investigation and the one that Langton was involved with. As Langton struggles to get back to work and investigate his attack and the other case, we begin to get outlines of the whole case; drugs, illegal immigration, voodoo, child abuse, etc. This is a gritty, sometimes graphic, intense thriller. It's also quite long, but it's written so well that it flows and the pages just fly by.
I like Anna Travis. She is very human (a skill at characterization of Lynda LaPlante), smart and intuitive. Even with her relationship with Langton up in the air, he still asks her back on his team and while he spends lots of time angry at the individualist way she works, she comes up with many great clues and breaks in the case. But it is very much a team effort. As the case grows and more evidence and clues and witnesses come in, the team gets bigger and bigger. It's fascinating how the trickle of clues start to add up and how the team begins to build its case.
LaPlante knows how to craft a story and develop characters. There is a tendency towards repetition as the team rehashes their evidence and build up the event timeline, but, at the same time, it is necessary. I like how the story develops slowly and then as we get to the final chapters, how they close down the case. All in all, a great, entertaining story, with a couple of little twists at the end that it will be interesting to see if they come to the forefront in future stories. (4 stars)
January 16, 2012
I don't know if my review will count as spoilers, so read on with care.
Within the first few pages, we learn that Langton has been attacked by a man with a machete and is at death's door. We also learn that Langton and Travis have been living together now for 18 months. Travis has a list of pros and cons about living with him, which does not bode well.
There are multiple cases in this story and all are intertwined, which bring Travis and Langton together on the same team again.
His recovery is not expected, but we know Langton too well, and recover, he does, although he is helped a lot by pills and alcohol.
Not only were the cases well developed, but the flaws of Langton and Travis were explored. It was rather like turning over a rock to see what creepy things might be under it.
Both parties indulge in unethical behavior. I wonder where La Plante will take them in the next entry of the series.
Again, I can't stop at just one of these books. As far as I know, only three of the books have made it to television, and this was not one of them. I now wonder how the Travis/Langton relationship plays out in the television series.
Within the first few pages, we learn that Langton has been attacked by a man with a machete and is at death's door. We also learn that Langton and Travis have been living together now for 18 months. Travis has a list of pros and cons about living with him, which does not bode well.
There are multiple cases in this story and all are intertwined, which bring Travis and Langton together on the same team again.
His recovery is not expected, but we know Langton too well, and recover, he does, although he is helped a lot by pills and alcohol.
Not only were the cases well developed, but the flaws of Langton and Travis were explored. It was rather like turning over a rock to see what creepy things might be under it.
Both parties indulge in unethical behavior. I wonder where La Plante will take them in the next entry of the series.
Again, I can't stop at just one of these books. As far as I know, only three of the books have made it to television, and this was not one of them. I now wonder how the Travis/Langton relationship plays out in the television series.
August 13, 2012
I gave her three tries, the first one was good the second one wasn't but I thought, well she might be having a bad day but no - after reading this - no more La Plante for me.
This was a fairly involved and gripping story and it says a lot for the storytelling skill of the writer that I stuck with it. It was over five hundred pages and quite honestly I think that the story occupied about 300 the rest was padding, repetition, info dumping and ranting about the criminal justice system, the probation service and illegal immigrants. Although much of this may be valid comment I don't think that it is honest to put so much into a work of fiction and push it at the reader.
Apart from all of that the editing was definitely flaky, there were missing words, words that should have been edited out and at one point we jumped from one setting to another without any of the characters moving a muscle - voodoo perhaps!? I would have thought that with the team at her disposal Ms La Plante would have ensured that the editing was spot on.
What a shame.
This was a fairly involved and gripping story and it says a lot for the storytelling skill of the writer that I stuck with it. It was over five hundred pages and quite honestly I think that the story occupied about 300 the rest was padding, repetition, info dumping and ranting about the criminal justice system, the probation service and illegal immigrants. Although much of this may be valid comment I don't think that it is honest to put so much into a work of fiction and push it at the reader.
Apart from all of that the editing was definitely flaky, there were missing words, words that should have been edited out and at one point we jumped from one setting to another without any of the characters moving a muscle - voodoo perhaps!? I would have thought that with the team at her disposal Ms La Plante would have ensured that the editing was spot on.
What a shame.
July 20, 2016
1.5 stars
A longer review to follow when I hate this book less; in short however, I fucking hate the character of Det. Langton so much. Had I known where this was going to end up, I probably wouldn't have read it at at time when there was so much "No one will believe you because you're a jilted wife/girlfriend/lover" shit going around in real life too.
Also, I don't recall La Plante's writing style bothering me quite so much on my previous experiences with her, but this was bad.
--------------
Okay, here goes.
I'm super sick of the character type of the insufferable-but-brilliant [fill in the blank], of which Langton is a prime example. I realize this character type exists for a reason; people are fascinated by these types in fiction, but I think I'm just burnt out. Langton treats Anna like complete crap for the duration of this novel, and the only thing that Anna can think of to justify her relationship with him (which she must value greatly, given that she keeps returning to it) is that he's a really giving and considerate lover. SERIOUSLY. This is apparently the only area of his life where he is either of these things.
SPOILER ALERT
Near the end of the novel, Anna figures out that Langton has "taken the law into his own hands" (I hate this overused phrase, of course La Plante used it) and has murdered the man responsible for his major wounding at the beginning of the novel (I don't even want to elaborate on the nature of the attack, it was stupid and kind of racist). Anna confronts him on this, and this is when the whole "No one will believe you because I jilted you" thing comes up. Despite the fact that Langton is honestly the worst person in the world, Anna shortly thereafter has to "remain strong" when he gathers her close because just being near him makes her rethink the decision to end the relationship.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME. He has murdered someone, and she knows it. He has also lied to her in denying it, and questioned her competency as a detective for even suggesting it, as well as threatened her. It is wildly problematic that Langton's behaviour seems to be celebrated by La Plante as author while her purported main character, DI Anna Travis, is completely weak and mostly pathetic. Despite the fact that La Plante seems to want the reader to think she's a really great detective, the writing doesn't bear this out, as (in this instalment at least) she's passive and doesn't advocate for herself in any way, either professionally or personally, when dealing with Langton.
I hope that further books make clear that Langton is a waste of space, but I can't bring myself to find out for awhile.
I think I just need a break from these books, especially since La Plante's writing is... idiosyncratic, to put it nicely. You can definitely tell she's a scriptwriter originally, given that her novels read like conversations with descriptions shoehorned in because she knows the basics of how novels work. She also puts explanation points where they've no business being. For example, when the narrator describes that a bug they've put in a suspect's house sounds muffled, the sentence is structured: "Someone had put a coat over it!" as though it was the dumbest/most shocking/most frustrating thing to have happened. Nope, not necessary and just awkward.
Actually, that kind of sums up my experience with this whole novel. Not necessary, and just awkward.
A longer review to follow when I hate this book less; in short however, I fucking hate the character of Det. Langton so much. Had I known where this was going to end up, I probably wouldn't have read it at at time when there was so much "No one will believe you because you're a jilted wife/girlfriend/lover" shit going around in real life too.
Also, I don't recall La Plante's writing style bothering me quite so much on my previous experiences with her, but this was bad.
--------------
Okay, here goes.
I'm super sick of the character type of the insufferable-but-brilliant [fill in the blank], of which Langton is a prime example. I realize this character type exists for a reason; people are fascinated by these types in fiction, but I think I'm just burnt out. Langton treats Anna like complete crap for the duration of this novel, and the only thing that Anna can think of to justify her relationship with him (which she must value greatly, given that she keeps returning to it) is that he's a really giving and considerate lover. SERIOUSLY. This is apparently the only area of his life where he is either of these things.
SPOILER ALERT
Near the end of the novel, Anna figures out that Langton has "taken the law into his own hands" (I hate this overused phrase, of course La Plante used it) and has murdered the man responsible for his major wounding at the beginning of the novel (I don't even want to elaborate on the nature of the attack, it was stupid and kind of racist). Anna confronts him on this, and this is when the whole "No one will believe you because I jilted you" thing comes up. Despite the fact that Langton is honestly the worst person in the world, Anna shortly thereafter has to "remain strong" when he gathers her close because just being near him makes her rethink the decision to end the relationship.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME. He has murdered someone, and she knows it. He has also lied to her in denying it, and questioned her competency as a detective for even suggesting it, as well as threatened her. It is wildly problematic that Langton's behaviour seems to be celebrated by La Plante as author while her purported main character, DI Anna Travis, is completely weak and mostly pathetic. Despite the fact that La Plante seems to want the reader to think she's a really great detective, the writing doesn't bear this out, as (in this instalment at least) she's passive and doesn't advocate for herself in any way, either professionally or personally, when dealing with Langton.
I hope that further books make clear that Langton is a waste of space, but I can't bring myself to find out for awhile.
I think I just need a break from these books, especially since La Plante's writing is... idiosyncratic, to put it nicely. You can definitely tell she's a scriptwriter originally, given that her novels read like conversations with descriptions shoehorned in because she knows the basics of how novels work. She also puts explanation points where they've no business being. For example, when the narrator describes that a bug they've put in a suspect's house sounds muffled, the sentence is structured: "Someone had put a coat over it!" as though it was the dumbest/most shocking/most frustrating thing to have happened. Nope, not necessary and just awkward.
Actually, that kind of sums up my experience with this whole novel. Not necessary, and just awkward.
June 30, 2023
This one was a hard read for me; it was grim from the beginning and just devolved from there.
While I realize not every story can be upbeat -- nor would I want them to be -- the subject matter of this one was difficult.
Also, I was not aware that this was a regular series, and so I was unfamiliar with the reoccurring characters.
It may have been easier to follow had I read Books 1 and 2.
Still, it doesn’t mean this couldn’t be a stand-alone read, it just was my observation.
The author is well-known for her Prime Suspect series (Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison), and I think that was my main interest in wanting to read this book.
However, after reading this, I am uncertain whether I will want to venture into any more.
I would be interested to know if any of you have read this series and had any opinions.
While I realize not every story can be upbeat -- nor would I want them to be -- the subject matter of this one was difficult.
Also, I was not aware that this was a regular series, and so I was unfamiliar with the reoccurring characters.
It may have been easier to follow had I read Books 1 and 2.
Still, it doesn’t mean this couldn’t be a stand-alone read, it just was my observation.
The author is well-known for her Prime Suspect series (Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison), and I think that was my main interest in wanting to read this book.
However, after reading this, I am uncertain whether I will want to venture into any more.
I would be interested to know if any of you have read this series and had any opinions.
October 22, 2008
An excellent third book in the Anna Travis trilogy! I love Lynda La Plante, especially her Prime Suspect television series.
This book took a bit of a weird turn as I almost expected Anna and Langton to be together forever. I know he was always crusty and difficult to live with, but I never thought he would walk out and not come back. It's as if revenge was far more important to him than then love from Anna.
A lot of foreign players in this book, and sometimes it was tough to keep the names straight (but that was mostly because they all had alter egos and mutliple names.) An intrigueing story of illegal immigrants and multiple murders.
This book took a bit of a weird turn as I almost expected Anna and Langton to be together forever. I know he was always crusty and difficult to live with, but I never thought he would walk out and not come back. It's as if revenge was far more important to him than then love from Anna.
A lot of foreign players in this book, and sometimes it was tough to keep the names straight (but that was mostly because they all had alter egos and mutliple names.) An intrigueing story of illegal immigrants and multiple murders.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2017
A pretty brutal police procedural. A complex series of murders, involving illegal immigrants, child-trafficking, violent death, poisoning and voodoo. For Anna Travis a key role in chasing down the culprits and the culmination of her relationship with DCI Langton, who is an uncompromising and not entirely sympathetic character. The book is longer than it needs to be but was gripping nonetheless.
April 15, 2020
For some reason, this one was not as intriguing. I am interested in the characters of Anna Travis and James Langton, but these circumstances didn't draw me in as much as others.
This one: body mutilation, child trafficking, drug mis-use---oh, I see now maybe why.
This one: body mutilation, child trafficking, drug mis-use---oh, I see now maybe why.
August 31, 2013
The author of Prime Suspect,La Plante, wrote a 500 page “who done it” that is complicated and boring. The main character is Anna, a detective, and she has a lover Langton, also a detective but above her. He’s arrogant and demanding and unthoughtful (ever heard of a British detective like this? ). Turns out he was knifed severely when apprehending two African immigrants involved with the murder of an African prostitute. One of the subthemes is relations with and crimes by undocumented African immigrants in London. I could tell if author LaPlante is a bigot, since all the police complain about them, although the worst of the racist is put down once in a while. So the detectives work with the murder of a librarian, which leads them to all of the people involved with the murder of the prostitute, and the person who knifed Langton seems to behind all this. There is voodoo and poison by datura or jimson weed. It is a turgid plot where everyone is traveling around talking to people, and there are a lot of murders, and children abused. Anna seems smart and comes up with some good ideas, but she is always suffering about how Langton treats her, or worrying about his addiction to pain killers. Langton doesn’t have any of the positive qualities of the archetypal British detective, i.e. the heart of gold. The last 100 pages proceed at a good clip and are interesting. But it took discipline to read.
March 8, 2022
Political!
Boring! This novel is more of a political diatribe than it is a detective story. The author constantly carps about immigration in the U.K., repeating an arch-conservative mantra about immigrants almost endlessly. In addition, the storyline defies belief. Instead of a well-focused plot, the author has apparently added almost every type of crime known to man to the plot of this novel in the hope that it might appeal to somebody. It did not appeal to me!
The crimes to be found in this single storyline include drug smuggling, drug dealing, prostitution, murder, torture, pedophilia, pederasty, slavery, human trafficking, assault, dismemberment, Voodoo rites, assault on a police officer, feeding human corpses to pigs, etc., etc. After reading this book, we can safely assume that (according to the author) all the United Kingdom's criminal and social problems can be attributed to immigrants. It's as if crime in Britain never existed until the recent wave of immigration!
Unlike this author's first two works, this is not a very well-written novel. It moves slowly and repeats a lot. It is too political. I cannot, in all conscience, recommend this book to anybody, and I award it a very generous three stars of the possible five. Feel free to skip this novel.
Boring! This novel is more of a political diatribe than it is a detective story. The author constantly carps about immigration in the U.K., repeating an arch-conservative mantra about immigrants almost endlessly. In addition, the storyline defies belief. Instead of a well-focused plot, the author has apparently added almost every type of crime known to man to the plot of this novel in the hope that it might appeal to somebody. It did not appeal to me!
The crimes to be found in this single storyline include drug smuggling, drug dealing, prostitution, murder, torture, pedophilia, pederasty, slavery, human trafficking, assault, dismemberment, Voodoo rites, assault on a police officer, feeding human corpses to pigs, etc., etc. After reading this book, we can safely assume that (according to the author) all the United Kingdom's criminal and social problems can be attributed to immigrants. It's as if crime in Britain never existed until the recent wave of immigration!
Unlike this author's first two works, this is not a very well-written novel. It moves slowly and repeats a lot. It is too political. I cannot, in all conscience, recommend this book to anybody, and I award it a very generous three stars of the possible five. Feel free to skip this novel.
October 31, 2013
DCI Travis and DCI Langton have moved in together and are adjusting to their new lives, at least Anna is but she's starting to keep score, never a good thing. Langton is involved in a case of a murdered prostitute and a gang of illegal immigrants. Someone doesn't like him and tries to kill him with a machete. He's horrifically injured and fighting for his life. Anna puts her caseload on hold as she supports him through his convalescence at the hospital and brings him home. He's an awful patient, so awful you can't believe. To save her sanity, Travis returns to work. She's assigned the brutal killing of a woman who is discovered by her daughter. No motive, no suspects. Langton also returns to his case.
As she gets farther into her case, it becomes apparent that there's a connection with Langton's case and hers, and now they are both fighting for their lives.
Interesting but not compelling.
As she gets farther into her case, it becomes apparent that there's a connection with Langton's case and hers, and now they are both fighting for their lives.
Interesting but not compelling.
January 25, 2013
Gripping really enjoyed reading it!
October 6, 2018
Third in the series and my least favorite to date.
Basically, I felt the plot was a little too complex and convoluted. Though not unexpected, I didn't like the relationship developments between Anna and Langton.
Additionally, there was a palpable political/social undercurrent here that I feel as if she pushed too far to the point that it became intrusive. I mean, I get it. And I generally don't mind, actually enjoy, when authors tackle social issues, but this was just too much.
I still enjoyed it, just not one of my favorites.
Basically, I felt the plot was a little too complex and convoluted. Though not unexpected, I didn't like the relationship developments between Anna and Langton.
Additionally, there was a palpable political/social undercurrent here that I feel as if she pushed too far to the point that it became intrusive. I mean, I get it. And I generally don't mind, actually enjoy, when authors tackle social issues, but this was just too much.
I still enjoyed it, just not one of my favorites.
June 7, 2018
Another solid Anna Travis story that left me keen to read the next one straight away!
October 18, 2022
3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
November 24, 2022
better and better
This is book 3 in the Anna Travis series and they get better each time will be looking out book 3 for the next instalment
This is book 3 in the Anna Travis series and they get better each time will be looking out book 3 for the next instalment
April 4, 2022
Oh this is a good one. Lots of character development for both Anna and Langton as he recovers from his horrific injuries dealt out in the last book. It then develops into a solid mystery whilst Langton uses a multiple murder inquiry to find the man who maimed him.
December 5, 2010
Having seen the Prime Suspect series on TV I thought I would read one of her books but was disappointed at her complete lack of knowledge of police procedures. The days where a 'County' Force 'calls in The Yard' because they cannot cope with a murder has long gone (if it ever existed), Constables or sometimes Sergeants go on enquiries and take statements not Inspectors, officers to not 'write up their report' at the end of a shift and there is no such thing as a board with photographs and lines joining bits of 'evidence' together - the police have COMPUTERS now!!! It was not as though her inaccuracies were needed for poetic licence or to keep the plot moving and perhaps it was these obvious mistakes that distracted me from the story.
The number of characters and murders gets confusing so unless you can keep really focussed you might want to draw a chart.
The number of characters and murders gets confusing so unless you can keep really focussed you might want to draw a chart.
October 11, 2019
I was an idiot about men at age 25 too, putting up with crap and giving too much, a lesser level of stupid of the main character Anna, but at the same time La Plante was writing this, Kinsey Milhone was kicking butt and taking no guff at all from men fictionally. Anna, I kept thinking, the only thing on your list of what's right with him to balance two solid pages of what you've identified as wrong with him is that he's pretty good in bed. I'm telling you, Anna-girl, get a damned vibrator. Then you won't be doing dishes and laundry and listening to his problems all the damned time while he doesn't give a fraction of a damn about how your day went. And that's before the end of the book, when he's revealed to be much, much worse than a garden-variety selfish d1ckhead.
Also, too long, tedious, and preachy.
Also, too long, tedious, and preachy.
October 16, 2007
Synopsis
Dedicated, intuitive and utterly obsessive, DCI James Langton is ruthless in his pursuit of a gang of illegal immigrants, killers of a young prostitute. When he is horrifically, almost fatally injured by one of them, it falls upon DI Anna Travis to put her own career on hold as she nurses him through his intense frustration and desperation to bring his would-be murderer to justice. Then Anna is assigned to a different case, the brutal killing of a quiet, studious woman whose body was discovered by her daughter returning home from school. A senseless attack with no obvious motive or immediate suspect. Until, chillingly, the case becomes unexpectedly linked with Langton's and Anna finds herself under similar threat from those who almost destroyed his career and his life.
Dedicated, intuitive and utterly obsessive, DCI James Langton is ruthless in his pursuit of a gang of illegal immigrants, killers of a young prostitute. When he is horrifically, almost fatally injured by one of them, it falls upon DI Anna Travis to put her own career on hold as she nurses him through his intense frustration and desperation to bring his would-be murderer to justice. Then Anna is assigned to a different case, the brutal killing of a quiet, studious woman whose body was discovered by her daughter returning home from school. A senseless attack with no obvious motive or immediate suspect. Until, chillingly, the case becomes unexpectedly linked with Langton's and Anna finds herself under similar threat from those who almost destroyed his career and his life.
November 2, 2008
British police procedural with a realistic love story between our protagonist and the hero of the plot, her superior in the force. Anna Travis drives us crazy with her career-threatening detours from best practices in police detection as well as her penchant for depicting the man she loves as larger than life long after he has abandoned her. Still we note her acuity and rejoice at her growing maturity. LaPlante's plots ring true and her people are real.
June 30, 2019
Clean Cut
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous Anna Travis ones. I found the anti immigration stance distasteful and I f let the characters lost something - it was all a bit one dimensional.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous Anna Travis ones. I found the anti immigration stance distasteful and I f let the characters lost something - it was all a bit one dimensional.
October 15, 2008
Gruesome but coudn't put it down
June 22, 2016
Love an Anna Travis novel.
September 2, 2024
Before I dive into my review of the third book in the series, ‘Clean Cut’, I’d like to provide some background. About ten years ago, when I was in secondary school, I first read Lynda La Plante’s ‘The Red Dahlia’. That book captivated me at the time, so much so that when I recently recalled the novel, I discovered it was actually the second book in the series. Naturally, I decided to start from the beginning and read the first book, ‘Above Suspicion’. Unfortunately, I found it very underwhelming and slow-paced. It felt more like a detailed account of a detective's procedural work than a true mystery. Despite this, I pushed through and moved on to ‘The Red Dahlia’. It was just as amazing as I remembered—almost as good as my initial experience.
Now, onto my thoughts about ‘Clean Cut’. For a significant portion of the book, I struggled to understand where the story was headed. Certain aspects that deserved more detail were glossed over, while other parts were unnecessarily drawn out. There were too many plot threads happening simultaneously, making it difficult to keep track of the characters, which, I suppose, might be part of the book's style. Another issue I had was that some of the motives behind the murders were poorly explained. It often felt like the author simply glossed over the reasoning, leaving me unsatisfied.
However, my biggest issue with this book is the underlying tone of racism that pervades it. In this and previous books, there’s an evident attitude that prostitutes are "whores" who somehow deserve what happens to them—even death. The series contains large sections that echo the stereotypical rhetoric we often hear from far-right politicians today, which is particularly difficult to stomach as someone from an ethnic minority, especially given the current social climate in the UK today with the riots. I might have been more accepting of this if the racism had been intended to convey a message—perhaps highlighting the corruption within the police force—but that wasn’t the case. None of the characters, not even Anna, speak out against the offensive comments made by other officers regarding illegal migrants. To my dismay, I later discovered through a Google search that La Plante has faced her fair share of controversies regarding racism.
Furthermore, none of the characters are particularly likeable. Anna and Langton’s relationship goes around in frustrating circles, especially if you’re reading the entire series. Both characters frequently criticise others for certain behaviours, only to engage in the same actions themselves and justify it. This kind of hypocrisy and inconsistency made it hard to connect with them. Anna seems to have no life of her own.
Despite all these issues, I did make it to the end of the book, and I genuinely enjoyed the twist. I’m eager to see if Anna takes any action based on it. While I would give this book a 2.5 out of 5 instead of a 2 due to the interesting ending, I’m hesitant to continue with the series. Based on the reviews for the subsequent books, it seems that things only deteriorate further.
Now, onto my thoughts about ‘Clean Cut’. For a significant portion of the book, I struggled to understand where the story was headed. Certain aspects that deserved more detail were glossed over, while other parts were unnecessarily drawn out. There were too many plot threads happening simultaneously, making it difficult to keep track of the characters, which, I suppose, might be part of the book's style. Another issue I had was that some of the motives behind the murders were poorly explained. It often felt like the author simply glossed over the reasoning, leaving me unsatisfied.
However, my biggest issue with this book is the underlying tone of racism that pervades it. In this and previous books, there’s an evident attitude that prostitutes are "whores" who somehow deserve what happens to them—even death. The series contains large sections that echo the stereotypical rhetoric we often hear from far-right politicians today, which is particularly difficult to stomach as someone from an ethnic minority, especially given the current social climate in the UK today with the riots. I might have been more accepting of this if the racism had been intended to convey a message—perhaps highlighting the corruption within the police force—but that wasn’t the case. None of the characters, not even Anna, speak out against the offensive comments made by other officers regarding illegal migrants. To my dismay, I later discovered through a Google search that La Plante has faced her fair share of controversies regarding racism.
Furthermore, none of the characters are particularly likeable. Anna and Langton’s relationship goes around in frustrating circles, especially if you’re reading the entire series. Both characters frequently criticise others for certain behaviours, only to engage in the same actions themselves and justify it. This kind of hypocrisy and inconsistency made it hard to connect with them. Anna seems to have no life of her own.
Despite all these issues, I did make it to the end of the book, and I genuinely enjoyed the twist. I’m eager to see if Anna takes any action based on it. While I would give this book a 2.5 out of 5 instead of a 2 due to the interesting ending, I’m hesitant to continue with the series. Based on the reviews for the subsequent books, it seems that things only deteriorate further.
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