On the Line: Life and death in the Metropolitan Police

A revealing memoir of a decade on the streets of London as a female police constable and a unique insight into a city and the cost of keeping it safe.

'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, author of HE SAID, SHE SAID

'Compelling ... 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' Sunday Express

'Extraordinary' Mail on Sunday

Welcome to London. Population: 8.7million. 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, author of THE OLD YOU

'Deeply moving and inspiring' Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series

'Alice Vinten is the real deal - all the thrills of a crime novel, only true' Mel McGrath, author of GIVE ME THE CHILD

'Heartbreaking, funny and, most of all, honest' Lisa Cutts, author of MERCY KILLING

'Compelling, honest and moving' Laura Wilson, author of THE OTHER WOMAN

'Honest, vivid and compelling . . . 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.' Tom Bale, author of SKIN AND BONES