Actor. TV writer. Producer. Author. Lynda La Plante’s career is quite something!
I’ve always been aware of Lynda’s work, but had no real appreciation of how groundbreaking and generation-defining her creative output has been. Known as the UK’s Queen of Crime,
Lynda La Plante’s memoir is a candid reflection on a life that has shaped modern crime drama. From her early days in Liverpool to her success with television shows Widows and Prime Suspect she delivers a memoir that captures the highs and lows of her extraordinary journey. Naturally, her stellar career spanning decades includes interactions with many notable actors and famous artists (including Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger and David Bowie!). Lynda’s anecdotes are hilarious, even in the face of adversity she always has the ability to laugh. However, I’m sure she would agree that the most interesting people she’s met are the prisoners, guards, governors and police officers whose stories have inspired her writing.
Lynda began her career as an actor but decided to write roles for women that weren’t available in the 1970s and 1980s. What makes Getting Away with Murder so compelling is the unapologetic way Lynda recounts her path to success as she smashed stereotypes. Whether it’s finding herself accidentally accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) alongside Anthony Hopkins or the challenges as a female writer in a male-dominated industry, she is an open book! She reveals behind-the-scenes power struggles, financial difficulties and lessons learned. Lynda also shares vulnerabilities from her personal life, including the adoption of her son when she was aged 59.
“While it has been joyous looking back on much of my life, it has also been difficult. There are things I’ve tried so hard not to dwell on, but which I had to when it came to writing this. I’ve not held anything back – it’s all there on the page from RADA to Rentaghost, Dolly Rawlins to Jane Tennison, childhood mischief to – well, I’m still causing mischief!” she says.
I was left feeling a deep sense of admiration for Lynda, who now in her 80s continues to publish bestselling books! I especially enjoyed learning about her creative research processes which has seen her travel the world, riding along in patrol cars, meeting crime bosses, prostitutes, addicts and convicts.
Follow Lynda La Plante online.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy
Bonnier
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