My Policeman – Bethan Roberts
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: Tom, a police cadet in 1950s Brighton, England, has a dynamic presence that enamors both Marion, a schoolteacher, and Patrick, a museum curator. As love between the three grows, so does jealousy until one decision unravels them all.
Expectation: A part-romance, part-revenge tale made more heartbreaking due to the time period.
Reality: A simple, yet effective story with no clear villain or hero.
Recommended For: Fans of character driven stories with Masterpiece Theater sensibilities (and pacing).
Why I Read It: It first came on my radar due to the film with Harry Styles and Emma Corrin.
My Take:
If you’re landing on this page because you’re interested in the “My Policeman” film, I highly recommend you read the source material first. The novel hit about every right note for me:
Historical fiction (alternating between 1958 and 1999)
Anglophilia (Brighton, England setting)
Dual narrators (although a crucial voice is missing)
Morally questionable actions
Queer representation
Gorgeous and understated writing
A rapid simmer of a plot that feels true to life
A fantastic but not showy audiobook narration by Emma Powell (Marion) and Piers Hampton (Patrick)
It’s near impossible to share more about what made Bethan Roberts’ subtly heart-breaking story so compelling without giving away some of the plot, so if you haven’t read it — or are curious about checking out the film — be forewarned: major spoilers below.
“My Policeman” left me with conflicted feelings about each of the three characters. You understand why they acted the way they did, but they also behaved in ways that made you feel they got what they deserved.
Marion ultimately seeks atonement by caring for an ailing Patrick and admitting her role in his outing and incarceration, but she was also manipulated by Tom and jeered by Patrick as a romantic rival.
Patrick can’t be faulted for his “minority status” during a time it was illegal, but he actively pursued a relationship with Tom after he was married, causing the jealousy that led to Marion’s haste decision.
Tom, sympathetic due to his profession and latent homosexuality, used emotional manipulation over Marion and Patrick to mask his fear and self-hatred. He didn’t go to jail, but you could argue his life unraveled the most.
I want to blame Tom. I want to hate Tom. Yet, I can’t. There are so many men and women who did similar things, but it doesn’t make ruining the lives of others okay.
I want to feel sorry for Marion and consider her actions justifiable, but I can’t. She willingly gave away Patrick’s secret when her anger should’ve have been directed at Tom.
I want to view Patrick as the innocent victim in all of this, but I can’t. He knew exactly what he was doing, and the risks involved.
Honestly, I could talk myself in and out of the blame game for hours, so I’ll leave it at this — Roberts is a genius. While I’m disappointed, we never got Tom’s perspective, she created three living and breathing characters that felt more real than most I’ve read this year.
The flashback and flashforward structure was a fantastic way to piece the story together and provide fresh insight whenever one narrative got a little stale. It prevented Marion from coming across as hilariously naïve and Patrick being perceived as a smug braggart. We also got to fully understand the depths of their love for Tom and why they were both so drawn to him.
The story isn’t wholly originally or remarkably unique, but Roberts succeeded by keeping the scale simple and quiet. Other characters are introduced, but they are used only to help further the story along.
Emma Powell and Piers Hampton honor the source material with performances that perfectly match their characters’ descriptions. Powell plays Marion as reserved yet resolved, and Hampton gives Patrick the right amount of flair to understand his desirability. Plus, neither goes for broke, helping to keep the intimacy of Roberts’ text in place.
Easily one of my favorite reads this year.
Rating (story): 5/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: June 27 – July 4, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go, but still ensure you can focus on the text or you’ll miss the understated detail in Roberts’ writing.
