Times change and not always for the better. Dick Kirby, a former long serving Met officer and now best-selling author, maintains that the current politically correct culture coupled with an inept Crown Prosecution Service and aided and abetted by the Police & Criminal Evidence Act, has slowed the pursuit of criminals and justice to a snail's pace.

As this gripping book clearly demonstrates it was not always so. During the 20th Century, uniformed officers were visibly part of the community, patrolling their beats and protecting the public's property. Detectives detected, cultivating informants and, like their uniform counterparts, knowing the characters on their manor. What's more, they were backed by their senior officers, who had on-the-job experience.

Drawing on both celebrated and lesser known cases, the author describes in plain speak crime fighting against merciless gangsters, desperate gunmen, inept kidnappers, vicious robbers, daring burglars and ruthless blackmailers. Using his first-hand knowledge he highlights the often unconventional methods used to frustrate and outwit hardened criminals and the satisfaction gained from successful operations.