The best True Crime Book of the Year...
'Decoy', a book about an incredible undercover operation, won twice at this week's UK True Crime Awards, including in the highly-competitive 'Book of the Year...'
Just a quick note with some exciting news: my book Decoy won in TWO categories in the UK True Crime Awards.
We won the ‘Book of the Year’ and ‘Impact for Change’ awards at Thursday’s even in London.
The True Crime Awards marks the best in publishing, podcasting and TV in this genre. The judge’s comments were overwhelming: mentioning the quality of the writing and storytelling, high-end research and journalism and the importance of the issues raised in the book. While it is an important story, it is also a page-turning thriller (about a story that actually happened.)
So what’s it about?
Decoy is set in 1979. A team of rookie female police officers was formed to go undercover on the streets at night to catch one of Britain’s most-wanted men.
He had been terrifying Bristol for nearly two years: women were afraid to go out, the police didn’t know when he would strike next. Many believed the predator was actually a police officer as he always seemed one step ahead of the law.
It’s a story which is about so much more than policing in the shadows: it’s about the banter and camaraderie of a team of women enduring institutional misogyny, it’s about a group of dedicated officers who changed forever the face of covert policing and it’s about the true nature of a monster who is beyond redemption.
Rob interviewed by the True Crime Awards in the moments after his first win.
And my work writing this book and directing a film about the case led directly to the incarceration of a killer who had been freed in 2018 to attack more women - and the authorities refused to believe his latest victims.
The book currently has 93% four and five-star ratings on Amazon.
If you haven’t had a look - why not click the buttons above and check it out.
After catching a killer: The Operation Argus police officers 1979
