My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

From the moment that Marion first laid eyes on her best friend’s brother, Tom, she knew that he was the one for her. When Tom returns from National Service and becomes a policeman, they begin ‘dating’ and soon rush into marriage. But being so smitten with Tom, Marion misses the subtle signs that something is wrong.

Tom has another life, one with Patrick, a curator of a local museum. This relationship has a powerful hold over Tom, but set against a backdrop of the 1950’s, both Tom and Patrick could face imprisonment if they are caught together. So, the two lovers share ‘my policeman’ until one of them finally breaks and all three lives are ultimately destroyed.

This is a raw and emotional story and one primarily of love, set in Brighton. Switching between the late nineties and the 1950’s, the narrative is written from the dual perspective of Marion and Patrick. I enjoyed this aspect as it provided an insight as to the difficulties faced by gay men during this time, as well as the heartbreak often faced by women who found themselves married to gay men.

Soon to be a film starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin and David Dawson.

Bewitched by Books Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️