Straight from the Pig's Mouth

A warts-and-all, often laugh-out-loud funny memoir of policing in New Zealand.

‘This book takes you into the life of a New Zealand police detective. I tell it how it was and spare few details so that you too can see the world through one policeman’s eyes. The stories contained in this book range from the humorous, strange and bizarre to extreme violence and murders. This is the lot of a Kiwi policeman and was the life I lived for 31 years.’

From his fledgling days as a constable to being a detective sergeant on high-profile cases, retired Christchurch policeman Al Lester has many a story to tell as he reflects on a career on the wafer-thin blue line.

Al’s a man who took policing seriously, always doing his level best to keep criminals in check and turn chaos into order. He never lost sight, however, of how to see the lighter side of the job, enjoying a laugh when the occasion arose, and often at his own expense.

Welcome to the world of a Kiwi cop.

(No actual pigs were harmed in the making of this book.)

About the Author

'Big Al' Lester was born in Nelson, the second youngest of four children. As a young man, he had played rugby, golf, softball and basketball all at representative level. Despite these achievements, Al got most pleasure from time spent in the mountains and valleys hunting deer and other wild game.

Starting out in the banking industry, Al later joined the New Zealand Police. Being a solid 6'4" tall, perhaps he was better suited to the latter role. After doing the hard yards, Al was promoted to his current rank of Detective Sergeant. He is the author of seven collections of yarns.

At 53, Al is still an avid hunter with a love of the mountains and a liking for beer. He lives in Christchurch.