Loyalty: The brand new novel from the bestselling author

Product Information

For Michael, loyalty — and crime — pay. Michael Flynn rises to heights beyond anything the criminal underworld has seen. He owns everyone and he rules his empire with an even but fierce hand. Martina Cole’s debut is a great place to begin reading her books. It documents the exploits of a seventeen-year-old girl, Maura Ryan, taking on the men of the criminal underworld alongside her brother Michael, leaving a trail of notoriety behind them. Cole returned to the characters from her first novel a decade later with another installment following the brutal and ruthless character of Maura Ryan.

Most of her books take place in London and Essex, which is an area she is quite familiar with from her upbringing. As well, many of her books are standalones, following new characters amid similar themes of family, loyalty, betrayal, and murder. Cole does not shy away from violence and brutality in her writing, painting a grim picture with an inexplicable pull through her storytelling. Who is Martina Cole?

And yet as the author is so so good at doing it shows friendship and how it can get people through any situation and it shows sacrifice and love Dara Tailor has had to grow up fast. With a mother addicted to cocaine, Dara must look after her seven younger siblings, until social services split them up for ever.

Got to mention on a lighter note the Mother from hell,Phyllis,is a classic written character, I couldn’t stand her ( the love to hate was strong ) and as for Judy, well you will be shouting at the book about her….A serial killer is in town and the race is on for DCI Kate Burrows. Stop the killer before more innocent girls die... But that’s not the only Martina Cole book that has a stage adaptation. First was Two Women in 2010, then the production of The Graft in 2011. Both also had runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Wow! The killer is one messed up mofo! Nothing will sway the killer’s view that what they do is for all the right reasons- everyone else’s fault – the victim’s are “asking for it” SCARY!! If you like Martina Cole and have been waiting for this book you will love it but take a breath every once in a while as it is hard going in places with the realism The Jump was made into a four-part mini-series in 1998. It stars Adrian Dunbar, Jonathan Cake, Susan Vidler, and John Light.

As well, both The Jump and The Runaway have small screen adaptations in the form of television series. Not sure what anyone else has been reading, but there was no suspense, no drama, and anyone should be able to work out who the perpetrator is by about half way through the book. It’s unflinching in its portrayal of the characters we meet, and we meet some disgusting, evil, perverted ones who literally have below zero morals and then some The actual reveal is comical beyond belief and it simply felt as though Martina had run out of any ideas on how to actually finish the book. No one would dare challenge him. Then the unthinkable happens. Perhaps Michael Flynn is not so untouchable after all, and he must learn that…I loved Cole's earlier books, particularly Burrows and the whole taboo of a copper hooking up with a criminal. Now Burrows is out of the police business and Pat is mostly retired things are going well when Pat has a chap claiming to be his son. Pat is shrewd and suspicious of course but the idea of a family brings it's own happiness and problems. This is all such a shame from such a well respected author and I have read Martina Cole books previously and enjoyed them. Joseph/Bella and Christina – I am not going to say too much about these except I found Joseph to be a bit weak in his inability to be a man and make a choice. Bella is one crazy b*tch! Loved how that storyline panned out! 😱 and poor Christine – right place, wrong time in life….that is all I am going to say about that! You know what you are going to get with a Martina Cole book and this book, although a little different, and darker, did not disappoint. I would recommend it to any crime fiction/urban crime fans as a book to read.