Showing results by author "Martina Cole" in All Categories

The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark in the world. Peter and Daniel are chalk and cheese in many ways - Peter's calm exterior belies his ruthless nature, while Daniel's penchant for spectacular violence is legendary - but together they are unstoppable. From the late 70s they rule London's East End, and when their sons join the business, it seems that no one can touch the powerful Baileys. Although it's never easy at the top; there is always someone waiting to take you down....

Diana Davis has been head of the family business since the death of her husband, an infamous bank robber. She's a woman in a man's world, but no one messes with her. Her only son, Angus, is a natural born villain, but he needs to earn Diana's trust before she'll allow him into the business. Once he's proved he has the brains to run their clubs in Marbella, he is given what he's always wanted. It's the beginning of a reign of terror that knows no bounds.

The new audiobook from Sunday Times number-one best seller Martina Cole sees the return of her iconic heroine DCI Kate Burrows. If you liked The Ladykiller you'll love Damaged. When the bodies of missing schoolgirls start turning up, former DCI Kate Burrows is dragged out of retirement. A new Grantley serial killer is in town and DCI Annie Carr turns to Kate for help.

The Graft is an enthralling and hard-hitting story of violence and revenge from number one best-selling author Martina Cole. Looking back, Nick Leary couldn't say exactly what kept him awake that night. He'd had a lot on his mind; perhaps he'd been thinking about the 'respectable' Essex business that he ran, or about his two young sons sleeping in the room next door. Or was it simply the sound of his beautiful wife's steady breathing beside him? Whatever it was, he was awake when he heard someone's footsteps....

Gabby looked at the woman she had hated nearly all her life. Then she sat down on the ladder-backed chair, put her face into her bloodied hands and cried. To the outside world, Cynthia Tailor is a woman to envy; she has a devoted husband, a lovely home and two gorgeous children. But Cynthia is deeply unhappy with her lot; she has always craved the best things in life, and is determined to see that she gets them.

Imelda Dooley is scared. Really scared. She's played hard and fast and now she's been caught. She's pregnant and she's on her own. Her father, not a man to mess with, will see that somebody pays for this. And it's not going to be her. So Imelda Dooley tells a lie. A lie that literally causes murders. When Mary Dooley's husband is killed in the night's events, she knows she must graft to keep the family afloat. And she does, becoming a name in her own right. But she still has to watch her daughter's life spiral into a vicious, hate-fuelled cycle of drugs and prostitution.

Family is everything for the Murphy clan. Philip runs his business empire with the help of his brother, and dotes on his two sons who will, one day, take over. His wife Christine is his perfect match. She'd always dreamed of a big happy family and, when she married into the Murphys, she thought she'd found one. But when that illusion is shattered, she's already in too deep. The Murphys are dangerous and Christine can't unsee the horrors she has now been forced to open her eyes to. But nor can she escape them.

Michael Flynn is untouchable in a world of power, money and violence. He fights for what he wants and he takes it, whatever the cost. He learns the rules of the life from the best, and when his mentor, legendary Face Patrick Costello, is taken out, no one questions that Michael Flynn is his natural successor. 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. No one would dare challenge him.

Phillip Murphy is a family man. He worships his old mum; he takes care of his siblings who help run his business empire; he dotes on his two young sons who will one day take over. And then there's his wife and saviour, Christine, whom he loves with a vengeance. To Phillip Murphy, family is everything. Christine has always understood this about her husband. But there is another side to Phillip, and it's a side he never wanted his wife to see.

Danielle Crosby had a body to die for. A body she sold to the highest bidder. But she ended up paying for it with her life. When a prostitute's body is found lifeless, mutilated and brutally raped, DCI Annie Carr has never seen anything like it and never wants to again. Retired DCI, now consultant, Kate Burrows has plenty of experience when it comes to murder - after all she caught the Grantley Ripper and broke the biggest paedophile ring in the South East. She is determined to help put the killer behind bars.

Joanie Brewer's children mean the world to her. She'd do anything to make sure they're fed and clothed ¿ even if it means going on the game ¿ and she lives in constant fear that one of them will be taken from her. Eighteen-year-old Jon Jon is knee-deep in crime, and Jeanette, only 14, knows more than is good for her. But it's Kira who really scares her, for in a world where no one is to be trusted, her 11-year-old angel is the most vulnerable to danger.

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Popular Fiction Award, 2007.
Patrick Brodie is on the way up. He knows exactly how far he's prepared to go to get what he wants. And he wants it all. Now. Before long, Patrick has become a legend in his own lifetime. Violently.

Maura Ryan was the queen of the criminal underworld when she pulled off the most audacious gold bullion robbery of all time. Since then, she's retired from a life of crime to be with the only man she's ever loved. But enemies from her past are closing in, and they're about to learn that they should never cross Maura Ryan. The dangerous lady is back, and she's as lethal as ever.

No one thinks a 17-year-old girl can take on the hard men of London's gangland, but it's a mistake to underestimate Maura Ryan; she's tough, clever and beautiful ¿ and she's determined that nothing will stand in her way. Together, she and her brother Michael are unbeatable: the queen and king of organised crime. But notoriety has its price. The police are determined to put away Maura once and for all ¿ and not everyone in the family thinks that's such a bad idea.

Just before Danny Cadogan's 14th birthday, his father leaves. Having drunkenly run up a gambling debt he cannot pay, Big Dan Cadogan takes the easy way out. Leaving behind his wife and children to face the wrath of the men sent to collect the debt. Determined to protect his mother, brother, and sister, something changes in Danny and, overnight, he turns into a young man set on making his way in a violent and dangerous world.

Looking back, Nick Leary couldn't say exactly what kept him awake that night. Whatever it was, he was awake when he heard someone's footsteps downstairs, and Nick's instinct was to fight. It had always been that way, to protect the things he treasured most: his family, his privacy, his reputation. He'd grafted for these things all his life, and no one was going to jeopardise them now. Unless, of course, Nick's instinct is wrong, and what happens this time is the start of something even he cannot stop.

Freddie Jackson thinks he owns the underworld when he gets out of prison. His wife Jackie just wants her husband home, but she's forgotten the rows, the violence, and the girls Freddie can't leave alone. Bitter, resentful, and increasingly unstable, Jackie watches her life crumble while her little sister Maggie's star rises. In love with Freddie's cousin Jimmy, Maggie is determined not to end up like her sister.

Freddie Jackson føler sig som kongen over den kriminelle underverden, da han bliver løsladt efter en længere dom. Mens han sad inde, mødte han de helt rigtige folk, og det har han tænkt sig at nyde godt af nu. Hans kone, Jackie, vil bare gerne have sin mand hjem og har tilsyneladende glemt alt om skænderierne, volden og de kvinder, som Freddie ikke kan holde fingrene fra. Bitter og forurettet ser Jackie sit eget liv smuldre, mens hendes lillesøster Maggies liv blomstrer.

A celebration of adult literature and reading. The whole book industry, including booksellers, librarians and publishers, were invited come together and pick out their favourite titles to be included the final list of 25 books by authors from the UK and Ireland. The final list included fiction, poetry and memoirs, among others. There were some best sellers, some classics and some lesser known.