Broken - Hardcover

Cole, Martina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0747218358 ISBN 13: 9780747218357

Publisher: Headline, 2000

Synopsis

DI Kate Burrows thought she'd never face a killer like the Grantley Ripper again. But she was wrong. One by one, children are being abandoned. Thankfully, they're rescued from harm. Then one victim is not so lucky, and Kate knows she's in a race against time to save lives. Kate's finding the case tough and she needs the support of her lover, Patrick Kelly, more than ever. But Patrick's got his own problems. A dead body's turned up in his Soho club and, although he insists he's been set-up, Kate begins to doubt him. It's not the first time Patrick's reputation has compromised her position. But now there's a maniac to catch and Kate can't let anyone - not even Patrick - get in her way.

About this title

Review:

Leading an investigation into the neglect and abandonment of a number of young Grantley children throws DI Kate Burrows into contact with the most vile and repugnant of criminals. As a mother herself, Kate finds their crimes almost incomprehensible. And with the case becoming ever more sinister, she knows she needs to find answers quickly.

Emotionally drained by the rigours of the investigation, it's a real struggle for Kate to find the energy to deal with the complex problems unfolding in her domestic life. Despite assurances to the contrary it seems Patrick Kelly, hardman and love of DI Burrows' life, is still firmly entrenched in the East End underworld. When a body turns up in Patrick's seedy Soho club it seems he has finally got in over his head and the only person in a position to help him is Kate.

Set in familiar Cole territory of East End London, Broken is every bit as gritty and compelling as The Ladykiller. The story as it unfolds is gruesome, uncomfortable and peppered with violence but it is also carefully and thoroughly researched. Martina Cole knows what life in Grantley is and does not shy away from using the strong language of the street in addition to enough cockney rhyming slang to put any would-be pearly king to the test. A well-paced, gripping page-turner with strong, credible female characters, Broken definitely fits the unputdownable category. --Sarah Crawford

Review:

'In prose that is always expressive and trenchant, Cole weaves her spell throughout this lengthy and ambitious narrative' North London Weekly Herald
'Her books are gripping and highly entertaining as well as providing a gritty insight into modern-day society' Cambridge Evening News

Cole's brand of hard-boiled, unpretentious crime reads like a souped-up episode of The Sweeney (Mirror)

Right from the start [Cole] has enjoyed unqualified approval for her distinctive and powerfully written fiction (The Times)

Dark and Dangerous (Sunday Mirror)

I was hooked from page one. This is an enthralling, brilliant read (Best)

About this edition

• Publisher: Headline
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0747218358
• ISBN 13: 9780747218357
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480