Two Women - Martina Cole

INTRODUCTION I have phases of reading. I always have at least one book on the go, but sometimes reading gets pushed to the back of the queue. First it was the Olympics, then a rather dull Pratchett book that prioritised other things over reading. However, this week, the situation has been reversed. I have been going to bed early to read, neglecting Ciao and ignoring emails. Why? I have been reading another Martina Cole novel. This one was Two Women and – like with all her books I have read – it is so easy to get hooked! Cole’s books often follow familiar themes – gangland murders, prostitution ... more

I put off reading Martina Cole for years, mostly because her books suddenly seemed to be everywhere and she appeared to be terribly prolific, which for some reason annoyed me at the time - probably because I quite fancied being her! Bored one day I picked up a copy of another of her novels (ie:not this one) which was going cheap and have been a huge fan ever since! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE AUTHOR~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Martina Cole was born and brought up in Essex and began her writing career from a 'carpetless council flat' which she shared with her baby at the tender age of 20. She kept the manuscript in a ... more

Having been so impressed by my first Martina Cole experience (see previous review “Knowledge can be Dangerous”), it’s hardly surprising that I’ve picked up another book by the same author so soon. It looks as if Martina Cole’s central theme is “strong” East End women, who demonstrate unconditional love for their children and are expert at overcoming adversity. Two Women is written in the same vein. Susan is a plain ordinary girl, child of an alcoholic, violent father and an abusive, distant, promiscuous mother. This book IS Susan’s story from her violent, abusive, adolescent childhood and her ... more

Martina Cole is a popular novelist, known for her gritty, gutsy, no holds barred style of writing. If readers have experienced any of her other books, they will know that Ms Cole's novels are usually set in the seedy back streets of London's underworld, an area ruled by violence, hard men and poverty. The male characters are archetypical men's men, hard drinking, hard fighting, villains. Their women are generally downtrodden and ill used, if not prostitutes. Two Women is set against this backdrop. ~~The Plot~~ The book begins in the 1980's, with convicted murderess Susan Dalston, being ... more

Sue Dalston has had a childhood that many would consider as being “dragged up, not brought up”. The youngest child in a well known small time villain family, living in the lower classed end of the East end, she has seen more danger than many will see in a lifetime. From her early teens she is sexually and physically abused by her father and well known local villain, (which is knows he gets away with it too) means that Sue is desperate to get away fro home, and in walks Barry, a smooth and charming Scottish lad who has an idea of becoming what Sue’s Dad is to the area, so Sue becomes the step ... more