Regular price: $16.52
Growing up in squalor with their drug-addicted prostitute mother, sisters Georgie and Marnie Parker have had to endure the very darkest side of life. When their mother is sentenced for brutally murdering a client, Georgie and Marnie's already precarious lives are blown apart and they now share a terrible secret.
Dragged up on a council estate, Jason Rampling was determined to change his lot. Jason's a chancer, shameless with his good looks and his gift for earning a few quid. Life is easy when the money rolls in. Melissa thought she'd struck gold marrying Jason. Being on his arm meant she was finally a someone. But there's no glamour in waiting for your husband to come home or waiting for a knock on the door.
Nancy Byrne was the apple of her daddy’s eye. He might have been one of the most feared gangsters in London, yet Jimmy Byrne idolized his little Nancy. But now Jimmy is dead, gunned down in cold blood - and Nancy vows to avenge his death. She’s only 20 years old, but as the new head of the ruthless Byrne gang, running a lucrative world of drugs, sex, and violence, she’s in over her head. But while Nancy takes the men on at their own game, there’s a greater danger hiding on the dark streets. Jimmy’s killer is on her trail - and will stop at nothing to shut her up.
Saskia Frost's world is blown apart when her dad dies. Without any family, she's on her own now and up to her eyeballs in her father's debts. He owed a lot of money to some very dangerous men - Joshua and Vincent Harper. Before long, aspiring ballerina Saskia finds herself lap-dancing in a London club to survive. A club run by the infamous Harper brothers. Saskia is now their property and they're going to make her pay every penny back.
Jimmy Byrne is one of the biggest faces on the Soho scene. Equally feared and respected, he's clawed his way to the top. Money is his game, and he'll make it by any means necessary. When Jimmy sets his sights on shy, young Colleen Walsh, she is quickly seduced by his sweet words and the life of luxury he offers her. But behind the diamonds and fur coats lies the reality of gangland violence - and by the time she realizes the truth, she's already in too deep.
Peter and Adele Robinson were dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father and a beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester preparing them only for a life of crime. Adele studies hard and makes a success of her life whilst Peter immerses himself in the murky underworld of crime, and their once close bond breaks. However, when Adele is in danger, there's only one person she can turn to...her brother.
Growing up in squalor with their drug-addicted prostitute mother, sisters Georgie and Marnie Parker have had to endure the very darkest side of life. When their mother is sentenced for brutally murdering a client, Georgie and Marnie's already precarious lives are blown apart and they now share a terrible secret.
Dragged up on a council estate, Jason Rampling was determined to change his lot. Jason's a chancer, shameless with his good looks and his gift for earning a few quid. Life is easy when the money rolls in. Melissa thought she'd struck gold marrying Jason. Being on his arm meant she was finally a someone. But there's no glamour in waiting for your husband to come home or waiting for a knock on the door.
Nancy Byrne was the apple of her daddy’s eye. He might have been one of the most feared gangsters in London, yet Jimmy Byrne idolized his little Nancy. But now Jimmy is dead, gunned down in cold blood - and Nancy vows to avenge his death. She’s only 20 years old, but as the new head of the ruthless Byrne gang, running a lucrative world of drugs, sex, and violence, she’s in over her head. But while Nancy takes the men on at their own game, there’s a greater danger hiding on the dark streets. Jimmy’s killer is on her trail - and will stop at nothing to shut her up.
Saskia Frost's world is blown apart when her dad dies. Without any family, she's on her own now and up to her eyeballs in her father's debts. He owed a lot of money to some very dangerous men - Joshua and Vincent Harper. Before long, aspiring ballerina Saskia finds herself lap-dancing in a London club to survive. A club run by the infamous Harper brothers. Saskia is now their property and they're going to make her pay every penny back.
Jimmy Byrne is one of the biggest faces on the Soho scene. Equally feared and respected, he's clawed his way to the top. Money is his game, and he'll make it by any means necessary. When Jimmy sets his sights on shy, young Colleen Walsh, she is quickly seduced by his sweet words and the life of luxury he offers her. But behind the diamonds and fur coats lies the reality of gangland violence - and by the time she realizes the truth, she's already in too deep.
Peter and Adele Robinson were dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father and a beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester preparing them only for a life of crime. Adele studies hard and makes a success of her life whilst Peter immerses himself in the murky underworld of crime, and their once close bond breaks. However, when Adele is in danger, there's only one person she can turn to...her brother.
The final thrilling showdown between the Mitchells and the Butlers. This is Kimberley Chambers at her heart-stopping best! One of them has a gun to his head. Who will pull the trigger? When king of the underworld Vinny Butler goes into business with respected villain Eddie Mitchell, it's a match made in East End legend. Friends and family are treated like gold, enemies like rats - it's the life. Then mysterious packages arrive, dead creatures and threats. Someone is out for revenge.
With money in her pocket and a new boyfriend at her side, life on the estate has never been better. Until Louise uncovers a deadly secret; now nothing will ever be the same again. Jerell Morgan was born evil. Even his Bible preaching grandma, who raised him back home in Kingston, Jamaica, couldn't drive away the wickedness that festered inside him as a child. Now busy making a name for himself, Jerell is prepared to do whatever it takes to live the life that he has always dreamt of.
Lolly has always known her mum was different. Sometimes Angela Bruce was ill in a quiet sort of way, but other times she roamed the Mansfield estate shouting about whatever had wormed its way into her head that day. Either way, Lolly was on her own, so she learned how to look after herself pretty quickly. Mal Fury has never got over the disappearance of his daughter all those years ago, but there's still hope because the police never found Kay's body.
Adele Robinson is locked up - convicted for the murder of her abusive father. She quickly realises that she'll have to play it tough if she's going to survive and soon gains a reputation for standing her ground. Meanwhile, her brother Peter is building his criminal empire on the outside - running protection rackets, seedy nightclubs and all manner of schemes to make a fast buck. He soon comes to the attention of not only the police but also Manchester's rival gangs, and a turf war breaks out. And when things start to get bloody, only Adele can step in to protect the family business.
When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound, and dumped in water around London.
Kerry Casey thought she'd made a life away from the dirty dealings of her gangster family. Her father wanted to make them legit - her brother Mickey had other ideas, and now it's got him killed. When Mickey's funeral turns into a bloodbath at the hands of a group of anonymous shooters and Kerry's mother is killed in the crossfire, Kerry finds herself at the head of the Casey family and desperate for revenge.
Six-year-old Lola Jade Harper is taken from her bedroom. Her mother is distraught. She is convinced her estranged husband, Gavin Harper, has abducted their daughter. Detective Rachel Prince is leading the investigation but is soon out of her depth as she searches for the most high-profile missing child in the country. To uncover the truth about Lola’s disappearance, Rachel must untangle the Harper family’s complicated web of secrets and lies.
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
Five figures gather 'round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken, but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood. Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders that shock the Black Country.
After being cheated on by her ex, Leanne Riley is trying her hardest to get her life back on track, which isn't easy without a job and living in a bedsit surrounded by a junkie and a madwoman. On a night out with her best friend, she meets Jake, a face from her past who has changed beyond all recognition. Jake is charming, handsome and loaded, a far cry from the gawky teenager he used to be. Weary of men, Leanne isn't easy to please, but Jake tries his best to break through the wall she's built around herself.
Holly never thought she'd move back to her hometown, but then something terrible happened. She doesn't know if she can recover. But she knows she can never tell another soul. People say her neighbour, David, is 'different'. He doesn't go out much, and never after dark. But in David, Holly finds just what she needs: a friend. Someone who's always there. No-one knows Holly's secret or where she lives. She has left the past behind. So why does she feel as though she's in terrible danger?
You think you know the truth about the people you love. But one discovery can change everything.... Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later he is found dead. Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy's death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother? Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life.
When Cathy Connor and Eamonn Docherty are thrown together as children in the East End their fate is sealed. Cathy's miserable life as a prostitute's child changes forever when she's forced into care. The ordeal that follows leaves her with no choice but to run away to Soho, and she learns to survive in the violent heart of London's underworld. Meanwhile, Eamonn, who fled to New York, has gained a reputation as a ruthless villain. But when their paths cross again, Cathy is an equal match for Eamonn - and nothing's going to make her run away this time...
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes because its based in London and certain places in the London She could relate to the places
Who was your favorite character and why?
Cathy Because she was a normal lady who could do anything at all with her life who worked hard to get what she wanted and not be like her mother.
Which scene was your favorite?
When cathy met her true love
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No I had to break it up because it had too much detail of murder and killing
This was a brilliant listen, really riveting- I listened to it twice!!! Definately recommend! The plot evolved all the way through with no hint of the ending!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I would recommend this book to anyone - it kept me rivetted all the way through.
Brilliantly written, you really feel as though you are a part of these people lives & you cant help but get involved. I thoroughly enjoyed it & will listen to it again.....
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
In my opinion one of Martina's better story lines, violent but not too much so, I loved the characters even though they resemble ones from previous books.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Whereas im not enjoying her latest books so much.....these older ones are brilliant.....Up until the last 6 or so....I thought she was untouchable..now I'm following Kimberley Chambers /Mandasue Heller.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What disappointed you about The Runaway?
It attempted to shock but it was just shocking. It was formulaic and crude with no redeeming features. Not sure the audience that she was targeting but I'm not in it.
What was most disappointing about Martina Cole’s story?
It was unbelievable
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Another book I simply couldn't put down - kept me going right to the last minute
this good got me through a spring clean, really enjoyed it, the lady who reads it was great i could always tell which character she was through the change of her voice
highly recommend. loved the story, narration and was easy listening too. a bit saucy, sometimes too aggressive and graphic.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The Narrator.
Would you recommend The Runaway to your friends? Why or why not?
I think some of the earlier books have better characters in them. I absolutely loved Goodnight Lady and Dangerous Lady.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Unfortunately, the narrator has a very monotone approach, ending each line with a pause. It gets irritating after a while. However, her voices of the characters are good and interesting, I just wish she would put as much interest the the rest of the text too.
Any additional comments?
I am working my way through the Martina Cole collection, and looking forward to listening to the next one!
my first experience of a Martina Cole novel, I will definitely be listening to more :)
Nothing too dislike about this book, what a great story, very confronting but I encourage you to read it.