The Business

By: Martina Cole

Narrated by: Annie Aldington

Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in the East End of London from the tail end of the seventies up until the present day, The Business is a tale of drugs, prostitution, and a young girl's fight for survival - against all the odds.

Imelda Dooley is scared. She's played hard and fast and now she's been caught. She's pregnant and now 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 graft 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.

Caught up in the carnage that is Imelda's existence are Mary's adored grandchildren, Jordanna and Kenny. Pretty little Jordanna isn't yet three and she already knows far too much. All she can do is look after her baby brother and try not to draw attention to herself.

©2008 Martina Cole (P)2012 Headline Digital

Gritty and gripping.

From chapter one you are plunged into the dark side of London life in a way only Martina Cole can propel you.

Good Writing, Bad Editing

What did you like best about The Business? What did you like least?

I love the subject matter that Martina Cole covers, but I believe that her work would be far better if she had a decent editor. I lost count of how many times she used phrases such as "sooner rather than later," and "s/he smiled widely." It drove me crazy. There's a chance that Ms. Cole is successful enough to ignore her editors and insist that her books be published "as is," and if that's the case, then I think that she should re-think her stand.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending was predictable, but satisfying.

What does Annie Aldington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator is really pretty good, though she'd b e better if she read the book a couple more times before narating, just so she understands the nuances in certain sentences, though I'm being a little harsh here.

Any additional comments?

I really hope tht the author reads this review. I'm trying to be helpful.

nasty language from start to finish

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Cleaner language, and the author repeats herself as if we are too dumb to remember what she already wrote.

Would you ever listen to anything by Martina Cole again?

probably not

Amazingly read

Thank you Annie Aldington, love your narration, have found myself looking for the books that you are doing the narration for 😊 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and 10/10 Annie Aldington

Repetive

I don't like to criticise an author's work but this was tedious and dragged on and on and was repetitive beyond a joke. Not her finest. Returned.

Too much swearing

Now I now Martina Cole’s books are very down to earth but I got so fed up with the amount of cursing going on. Love Annie Aldington but it was just to much and gave up after chapter 3

Lady good

Dragged on a bit repeatedly things over and over not as good as some of her other audiobooks

Relieved to get to the end

Could have been a great story, but the constant repetition of the same information felt like the author thought the reader was stupid. Some phrases, too, were repeated so often that they jarred when you heard the first couple of words.
Narration was excellent.

the business

another gripping tale of harsh, gangland life of london by Martina Cole. Thoroughly enjoyed this book especially while out on one of my long walks. As ever harsh, hard hitting and exceptionally emotive. My only criticism being the narrator who at times I felt was very wishy washy and used limited expression.

Well worth a listen

Awful Book

The whole book was repeat repeat except in different words. Kept on listening hoping it would improve but it didn’t. Would not recommend and not worth purchasing.

Great story

Really liked this one. I like the narator,well read. You know it's good when main character makes you dislike her

Very slow

This hasn't been my favourite book . I felt it was drawn out and character reflecting on their life too repetitive

It isn't The Business

I adore listening to books on Audible. Over the years I have listened to Anthony Trollope to Michael Connelly, Hillary Mantel to P.G. Wodehouse and everything inbetween. This is the first time I've been disappointed. The Business was the first listen I've come across that was boring, repetitive, contrary from chatpter to chapter, gratuitously explicit in its language, and again to really bring home the point - boring! (The narrator was great though) I read a Martina Cole book a few years ago on a journey. I picked it up at an airport and it did the job of amusing me for the time of the trip. Although I can't remember a thing about it now, that's ok. It made some hours of travelling pass well. So, with a week of a lot of travelling in the car, I thought this Martina Cole book might do the same job. But no, it was so tedious that I was almost screaming with frustration half way through. Audible is not a cheap option, so once you've bought a book you really feel you have to listen to it to the end. If I had had a paper copy of this one I would have thrown it in the dustbin after the first few chapters.
I now regret that I haven't posted good reviews of the many books I've enjoyed so much. This is my first and was inspired by such an awful book. I now think I'll take the time to be positive in the future.
AUDIBLE - I know that you can't put this up as you need positive reviews to sell your books, but perhaps some of your staff will read this and steer clear of a dreadful book!