One of the biggest
literary events in the British Calendar this month was the launch of THE
GOOD LIFE by Martina
Cole, one of the UK’s biggest selling crime writers, from Headline
publishing. Not surprisingly there was much to cheer from the assembled
literary critics, booksellers, Martina’s agent Darley Anderson, her publishers,
TV and film colleagues as well as her myriad friends and family - as THE GOOD
LIFE hit the No 1 position in the UK Book Charts.
Clutching our invitations, we assembled out of the rain
just off Regent’s Street, in London’s West End. There was high security as the launch
of a Martina Cole novel is an event, and of course as she
writes authentically about the lives of the London underworld and of the gangsters
that populate that world, one has to take precautions. The guest list was eclectic
with many of London’s top writers, literary critics and reviewers of crime and
thriller fiction in attendance, such as Barry
Forshaw, Chris Simmons, Mike Ripley,
Denise Danks, Maxim
Jakubowski [and his wife Delores] and many others including the Shots team
of Mike
Stotter, Ayo
Onatade and I.
As is typical, Martina’s modesty is always admirable, so
here she is welcoming all her guests to her party –
One aspect that is
rarely mentioned about Martina Cole and her work, is how much compassion there
is in her stories, like her refusal to be judgmental about the myriad aspects that make up human
nature. Though she rarely talks about it, I would like to point out that Cole
supports many charities as well being a patron of the arts. Martina works
hard promoting
literacy, as well as working to help those in prison to learn to read and
write. Whenever I ask her about this, she always changes the subject and
blushes.
She “tells it like it is”,
a phrase that seems made for this gritty novelist who reveals the inner
workings of the dark-side of the blue-collar world, a world that she understands
and relays with an unflinching eye.
And to tell you a little about THE GOOD LIFE from the
horse’s mouth, here’s Martina Cole introducing her new novel –
And here’s Martina at her publisher, Headline’s offices -
THE BEST
THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE
Cain Moran wanted Jenny
Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But
loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife he wanted a
divorce that was going to be the killer...
Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain's hard-man
reputation - she just wants to be with him.
But Cain is not a free man. And he's about to find out that when
his wife Caroline said 'til death us do part, she meant it.
When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline
might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can
survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life
together again.
But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee.
They're about to learn the hardest lesson of all:
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. PAY THE PRICE
Shots Ezine would like to thank Louise Page, Martina Cole
and Jane Morpeth of Headline Publishing for generously inviting the Shots Team
for the launch of THE GOOD LIFE, and we are delighted to be able to offer Shots
Readers a remarkable discount of this new work from our bookstore – click here
to order
[Below] with Jane Morpeth, her editor and Managing Director of Headline Publishing
Martina Cole Bibliography
Dangerous Lady [1992]
The Ladykiller [1993]
Goodnight Lady [1994]
The Jump [1995]
The Runaway [1997]
Two Women [1999]
Broken [2000]
Faceless [2001]
Maura's Game [2002]
The Know [2003]
The Graft [2004]
The Take [2005]
Close [2006]
Faces [2007]
The Business [2008]
Hard Girls [2009]
The Family [2010]
The Faithless [2011]
The Life [2012]
Revenge [2013]
The Good Life [2014]
So for a peep at the big literary party, we’re happy to post
a selection of photographs
Mike Ripley and Denise Danks
Mike Ripley and Ali Karim
Mike Stotter and Darley Anderson
Mike Stotter with Denise Danks and Barry Forshaw
Mike Stotter with Darley Anderson and Martina Cole
