DebJpole Hello,
Feeling a bit darker with this novel! My first taste of Martina Cole!
“Hard lives, hard lessons, it’s murder on the streets.”
This story revolves around the secret underworld life of prostitutes and gangs.
“Even though Danielle’s death was horrendous, it still wasn’t enough to make any of them step out of the shadows. Their whole lives were lived by a code of secrecy and they all had far too much to lose.”
When a prostitutes lifeless body is found mutilated and brutally raped, DCI Annie Carr can hardly stomach the sight for this is nothing like she’s ever seen before.
“Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. That’s what makes a marriage last – more than passion or even sex!” – Simone Signoret, 1921-85
Kate Burrows, a retired DCI and now working as a consultant, has plenty of experience with murder and serial murderers and is determined to help and put the killer behind bars.
“Death was hard enough to accept at the best of times, but a murder was always harder because there was no reason behind it except hate.”
But this culprit won’t be easy to find and the identity seems to be a mystery when the crime scene turns up zero fingerprints.
“We expect them to look what they are, a bloody nut-bag. When, in reality, it’s their normality that shields them from us.”
So when another prostitutes body is discovered, even more disfigured than the last, it’s clear that this killer is only just beginning.
In a world where everyone cares for only themselves, Annie and Kate must work together in the hope of catching this killer who doesn’t know where to draw the line, and makes zero mistakes.
“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave.” – Song of Solomon, 8:6
Prostitution is a secretive business, a business which pays big bucks…but how many girls must pay with their life?
“For the wages of sin is death.” – Romans, 6:23
This is an utterly gripping and compelling novel but super duper disturbing so I hope you’re not squeamish. The details are vivid in describing the victims that you can almost imagine you’re looking at them yourself.
“My peace is gone, my heart is heavy.” – Goethe, 1749-1832
However, I did find this book revolved far too much around the private life of Kate Burrows and I felt that whilst there were the occasional link to the case, on the whole there wasn’t a lot of relevance and I felt it detracted from the main story.
A lot of topical subjects are covered in this novel, 2 main female protagonists in positions of power with men striving to bring them down, prostitution and domestic violence to name but a few.
“…were put into the job because they were women and consequently they had to prove themselves worthy of their promotions rather than having earned them first.”
My first ever read of Martina Cole, and as you can tell, it was a right thriller and the conclusion gave us a very unlikely suspect!
If this crime thriller sounds like it’s right up your alley then find it on Amazon!
Until next time,
Keep reading,
D x
