Martina Cole's Books | Crime Books

Biography

Martina Cole is the archetypal Essex blonde. She was brought up on an estate in Avery, the youngest of five children. By the time she was 18, she had been expelled from school, split from her first husband, and was pregnant. Her parents died shortly afterwards. She spent her twenties as a single mother, living in a council flat in Purfleet, a town best known for its view of the M25 as it arches over the Thames at the Dartford Crossing. There she made a living stacking shelves, cleaning and waitressing.

Martina was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Writing for Fun

Martina took up writing to pass the time.

“I was a single mum, money was tight, and we couldn’t afford a T.V. — so I wrote.” (Daily Mail)

A decade after writing her first novel, she came across a draft, tidied it up and sent it to a literary agent. He phoned her back and told her she would be a star. Twenty years later, she is Britain’s most prominent selling crime writer. Her books are amongst the most borrowed in the libraries of H.M. Prisons and — if you believe the Daily Mail — the most shoplifted in Britain. It is rumoured that Martina has friends in the London underworld. That may be hype. She is, however, an active supporter of charities supporting single parents and promoting literacy.

Distinctive Style

I could best describe her style as Mills and Boon meets the Kray twins. It is long on female heroines and gangsters, who speak as if they have walked straight out of Tilbury docks. Her critics describe it as “the pavement vernacular”.

I love dogs meself – the canine variety, I mean. Though my bird looks a bit suspect until I’ve had a skinful. She’ll be here later to bring me some supper. I’ll blindfold you while we shag. Have to observe the niceties, eh? Pity really, she has fucking big tits. Not ashamed to flash them off either
Broken

Martina Cole’s books are typically written from the perspective of a female criminal protagonist. In Goodnight Lady, she tells the tale of a madame with a string of brothels and in Get Even, the wife of a murdered mobster. It is only in her D.I. Burrows series that she has written from the perspective of “Old Bill”.

Love Her or Loathe Her?

I’m a big fan of Martina Cole; though I think her books are dreadful, she has as much subtlety as a night out in Dagenham, with language to match. But then, who am I to judge? Martina wasn’t too distressed when told that she couldn’t expect to win any prizes for her books.

“That’s all right, love. The Booker prize money wouldn’t even keep me in cigarettes.” (The Guardian)