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The Knowledge
THE KNOWLEDGE by Sunday Times bestselling author Martina Cole is a digital compendium introducing you to the world of the Queen of Crime. **Now updated with a preview of Martina's new novel, BETRAYAL**. Ideal reading for fans of Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell.What makes Martina Cole tick? What are her passions? What are the essential facts behind the phenomenal bestselling author? THE KNOWLEDGE is a snapshot of Martina Cole herself as well as a showcase of her short stories, and samples of all her novels, culminating in a sneak peek of BETRAYAL, her new novel out autumn 2016.THE ENTER THE UNIQUE WORLD OF MARTINA COLE IF YOU DARE.
- GenresCrime
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2013
102 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Martina Cole
112 books1,747 followersMartina Cole was born and brought up in Essex. She is the bestselling author of fourteen novels set in London's gangland, and her most recent three paperbacks have gone straight to No. 1 in the Sunday Times on first publication. Total sales of Martina's novels stand at over eight million copies.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 26, 2013
I can't imagine there are many crime readers who haven't heard of Martina Cole. In recent years her work has declined, but her earlier stuff is simply fantastic. In fact I would say that her earlier work (The Ladykiller, Two Women, Dangerous Lady, The Runaway) remains unbeaten by any of the authors who have the Martina comparison on their front covers: 'Like Martina, you'll LOVE so and so...'.
Two authors who remind me of early Cole are Jessie Keane and Kimberley Chambers. Jessie is a fantastic author and deserves the right to be compared to Cole. Another good author is Jacqui Rose. Other authors got their publishing deals through marriage, and aren't so good. It's a shame that Martina's newer stuff isn't a patch on her earlier work but I still read her new books in the hope of a return to form. However with the likes of Kimberley and Jessie there is a lot more choice around these days for similar stuff. Martina however still remains as the Queen of these sorts of books and is one of the UK's best selling and most popular authors.
This 'free digital compendium' is fantastic for new fans to learn more about Martina, what makes her tick and what made her decide to be a writer. It also contains the first chapter(s) from all of Martina's books which is great for new readers who are yet to read those books. But for older readers, and people who have been there since the start then there isn't anything new to be seen here.
Apart from the opening chapters of her previous work, the book contains the chapters: 'The Road to Success', 'The Facts', 'What Makes Me Angry', 'An Interview with Martina Cole' and two short stories: 'Tammy's Story' and 'Tania's Life'. All of these pieces have been published before in her previous books, with the exception of 'What Makes Me Angry' which was aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2008. Martina fans may have missed these pieces in the past and as this book is free, then it may be worth a download to read them again or for the first time if they were missed first time round.
The one new thing however is a sneak preview of Martina's upcoming book 'Revenge' so it is worth the free download from Amazon to skip straight to that chapter.
Two authors who remind me of early Cole are Jessie Keane and Kimberley Chambers. Jessie is a fantastic author and deserves the right to be compared to Cole. Another good author is Jacqui Rose. Other authors got their publishing deals through marriage, and aren't so good. It's a shame that Martina's newer stuff isn't a patch on her earlier work but I still read her new books in the hope of a return to form. However with the likes of Kimberley and Jessie there is a lot more choice around these days for similar stuff. Martina however still remains as the Queen of these sorts of books and is one of the UK's best selling and most popular authors.
This 'free digital compendium' is fantastic for new fans to learn more about Martina, what makes her tick and what made her decide to be a writer. It also contains the first chapter(s) from all of Martina's books which is great for new readers who are yet to read those books. But for older readers, and people who have been there since the start then there isn't anything new to be seen here.
Apart from the opening chapters of her previous work, the book contains the chapters: 'The Road to Success', 'The Facts', 'What Makes Me Angry', 'An Interview with Martina Cole' and two short stories: 'Tammy's Story' and 'Tania's Life'. All of these pieces have been published before in her previous books, with the exception of 'What Makes Me Angry' which was aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2008. Martina fans may have missed these pieces in the past and as this book is free, then it may be worth a download to read them again or for the first time if they were missed first time round.
The one new thing however is a sneak preview of Martina's upcoming book 'Revenge' so it is worth the free download from Amazon to skip straight to that chapter.
December 19, 2014
Outstanding
I am the proud owner of all Martina Cole's books and have enjoyed every one
Many Thanks to her and her publisher's for bringing such joy into my life, it makes being at sea a whole lot easier
Regards
Ian Temlett
Cape Town
I am the proud owner of all Martina Cole's books and have enjoyed every one
Many Thanks to her and her publisher's for bringing such joy into my life, it makes being at sea a whole lot easier
Regards
Ian Temlett
Cape Town
April 1, 2015
I really enjoyed the first few extracts, but then subsequent ones (with the odd exception) I enjoyed less and less. I'm not sure if this is because of a genuine decline in quality or because many of them are very similar and I got tired of this fact.
The first extract, of the book 'Dangerous Lady', was particularly good and I may go out and buy the full thing sometime.
One issue is that many of the characters are very similar, if I'm not mistaken all of the female characters are described as either very attractive or a bit old but under a certain light/ when smiling etc show signs of their former beauty, almost all of the men are big, handsome and hard as nails too. Weirdly all of the characters seem to have blue eyes and many of them also have blond hair (I'm not saying anything!)This was so prominent that after about a third of the way through the book I would have bet money on a character in the next extract to have these qualities. The extracts of more recent books seem to go on a bit too, not in length but the roundabout way of describing things, for instance you seem to get to know the characters life story and all of their relative's life stories in the opening which gets a little tiring. Unfortunately, most the characters aren't likable either, furthering the issue.
That being said the short stories are quite good, particularly 'Tammy's Story' (which unfortunately gives away big spoilers to the 'Graft') and the little bio about Cole and the interviews with her are a nice touch, giving a little insight to the author, who seems like a nice woman.
After what I have read lately this was a nice return to writing that has been edited properly and finally it was free so no complaints.
p.s - I imagine that these prologues don't fully indicate the quality of the full books and that the short stories, with their fully rounded mini plots, are more indicative of them, which would be a good thing.
The first extract, of the book 'Dangerous Lady', was particularly good and I may go out and buy the full thing sometime.
One issue is that many of the characters are very similar, if I'm not mistaken all of the female characters are described as either very attractive or a bit old but under a certain light/ when smiling etc show signs of their former beauty, almost all of the men are big, handsome and hard as nails too. Weirdly all of the characters seem to have blue eyes and many of them also have blond hair (I'm not saying anything!)This was so prominent that after about a third of the way through the book I would have bet money on a character in the next extract to have these qualities. The extracts of more recent books seem to go on a bit too, not in length but the roundabout way of describing things, for instance you seem to get to know the characters life story and all of their relative's life stories in the opening which gets a little tiring. Unfortunately, most the characters aren't likable either, furthering the issue.
That being said the short stories are quite good, particularly 'Tammy's Story' (which unfortunately gives away big spoilers to the 'Graft') and the little bio about Cole and the interviews with her are a nice touch, giving a little insight to the author, who seems like a nice woman.
After what I have read lately this was a nice return to writing that has been edited properly and finally it was free so no complaints.
p.s - I imagine that these prologues don't fully indicate the quality of the full books and that the short stories, with their fully rounded mini plots, are more indicative of them, which would be a good thing.
January 26, 2020
Martina Cole great book the queen of crime
November 12, 2024
Loved this book
January 14, 2015
As a big fan of all of MC's books I'd say this is essential reading!
Really interesting - loads of facts about the author that I'd never have known.
Loved the novellas within this FREE compendium too.
Really interesting - loads of facts about the author that I'd never have known.
Loved the novellas within this FREE compendium too.
January 30, 2018
Popping my review of this on my blog shortly, you can have a read of it here: www.thebritishstoryteller.wordpress.com
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
September 20, 2018
Not red book see below
Not able to continue the book. I get so far and it just keeps asking me to give a review and not let me continue reading so not able to review it
Not able to continue the book. I get so far and it just keeps asking me to give a review and not let me continue reading so not able to review it
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews