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Betrayal
Betrayal is the twenty-third novel from Sunday Times No.1 bestseller, Martina Cole, author of DANGEROUS LADY, THE TAKE, GET EVEN and many more. The 'undisputed queen of crime writing' (Guardian) and the biggest selling female crime writer in the UK, Martina's unique, powerful storytelling will appeal to fans of Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell. Survival. It's all down to who you trust. Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was kid, and he's going to keep it that way. Jade Dixon is the one who watches his back. Mother of his son. The one who makes him invincible. But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible. And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest. Especially the ones closest to you ...
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2016
481 people are currently reading
1312 people want to read
About the author
Martina Cole
112 books1,731 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 - 30 of 248 reviews
October 11, 2020
*3.5 stars *
Betrayal is purely and simply the everyday story of criminal folk, from 1981 until 2016. They are a large East End family, headed by Reeva, a fiery Irishwoman, who has five sons and one daughter, all by different fathers, and all of mixed blood.
Reeva has few things going for her. She is drunken, violent and quarrelsome. She does have a plus side, however. She is a loving mother to all her children, a brilliant cook, and keeps her council house immaculately. She is not at all intelligent, apart from a certain low cunning. She is only interested in her family, sex and drink, in that order.
The characters of the six children are very well drawn, and they are all very different. The dominant one is Aiden, the eldest, a highly intelligent teenager who adores his mother. Within the local community he is recognised as someone special, and his headmaster is very anxious that he should be put forward for a scholarship to a good senior school. But Aiden himself and the rest of his family are not interested. Aiden's only purpose in life is to make money, lots of it, to support the family.
Up to this point I rather liked Aiden. But as the years pass and he becomes a man, gradually he also becomes a monster. His need to control everyone he knows, most of all his family, becomes obsessive. A very wealthy criminal, Eric Palmer, whose fortune has been carved out from prostitution and drug dealing, takes Aiden under his wing and teaches him everything he knows.
All Reeva's children work for “the firm” - it is impossible, under Aiden's rule, for any of them to work honestly. The one exception is the youngest, Agnes. She is a good girl, beautiful and bright. She is devoted to her Catholic faith, and attends Mass twice daily. When Aiden finally marries and has a son, she devotes herself to looking after him, and seems not to want a life of her own.
The years pass, until one day Agnes does want a life of her own. She falls in love with one of Aiden's criminal associates, and what's worse, becomes pregnant by him. Soon Aiden's son is growing up. He too makes what Aiden considers an extremely foolish choice as a partner. Aiden, as is inevitable in his circumstances, is renowned for his tortures and bloody murders. He considers his family has betrayed him, and that makes him very unhappy! An entertaining read but not one of Cole’s best.
Betrayal is purely and simply the everyday story of criminal folk, from 1981 until 2016. They are a large East End family, headed by Reeva, a fiery Irishwoman, who has five sons and one daughter, all by different fathers, and all of mixed blood.
Reeva has few things going for her. She is drunken, violent and quarrelsome. She does have a plus side, however. She is a loving mother to all her children, a brilliant cook, and keeps her council house immaculately. She is not at all intelligent, apart from a certain low cunning. She is only interested in her family, sex and drink, in that order.
The characters of the six children are very well drawn, and they are all very different. The dominant one is Aiden, the eldest, a highly intelligent teenager who adores his mother. Within the local community he is recognised as someone special, and his headmaster is very anxious that he should be put forward for a scholarship to a good senior school. But Aiden himself and the rest of his family are not interested. Aiden's only purpose in life is to make money, lots of it, to support the family.
Up to this point I rather liked Aiden. But as the years pass and he becomes a man, gradually he also becomes a monster. His need to control everyone he knows, most of all his family, becomes obsessive. A very wealthy criminal, Eric Palmer, whose fortune has been carved out from prostitution and drug dealing, takes Aiden under his wing and teaches him everything he knows.
All Reeva's children work for “the firm” - it is impossible, under Aiden's rule, for any of them to work honestly. The one exception is the youngest, Agnes. She is a good girl, beautiful and bright. She is devoted to her Catholic faith, and attends Mass twice daily. When Aiden finally marries and has a son, she devotes herself to looking after him, and seems not to want a life of her own.
The years pass, until one day Agnes does want a life of her own. She falls in love with one of Aiden's criminal associates, and what's worse, becomes pregnant by him. Soon Aiden's son is growing up. He too makes what Aiden considers an extremely foolish choice as a partner. Aiden, as is inevitable in his circumstances, is renowned for his tortures and bloody murders. He considers his family has betrayed him, and that makes him very unhappy! An entertaining read but not one of Cole’s best.
January 5, 2017
Sad to say, as I usually enjoy Cole's books, but this was awful. Nearly gave up a few times. Very repetitive, no interesting characters or depth, and no real story. Was actually quite dull. Not Cole's best work, in fact it's the worst I've listened to. The narrator, Annie Aldington, was good as usual though.
June 23, 2022
I love a Martina Cole book and think she has a really unique voice in her genre but this book is far to repetitive and it was starting to drive me up the wall. I have no idea why her editor didn't pull 100 pages from this as it could only have benefited the story.
Cole however is great at bringing her characters to life on the page and the O'Hara family were no different. I love how she pulls together her female characters especially, while some are in traditional family roles, they are hard as nails with such strong voices and they aren't doormats which is great and really refreshing in this genre where its all about the guys violently murdering each other to make a quid and earn respect.
I also love how most of her books are generational and you get to see multi generations of the same family and watch them grow as the decades pass.
Overall its a great book but there's too much repetition filling out the pages.
Three stars.
Cole however is great at bringing her characters to life on the page and the O'Hara family were no different. I love how she pulls together her female characters especially, while some are in traditional family roles, they are hard as nails with such strong voices and they aren't doormats which is great and really refreshing in this genre where its all about the guys violently murdering each other to make a quid and earn respect.
I also love how most of her books are generational and you get to see multi generations of the same family and watch them grow as the decades pass.
Overall its a great book but there's too much repetition filling out the pages.
Three stars.
February 7, 2017
Reeva O'Hara has to fight for everything.....she had her first child at 14 and by the time she hits her early twenties she has already produce a further 4 children.
Different dads, "a right mixed bunch she would say"
Reeva might of had it tough but she loves her kids and they adore their mum.
Aiden O'Hara is the oldest, loves his mum but knows she attracts the wrong sort of guys so he has to watch over his family.
Excels at school but instead of academics, Aiden is taken under the wing of his mother's boyfriend Tony and is introduced to Eric Palmer a legend in East and South London and a reputation not to mess with.
There he meets Jade an older woman, a woman who knows the business and helps him become the new face out there. For Aiden... its love at first sight.
Loyalty is everything and even more so when it's family, anything else will be the ultimate betrayal
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this new story from Martina Cole. The characters as always leave a lot to be desired.
The chapters were short and kept me interested. I'm a huge fan of these type of books. Although I feel now that I know exactly what I'm getting from this author, I still look forward to her yearly releases.
Different dads, "a right mixed bunch she would say"
Reeva might of had it tough but she loves her kids and they adore their mum.
Aiden O'Hara is the oldest, loves his mum but knows she attracts the wrong sort of guys so he has to watch over his family.
Excels at school but instead of academics, Aiden is taken under the wing of his mother's boyfriend Tony and is introduced to Eric Palmer a legend in East and South London and a reputation not to mess with.
There he meets Jade an older woman, a woman who knows the business and helps him become the new face out there. For Aiden... its love at first sight.
Loyalty is everything and even more so when it's family, anything else will be the ultimate betrayal
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this new story from Martina Cole. The characters as always leave a lot to be desired.
The chapters were short and kept me interested. I'm a huge fan of these type of books. Although I feel now that I know exactly what I'm getting from this author, I still look forward to her yearly releases.
February 10, 2017
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Aiden O'Hara has been the head of the family for as long as he can remember. And with him rising quickly in the London underworld, he wants to be on head. Head of the family. Head of the game. And he's going to stay there.
His lover, Jade, has been in the game for longer than Aiden. Mother to his son, calmer of his temper and rage and a force in her own right, Jade knows the truth. She knows that no one is indestructible. Especially in their line of work.
Keep your friends close, your enemies closer and your family close of all, because betrayal comes in all shape and sizes...
I am going to admit this: I am in two minds over Betrayal. I enjoyed the story and kept listening to the audiobook, but at the same time, I can't help but think that I had read this story before...
I enjoy Martina's writing and I like that, while this is very much outside my comfort zone, I sped through and enjoyed the story. This is readable fun and shows Martina is still a force to be reckon with in the crime gangster genre.
However, Betrayal felt lacking. I know some readers of Martina have voiced their disappointment over this book. I understand and agree with some of their problems. The story felt stale and wasn't anything new - I am sure we have all read/watched this story before. There's ever a scene where characters discuss what film is better: Goodfellas or The Godfather (does every gangster-type story have this conversation in?). The characters didn't feel quite fleshed out. Certain words and phrases were used repetitively over the course of several paragraphs. Certain elements of the story were dragged out while the ending felt rushed.
The best way to describe it is this story felt very cookie-cutted. The story, the characters, the situations, they were all cookie-cutted. All very tried and tested. While I don't think that this is a bad thing in some books and series, it felt out of place here. And for an author like Martina Cole to use this formula is off.
I liked listening to the story on audiobook, don't get me wrong. But it's lacking. It felt very flat and very painted-by-numbers. And while this might be ok for some readers, other readers will not be so forgiving...
Aiden O'Hara has been the head of the family for as long as he can remember. And with him rising quickly in the London underworld, he wants to be on head. Head of the family. Head of the game. And he's going to stay there.
His lover, Jade, has been in the game for longer than Aiden. Mother to his son, calmer of his temper and rage and a force in her own right, Jade knows the truth. She knows that no one is indestructible. Especially in their line of work.
Keep your friends close, your enemies closer and your family close of all, because betrayal comes in all shape and sizes...
I am going to admit this: I am in two minds over Betrayal. I enjoyed the story and kept listening to the audiobook, but at the same time, I can't help but think that I had read this story before...
I enjoy Martina's writing and I like that, while this is very much outside my comfort zone, I sped through and enjoyed the story. This is readable fun and shows Martina is still a force to be reckon with in the crime gangster genre.
However, Betrayal felt lacking. I know some readers of Martina have voiced their disappointment over this book. I understand and agree with some of their problems. The story felt stale and wasn't anything new - I am sure we have all read/watched this story before. There's ever a scene where characters discuss what film is better: Goodfellas or The Godfather (does every gangster-type story have this conversation in?). The characters didn't feel quite fleshed out. Certain words and phrases were used repetitively over the course of several paragraphs. Certain elements of the story were dragged out while the ending felt rushed.
The best way to describe it is this story felt very cookie-cutted. The story, the characters, the situations, they were all cookie-cutted. All very tried and tested. While I don't think that this is a bad thing in some books and series, it felt out of place here. And for an author like Martina Cole to use this formula is off.
I liked listening to the story on audiobook, don't get me wrong. But it's lacking. It felt very flat and very painted-by-numbers. And while this might be ok for some readers, other readers will not be so forgiving...
June 14, 2018
This time Cole is looking more into family relationships. The background, as always, is that of an up-and-coming criminal kingpin in London. The love circles are all set within the same criminal patch. No-one leaves that circle. It is all rather incestuous but if that is the life you lead then it would be difficult to meet someone not within that circle. As such, issues arise. Tensions soar and tears and blood are shed. We see five generations of the main family the O’Hara’s. Annie, the Nan, Reeva, the mother, her four kids all by different fathers including Aiden who will be head of the family, then there is Aiden’s boy and Aiden’s young sister, Agnes’s boy... Other criminals will be brought into the circle to become part of the family and then, sometimes, dispatched.
Family aggro follows pregnancy or picking up a ‘bit of strange’ when you are married and flaunting it and don’t forget drunken outbursts. There are disappointments and there are times of happiness. The young ones will fall in love and some of the elders will look on incredulous. Then there is control or loss of it. In a way it is like historical royal families where they marry so that they can rule a piece of Spain or France. Here it can bond crime families and make deals easier. As Aiden O’Hara says it ‘can only benefit us as a business’ when his son has eyes for a Jamaican drug dealer's daughter.
This is a solid book by Cole starting in 1981 and going to 2016. It does not have the brutal ultra-violence, florid language and darkness that her other books, especially those from the beginning of her writing career, have brought to the reader. I always like reading Cole’s books as sometimes you just need to sit back and read without engaging brain so much and let her take you on a journey. Sometimes it is grimy and other times, like this one, she gives you something a little different from the norm. It is not as immersive as some of her others but still it is a good read.
Family aggro follows pregnancy or picking up a ‘bit of strange’ when you are married and flaunting it and don’t forget drunken outbursts. There are disappointments and there are times of happiness. The young ones will fall in love and some of the elders will look on incredulous. Then there is control or loss of it. In a way it is like historical royal families where they marry so that they can rule a piece of Spain or France. Here it can bond crime families and make deals easier. As Aiden O’Hara says it ‘can only benefit us as a business’ when his son has eyes for a Jamaican drug dealer's daughter.
This is a solid book by Cole starting in 1981 and going to 2016. It does not have the brutal ultra-violence, florid language and darkness that her other books, especially those from the beginning of her writing career, have brought to the reader. I always like reading Cole’s books as sometimes you just need to sit back and read without engaging brain so much and let her take you on a journey. Sometimes it is grimy and other times, like this one, she gives you something a little different from the norm. It is not as immersive as some of her others but still it is a good read.
October 29, 2016
BEVERLEY ANN HOPPER
Gave it a go after been disappointed over her last three book but still couldn't take it in. to far fetched to many short chapters. Sorry to say think miss Cole needs to brush up a bit there's a lot of competition out there in crime authors was very disappointed again
Gave it a go after been disappointed over her last three book but still couldn't take it in. to far fetched to many short chapters. Sorry to say think miss Cole needs to brush up a bit there's a lot of competition out there in crime authors was very disappointed again
Read
January 15, 2017This is Martinas worst book ever.
It lacks any kind of emotion I didn't like any of the characters it was lazy at best.
It was gangland again same story different names and same old plot very disappointed
It lacks any kind of emotion I didn't like any of the characters it was lazy at best.
It was gangland again same story different names and same old plot very disappointed
July 2, 2018
Mám rada príbehy z mafiánskeho prostredia. Ten svet ma niečím fascinuje. A Martina Cole mi jeden taký priniesla, i keď nebolo to celkom to, čo som očakávala. Príbeh bol totiž viac zameraný na rodinné vzťahy ako tie mafiánske, našťastie v ňom ale nechýbali rôzne mafiánske praktiky.
"Miminka milovala. Byla tak bezmocná a ve všem na vás závisela - bylo to jediné období Reevinho života, kdy si připadala chtěná. Každé z jejich dětí ji dávalo pocit důležitosti, pocit že tady má nějaký účel. A taky ji dávaly pocit úplnosti - jako by v tom chaosu svého života konečně něco udělala správně."
Mohlo by sa zdať, že Reeva je hlavnou hrdinkou knihy. Žena bez škrupúľ, s veľkou papuľou, ostrým jazykom, zlozvykom do každého zapárať a s tendenciou samoľutovania sa. Nikdy nemala šťastie na mužov. Už v štrnástich priviedla na svet svojho prvorodeného Aidana. A potom ako postupovali roky a ona sa schádzala a rozchádzala s ďalšími mužmi, sa jej narodili ďalšie deti. Spolu štyria synovia a jedna dcéra. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.com/2018/07/z...
"Miminka milovala. Byla tak bezmocná a ve všem na vás závisela - bylo to jediné období Reevinho života, kdy si připadala chtěná. Každé z jejich dětí ji dávalo pocit důležitosti, pocit že tady má nějaký účel. A taky ji dávaly pocit úplnosti - jako by v tom chaosu svého života konečně něco udělala správně."
Mohlo by sa zdať, že Reeva je hlavnou hrdinkou knihy. Žena bez škrupúľ, s veľkou papuľou, ostrým jazykom, zlozvykom do každého zapárať a s tendenciou samoľutovania sa. Nikdy nemala šťastie na mužov. Už v štrnástich priviedla na svet svojho prvorodeného Aidana. A potom ako postupovali roky a ona sa schádzala a rozchádzala s ďalšími mužmi, sa jej narodili ďalšie deti. Spolu štyria synovia a jedna dcéra. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.com/2018/07/z...
March 22, 2021
Excellent reading ! Martina brings East End gangster life right into your living room. Truly entertaining.
December 28, 2016
Stunning audiobook!!
Martina Cole has yet again played a blinder with this one.
Martina Cole has yet again played a blinder with this one.
December 28, 2016
I have not read a book of Martina Cole's I have not liked and this was no exception.
If I have to pick fault it was the repetitiveness of certain words which I found slightly irritating but it did not take too much enjoyment away from the story.
The characterisation was as good as ever with the feisty, mouthy ex good time girl Reeva mother of the O'Hara family who likes a drink but has a heart of gold and would do anything for her children.
Aiden the eldest Son, head of the family who's word goes as he runs the firm and his Wife the rock by his side Jade who knows him inside out, watches his back and who is respected in the corrupt goings on. All the O'Hara's are brought in to the story and we follow them from been young and growing in to adults, having children and choosing partners that the other family members don't always agree with which in effect has devastating consequences. Sometimes it's those closest to you that you need to watch!
Ultimately you believe the story is about that fierce loyalty of family but sometimes pride and jealously can be the strongest emotion.
A dark gritty story accumulating in a great ending I never saw coming. A great book I would recommend.
If I have to pick fault it was the repetitiveness of certain words which I found slightly irritating but it did not take too much enjoyment away from the story.
The characterisation was as good as ever with the feisty, mouthy ex good time girl Reeva mother of the O'Hara family who likes a drink but has a heart of gold and would do anything for her children.
Aiden the eldest Son, head of the family who's word goes as he runs the firm and his Wife the rock by his side Jade who knows him inside out, watches his back and who is respected in the corrupt goings on. All the O'Hara's are brought in to the story and we follow them from been young and growing in to adults, having children and choosing partners that the other family members don't always agree with which in effect has devastating consequences. Sometimes it's those closest to you that you need to watch!
Ultimately you believe the story is about that fierce loyalty of family but sometimes pride and jealously can be the strongest emotion.
A dark gritty story accumulating in a great ending I never saw coming. A great book I would recommend.
December 7, 2016
Family
This book took ages to get into I would not recommend it at all her last 3 books have been rubbish no story what so ever
This book took ages to get into I would not recommend it at all her last 3 books have been rubbish no story what so ever
June 11, 2017
Time taken to read - on and off over 4 days
Pages - 480
Publisher - Headline
Blurb from Goodreads
It's all down to who you trust. Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was kid, and he's going to keep it that way. Jade Dixon is the one who watches his back. Mother of his son. The one who makes him invincible. But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible. And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest. Especially the ones closest to you ...
My Review
Aiden O'Hara has always looked out for his family, ever since he was a wee laddie. His mother has something of a reputation and many children to different fathers. Aiden is fiercely protective and soon makes himself a name with the local face. Drugs, prostitution and murder are all things Aiden finds himself caught up in but it pays the bills and keeps his family safe. However as Aiden's reputation grows his arrogance and unpredictability grows with it turning Aiden from protector to a possible danger to his family and business.
I took ages getting to this book as it has taken a fair amount of slating on many book clubs, for a while fans have commented on Cole's book just not being a shadow of her former works. I still enjoyed this one, it starts pretty much from the first chapter, each chapter is relatively short in length making perfect for dipping in and out of. It has elements of her previous books although I agree that with fierce competition from writers such as Chambers & Mitchell there does seem to be a spark missing. You have loyalty, violence, family, relationships, sex, swearing, murder, drugs, prostitution and warning, even child abuse within this one. Not for the easily offended and if you haven't read Cole before I would recommending starting with her earlier work.
If you like gritty estate gangster style books you will like this one, it has a bit of just about everything in it. I didn't like how interchangeable some of the characters became, they start off with strict principles but fast forward X amount of time later and they have a complete switch. Yes people change especially with circumstances but in a few instances I felt it was more about moving the story than fitting to the actual character. 3/5 for me this time, read Cole before and I would read her again. Whilst I think the later stories have something less than her original books I still think many Cole's fans will enjoy this offering.
Pages - 480
Publisher - Headline
Blurb from Goodreads
It's all down to who you trust. Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was kid, and he's going to keep it that way. Jade Dixon is the one who watches his back. Mother of his son. The one who makes him invincible. But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible. And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest. Especially the ones closest to you ...
My Review
Aiden O'Hara has always looked out for his family, ever since he was a wee laddie. His mother has something of a reputation and many children to different fathers. Aiden is fiercely protective and soon makes himself a name with the local face. Drugs, prostitution and murder are all things Aiden finds himself caught up in but it pays the bills and keeps his family safe. However as Aiden's reputation grows his arrogance and unpredictability grows with it turning Aiden from protector to a possible danger to his family and business.
I took ages getting to this book as it has taken a fair amount of slating on many book clubs, for a while fans have commented on Cole's book just not being a shadow of her former works. I still enjoyed this one, it starts pretty much from the first chapter, each chapter is relatively short in length making perfect for dipping in and out of. It has elements of her previous books although I agree that with fierce competition from writers such as Chambers & Mitchell there does seem to be a spark missing. You have loyalty, violence, family, relationships, sex, swearing, murder, drugs, prostitution and warning, even child abuse within this one. Not for the easily offended and if you haven't read Cole before I would recommending starting with her earlier work.
If you like gritty estate gangster style books you will like this one, it has a bit of just about everything in it. I didn't like how interchangeable some of the characters became, they start off with strict principles but fast forward X amount of time later and they have a complete switch. Yes people change especially with circumstances but in a few instances I felt it was more about moving the story than fitting to the actual character. 3/5 for me this time, read Cole before and I would read her again. Whilst I think the later stories have something less than her original books I still think many Cole's fans will enjoy this offering.
October 29, 2019
WOW
Cole just gets better with each book I read.
Some brilliant comparisons. They made me laugh so hard.
Cole is an excellent wordsmith, but an even better story teller.
Enjoy
Cole just gets better with each book I read.
Some brilliant comparisons. They made me laugh so hard.
Cole is an excellent wordsmith, but an even better story teller.
Enjoy
January 8, 2018
So, I started my review of the last Martina Cole book, ‘Get Even’ with this statement:
“Like many, many others, I have always been a huge fan of Martina Cole and I used to jump onto her new books as soon as they were released. But again, like many others, I have been left disappointed with her more recent work and I have to say that ‘Get Even’ was no exception to that.”
...And, actually, the same stands for ‘Betrayal’. There are a whole load of pages of random descriptions and character outlining but those characters never actually do anything. Cole has stereotyped her characters, repeated the plots from previous books and added about 500 words more than she needed to and most of them are unnecessary swear words.
As with Cole’s previous books, the chapters are fairly short and the style and flow of writing is easy to follow but it’s really just the same old stories and characters.
In my review of ‘Get Even’, I said that you might still enjoy it if it was your first Martina Cole book but I think even then, you would be disappointed with ‘Betrayal’. I feel that Cole’s best work was her earlier stuff and that she has really passed her best. It’s a real shame but I won’t bother with any more of her books.
“Like many, many others, I have always been a huge fan of Martina Cole and I used to jump onto her new books as soon as they were released. But again, like many others, I have been left disappointed with her more recent work and I have to say that ‘Get Even’ was no exception to that.”
...And, actually, the same stands for ‘Betrayal’. There are a whole load of pages of random descriptions and character outlining but those characters never actually do anything. Cole has stereotyped her characters, repeated the plots from previous books and added about 500 words more than she needed to and most of them are unnecessary swear words.
As with Cole’s previous books, the chapters are fairly short and the style and flow of writing is easy to follow but it’s really just the same old stories and characters.
In my review of ‘Get Even’, I said that you might still enjoy it if it was your first Martina Cole book but I think even then, you would be disappointed with ‘Betrayal’. I feel that Cole’s best work was her earlier stuff and that she has really passed her best. It’s a real shame but I won’t bother with any more of her books.
December 6, 2016
Absolutely Brilliant
Maritina Cole has done it again and again and again what a brilliant exiting novel that you just can not put down as much as you need sleep you genuinely have to stay awake, it's not only brilliantly written, it's gripping from the first chapter onwards you constantly want to know what coming next its like taking a ride on a rollercoaster the thrills the ups and downs it's clever its sad it's good and real family orientated as all her books are but you can never get enough. Martina Cole certainly knows how to hit the spot with her novels each one you read you think can not get any better but somehow the next book is better, I just do not know how she does it fantastic book brilliantly written can't wait u t for the next one,,well if you have never read a Martina Cole novel then believe you me you are really genuinely missing out, most definitely recommend this book. Don't miss out this is a must read. Thank you Martina Cole your books are most definitely the best ......... read this book if you never read another one then at least you have not completely missed out. Well done
Maritina Cole has done it again and again and again what a brilliant exiting novel that you just can not put down as much as you need sleep you genuinely have to stay awake, it's not only brilliantly written, it's gripping from the first chapter onwards you constantly want to know what coming next its like taking a ride on a rollercoaster the thrills the ups and downs it's clever its sad it's good and real family orientated as all her books are but you can never get enough. Martina Cole certainly knows how to hit the spot with her novels each one you read you think can not get any better but somehow the next book is better, I just do not know how she does it fantastic book brilliantly written can't wait u t for the next one,,well if you have never read a Martina Cole novel then believe you me you are really genuinely missing out, most definitely recommend this book. Don't miss out this is a must read. Thank you Martina Cole your books are most definitely the best ......... read this book if you never read another one then at least you have not completely missed out. Well done
August 26, 2017
I so wanted to love this book, as I have loved every one of Cole's books I've read but this was so badly written I actually found myself doubting whether she had even penned it herself. The writing was cliched at best and, at quest, ludicrous. If there was a phrase the writer clearly believed was clever, it was used a number of times; if she found herself at odds with her phrasing, the narrator just fell back on stock phrases such as "her mother's words, not bets" as if to say that these weren't the writer's weird either; and I was so fed up with the words nous and bastardy, neither of which my spell check even recognises!! I'm truly saddened to be writing this but this is nowhere near the brilliance we have come to expect groom Cole over the years. I'm sorry.
January 22, 2017
Aiden O'Hara is a Hard Man, head of his family, and in the running to take over his chosen business, which involves much illegal skulduggery. He has a large family with various brothers, all following in his footsteps, a mother who is a sort, and a holier-than-thou baby sister. Only problem is, Aiden is a psychopath with no conscience, and this is eventually his downfall.
Sound familiar? Well, it's Martina Cole again with her tried and tested formula. Entertaining, although not one of her best.
Sound familiar? Well, it's Martina Cole again with her tried and tested formula. Entertaining, although not one of her best.
November 5, 2016
Dissatisfied
Really disappointed!!! I did read all of the bad reviews but still thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt, all I can say is I only paid 99p and I think that is still to much. I have enjoyed all of martinas books up till now such a shame that this book was so predictable.
Really disappointed!!! I did read all of the bad reviews but still thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt, all I can say is I only paid 99p and I think that is still to much. I have enjoyed all of martinas books up till now such a shame that this book was so predictable.
April 5, 2018
I had an idea of what I was letting myself in for reading BETRAYAL. Martina Cole has this magic of being able to create characters and families, all with their own different traits, but blend together really well.
BETRAYAL is the second book of Martina’s I have read (I read THE TAKE early last year) and I cannot wait to devour more of her titles. There’s something about the raw, grittiness of the worlds she creates that pulls you in and pops you right in the middle of it.
Martina has the skill of creating characters that drive you crazy. Love and hate are so close in emotion and I felt this a lot with Aidan. I loved the way he fought from a young age to provide for his family as essentially the man of the house, to make a name for himself and ensure that his family was taken care of. What I didn’t like were how the power slowly starts to corrupt him and with that comes unsavoury behaviour towards both his girlfriend and his family.
The ending of this story came up quickly and out of the blue. It was that shock factor that I’m sure Martina had in mind all along. Obviously no spoilers from me, but it was the right way to end the story - given everything that took place before it.
Short, snappy chapters keep the pace of the story moving so not to get bored. This wasn’t an issue for me - I prefer shorter chapters. I find that I retain more of the story that way and don’t get bogged down with unnecessary content.
This novel did not disappoint. I was hoping for strong, no nonsense characters, a bit of violence, plenty of swearing and drama and I received that ten fold!
BETRAYAL is the second book of Martina’s I have read (I read THE TAKE early last year) and I cannot wait to devour more of her titles. There’s something about the raw, grittiness of the worlds she creates that pulls you in and pops you right in the middle of it.
Martina has the skill of creating characters that drive you crazy. Love and hate are so close in emotion and I felt this a lot with Aidan. I loved the way he fought from a young age to provide for his family as essentially the man of the house, to make a name for himself and ensure that his family was taken care of. What I didn’t like were how the power slowly starts to corrupt him and with that comes unsavoury behaviour towards both his girlfriend and his family.
The ending of this story came up quickly and out of the blue. It was that shock factor that I’m sure Martina had in mind all along. Obviously no spoilers from me, but it was the right way to end the story - given everything that took place before it.
Short, snappy chapters keep the pace of the story moving so not to get bored. This wasn’t an issue for me - I prefer shorter chapters. I find that I retain more of the story that way and don’t get bogged down with unnecessary content.
This novel did not disappoint. I was hoping for strong, no nonsense characters, a bit of violence, plenty of swearing and drama and I received that ten fold!
September 22, 2018
It is a BIG book .. with so many details that take you deeper into each charachter.. i loved how she managed to get me into those people to understand their decisions and why they behave that way because she gave the proper introductions to their lives..
the over all plot is a little dramatic but the bottom line is what made me love the book, sometimes those whom we love the most are the ones who destroy us the most..
if you are willing to go for it be prepared for long nights and some twisted ideas
the over all plot is a little dramatic but the bottom line is what made me love the book, sometimes those whom we love the most are the ones who destroy us the most..
if you are willing to go for it be prepared for long nights and some twisted ideas
February 10, 2021
Another page turner about the underworld...this time following the O’Hara family headed by Aiden O’Hara starting with him growing up as the eldest son of the ‘flakey’ mother of the clan Reeva and becoming a face to be reckoned with. He has one fatal flaw through....
This was a fast paced story with characters you cared about.
This was a fast paced story with characters you cared about.
April 7, 2021
My first Martina Cole book to read and it won't be my last. From the first chapter I knew it would be a gripping page turner and that's exactly what I got. The characters were excellently portrayed and the story developed at a decent pace and kept you reaching for the book again and again to see how it would all tie together in the end. It ended not as how I thought it would, but it certainly was gritty and hard hitting and the constant undercurrent of the importance of family was evidently clear. This was a good book and I'm looking forward to reading some more of her work.
May 6, 2018
I re-read Betrayal, really love Martina Cole,s books
January 21, 2020
Worth a reading.
April 6, 2025
Good reads page counter actually wrong again. It's actually 556 pages instead of the 300 odd .
March 13, 2017
Eurgh...this is the first Martina Cole book I have read in such a long time, but I wasn't impressed by this book at all. The blurb and the cover drew me in, but the story did nothing for me. The short chapters weren't appealing either. The characters weren't likeable, none of them. I am disappointed because usually you could expect to enjoy a Martina Cole book, but I'm afraid I would think twice about picking another recent book by Cole, because they're nothing like her older material. I didn't like the story either, but I persevered to get through it, hoping it would turn a corner. I won't review a book less than three stars, hence why it hasn't got a lower ranking from me.
May 24, 2025
Great book, another good one from mc xx🥰🥰🥰
September 9, 2025
3.5 stars
A bit repetitive and probably could have been 100 or so pages shorter.
A bit repetitive and probably could have been 100 or so pages shorter.
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