Hard Girls

DI Kate Burrows #3

by Martina Cole

HARD LIVES. HARD LESSONS. IT’S MURDER ON THE STREETS.

Danielle Crosby had a body to die for. A body she sold to the highest bidder. But she ended up paying for it with her life.

When a prostitute’s body is found lifeless, mutilated and brutally raped, DCI Annie Carr has never seen anything like it and never wants to again. Kate Burrows, retired DCI now consultant, has plenty of experience when it comes to murder – after all she caught the Grantley Ripper and broke the biggest paedophile ring in the South East. She is determined to help put the killer behind bars. But whoever it is won’t be easily caught. And when another girl’s body is found, even more horrifically disfigured than the last, it’s clear the killer is just warming up.

In a ruthless world where everyone’s out for themselves, Annie and Kate must dig deep if they hope to catch a callous serial killer who knows no limits and makes no mistakes. For some, prostitution is seriously big business. But how many people will pay the ultimate price?

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Prostitution, British Literature, Audiobook

602 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2008

About the author

Martina 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.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth bomb, I read this entire book, before realising I'd read it before! I don't really know what that says about this read, I humbly leave it up to you, but it was an eleven year gap.

Former DI Kate Burrows and her sometimes helpful crime lord Patrick Kelly live-in lover and life partner return in another serial killer tale. Prostitutes are being killed in gruesome ways in Grantley and Kate and her protégé are finding it very difficult to find any clues so need the help of the underworld. Another riveting Cole book, as in that once I start them, I just have to know how it all ends up, despite them being somewhat formulaic in regards to characterisation. 6 out of 12, Three Star read :)

2012 and 2023 read

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Martina Cole but I did feel disappointed by this book however I do admit that my standards for this author are super high.

Three stars.

[Eva · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first detective story I had to force myself to read till the end. Finished it and not happy with it :( The story develops in short parts - description of a person that is going to be murdered, inner feelings of the female detective and her ex-boyfriend, and the crime scene. It looks like the CSI films, i.e. video spots. The author repeats a lot of words all the time (to suss, the F word - with which I would not have problems with it if it was appropriate) and uses slang in places I would not expect. In one place the detective is hung over and a half page later comes a text as if from a brochure about all the damage drinking can cause. I hoped the end would be good but not. I suspected the revealed murderer for 250 pages. Not inventive. I am just surprised by positive reviews. Not going to read another book by her :((

[Jane Shambler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Sometimes series can become boring or even repetitive. You start to think same things. But and I mean But this isn't one of those. Kate Burrows has a way of captivating you from word one.
Enjoy

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 2 out of 5]

Martina Cole has been writing since 1992 and has produced some fantastic crime novels. Some of her work has been turned into TV Dramas and her most recent book turned TV Programme was The Take which attracted over 600,000 viewers in the first episode. Martina Cole Books have always been popular and many of them have reached number 1 in the Bestseller lists. I have read each and every book she has ever written and have been a fan for many years. However, in recent years I felt like she was losing that something special that she had in the first few books she produced. I was, like other fans, waiting with baited breath for her latest book that brings back characters that appeared in `Ladykiller' and `Broken'.

DCI Kate Burrows is living with Patrick Kelly. Patrick is a former criminal that has changed his life after settling with Kate and going on the `straight' to a certain degree. Kate is no longer working as a DCI full time but is still a consultant and is drafted in when a new case arises. When working girls are found murdered and brutally tortured, Kate realises that this is a little too close to home where Patrick is concerned. He may be on the straight and narrow but when working girls start turning up dead in houses that he rents out the case becomes incredibly personal. Subsequently Kate and Patrick separate after Kate has doubts about Pat's involvement. The more time that passes, and the more girls that turn up. Each girl seems to be in a worse state than the last. DCI Annie Carr is the lead on the new case and Kate joins her in the bid to find the killer before they murder more of the working girls.

I am so undecided about this book. This took me a whole week to read, whereas normally I would read a Martina Cole book over a couple of days. I found myself constantly putting it down and reading something else (never a good sign). The characters seem to have changed completely since the last time we met them. Admittedly Kate and Patrick are both much older now but Kate Burrows ended up being a character I really didn't like that much. The story itself was okay, that's it just okay. There were no great drama's or surprises in store and the killer is pretty obvious quite early on in the book. I also found that the storyline was much like Martina's last book in that there is so much repetitiveness it makes me bored of reading it again...and again.....and again! The crime scenes seemed to be almost skipped over and there didn't seem to de any depth to any storyline, whether it is a violent one or a murder that had happened.

Overall it wasn't bad but I just found that it wasn't a gripping enough read, the characters nowhere near as good as they used to be and her style of writing has changed. I was really hoping that her new book would be back to her `old style' types where you literally couldn't put the book down. Unfortunately it wasn't and I find myself wondering whether Martina Cole has lost her touch. I am disappointed that somebody that in her heyday produced books that I couldn't wait to read, has now produced something that makes me think I won't bother with the new releases she brings out in the future. I will save my pennies for authors that I really love, and will probably wait until her new books are on special offer somewhere.

[Biggus · Rating 1 out of 5]

What possessed me to read 80% of this piece of junk is a mystery. Talk about flat characters, who do a lot more arguing and acting out of character than much else. What story there is takes second place to the protagonist's selfishness and constant bitching. Talk about flat characters. Did I mention it repeats itself over and over? Talk about flat characters! Using the vernacular of the book, it gave me the Edgar Britts. Avoid this like the plague.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well narrated as usual by Annie Aldington, however, story wasn't as good as previous books containing DI Kate Burrows. A bit too much repetition with regards to the relationship between Kate and Patrick, even though I love them. The ending was bittersweet, but fitting.

[David Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reviewing the novel Hard Girls by Martina Cole which is an excellent thriller which I bought from a car boot sale. This is a gritty novel set in South East England which isn't surprising when you consider Martina lives in Kent. The title Hard Girls, I think refers to the 2 policewomen who are the central characters in the story. There is Annie who is a Detective Chief Inspector investigating a string of murders of prostitutes. There is also Kate a retired DCI who is a consultant and is helping out in solving the case. She also has a partner who is a bit of a wideboy and has been renting out flats to prostitutes to use as brothels. Kate leaves him when she realizes he has been involved in this. What her partner doesn't realize is the income from these flats has been re invested in drugs. It's the prostitutes in these flats the serial killer is singling out. The murders are very gruesome so you need a strong stomach to read this book. The killer slips them date rape drugs prior to the crime. They realize he must hate prostitutes but only later do they realize he is a prominent policeman set on messing up their investigation. He also physically abuses his wife. When they try to aprehend him there is a funny scene where Kate's ex partner has to get a hard man called Georgie Twofer who makes Arnold Schwarznegger look like a wimp to kick the door in. There is a happy ending & the book is a satisfying read. It also keeps your interest throughout.

[Dawn Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last few books were very much same old, same old. Was delighted when this book returned to two old favourites charaters, Pat Kelly & Kate Burrows. Grantley Police station and the criminal!!!
This book was very exciting, kept me on a knife edge the whole way through. A fantastic account of the things that can go wrong with organised prostitution, even in the privacy and safety of a home environment. I find Martina Cole writes her books in the down to earth way that is needed for a story like this to be reliable, a lot of the things she writes about could well be true. The characters in the book are pretty believable and its a book that I couldn't put down until I had seen it through to the end. Some people have said that they knew who the killer was within a few pages (don't believe that) or half way through the book. It took me to at least three quarters of the way to realising it was a woman, but which one I couldn't decide until near the end.

I was getting bored with Martina's books, but this one has made me definately buy the next one.

[lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Girls

The third book in the Kate Burrows series.
I was late to the party reading Martina Cole, having still only read the three Kate Burrows books.
But I'm glad I jumped on board, better late than never.
I really love the down to earth style of writing by Martina Cole.
I've also really enjoyed reading this series so far, Kate Burrows is a really likable character. But I really love the character of Patrick Kelly.
Look forward to reading the next instalment in this series

[Steve Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have been struggling with my reading habit for a while now.I wasn't totally sure this would be the book to help improve it, but it absolutely has.
What a great read, brilliant story, superbly written with a twist I seriously would not have guessed.
Even when I had read the ending, I had to re-read it to be certain I understood it properly.
Will definitely be reading more Martina Cole in the future. Would highly recommend to fans of crime thrillers.

[Joana Oliveira · Rating 2 out of 5]

after almost 2/3 of the book with no suspects, the killer became way too obvious.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard Girls follows cut-throat DI Kate Burrows and her team in the world of gang-land London as a heinous and horrific killer is on the loose. Working girls are found in horrific positions and with not a single trace of evidence left behind... The killer seems to know exactly what they're doing!

After really loving Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole (and knowing she was a favourite author of my mothers, with her thick hardbacks always dotted around the house), I thought it was time to give another one of her books a go. Truthfully, I picked this up without realising it was part of a series. I almost gave up when I started reading and noticed there were already some very fleshed-out characters, however I decided to crack on. Luckily, Martina Cole touches on characters' pasts and fills you in one any connecting plots, which is always handy.

Despite my very high hopes, I found Hard Girls to be a bit of a snore. Don't get me wrong - the plot is fantastic, the big reveal at the end is absolutely jaw-droppingly horrific and the murderous plot really did keep me gripped. However, I really struggled to like the characters. DI Kate Burrows is cut-throat and angry, but she is also extremely tough on everyone and was very unlikeable. Annie, her friend and co-worker, was flakey and whiney and didn't feel like a strong lead at all. Patrick felt just futile compared to some of the mobsters in Dangerous Lady. Again, this could all be because of a great character arch from previous books in the series, but not one character stood out to me.

There was also a lot of repetition within Hard Girls. I found myself skimming many paragraphs and just highlighting the main features as I found that they were just saying the same thing over and over again. Patrick and Kate's relationship is a key factor that sticks out with this; with endless paragraphs from both parties begging for the other one back but still being spiteful. It became repetitive and boring. By using this repetition as filler, it really took me in and out of the gripping plot and made me not reach for the book nearly as much as I would normally.

Overall, I am really glad this wasn't my introduction to Martina Cole, as I know she writes amazingly raw and gritty crime novels. But I think I will be giving Kate Burrows a swerve for sure!

[Namra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard Girls by Martina Cole is the third book in the Kate Burrows series which can act as a standalone. Kate Burrows is a retired DCI & she's working at a police station as a part timer because her work has been her life & after her retirement she couldn't find anything better to do 👀. Her partner is a well known criminal. Um...yeah, it's a lil weird but let's just look beyond that for a while *clears throat*.

✨Story: In this book, there's a series of murders of prostitutes by someone who seems to have their trust as there's no sign of 'force' at the murder scene. The murderer seems to take his time. He clears everything up before leaving & he knows what the police look for at the crime scene so finding him isn't an easy task.
There's also another side of the story that concerns Kate's partner, Patrick, who's a Mafia kinda guy & might also be a suspect🤷🏻‍♀️.

💫This is the second book I've read by Martina Cole and I noticed something about her characters. All the characters she writes are neither a hundred percent good nor a hundred percent bad. The good people have a little bad in them & the bad people have a little good in them. She makes their personalities somewhat believable. And her female characters are Toughhh.

💫Since the very beginning, I had a feeling about the killer. Although it sounded the stupidest thing at the time, I kinda knew who the murderer was & believe me, if you're new to thrillers, you're gonna find the reveal ahmazingg.

💫I think the book was realllyy long. It was repetitive and it didn't need to be this long. It had more than 600 pages which could easily have been 300-350. Apart from it's repetitiveness, the reason for its length was that the author was taking two things together: the grisly murders & the Mafia thing which were both engaging but as already mentioned, pretty repetitive. The language is simple & easy to read so one can read the book quickly.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Martina Coles books. They're always gritty and hard hitting.
Kate Burrows is a semi retired police officer, consulting with her local force so they can all benefit from her years of experience. She's respected and feared and is a pushy character.
Annie Carr has dreamed of having her first big case. When a number of prostitutes are killed in a number of particularly grim ways, Annie begins to wonder if she's up to the investigation. In steps Kate Burrows.
There are no signs of someone breaking in or burglary, so how did the killer get in to the girls' flats? There's no obvious evidence or clues left behind and the prostitutes don't want to get too involved.
Eventually, when Margaret Coles is assigned to the investigation team to collate paperwork and use the computer systems, the evidence starts to come in. The team soon have the perpetrator in their sights and the case gets wrapped up.
I can't wait to read another Martina Coles book.

[Kelly Easdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martina Cole, if you’ve read any of her books can be repetitive in her topics, London gangsters, prostitution, hard families. This book doesn’t fail to deliver these themes, I must’ve read this book 2-3 times, easy read, quick page turner.
Although I can only read her books after every 4-5 books as each book can merge into what you think as the same book.

[Vikkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the DCI Burrows series. I love the characters involved. I think that is part of the appeal, I feel particularly invested in these characters. Cole has a way of gripping my attention and making it hard to put her books down. I can’t wait to read more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lisa Grimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read, however some of the story line felt like book 1 and 2 repeating, and there was a couple of unexplained things relating to 2 well known characters.

[Bookishgamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite book by this author. I found it to be very meandering and could have been at least 50 pages shorter.

I did enjoy revisiting the characters of Kate and Patrick however.

[Fiona Fennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

long time fan

I haven’t read a book from Martina in a long time. I remember reading the first book in this series five years ago hooked since. Detective Kate burrows is strong brave and truthful woman

[Susan Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Martine Cole that had me engrossed from start to finish.

[Mick Grimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first two no explanation on two points in the book, narrator had one tone to her voice throughout each character hope Damaged is better

[Clarissa Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a freat book. Heartbreaking at times but for fiction so very accurate when compared to real life. It was a great read.

[Vayn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY HATE THE MAIN CHARACTER, KATE BURROWS.

Don't get me wrong, she is full of herself, inconsiderate and have a cocky attitude. She is not even the lead in the case and just a consultant! Wtf! If I were Annie I would punch her in the face even if I respect her so much because she is always stepping in the line! She insults her colleague and plays as a victim in her relationship with Pat.

Because of her, it is a dread to continue reading this book. I feel like the author have a favorite child, which is Kate, and no matter how bad her attitude is, she just lets her get away with it! I feel bad for the people around her who is always hurt because of her. And at the end of the book, she does not even apologize to Annie! I HATE HER SO MUCH!

AND THEN THEY INTRODUCE THE KILLER THAT HAS ONLY 1 CHAPTER MEANT FOR HER! AND IT IS THE LAST CHAPTER! (I feel like she just rush writing the ending, I feel like there should be more confrontation etc.)

LETS GET TO THE GOOD PARTS THAT MADE ME CONTINUE THE BOOK:
- Patrick cause he is a nice guy
- Patrick's work and job cause it is like a mafia thingy and that keeps me interested reading this book
- Waiting for Annie to punch Kate (but that never happens)
- It is Martina Cole (I love the first book I've read that she wrote which is the Dangerous Lady)
- Good Lines! (Yeah, there is a lot of good quotable lines here)

Therefore I realized while reading this book, that if the main character has a bad attitude, characteristics, or personality and it is affecting the other character as well, then it drags the whole book with it.

*I just noticed that this is a Kate Burrows #3 and I've never read the 1 and 2, so maybe her attitude in the first 2 books are much better? IDK

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read my first Martina Cole book I really didn't like it. I found the story weak and unbelievable and bad language used far too much for it to be credible. I said at the time that this put me off her books. However I have read some since and I must say have been pleasantly surprised. This book is one of the best of hers I have read. Yes it has some crude lanaguage BUT its used when it has to be, I felt before it was used for the sake of using it and it was tedious. I liked the whole story of this. It was strong, very believable and throughly enjoyable and riveting. I did guess the identity of the murderer though, its something I don't normally do BUT I think that was the idea of the book, hints to the murderer but a very enjoyable read getting to the end product and why this person did what they did. A great introduction to Martina's books if you have never read any of hers before, and if you don't like it, don't be put off.

[Lauren Maunsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Martina Cole, she has been my favorite author for a few years but I have actually found this book to be not quite as gripping as some of her previous (eg: Two Women). There are so many characters in the book it's hard to keep track which is a shame as usually what she is best at is describing things in such detail that you know exactly who they are even if their name's pop up right at the end. Still, I am enjoying it and it has kept my attention so far.. although it has sat on my bedside table for about a week now without me picking it up.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really think Martina Cole should stick with what she is good at, and that ISN'T detective/thriller novels!
I have read books by her before and thoroughly enjoyed them. Sadly on this occasion I had to force myself to keep reading, rather than finding myself flying through the pages. The thing that kept me ploughing through, was my desire to find out how it ended-that's something in its favour at least.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was another brilliant book by Martina Cole and picked up the story of Kate's life with Patrick from where it left off in the last book. You see the development in both characters while Kate is working on a new serial killer case as a consultant with Grantley Police station. I believe that the last book in the series will be the last and I will miss the characters and their lives.

[Cathy Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read other Martina Cole books and have not been able to put them down. Unfortunately Hard Girls is the most boring repetitive book I have ever read. I forced myself to read half of this book and finally skipped to the last chapter to see what the outcome was. Sorry Martina, but you have bombed out with this one.

[BirnitaB · Rating 2 out of 5]

A beach or holiday read - not that well written. Bad use of rhyming slang by the characters, and in parts it droned on. I finished this so I could get it off my bedside table and down to the charity shop for someone else.