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Two Women
by
Martina Cole
Danger and violence have always been part of Sue Dalston's East End upbringing. Unloved by her mother, abused by her father, and brutalised throughout her entire marriage, she smashed her husband's skull in a final act of desperation. All that keeps her sane is knowing that she's done it to protect her four children. At last, they are safe from harm. When she is celled up...more
Paperback, 672 pages
Published
June 1st 2000
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An absolute doorstop of a book but what else would you expect from Martina? But unlike some of her other work not a single page was wasted and after a slow couple of days I went from 30% read on my Kindle on Saturday morning to finished early this morning (not in one sitting!) because I couldn't stop reading and wanted to see how everything turned out and I was not disappointed. The ending of this book was fantastic. After reading Mandasue Heller's Two Faced and being left disappointed I wanted...more
This is the sixth book I have read by this author and they just get better and better. They are very powerful books - very graphic and the language is not for the fainthearted but she paints a picture of East End London that is very real. She writes about the criminal underworld just as it is and each book just gets better.
Back Cover Blurb:
Danger and violence have always been part of Sue Dalston's East End upbringing. Unloved by her mother, abused by her father, and brutalised throughout her ent...more
Back Cover Blurb:
Danger and violence have always been part of Sue Dalston's East End upbringing. Unloved by her mother, abused by her father, and brutalised throughout her ent...more
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At first I felt I wouldn't get into and enjoy the book but I was very wrong. Its brutality is hard to take, I don't think it will be for everyone, and I felt it was a little formulaic at times. However by telling the story and developing the characters in such a way the end was incredible, I struggled to put it down. The story is about so much more than the brutal side of life, which it first appears about. The characters are real, it was about the good that come from depravity, the lengths peop...more
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Martina Cole writes good, meaty stories that you can really get into. This one is another example of following a story with all its ups and downs of typical East End woe and grit post second world war. The story moves fast and you can really see the characters and how they live their lives. I enjoyed the strength that Susan had after having her children, prior to that her character was horribly weak and not someone I could feel for. This is a good summer holiday read because it's quite long and...more
There are no words that could describe this book. It blew my mind.. And it's my first of Martina Cole's books, and it definitely won't be the last .
Two Women was a very graphical and sad book. It still captured me because I wanted to find out what happens in the end. Will Sue finally find justice, will she ever acquire a happy life, or will she always be repressed in her dark and dangerous life. Martina Cole was able to answer all of these question with her smooth and great writing.
I don't know...more
Two Women was a very graphical and sad book. It still captured me because I wanted to find out what happens in the end. Will Sue finally find justice, will she ever acquire a happy life, or will she always be repressed in her dark and dangerous life. Martina Cole was able to answer all of these question with her smooth and great writing.
I don't know...more
Someone suggested I read Martina Cole for her 'gritty realism'. If this is gritty realism, then I have clearly led a very sheltered life! I found the non-stop violence and rape secenes repulsive, and the book did not have many other redeeming features. Are East End gangsters and prostitutes really all cliched cardboard cut out characters? And everyone seemed to undergo radical personality changes in order to bring the story to a happy ending. But worst of all, the story was supposed to be about...more
Not something I'd normally read. Very violent and I'm sure I've called people a ponce while reading this.
I've never read Martina Cole and not sure I'll read her again. It's a personal preference thing. It's an interesting portrayal of women through the decades of the 20th century and how that changes, with the odd reference to Cosmopolitan and women thinking like men.
A good read, if you like that kind of thing.
I've never read Martina Cole and not sure I'll read her again. It's a personal preference thing. It's an interesting portrayal of women through the decades of the 20th century and how that changes, with the odd reference to Cosmopolitan and women thinking like men.
A good read, if you like that kind of thing.
This is the first Martina Cole novel I have read and I will most definitely be reading another. She painted a very vivid and brutal picture of life in the east end with powerful characters that kept me turning the page. I didnt even notice the thickness of the book because I was too immersed in the story. Not for those of you who are easily offended by violence and extreme bad language.
This book was amazing! The author has an incredible insight into the depraved lives of her characters. Cole builds her characters so that there is no possible way to forget who is who. The setting of East London beginning in the sixties serves as the perfect backdrop for the wicked adventure that unfolds. Your heart will break, you'll scream, cry and cheer the entire way through. This is my first Martina Cole read, but certainly not my last!
My first Martina Cole book, not my usual style of book and I will definitely be downloading some more. She portrays gangland London and the lives of the people within it with such clarity and empathy, I literally couldn't put it down. Quite graphic and brutal but it serves to enhance the story, it's not just shocking for shocking's sake. Really absorbing story.
This is one of my all time favourite reads, this book didn't bore me for even a second. It felt like I was walking in Susan Dalston's shoes & experiencing every emotion with her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read.
I read this book in 2 days. A gritty tale of domestic violence, mothers neglect and a mothers love. Quite graphic in parts but required to feel the true nature of the situation. Very much a page turner and would recommend this book.
This was the first novel I've read of Martina Cole and this is still one of my favorites of her's. The story will have you gript by every page and it's quite disturbing at times. I'd recommended anyone to read this book' a brilliant read!
This is the first book of this author that I have read although I know her from the Television.
I loved it and couldn't put it down, I will be reading more Martina Cole.
I loved it and couldn't put it down, I will be reading more Martina Cole.
This was the first book I'd ever read by Martina Cole, the story of hard women living a hard life in the hard East end. Graphically violent, but touching as well, found that I couldn't put it down as I got to the final 3rd.
A very scary look into the East End living ... Survival to the fittest by any means necessary especially the women very depressing indeed... No holds bar read
Absolutely brilliant read it in 2 days flat I literally could not put it down if you like gritty fast-paced dramas this is the book for you highly recommended
Another good read not wanting to put it down. Unfortunately can not read it while working. Lots of twists and turns to the book. Such a good author.
Loved it, loved it, loved it! I couldn't put it down- read the whole thing in 3 days! Completely gripping, Martina draws you right into the story.
First of all, the back of this book completely threw me off half of the stuff I came across. I was disturbed reading about a father raping his daughter and then that same girls husband doing it to their daughter. But minus that it was a good read. And respected Susan at the end of the book.
never read one of Coles books before and i can honestly say it was brilliant. Never wanted to put it down, well written and easy to follow
Brilliant book about a heartbreaking mother and daughter relationship - crying around the pool on holiday is not a good look!
Another good read from Martina Cole, started off a bit slow but then I really got into it. I was confused as to Matty's part in the story but other than that a really good book.
brilliant, couldn't put it dwn, the story is so gripping it take u in and doesnt let u back till it ends, utterly brilliant...x
Brutal and bleak, just as I was expecting based on the TV adaptations I've seen. Didn't really think that Matilda's character was involved enough to warrant the book being called Two Women. Susan was the heroine and the title should have been hers!
Absolutely brilliant, the twists and turns made this a really good read. What a woman will go through for her family...
A bit long winded at times, but all in all a great read! I didn't want to put it down, for the most part
May 17, 2013
Alana
added it
very graphic and stomach churning at points but I couldn't put it down. Made me marvel at how some people have to go through life
Mar 27, 2013
Vonita Van
added it
Martina Cole is the best author I've ever come across. Her books gets better and better.
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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.
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