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The Good Life
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE.Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer...Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain's hard-man reputation - she just wants to be with him.But Cain is not a free man. And he's about to find out that when his wife Caroline said 'til death us do part, she meant it.When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They're about to learn the hardest lesson ofLIVE THE GOOD LIFE. PAY THE PRICE.
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2014
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February 12, 2023
Cain is an archetypal Cole organised crime lord, good looking, massive bulk, loves hard, doesn't cheat, terrible temper, ultra violent and he is living the good life, but when he first lays eyes on young Jenny, he realise there's something missing in his life, the love of a women he loves; slight problem is thag he's married. This is a typical Cole saga spanning four decades in the lives of the cast in and amongst the London based underworld. Not one of Cole's best works and reads suspiciously like she has a contract in place to churn out one book a year, regardless. Well, she deserves to be getting paid to live a good life too :). A 5 out of 12, Two Star read.
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March 7, 2016
4.5 Cain Moran Stars
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE.
Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part....
It was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer . . . Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain’s hard-man reputation – she just wants to be with him
But Cain is not a free man. And he’s about to find out that when his wife Caroline said ’til death us do part, she meant it. When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish.
All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.
But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They’re about to learn the hardest lesson of all......
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE..... PAY THE PRICE
My Thoughts
Martina Cole has had a bit of a hard time over the last few years with her new releases. Her early work was outstanding but I'm not sure if that was because she was the first real Crime writer back in the day of these type of stories.
I really enjoyed this one. Cain Moran was The Face but his love for Jenny no one could deny. It had all the trademarks of a good EastEnd Crime story and although we knew the outcome pretty early on in the story it was still a very enjoyable read.
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE.
Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part....
It was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer . . . Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain’s hard-man reputation – she just wants to be with him
But Cain is not a free man. And he’s about to find out that when his wife Caroline said ’til death us do part, she meant it. When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish.
All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.
But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They’re about to learn the hardest lesson of all......
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE..... PAY THE PRICE
My Thoughts
Martina Cole has had a bit of a hard time over the last few years with her new releases. Her early work was outstanding but I'm not sure if that was because she was the first real Crime writer back in the day of these type of stories.
I really enjoyed this one. Cain Moran was The Face but his love for Jenny no one could deny. It had all the trademarks of a good EastEnd Crime story and although we knew the outcome pretty early on in the story it was still a very enjoyable read.
October 8, 2014
I have to start off by saying that although I may have been critical of Martina’s more recent books, the woman is a legend! She has been writing in this genre since the early 90’s, and has therefore cemented her place in this genre. Maybe the reason I am so critical is because she set the bar so high especially with her earlier books. However the last couple of books I have read of hers haven’t blown me away. I think because she has written some amazing books, you just expect more and more every single time. If I am being 100% honest I was expecting something mediocre this time around, and thankfully it seems Martina Cole is making her way back to the top of the pile again.
Her latest book is still a far cry from her books such as Ladykiller, but it was a book that I started and finished in one day (which always tells me it’s a winner). Cain Moran is a face who seems to have it all. However, when he meets Jenny Riley his life is set to change forever and it changes in a huge way. I liked Cain from the outset, although Jenny seemed a little bit far removed. The story is set over decades, which totally works for me and I love the fact that we see a snippet of the future right at the very beginning of the book. We then see Cain’s life progress over the years and it’s a story that certainly held my interest.
The writing was great, the storyline filled with drama and tragedy from the outset. But…yes there is a but…I just felt there were things missing with one of the main characters Jenny. Things didn’t resonate well and there were a few instances that I felt she was side-lined and therefore a lot less believable. I think the timeline of the story was good, but when we move forward a few years, it felt like her personality changed with no reasoning. If I put that issue to one side the book was pretty gripping and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, although I’ve given this book 4 stars I struggled over that rating. It sounds like I am being harsh but I just feel that as an author that has been in this genre for over 20 years, there is still something missing from her books that used to be there. I certainly think this will please her long standing fans, and some people who may have been disheartened lately may feel there is now hope for the future MC books. All in all a great read, just not quite as explosive as they used to be!
Her latest book is still a far cry from her books such as Ladykiller, but it was a book that I started and finished in one day (which always tells me it’s a winner). Cain Moran is a face who seems to have it all. However, when he meets Jenny Riley his life is set to change forever and it changes in a huge way. I liked Cain from the outset, although Jenny seemed a little bit far removed. The story is set over decades, which totally works for me and I love the fact that we see a snippet of the future right at the very beginning of the book. We then see Cain’s life progress over the years and it’s a story that certainly held my interest.
The writing was great, the storyline filled with drama and tragedy from the outset. But…yes there is a but…I just felt there were things missing with one of the main characters Jenny. Things didn’t resonate well and there were a few instances that I felt she was side-lined and therefore a lot less believable. I think the timeline of the story was good, but when we move forward a few years, it felt like her personality changed with no reasoning. If I put that issue to one side the book was pretty gripping and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, although I’ve given this book 4 stars I struggled over that rating. It sounds like I am being harsh but I just feel that as an author that has been in this genre for over 20 years, there is still something missing from her books that used to be there. I certainly think this will please her long standing fans, and some people who may have been disheartened lately may feel there is now hope for the future MC books. All in all a great read, just not quite as explosive as they used to be!
April 27, 2016
I'm not one for leaving book reviews (far too lazy!), but the sheer awfulness of this work has compelled me to warn others. For real, this might actually be the worst book I have ever read
This was my first Martina Cole book so my expectations were fairly high...after all Cole is considered to be one of the great British best-selling crime authors. What I expected was a gripping and gritty crime novel, what I got was a complete mess.
I am by no means an expert in English literature (you'll have to bear with me and my critiquing on this review!) but I honestly cannot understand how anyone could think that this was a good novel.
First off, the writing style was just so lazy...each chapter is about a page long (does Cole believe her readers all to have attention-deficit disorder?), characters are introduced and forgotten about and she reveals what could have been a dramatic plot twist in the first few pages. Furthermore there is repetition…oh God is there repetition. For example, Cole uses the phrase: "Needs must when the Devil drives" not once, not twice, but THREE times in the novel, all said by different characters. What's that about?
The depiction of women in this novel was concerning. All of the female characters were one-dimensional idiots, whose only defining traits was how much they care about (or hate) Cain Moran. The whole book was rife with rampant sexism, and yes, before any of you get on your high horses I get that the criminal underworld is not exactly a haven of gender-equality, but what is concerning is that Cole cannot seem to write a well-developed female character DESPITE BEING FEMALE. What the hell Cole? If blokes like George RR Martin and Terry Pratchett can do it then why can’t you?
As I said, I haven’t read any other books by Martina Cole, but I’m starting to wonder whether they all follow a similar plot to this, like Cole has a “cookie-cutter” of what she knows sells, and is content to stick to this formula from here on out, thus eliminating the need for any more creativity or original thought. I might pick up one of her earlier works to see what all the fuss is about, but I’m not feeling very motivated.
Anyway, this book was terrible. Do yourself a favour and read something, anything else.
This was my first Martina Cole book so my expectations were fairly high...after all Cole is considered to be one of the great British best-selling crime authors. What I expected was a gripping and gritty crime novel, what I got was a complete mess.
I am by no means an expert in English literature (you'll have to bear with me and my critiquing on this review!) but I honestly cannot understand how anyone could think that this was a good novel.
First off, the writing style was just so lazy...each chapter is about a page long (does Cole believe her readers all to have attention-deficit disorder?), characters are introduced and forgotten about and she reveals what could have been a dramatic plot twist in the first few pages. Furthermore there is repetition…oh God is there repetition. For example, Cole uses the phrase: "Needs must when the Devil drives" not once, not twice, but THREE times in the novel, all said by different characters. What's that about?
The depiction of women in this novel was concerning. All of the female characters were one-dimensional idiots, whose only defining traits was how much they care about (or hate) Cain Moran. The whole book was rife with rampant sexism, and yes, before any of you get on your high horses I get that the criminal underworld is not exactly a haven of gender-equality, but what is concerning is that Cole cannot seem to write a well-developed female character DESPITE BEING FEMALE. What the hell Cole? If blokes like George RR Martin and Terry Pratchett can do it then why can’t you?
As I said, I haven’t read any other books by Martina Cole, but I’m starting to wonder whether they all follow a similar plot to this, like Cole has a “cookie-cutter” of what she knows sells, and is content to stick to this formula from here on out, thus eliminating the need for any more creativity or original thought. I might pick up one of her earlier works to see what all the fuss is about, but I’m not feeling very motivated.
Anyway, this book was terrible. Do yourself a favour and read something, anything else.
May 16, 2016
Not the worst Martina Cole I have ever read but such a far cry from her earlier work. It just seems that these epic family sagas now only scratch the surface - gone is the depravity, the violence and the shock factor that made Martina's book so enjoyable. Her books nowadays seem so formulaic and have no depth to them. I'd go as far as to take them out of the gritty thriller genre and class them as romantic suspense, minus the suspense.
Whilst not to everyone's taste, Martina's books - which are largely centred around the underworld and gang land - used to be so graphic and detailed. That's all gone now and you can't help but get the impression that Martina has simply become bored of writing and is now just churning out this dull as dishwater tripe on a yearly basis in order to keep her publishers quiet. I'm hopeful that one day she'll return to form and I'm actually surprised that I managed to finish this particular book; I gave up on her last one. Come on Martina, give us the books of old and shelf these lazy efforts.
Whilst not to everyone's taste, Martina's books - which are largely centred around the underworld and gang land - used to be so graphic and detailed. That's all gone now and you can't help but get the impression that Martina has simply become bored of writing and is now just churning out this dull as dishwater tripe on a yearly basis in order to keep her publishers quiet. I'm hopeful that one day she'll return to form and I'm actually surprised that I managed to finish this particular book; I gave up on her last one. Come on Martina, give us the books of old and shelf these lazy efforts.
August 14, 2015
Garbage. Martina Cole is one of my favourite authors (third favourite author overall), but like most of her long-time fans I have been left disappointed with pretty much all of her recent books. My rating for The Good Life isn't so much about the story itself, just the fact that the whole plot was basically given away in the prologue. Seriously, the whole of The Good Life's story is essentially just an expanded version of the prologue. The book had no surprise or mystery which I found annoying, as the story itself could have been great had certain parts of it been written as a surprise rather than the reader knowing everything that was coming. For example the death of one of the main characters. Why reveal something so crucial to the story in the book's opening pages?
Jenny is a normal girl who catches the eye of notorious Face Cain Moran, one of the most feared men in London. When the two fall in love (almost instantly) Cain decides to leave his wife Caroline (a complete pantomime character who only gets more ridiculous as the story progresses), but she's not about to go down without a fight (except she does). Cain soon finds himself behind bars, and despite living a rather comfortable life locked up (I think I fancy it myself he was that comfortable!), his enemies are never far behind and on the outside there are plenty of people plotting his downfall (and we know every single one of them). And Jenny's love for Cain is about to be tested to its limits. Can the couple ever live the Good Life again? Does anyone really care? Both of these characters will be recognised instantly by anybody who has read a Martina book before, they just have different names. Jenny's character changes personalities numerous times throughout the story to suit what's happening at the time which I found to be a little silly and unbelievable.
Martina seems to have an almost lazy writing style now, and the book is littered with similar words and phrases and so much repetitiveness about 'the Good Life' and 'the Life' which Martina mentions on almost every other page. Each chapter is only a page or two long which results in a lot of white space and so the doorstops that Martina used to write are a thing of the past. The competition in this genre is too fierce nowadays that just writing the same story over and over doesn't cut it with me, but it seems to with everybody else as Martina's books still fly off the shelves. Just as a final side note, it amuses me that a lot of the negative reviews for Martina's books don't even mention the plot just the fact that her characters swear a lot. What, it's fine for her characters to murder people and commit crimes but God forbid one of them swears! I can't recommend The Good Life simply because you could read the prologue and epilogue and know the whole story. I'll keep reading Martina's books in the hope she has a return to form one day, but with the blurb for her upcoming book already mentioning 'the Good Life', I'm bored already.
Jenny is a normal girl who catches the eye of notorious Face Cain Moran, one of the most feared men in London. When the two fall in love (almost instantly) Cain decides to leave his wife Caroline (a complete pantomime character who only gets more ridiculous as the story progresses), but she's not about to go down without a fight (except she does). Cain soon finds himself behind bars, and despite living a rather comfortable life locked up (I think I fancy it myself he was that comfortable!), his enemies are never far behind and on the outside there are plenty of people plotting his downfall (and we know every single one of them). And Jenny's love for Cain is about to be tested to its limits. Can the couple ever live the Good Life again? Does anyone really care? Both of these characters will be recognised instantly by anybody who has read a Martina book before, they just have different names. Jenny's character changes personalities numerous times throughout the story to suit what's happening at the time which I found to be a little silly and unbelievable.
Martina seems to have an almost lazy writing style now, and the book is littered with similar words and phrases and so much repetitiveness about 'the Good Life' and 'the Life' which Martina mentions on almost every other page. Each chapter is only a page or two long which results in a lot of white space and so the doorstops that Martina used to write are a thing of the past. The competition in this genre is too fierce nowadays that just writing the same story over and over doesn't cut it with me, but it seems to with everybody else as Martina's books still fly off the shelves. Just as a final side note, it amuses me that a lot of the negative reviews for Martina's books don't even mention the plot just the fact that her characters swear a lot. What, it's fine for her characters to murder people and commit crimes but God forbid one of them swears! I can't recommend The Good Life simply because you could read the prologue and epilogue and know the whole story. I'll keep reading Martina's books in the hope she has a return to form one day, but with the blurb for her upcoming book already mentioning 'the Good Life', I'm bored already.
July 26, 2016
Martina Cole is an English author who 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. I was delighted to meet her at the Bloody Scotland's Crime Writers' Festival last year and am pleased she is on the programme again, this year.
The Good Life is an interesting book in which the central character truly does learn, grow and change his life by the end of the novel. Cain Moran lives a life of crime. Jenny Riley is a naive, young girl. The novel tells a love story revolving around Cain and the love he has for Jenny. Cain is a face in London, England who seems to have it all. In her turn, Jenny is not interested in Cain's hard man reputation all she wants is to be with him. For Cain, loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife, Caroline, that he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer, because when Caroline said 'til death us do part', she meant it. When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish.
Caroline enjoyed The Good Life with Cain and loved the reflected glory she commanded as his wife. Jenny is not interested in the money or infamy Cain brings, although she does grow used to it and does miss it when he is sentenced to twenty-five years in jail, but not nearly as much as she misses him. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at The Good Life together again.
I liked Cain from the outset, although Jenny did not seem to be the right type of person for him, I grew to respect her loyalty to her man and her family. The Good Life is set over decades, which works for me and I love the fact that the reader sees a snippet of the future at the very beginning of the book. We then see Cain’s life progress over the years and this is a story that held my interest from the beginning to the end.
The Good Life tells a great story and an easy read. I enjoyed it, although some of the graphic detail of murders were a bit difficult. If you are not easily offended by bad language or violence, you might enjoy The Good Life too.
Valerie Penny
The Good Life is an interesting book in which the central character truly does learn, grow and change his life by the end of the novel. Cain Moran lives a life of crime. Jenny Riley is a naive, young girl. The novel tells a love story revolving around Cain and the love he has for Jenny. Cain is a face in London, England who seems to have it all. In her turn, Jenny is not interested in Cain's hard man reputation all she wants is to be with him. For Cain, loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife, Caroline, that he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer, because when Caroline said 'til death us do part', she meant it. When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish.
Caroline enjoyed The Good Life with Cain and loved the reflected glory she commanded as his wife. Jenny is not interested in the money or infamy Cain brings, although she does grow used to it and does miss it when he is sentenced to twenty-five years in jail, but not nearly as much as she misses him. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at The Good Life together again.
I liked Cain from the outset, although Jenny did not seem to be the right type of person for him, I grew to respect her loyalty to her man and her family. The Good Life is set over decades, which works for me and I love the fact that the reader sees a snippet of the future at the very beginning of the book. We then see Cain’s life progress over the years and this is a story that held my interest from the beginning to the end.
The Good Life tells a great story and an easy read. I enjoyed it, although some of the graphic detail of murders were a bit difficult. If you are not easily offended by bad language or violence, you might enjoy The Good Life too.
Valerie Penny
December 30, 2016
Why did I bother? I know Martina Cole's books have been getting very much the same as the last one the more she writes, but this was absolute crap. The only reason it's got a second star is because she managed to not make every man a paedophile for a change.
July 28, 2016
Gripping, Heart Breaking, Raw, Gritty & Intriguing! An Awesome Read! I Loved It!
May 12, 2019
Un libro cuya sinopsis y prólogo lo estropean todo. ¿Por qué digo esto? Pues porque ambas cosas ya te dicen lo más relevante que va a ocurrir. De hecho, el prólogo no solo hace un repaso a los que serán los sucesos más importantes en la vida de los protagonistas, sino que también te sitúa en el día en el que acabará la historia.
Luego se da un salto a 1979, año en el que Cain y Jenny, los protagonistas principales, se conocieron. Veremos sus circunstancias en ese momento y, posteriormente, a lo largo de toda la novela se irá detallando cómo fueron sus vidas en los 30 años siguientes. Desde mi punto de vista, debido a la falta de intriga y de sorpresas, la lectura resulta pesada en varios instantes. Además, no es un libro cortito, tiene 437 páginas y muchas son puro relleno.
Cain es un hombre de 28 años cuando lo conocemos. Está casado, tiene un hijo pequeño y vive una buena vida gracias a su éxito en negocios que no son precisamente legales. Jenny es una adolescente a la que él ayuda en una ocasión, es inocente y no tiene una relación idílica con su madre, la cual se dedica a meterse en problemas y a beber. Cuando ambos se conocen, surge una atracción inmediata que va creciendo cada vez más y que les conducirá a complicaciones que amenazarán su felicidad.
Aunque el prólogo se chive de dichas complicaciones, a mí me parece mal nombrarlas. Me gustaría conocer las razones de la autora para haber fastidiado de ese modo la lectura. A esto hay que añadir que la historia intenta dividir la atención entre los negocios de Cain y el triángulo amoroso compuesto por él, Jenny y Caroline, su esposa. Me aburría soberanamente con lo de Cain, sus enemigos y su estatus de mafioso, considero que se podría haber abreviado más esa parte, pues el tema amoroso es el que realmente es el eje de la trama. Lo que irán decidiendo Jenny y Cain y las reacciones de Caroline es lo que interesa. Se sabe la decisión más importante, pero eso no impide que dé cierta curiosidad ver cómo actúa cada personaje cuando eso ocurre.
Caroline es el personaje más inestable, no es ninguna santa y no deja indiferente con sus actos. Jenny flojea porque la autora la pinta como alguien que rara vez muestra un carácter fuerte ante los ataques que recibe o las desgracias que vive. Mientras Cain esté con ella, pues es como si todo diera igual. Cain es prácticamente el mismo durante todo el libro, pasan décadas y no noté cambios en él. Jenny evoluciona un poco más, pero incluso cuando le sucede algo muy trágico, vi que se volvía a destacar que lo que le importaba es que Cain y ella pudieran estar juntos.
Los capítulos son muy breves y eso ayuda a que la lectura sea fluida durante la mayor parte del tiempo, pero eso no impidió que yo siguiera pensando que sobraban páginas y que la autora cometió un error monumental con el dichoso prólogo y la sinopsis.
La puntuación real sería un 2,5/5 , pero no le doy el 3/5 porque los fallos que he comentado me dejaron una sensación muy agridulce y porque nunca me creí que existiera "la buena vida" de la que hablaban los protagonistas, ya que pasaron más tiempo sufriendo que disfrutando de lo que supuestamente tenían.
Luego se da un salto a 1979, año en el que Cain y Jenny, los protagonistas principales, se conocieron. Veremos sus circunstancias en ese momento y, posteriormente, a lo largo de toda la novela se irá detallando cómo fueron sus vidas en los 30 años siguientes. Desde mi punto de vista, debido a la falta de intriga y de sorpresas, la lectura resulta pesada en varios instantes. Además, no es un libro cortito, tiene 437 páginas y muchas son puro relleno.
Cain es un hombre de 28 años cuando lo conocemos. Está casado, tiene un hijo pequeño y vive una buena vida gracias a su éxito en negocios que no son precisamente legales. Jenny es una adolescente a la que él ayuda en una ocasión, es inocente y no tiene una relación idílica con su madre, la cual se dedica a meterse en problemas y a beber. Cuando ambos se conocen, surge una atracción inmediata que va creciendo cada vez más y que les conducirá a complicaciones que amenazarán su felicidad.
Aunque el prólogo se chive de dichas complicaciones, a mí me parece mal nombrarlas. Me gustaría conocer las razones de la autora para haber fastidiado de ese modo la lectura. A esto hay que añadir que la historia intenta dividir la atención entre los negocios de Cain y el triángulo amoroso compuesto por él, Jenny y Caroline, su esposa. Me aburría soberanamente con lo de Cain, sus enemigos y su estatus de mafioso, considero que se podría haber abreviado más esa parte, pues el tema amoroso es el que realmente es el eje de la trama. Lo que irán decidiendo Jenny y Cain y las reacciones de Caroline es lo que interesa. Se sabe la decisión más importante, pero eso no impide que dé cierta curiosidad ver cómo actúa cada personaje cuando eso ocurre.
Caroline es el personaje más inestable, no es ninguna santa y no deja indiferente con sus actos. Jenny flojea porque la autora la pinta como alguien que rara vez muestra un carácter fuerte ante los ataques que recibe o las desgracias que vive. Mientras Cain esté con ella, pues es como si todo diera igual. Cain es prácticamente el mismo durante todo el libro, pasan décadas y no noté cambios en él. Jenny evoluciona un poco más, pero incluso cuando le sucede algo muy trágico, vi que se volvía a destacar que lo que le importaba es que Cain y ella pudieran estar juntos.
Los capítulos son muy breves y eso ayuda a que la lectura sea fluida durante la mayor parte del tiempo, pero eso no impidió que yo siguiera pensando que sobraban páginas y que la autora cometió un error monumental con el dichoso prólogo y la sinopsis.
La puntuación real sería un 2,5/5 , pero no le doy el 3/5 porque los fallos que he comentado me dejaron una sensación muy agridulce y porque nunca me creí que existiera "la buena vida" de la que hablaban los protagonistas, ya que pasaron más tiempo sufriendo que disfrutando de lo que supuestamente tenían.
May 4, 2024
Loved the story line great book a must read
August 22, 2015
My first foray into the world of Martina Cole and I must say I won't be going there again! What a complete load of rubbish! I can't believe that I read almost half the book before I gave up! So very repetitive and a distinct overuse of the 'c' word. I didn't care about any of the characters, the chapters mainly last a page and a half (if you're lucky!) and it felt like it was written by a teenager that hadn't had much experience in writing! Perhaps the author has a particular type of audience in mind but it certainly isn't me! If I am a book snob then so be it!
May 6, 2017
Appallingly written - repetitive - everyone is 'loved with a passion' or 'hated with a vengeance' (or at least once, 'loved with a vengeance'.
Couldn't feel sympathy for any of the characters (of whom there were far too many).
Chichéd gangster-speak.
The audiobook was mostly just people yelling at each other - much like an episode of Eastenders.
Probably the worst book I've ever read.
Couldn't feel sympathy for any of the characters (of whom there were far too many).
Chichéd gangster-speak.
The audiobook was mostly just people yelling at each other - much like an episode of Eastenders.
Probably the worst book I've ever read.
November 15, 2014
It was okay. A quick read, most chapters were small. Disappointing ending.
August 20, 2022
Utter drivel - I DNF’d
Felt like Cole was pandering to a misogynistic Guy Ritchie character wannabe with the absolutely pathetic characterisation of men and women in this book. How am I meant to root for a main character that cheats in his wife and behaves like a turd on the regular ? No thanks
That’s what I get for buying this at 16 as part of a 3 for 2 at the Works.
Felt like Cole was pandering to a misogynistic Guy Ritchie character wannabe with the absolutely pathetic characterisation of men and women in this book. How am I meant to root for a main character that cheats in his wife and behaves like a turd on the regular ? No thanks
That’s what I get for buying this at 16 as part of a 3 for 2 at the Works.
August 25, 2022
im sorry why is no one concerned that the main relationship a 12-year age gap is in this book lmao 😭
i liked the book though, it really leads you on just so you want to finish it at once.
3,5 stars
i liked the book though, it really leads you on just so you want to finish it at once.
3,5 stars
June 2, 2020
I read a few of Martina Cole's book a few years ago so was interested to read this one. It was okay but felt it was a bit repetitive and predictable - I felt the prologue gave too much away.
December 25, 2018
My first Martina Cole’s book.
I was expecting something else, the crime and the action is not good enough, very simple and too much romance.
I wasn’t expecting that much romance, very annoying
I was expecting something else, the crime and the action is not good enough, very simple and too much romance.
I wasn’t expecting that much romance, very annoying
August 31, 2025
A enjoyable romp through Cain Moran's gangster empire to enable him and his ex wife (the awful, vindictive Caroline, mother of his first born Michael) together with his current wife Jenny, mother of his second born Cain jr. to life the Good Life, nice house/flat, plemty if money, wanting for nothing, until Cain gets 25 years for murder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2015
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 512
Publisher - Headline
Blurb from Goodreads
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE.
Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer...
Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain's hard-man reputation - she just wants to be with him.
But Cain is not a free man. And he's about to find out that when his wife Caroline said 'til death us do part, she meant it.
When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.
But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They're about to learn the hardest lesson of all:
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. PAY THE PRICE.
My Review
It has been ages since I read a Martina Cole book and I got this on offer. Jenny is nervous, Cain is getting home after a long stretch in jail and she ponders over things that have come to pass. The book then heads back to the past, when they first met and to present day. Jenny is fairly naive when she meets married man Cain but attraction overcomes them and they begin their journey. Cains wife is not a woman who takes disrespect and plagues their life together, on top of that the dangers of living the life will have consequences for them all.
To be honest, this was very nearly a two star book for me, not because of the story of the writing and I do enjoy how Cole spins a tale. More to do with the massive spoiler right at the beginning of the book. The whole story then goes back to the beginning of the couples lives and builds up to the spoiler but the reader already knows it is coming and there isn't anything new or surprising after that.
There are the usual, bad language, sex, drugs, murder, violence and the relationships and breakdowns of the faces and their associates. However, after reading your opening chapter, there is no big reveal as you are told what has happened. The story is still enjoyable, I just wish someone had pointed out the massive spoiler pre publishing and removed it, it would certainly have added more to the story finding out later. 3/5 for me this time, I have read this author before and will read her again.
Pages - 512
Publisher - Headline
Blurb from Goodreads
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE.
Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part; it was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer...
Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain's hard-man reputation - she just wants to be with him.
But Cain is not a free man. And he's about to find out that when his wife Caroline said 'til death us do part, she meant it.
When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.
But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They're about to learn the hardest lesson of all:
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. PAY THE PRICE.
My Review
It has been ages since I read a Martina Cole book and I got this on offer. Jenny is nervous, Cain is getting home after a long stretch in jail and she ponders over things that have come to pass. The book then heads back to the past, when they first met and to present day. Jenny is fairly naive when she meets married man Cain but attraction overcomes them and they begin their journey. Cains wife is not a woman who takes disrespect and plagues their life together, on top of that the dangers of living the life will have consequences for them all.
To be honest, this was very nearly a two star book for me, not because of the story of the writing and I do enjoy how Cole spins a tale. More to do with the massive spoiler right at the beginning of the book. The whole story then goes back to the beginning of the couples lives and builds up to the spoiler but the reader already knows it is coming and there isn't anything new or surprising after that.
There are the usual, bad language, sex, drugs, murder, violence and the relationships and breakdowns of the faces and their associates. However, after reading your opening chapter, there is no big reveal as you are told what has happened. The story is still enjoyable, I just wish someone had pointed out the massive spoiler pre publishing and removed it, it would certainly have added more to the story finding out later. 3/5 for me this time, I have read this author before and will read her again.
June 21, 2015
I really wanted to like this book as I had heard so much about it. However, it took some time to get used to the writing style and although I know it is about gangland crime I found the swearing to be totally excessive. Every second word was peppered with an 'F' this and 'C' that. Having said that, Martina Cole is a highly entertaining author and her books bring you on quite a journey. This is the second book I have read by Martina Cole, because I wanted to give her writing another chance, however it will be the last. Perhaps that's down to my own personal taste as there is a huge market for this sort of writing in the UK. It's just not for me.
Parts of the book began to get on my nerves, such as being told that Caroline was a realist several times, and like the previous book, gangland crime and violence was glamorised, and the police (or 'filth' as they were called) were bad people who were unnecessarily violent (!) I could not bring myself to like any of the characters in this book, there were literally no redeemable qualities for any of them, Which made it hard to complete the rest of the story as I didn't care what happened to them.
I listened to this book on my headphones as I had both the kindle and Audio version. I'm sorry to say that the narrator's performance was not an enjoyable experience. While I understand that she had to speak in an accent suited to the characters portrayed in the book, where were times when Caroline was arguing, that her voice almost pierced my eardrums. And that was prevalent throughout the story. If you like Jeremy Kyle and Eastenders with lots of swearing then you would probably enjoy this performance. But again perhaps it is unfair to blame the narrator when she is only speaking in tones suited to the style of writing. I would listen to her again narrating another book perhaps more suited to my tastes.
I'm not the sort of person that leaves negative reviews, so I found this difficult to write. I'm certainly no prude either. I usually enjoy Stephen King thrillers, crime books and horror so it has to be pretty excessive for me to write a negative review. I read the Kray story a while ago and really enjoyed it (if enjoy is the right term). This book is purely a matter of taste and I know there is a huge following for it. I'm just not one of them.
Parts of the book began to get on my nerves, such as being told that Caroline was a realist several times, and like the previous book, gangland crime and violence was glamorised, and the police (or 'filth' as they were called) were bad people who were unnecessarily violent (!) I could not bring myself to like any of the characters in this book, there were literally no redeemable qualities for any of them, Which made it hard to complete the rest of the story as I didn't care what happened to them.
I listened to this book on my headphones as I had both the kindle and Audio version. I'm sorry to say that the narrator's performance was not an enjoyable experience. While I understand that she had to speak in an accent suited to the characters portrayed in the book, where were times when Caroline was arguing, that her voice almost pierced my eardrums. And that was prevalent throughout the story. If you like Jeremy Kyle and Eastenders with lots of swearing then you would probably enjoy this performance. But again perhaps it is unfair to blame the narrator when she is only speaking in tones suited to the style of writing. I would listen to her again narrating another book perhaps more suited to my tastes.
I'm not the sort of person that leaves negative reviews, so I found this difficult to write. I'm certainly no prude either. I usually enjoy Stephen King thrillers, crime books and horror so it has to be pretty excessive for me to write a negative review. I read the Kray story a while ago and really enjoyed it (if enjoy is the right term). This book is purely a matter of taste and I know there is a huge following for it. I'm just not one of them.
February 10, 2017
This was the first Martina Cole book I've ever read.
I enjoyed the style of writing and how the chapters were small so the chapter never got boring.
I liked how the book always had something happening so I always wanted to carry on reading.
I would recommend this book to others and will also read more Martina Cole books in the future.
Really enjoyed this book so thank you to my lovely daughter for my gift xx
I enjoyed the style of writing and how the chapters were small so the chapter never got boring.
I liked how the book always had something happening so I always wanted to carry on reading.
I would recommend this book to others and will also read more Martina Cole books in the future.
Really enjoyed this book so thank you to my lovely daughter for my gift xx
May 27, 2016
I have read hundreds of books over the past two years. A few years previously, I didn't have much interest in reading, truth be told. Then I read a Martina Cole book (I believe it was 'The Ladykiller') and I was hooked line and sinker. Not just on Martina Cole but on reading - anything and everything. It opened my mind to a brand new world so I do have a HUGE admiration for Martina Cole and anything she writes. 'The Good Life' was yet another absolute belter of a book. Fast paced and exciting - not to mention graphic and a little on the 'extreme' side at times - I couldn't ask for more from a book. As usual, Martina takes us on a journey through the nitty-gritty underworld and frankly, I love it.
May 28, 2015
Not really what I was hoping for. I've read all but one of Martina's books and I have to say it's getting a bit tedious now. The more recent books have been more or less the same story with predictable outcomes. One thing that does frustrate me is the constant use of the same names. Every time I have read the word "Eileen" in this book I automatically think of Eileen Cavanagh. Another thing I notice is, all of her characters drink copious amounts of tea and whiskey at any given time.
August 1, 2015
It's been a while since I last read a Martina Cole book so I'm glad this was the one I chose to get me back into her work. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I loved all the characters and even empathised with some of them. I thought the plot was written well and characters well rounded. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to those who've never read Martina before. Am really looking forward to her next book: Get Even.
Long may Martina Cole continue!!
Long may Martina Cole continue!!
December 25, 2014
Never finished reading. I really did not enjoy and colourful language and felt the use of it was overdone and it turned me off. Perhaps it was a good read and the language helped build the characters, however, I don't like listening to such poor language so why should I read it. This is my own opinion for what it's worth.
July 29, 2016
I really enjoy martina cole books and did like the initial storyline to this. alot happened and the ending was good. I even almost shed a tear at one part. But the book also annoyed me. Only because I found the author repeating herself alot and it bugged me how she always used the characters full names not just the first name.
October 10, 2019
Bought for me by Jon and Helen for Christmas. Easy read, very repetitive and a bit tedious. Felt like something a class of pupils had written a chapter in turn after being given a character summary of all in it as some phrases are used over and over again, will not read any more of her novels! About London gangsters.
November 14, 2019
4.5 stars
I love this author and loved this book. At the heart of the story was a great love affair and the twists and turns that it went through to ultimately survive.
As usual the characters were drawn in a way that felt very real and I found myself hoping for the best for the ones I liked. If you love Martina Cole then you'll love this book.
I love this author and loved this book. At the heart of the story was a great love affair and the twists and turns that it went through to ultimately survive.
As usual the characters were drawn in a way that felt very real and I found myself hoping for the best for the ones I liked. If you love Martina Cole then you'll love this book.
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