Revenge by Martina ColeMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 5 days
Publisher - Headline
Psges - 512
Blurb from Goodreads
BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT.
Michael Flynn is untouchable in a world of power, money and violence. He fights for what he wants and he takes it, whatever the cost. He learns the rules of the Life from the best and when his mentor, legendary Face Patrick Costello, is taken out, no one questions that Michael Flynn is his natural successor. For Michael, loyalty - and crime - pay.
Michael rises to heights beyond anything the criminal underworld has seen. He owns everyone and he rules his empire with an even but fierce hand. No one would dare challenge him.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Perhaps Michael Flynn is not so untouchable after all, and he must learn that...
WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE CAN BE NO FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
My Review
I quite like Martina Cole, she was one of the first crime authors I read after starting to branch into the crime genre. The story focuses around Michael Flynn and the disappearance of his daughter, the building of his empire and how he came to get to where he is now. The time flips from the present, Michael's daughter Jess going missing and then back to when he first gets into the business and finally back to present day.
As with all of Cole's work it contains a whole load of bad language, murder, skulduggery, crime and drugs. The story itself gives you a back drop on all aspects of Michaels life, meeting his wife, the decisions he has to make and the kind of man he is. I do enjoy a crime read and don't mind the grittiness however I have to agree that Cole is not the same writer as her earlier books. The hard edge is still there however I found so much repetition, the book could have been at least 100 pages lighter and not impacted on the story at all. I read this over 5 days due to work and normally I have to read back a bit to catch up however the repetition saved me from doing that and when I did get a good run at reading it I noticed the repetition immediately.
I do like to have answers to all my questions and Cole didn't disappoint there, however I did find the ending a tad of a let down without getting into it, I don't do spoilers. It just seemed like some characters did a bit of a 1-80 and it just didn't gel for me. There are some good twists along the way and it was a good read however based on her previous tales it was a bit pale in comparison. 3/5 this time for me, I would still read her next book but I certainly wouldn't be racing to get it or pre ordering it I'm afraid.
I remember reading one Cole book when younger and loving it. But the library never had any more
ReplyDeleteLike the previous commenter, I've also only read one Martina Cole book. I'm not averse to swearing at all, but I did feel she overused it to the point where it annoyed the hell out of me, and that's the reason I haven't read another of hers. Don't think I'll be picking this one up either ...
ReplyDeleteI do think that a certain kind of book does need to show the dark side of the world so I agree that the grittiness in a book like this is something to expect.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition of the type that you describe can really get tedious.
I am not familiar with the author or her books. I like gritty now and then just not a steady diet of it. I feel the same way about cozies. So, it balances out. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about this one. I have trouble when characters step out of character and do 1-80's. It sounds though like the author is worth giving a try though--at least her earlier books. Hopefully it was just this one that didn't work for you and the next one will be better.
I don't like it when the characters do something very unexpected, then I find it hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of this author before. I do like the cover.
Great review. My sister is a big fan of this author and had almost the same to say as you.
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