The Ladykiller - Martina Cole

Having finished reading two good biographies, I wanted to find a good fiction novel to get into. I picked up several and tried a few pages, but couldn’t really get into them. So I turned to a reliable source of literary entertainment – Martina Cole. The Ladykiller was the eighth book of hers that I have read and as I had enjoyed the others immensely, it seemed a safe bet that this one would also meet my high expectations. But did it? Read on… Not long after beginning the novel, I was warned it was Cole’s most graphic book and this needs to be stated clearly. Cole’s books are never for the faint-hearted, but The Ladykiller makes her other novels seem ...  Read the complete review

George Markham, to the outside world is an unassuming sort of person. At first glance he seems like just another ordinary guy; hes quiet, has a good job, a nice car and lives with his wife in suburbia. Look a little deeper and you will find a man who is more than a bit hen-pecked and nagged by his wife and thought of by his work colleagues as a bit of a loser, even a bit "sad". He has no real friends, he doesnt seem to belong. Some would even go so far as to think of him as "creepy". If only this was all there was to Mr Markham! Appearances can be deceptive. Very deceptive indeed in the case of this particular gentleman. He likes domination ...  Read the complete review

Martina Cole is an extremely successful author, she has written eleven number one best sellers. The book starts with the first character we get to know, he is George, George Markham, he appears to be hen pecked and very placid, his wife nags the life out of him, and he seems to plod along in life, and accepts that his marriage is stale if not completely dead. As the book continues you begin to understand that this is not just everyday nagging, but total disrespect and cruelty. But henpecked George is not all he seems, he has a darker side, and without giving too much away he has an extremely sinister, terrifiying side to him. Throughout the book we ...  Read the complete review

I love to read a good book and this one caught my eye. Having read a couple of Martina Cole before I knew I'd probably like it. Characters: All the characters you could identify with. I know a good author when I can picture in my head what they might look like and I had an image with all of them, especially George Markham with his secret smile. The physical and emotional descriptions are excellent. I think Martina is excellent in creating 'hard' characters but bringing out their human side so that you feel empathy with them even though I'm sure you're not supposed to. Martina weaves several extra characters in well, and none are extras for the sake of ...  Read the complete review

The Ladykiller is Martina Cole?s second novel, it's a dramatic change to her debut Dangerous Lady, however still follows the seedy and criminal underground world of London. George Markham has found an interest in reading and watching pornographic material with men dominating women, soon this turns into hardcore S & M and leads onto an interest in snuff movies. A very unhealthy interest for anyone - but George oversteps the boundaries and makes his wildest fantasies become reality. What has made George act in such a sadistic and violent manner towards women? How long can he keep his secret? As a growing number of women are found raped and ...  Read the complete review