Not Business As Usual for Martina Cole. (The Business - Martina Cole)

Member Name: Pinz72

Product:	The Business - Martina Cole
Date:	13/06/09 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice big hardback - will hold open a heavy door!

Disadvantages: Lacking in plot.

I usually look forward to reading Martina Cole's latest offering, however, I was very disappointed with "The Business". If you're familiar with her work you will know that her books focus on the seedy, violent underworld of gangland London and it's normally gripping, can't put down stuff.

This book centres around the Dooley family, in particular the heroin-addicted Imelda and the repercussions that her drug addiction has on her parents and her children as they grow up. There's not much to like about Imelda - this was the problem that I found with most of the characters in the book, many of them had no endearing qualities at all and when you did get a glimpse of something in one, in the next chapter you ended up thinking they were scum again! We follow Imelda through her life from a teenager to when her two children are grown-up.

I found this book to be very repetitive and the author seemed to concentrate on explaining different characters at length, to the point that, quite honestly, it bored me! In most chapters, I found myself speed-reading through a number of paragraphs of dross to try to reach the stuff that focused more on the actual plot of the story.

If you've read other Martina Cole books, you will likely find this one a disappointment. It doesn't hook you and wind you in. Far better to go for something by another author - try some of Tess Gerritsen's stuff - The Sinner is one that I would give 5 stars.

Summary: Not up to Martina Cole's usual standard.