Knowledge is a Killer? (The Know - Martina Cole)

Member Name: brittle1906

Product:	The Know - Martina Cole
Date:	16/02/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An absorbing thriller

Disadvantages: Language may offend some readers

A review of 'The Know' by Martina Cole

I was first introduced to Martina Cole's work by my mother, who in her own inimitable way handed me a book called 'The Know' and stated that it was a 'disgusting' book, so she thought I might like it.....
There started my collection of Martina Cole novels!

**The author**
The author was born in 1958 and brought up in Essex.
She wrote her first novel, 'Dangerous Lady' when she was a single mum in her early twenties. The novel was written in long hand and Martina Cole held on to her novel before eventually plucking up courage to approach a literary agent, Darley Anderson, with the book in the early 1990's. Dangerous Lady became an instant best seller.

Martina Cole writes of subjects that to many are considered taboo, prostitution, drugs, paedophiles, people smuggling and gangland crime to mention a few topics. In The Know, all these are covered. Ms Cole is not afraid to draw on things that most of us find uncomfortable and work them into her novels. She pulls no punches and tells her tales of crime and the shady criminal underworld in a highly readable fashion. Several of Martina Cole's novels have gone on to become television drama series and when first published in 2003, The Know' jumped straight to No1 of the Sundy Times bestseller list and remained there for seven weeks.

Martina Cole has divorced twice, she has a son, a daughter and one grandchild, she still lives in Essex.

Martina Cole's web site address is www.martinacole.co.uk.

**The Know**

The story covers the family and life of prostitute Joanie Brewer. Joanie is the typical tart with a heart, yes she's on the game but she works the streets to provide for her children, Jon Jon, at 18 years old already knee deep in crime and a hard man in the making, 14 year old Jeanette, a street wise foul mouthed girl who knows far more than any 14 year old should and the baby of the family 11 year old Kira. Kira is the apple of Joanie and Jon Jon's eyes, she is a happy childish little girl who has learning difficulties, Joanie relies on Jon Jon and Jeanette to care for Kira while she is out plying her trade, much to Jeanette's chagrin. Kira is the only one of Joanie's three children not to have spent time in care and she is anxious that it stays that way. The story opens with Joanie being told by the police that her daughter's body has been found.
Joanie's pimp, Paulie Martin is a central character to the story, he has been a pimp for most of his life, having started out pimping his own mother. He has a wife and children who do not know what he really does for a living, although he has a finger in almost every pie imaginable and has several high ranking police officers in his pay. He is also Kira's father, although this is not discovered until almost the end of the book. Paulie offers Jon Jon work as he can see the youngster could be useful to him, this proves ultimately to be Paulie's downfall.

'Little' Tommy Thompson, another main character, is a morbidly obese neighbour, who lives with his bullying father, becomes Kira's childminder when it becomes obvious that Jeanette cannot be trusted to keep an eye on the child. Tommy is shy and reserved but under the friendship of the Brewer family he comes out of his shell and blossoms until events overtake the whole estate and rock his new found confidence and his world.
Kira is friendly with Bethany the daughter of another prostitute and Joanie's sometime friend, Monika. Bethany is a much bolder child altogether and leads Kira into all kinds of scrapes such as pinching a bottle of booze and getting so drunk that she is hospitalised with alcoholic poisoning, however Bethany is also into something far more sinister and shady than mere drinking. When Kira disappears without trace it is Bethany who holds the key to the tragic events leading up to Kira's subsequent death. More I will not reveal for fear of spoiling the outcome for readers!


**My summary**

This book is a heart wrenching read, at times the subject matter is unpleasant, the violence and bad language are there aplenty but not gratuitously, it is a harrowing story and one that Martina Cole tells remarkably well. The characters are believable, well drawn and completely in keeping with the context of the storyline.
My only complaint is that the prologue tells the reader that little Kira had been abducted and her body has been found, I would have preferred the story to follow a logical pattern and not know the outcome at the start.
(If you are easily offended by the 'F' and 'C' words I would not recommend this novel to you.)

**About the book**

ISBN 0-7472-6764-2
First Published in hardback 2003 by Headline Book Publishing
First Published in paperback 2004 by Headline Book Publishing
RRP £6.99 paperback.
Thank you for reading.
brittle1906
February 2009

*This review also published on helium.com and peazyshop.co.uk under pen-name brittle1906

Summary: A modern crime/thriller novel