Women = GOOD. Men = BAD. (Two Women - Martina Cole)

Member Name: karenuk

Product:	Two Women - Martina Cole
Date:	21/09/04 (141 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: compelling, great characters, twists and turns

Disadvantages: swearing, violence, taboo themes

INTRODUCTION

I have phases of reading. I always have at least one book on the go, but sometimes reading gets pushed to the back of the queue. First it was the Olympics, then a rather dull Pratchett book that prioritised other things over reading.

However, this week, the situation has been reversed. I have been going to bed early to read, neglecting Ciao and ignoring emails. Why? I have been reading another Martina Cole novel. This one was Two Women and – like with all her books I have read – it is so easy to get hooked!

Cole’s books often follow familiar themes – gangland murders, prostitution, abused women, horrific violence – and some of these are present in this novel too, but overall, I found Two Women to be the LEAST violent of her books that I have read. Guns are rarely used, there are no mass murderers and this one stood out as being something rather different.

The strong women characters still feature as much as ever and I am sure they are a major factor in Cole’s success. She creates women who fight back, who protect their children, who struggle – but win. There are many inspiring females here.

The men, on the other hand, get rather short-changed. They are the child abusers, the wife beaters, the heartless, the ruthless, the bullies. I wonder how many male fans Cole has in her readership?

PLOT

Two Women is the story of a woman called Susan. We follow her through childhood, her teenage years and into adulthood. She is a pathetic figure in many ways and initially seems to have little going for her. Her only asset appears to be her large breasts, but these get her into trouble – first, being raped by her father, then a major draw to her boyfriend Barry.

Believing Barry loves her as she loves him; they marry and begin a family. But when Susan’s dream is realised, she discovers it is more like a nightmare. Barry was attracted to Susan because of her father, Joey McNamara’s reputation for being a hard man. He wants to follow the same kind of lifestyle as Joey and soon it becomes obvious to Susan that Barry is like her father in many ways.

Her life becomes hell, as she is faced with a demanding, violent and abusive husband. He uses drugs, visits prostitutes and takes what he wants from Susan when he wants it. Her only comfort is her children, who she loves and adores. Everyone knows she is a wonderful mother, despite her husband and her childhood experiences.

As any parent knows, that instinct to protect your kids is a very strong one. When Barry becomes a threat to their kids, what is Susan supposed to do?

REVIEW

It is always difficult to review Martina Cole’s novels, because there are so many twists and surprises and you don’t want to spoil any of them. I would even suggest you don’t read the blurb on the back of the book, as I think it gives away more than you need to know.

The plot turns and hidden shocks just keep on coming in this book. The final surprise is quite near the end and I hadn’t even guessed it, although in hindsight there were clues. It makes this book the page turner it is.

I read large chunks of this, literally unable to take my eyes off the words or to put the book down. I think Cole’s novels would be ideal for taking on holiday, as they are thick enough to be a decent read (Two Women is over 660 pages long.) but won’t take you more than a week to read, as you become desperate to discover what happens next!

The characters are all so well described that you care about them very quickly. Even minor characters are easy to picture. Cole is also an expert on dynamics. She understands that some people click, others clash. This creates tension, as you can feel it coming off the page and hold your breath, waiting to find out what happens. Hatred, passion and desperation are here in equal measure and we see how Barry, for example, behaves differently in each situation, showing how people have facades and roles they fit into, depending on who they are with.

The role of the family is another present theme in Cole’s books. This is not to say that her fictional families are perfectly happy! They are far too real to be perfect. Even the heroes and heroines of her novels have faults – but haven’t we all? That’s what makes us humans, not robots and this is why her books are so believable and easy to get into.

Her family relationships demonstrate the whole range from the worst to the best. In Two Women, Susan has a bad childhood – an abusive father, a philandering mother, an interfering grandmother. When she becomes a mother herself, she ensures her own children are treated much better and she understands you do this by showing them love.

Martina Cole’s books are enlightening in many ways. She convinces us that prostitutes can be heroines, murders can be justified and life is not always what it seems. I am not generally a reader of thrillers or a fan of violence and swearing, yet her books have become my favourites and with each new one, my admiration for this author increases.

All I can say, in conclusion, is try one of her books. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.



£6.99 paperback
ISBN 0-7472-5540-7
www.headline.co.uk

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