 | Leading an investigation into the neglect and abandonment of a number of young Grantley children throws DI Kate Burrows into contact with the most vile and repugnant of criminals. As a mother herself, Kate finds their crimes almost incomprehensible. And with the case becoming ever more sinister, she knows she needs to find answers quickly. Emotionally drained by the rigours of the investigation, it's a real struggle for Kate to find the energy to deal with the complex problems unfolding in her domestic life. Despite assurances to the contrary it seems Patrick Kelly, hardman and love of DI Burrows' life, is still firmly entrenched in the East End underworld. When a body turns up in Patrick's seedy Soho club it seems he has finally got in over his head and the only person in a position to help him is Kate. Set in familiar Cole territory of East End London, Broken is every bit as gritty and compelling as The Ladykiller. The story as it unfolds is gruesome, uncomfortable and peppered with violence but it is also carefully and thoroughly researched. Martina Cole knows what life in Grantley is and does not shy away from using the strong language of the street in addition to enough cockney rhyming slang to put any would-be pearly king to the test. A well-paced, gripping page-turner with strong, credible female characters, Broken definitely fits the unputdownable category. --Sarah Crawford |
