Dangerous Lady [Paperback]

Martina Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2005

No one thinks a seventeen-year-old girl can take on the hard men of London's gangland, but it's a mistake to underestimate Maura Ryan: she's tough, clever and beautiful - which makes her one very dangerous lady. Together, she and her brother Michael are unbeatable but notoriety has its price. The police are determined to put away Maura once and for all - and not everyone in the family think that's such a bad idea. When it comes to the crunch, Maura has to face the pain of lost love in her past - and the dangerous lady discovers her heart is not make entirely of stone.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

No. 1 bestselling author Martina Cole was born and brought up in Essex. She is the bestselling author of eleven novels set in London's gangland, and her most recent three novels have gone straight to No. 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller lists. DANGEROUS LADY is her first novel. Not only was it a huge bestseller on first publication but it was also adapted into a highly successful TV drama series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Headline; Anniversary Edition edition (October 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747239320
• ISBN-13: 978-0747239321
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.5 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Read about one Tough Cookie, February 13, 2004

By 

Karen Holtz "NJ Book Girl" (Woodside, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dangerous Lady (Hardcover)

The story starts with the birth of a baby girl, Maura Ryan, into the poverty that is South London in the 1950s. Marua is the first female born into a family that lives by its wits in the bomb sites of post war England. Her father is an alcoholic, her mother runs the show, her older brothers are violent. They are thieves.

Marua, who along with her unpleasant brothers, useless father and tough mother, becomes the queen of organized crime in London's gangland. The story take us from the cockroach infested family home of the 1950s to the phenomenal rise to a life of wealth and riches in the 1990s.

DANGEROUS LADY gives us a shocking insight into the life of London's underworld. The story is realistic, believable and an entertaining way to spend a weekend in the country and well worth the read.

Karen Holtz, New Jersey Book Girl

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, January 22, 2006

By 

Donkey's Mouth - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dangerous Lady (Hardcover)

Fantastic.

This book delves into the gang ridden underbelly of British society. Grittingly realistic, it follows one family who build from poverty to establish themselves as one of the most prominant gangs in London. Set in an era when the lifestyles followed by the family were rife throughout large portions of England, the book captures the internal struggles within and gives insight into the different minds at work behind gang warfare. A topic that would have been easy to over dramatise and even easier to glorify is treated with care, graphically detailing the torture and psychological problems born out of such a lifestyle.

A wonderful read, gripping from the start and never letting up in intensity throughout. This is a must read for anyone into crime novel, or gritty realism.

Look forward to reading the sequel.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read!, April 24, 2011

By 

D. Williamson "Hooked on Kindle!" (Moncton, NB Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dangerous Lady (Kindle Edition)

Dangerous Lady introduces us to the last child for Sara Ryan who grows up to become a fearless leader in the English underworld. Everything she knows was taught to her by her brother Michael Ryan and Maura is an apt pupil. The story is a non-stop ride that takes you through decades of criminal activity with Maura staying on top of her game. Loved this book and the strong woman characters that Martina Cole describes.