No Mercy is a standalone novel by Martina Cole. Diana Davis finds herself at the helm of the family enterprise after her husband’s passing, a man remembered as an infamous bank robber. Stepping into a realm dominated by men, she commands respect and instills fear—no one dares to underestimate her. But that’s not the only Martina Cole book that has a stage adaptation. First was Two Women in 2010, then the production of The Graft in 2011. Both also had runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Most of her books take place in London and Essex, which is an area she is quite familiar with from her upbringing. As well, many of her books are standalones, following new characters amid similar themes of family, loyalty, betrayal, and murder. Cole does not shy away from violence and brutality in her writing, painting a grim picture with an inexplicable pull through her storytelling. Who is Martina Cole?

The final title on this list, Loyalty, has a tentative publication date of June 20, 2024. However, this book was originally scheduled for publication in 2020 before it was pushed out to the following year, then pushed out again. In 2011, Cole also surpassed the 50 million pounds mark in sales of her books. She was the first British female novelist writing for an adult audience to hit this milestone since the records began. For Michael, loyalty — and crime — pay. Michael Flynn rises to heights beyond anything the criminal underworld has seen. He owns everyone and he rules his empire with an even but fierce hand.

Martina Cole’s debut is a great place to begin reading her books. It documents the exploits of a seventeen-year-old girl, Maura Ryan, taking on the men of the criminal underworld alongside her brother Michael, leaving a trail of notoriety behind them. Cole returned to the characters from her first novel a decade later with another installment following the brutal and ruthless character of Maura Ryan. Martina Cole Synopses: Dangerous Lady is Martina Cole’s debut novel. Most would doubt that a 17 year-old girl would be any match for the gangs of London, but most aren’t Maura Ryan. Maura is not only tough, but also savvy and stunning, making her a very dangerous lady. She and her brother Michael are unbeatable as a team, but along with notoriety comes a price. The police want to put Maura behind bars – and even members of her family aren’t going to argue. Yet amidst his ruthless ascent, Angus carries a vulnerability—his wife, Lorna, and their three children, Angus Junior, Sean, and Eilish. This very family that should have been his strength becomes a chink in his armor, a blind spot that elicits unforeseen repercussions. As the upcoming generation entwines itself into the fabric of their perilous undertakings, Angus confronts a brutal reality. In this world where business and kin are inextricably linked, he must confront a harsh truth: even amidst the embrace of family, mercy remains an elusive luxury. Martina was brought up on a council estate, but because her parents were hard workers, her family was the first on the estate to have carpets and a television. Even as a child, she loved reading. One of her favorite authors then was Catherine Cookson, the first of her books she read being The Round Tower. She enjoyed reading so much, that she even had a go at writing herself, completing her first book when she was just 14 years old.

As well, both The Jump and The Runaway have small screen adaptations in the form of television series. Martina Cole was born on the 30th of March in 1959, which was a Monday. For those readers interested in all things astrological, that makes her an Aries, which is one of the Fire signs.We next catch up with Martina when she's at a convent school - her family were Catholic - and she was caught reading The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins by one of the nuns. The book has sexual content, so Martina was reportedly… The Jump was made into a four-part mini-series in 1998. It stars Adrian Dunbar, Jonathan Cake, Susan Vidler, and John Light.