Cole - The Life

Copyright 2012 Martina Cole

The right of Martina Cole to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

First published as an Ebook by Headline Publishing Group in 2012

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The lyrics acknowledgements constitute an extension of this copyright page.

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

eISBN 978 0 7553 7560 8

Cover photographs Kelly Hill/Millennium Images UK (pavement)
and Paul Gooney/Arcangel Images (figure)

HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
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Martina Cole pulls no punches, writes as she sees it, refuses to patronise or condescend to either her characters or fans... And meanwhile sells more books than almost any other crime writer in the country Independent on Sunday

Distinctive and powerfully written fiction The Times

The stuff of legend... its vicious, nasty and utterly compelling Mirror

Martina Cole again explores the shady criminal underworld, a setting she is fast making her own Sunday Express

Cole has the amazing talent of making characters appear larger than life. Another fabulous effort Sun

A masterpiece of plotting, characterisation and drama... Terrific stuff from a terrific lady Mirror

Martina Cole writes crime novels that are intensely readable Guardian

A blinding good read Ray Winstone

A typical blend of Eastenders with the Sopranos and a few of the nastier moments of The Forsyte SagaThe Times

Cole at her finest... gritty dialogue, shocking violence and a gripping storyline Daily Express

She continues to maintain her reputation as one of the best fiction authors around with this gritty and unforgettable story of a family immersed in a world of violence and revenge. Spectacular Closer

Dangerous Lady

The Ladykiller

Goodnight Lady

The Jump

The Runaway

Two Women

Broken

Faceless

Mauras Game

The Know

The Graft

The Take

Close

Faces

The Business

Hard Girls

The Family

The Faithless

The Life

Revenge

The Good Life

The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark in the world. Peter and Daniel are chalk and cheese in many ways Peters calm exterior belies his ruthless nature, while Daniels penchant for spectacular violence is legendary but together they are unstoppable. From the late seventies they rule Londons East End and, when their sons join the business, it seems that no one can touch the powerful Baileys. Although its never easy at the top; there is always someone waiting to take you down sometimes even those closest to you...

Lena Bailey is determined to shield her youngest child Tania from the Life. But when a terrible tragedy occurs, Tanias eyes are opened to their world in a way that forces her to make an irrevocable choice that will determine her future.

After books, my big love is music. As Im writing of a night time, I listen to the sounds of the eras I am writing about. Its a perfect way to get into the characters minds and, as everyone knows, a certain record can transport you back to a particular moment in time. If I hear Mama Weer All Crazee Now by Slade, I can remember with stunning clarity one of my oldest friends, Graham Petherick, air-guitaring to it as a crowd of us watched his silhouette through his bathroom window! When I listen to Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3, I can see my daughter Freddie Mary and my grandson Lewis, both four years old at the time, singing along to it as we travelled down to my caravan in Eastbourne. Wonderful memories, captured in time by music. Music can do that to you, bring back a memory and make you smile even on your saddest of days. After I buried my mum, I played Bowie, and even in my grief I had to smile as I remembered her asking me to turn up Rock n Roll Suicide on my record player; she loved that song, she loved Bowie. She died in the early eighties, eight months after my fathers death, and I still miss them both very much.

As I wrote The Life, I listened to a lot of Alabama 3 one of my favourite bands of all time and I have used their lyrics in this book. They are the band I listen to most these days. I have seen them live, and they are a really visual band, whose music seems to encompass the thoughts of many different generations. I look forward to seeing them again soon. I was very lucky to be asked to be a part of their latest album, Shoplifting For Jesus, and I am now pretending to be a recording artist! Thanks, guys, especially Ian Gough and Larry Love.

I cant believe it has been twenty years since the publication of my first book Dangerous Lady. To celebrate, Dangerous Lady is going to be performed as a play at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, in East London. This theatre is very close to my heart; if we lose the local theatres and the libraries, the whole heart of local communities will be gone. Its a disgrace, and something that needs to be addressed because we will never get these things back. Without my local library when I was a child, I dont know what I would have done, and our local theatre also played a big part in my quest for knowledge.

Dangerous Lady was a big milestone in my life, and Im very proud of it. I would never have been published had it not been for my agent, Darley Anderson, who is not only my agent but a wonderful friend to boot. I cant thank him enough for everything, especially his friendship and support. Darley is that rare breed a man who genuinely understands women! He is also my daughters godfather, and a close member of my family, loved by us all. His wisdom is unique, and his friendship means the world to me.

Susan Fletcher, my first editor and a terrific person, who believed in me from her first glance at