Book Review: Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole

The Ryans—Benjamin and Sarah—and their nine children, eight sons and a daughter, live in poverty and hardship in a seedy district of London. Michael, the eldest, is devoted to his mother and especially protective of his little sister Maura, the bright spot in an otherwise harsh household. His feelings toward his father, a habitual drinker who drifts through life with little purpose, are distant. It is from him that Michael and his brothers are drawn early into petty crime. 

It is not long before the “Bills”—as the police are called in the novel—come calling. Michael develops an intense dislike for the uniformed men. As he grows up to become a powerful and feared mobster, that antipathy toward the police becomes one of his main traits—one that nearly destroys the very family he is determined to protect.

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Martina Cole’s Dangerous Lady traces Michael Ryan’s rise in the London underworld. In many ways, Ryan—born into an Irish-English family and eventually ruling the West End underworld of London—echoes Michael Corleone, the Sicilian-American heir who comes to dominate New York’s gangland. The resemblance, however, is only partial.

In spite of Michael's intimidating presence through most of the 416-page novel, Dangerous Lady is not so much about him as his beautiful sister Maura. Following a secret love affair with a cop, fear of Michael and a painful abortion at the age of 17, she joins her brother and together they build a criminal empire that would’ve made the Sicilian Mafia proud. She proves her worth not just to Michael and her other brothers, but even to the traditionally male-dominated crime syndicates of London. But Maura also has a soft side to her, the result of unfulfilled love that comes back to haunt her and perhaps a chance at redemption.

British crime writer Martina Cole’s debut novel is more than a high-octane crime story; it is the violent saga of a crime family whose exploits stretch from post-war London in the 1950s to the mid-1980s. As the years roll on, the Ryans lose more than they gain, both within the family and on the streets of the West End.

Though Dangerous Lady is a crime drama with plenty of action and gritty scenes, I did have a few reservations about the novel. At times it feels rather long, with the narrative slowing and moving back and forth in time. I am not particularly fond of flashbacks, which may have shaped my reading of these sections. The writing is fairly straightforward, as is the dialogue. I also found it difficult to fully empathise with or connect to the characters—Michael or Maura, their strong-willed mother Sarah, or even the brothers who work in Michael’s organisation.

Despite these issues, Dangerous Lady is both entertaining and readable. It offers a dramatic canvas of organised crime, along with an all-too-real portrayal of an unlikely female gangster with a heart. I plan to read more of the Maura Ryan series, as well as other books by the author.

Confessions of a Book Collector: So Much for Restraint

In the first three months of this year, I bought more books than I did in the whole of 2018. So much for restraint. Any resolve to cut back on book buying quickly disappeared as I walked through book exhibitions and second-hand bookstalls looking for interesting books and comics.

A few titles, including Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, were bought online (I already own his Sapiens and Homo Deus.) I also picked up several guides to better writing, two of which are featured below. And although I ordered Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology for my son, I intend to read it myself at some point.

The highlight of the haul was the discovery of three rare Sudden novels by British author Oliver Strange, including two different Corgi editions of The Range Robbers. The book is the first of ten adventures featuring the Texas outlaw James Green, better known as Sudden for his lightning-fast draw. After Strange's death, English writer Frederick Nolan wrote five more Sudden novels under the pseudonym Frederick H. Christian. They remain my favourite westerns to this day.

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Having explored humanity's past in Sapiens and its future in Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari turns his attention to some of the most pressing questions facing the modern world in 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories shows Agatha Christie at her most versatile, with a mix of mysteries, twists and suspenseful tales featuring both familiar and lesser-known characters. 

In The Wrath of God, Jack Higgins—my favourite writer of all time—combines action, suspense and political intrigue in a gripping tale of revenge set in a troubled South American republic.

The Mating Season is a classic Jeeves and Wooster comedy, filled with Wodehouse's trademark humour, eccentric characters and tangled plots. 

Blind Eagle is one of the many instalments in Don Pendleton's long-running Stony Man series, known for its military action, covert operations and fast-paced storytelling. 

The Wilt Alternative is the second novel in Tom Sharpe's popular Wilt series, known for its sharp satire, eccentric characters and wildly improbable comic situations. 

Captain America: The Secret Story of Marvel's Star-Spangled Super Hero offers a behind-the-scenes look at the character's creators, adventures and cultural significance over the decades. 

 

Norse Mythology is Neil Gaiman's retelling of the classic Norse myths, capturing their humour, wonder, magic and tragedy in his distinctive storytelling style.

Dreyer's English combines writing tips, grammar guidance and editorial wisdom with a generous dose of humour. Drawing on decades of editorial experience, Benjamin Dreyer provides an entertaining and insightful guide to clearer, more effective writing.

100 Ways to Improve Your Writing distils Gary Provost's years of writing and teaching experience into a practical collection of 100 concise tips to help writers communicate more clearly, effectively and confidently. 

The Range Robbers is the first novel in Oliver Strange's Sudden series, introducing James Green, a mysterious drifter better known as Sudden for his lightning-fast draw. Guided by a strong sense of justice, the western hero repeatedly finds himself confronting outlaws, corruption and lawlessness across the American frontier, while making new friends wherever he goes. The book launched a series of 15 adventures, 10 written by Strange and a further five by Frederick Nolan after the author's death.

Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

In order to find yourself, sometimes you have to lose something. Or, in Cheryl Strayed’s case, someone very dear—her mother, who dies of cancer. The loss leaves her distraught and sets off a chain of difficult events in her life: estrangement from her stepfather and younger siblings, extramarital affairs and drug use, the painful decision to put down her horse, and a divorce from the man who truly loved and cared for her.

Cheryl is lost in the wilderness of her life. And it is the wilderness she turns to, hoping to find herself again or, as she puts it, “to save myself.”

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Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is an engaging and entertaining memoir filled with vivid details of her journey.

Four years after her mother’s death, Cheryl sets out on an epic and deeply personal journey—all alone—hiking the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail stretching from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. Her own route begins in the Mojave Desert, then moves through California and Oregon, finally reaching the Bridge of the Gods—a cantilever bridge—and into Washington state.

It takes her over three months to complete the hike, across mountain ranges, forests and plateaus, through extreme heat, record snowfall, and encounters with wildlife like bears and rattlesnakes. The journey, shadowed by fear and self-doubt, is as intimidating as it is absorbing. The land as hostile as it is hospitable. In the end, she comes out changed, grateful to the PCT—the “long walk”—for helping make her whole again.

Throughout her journey, Cheryl recalls, with a tinge of pain and sadness, the life she left behind—her childhood, the abusive father who abandoned them, the stepfather who admirably filled his shoes, remorse over her failed marriage, and finally, the one person who meant the world to her—her mother, and the illness that took her away. The frequent flashbacks, however, do not take away from the joy of reading about her hike, which Cheryl tells in the first person, in a candid, engaging, and almost conversational style.

Wild struck a chord because I had read similar journeys of self-discovery, undertaken for different reasons. Notably Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words, where Peace Pilgrim (Mildred Lisette Norman) walked over 25,000 miles on a personal journey for peace; the classic Walden, where Henry David Thoreau lives in the woods of Massachusetts; and, In Quest of God and In the Vision of God by Swami Ramdas, the monk who walked the length and breadth of undivided India in search of spiritual salvation.

Nearly all of us must, at some point, step onto some kind of trail—not necessarily a physical one—and try to find ourselves.

So many books, so little time: Looking forward to The White Nile

When it comes to reading, I don't make New Year's resolutions, though every year I mentally tell myself I'll buy fewer books, and read more of the ones I already have. Last year, I kept half my promise. I bought just about a dozen secondhand books but read so few that there was hardly any point writing about them.

This year, somewhat surprisingly, things have gone the other way.

Less than two weeks into 2019, I had already added four "new" books to my groaning TBR shelves and, happily, read an equal number. My aim is to finish at least seven books and novellas a month, along with as many short stories and poems as I can manage. Time, however, is not on my side, so I'll be reviewing only a select few each month.

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Of the four books I picked up at the Books by Weight exhibition, the one I'm eager to read is my Penguin edition of The White Nile, 1960, by Alan Moorehead, the Australian-born war correspondent and writer of popular history. 

I've been curious about this book for quite some time. It chronicles the exploration of the Nile in the second half of the nineteenth century, when much of central Africa remained unknown to Europeans and the river's source was still one of geography's great mysteries.

Part travel narrative, part history, The White Nile has earned a reputation as a classic account of adventure and discovery. Its blend of historical detail, larger-than-life personalities, and dramatic expeditions has kept it in print for more than six decades. 

Separately, my wife picked up three books—Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen as a replacement copy, Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton, and The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit.

I also bought a few ebooks, but that's a guilt trip for another day.

Short Story: Partners — Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

Partners: Rogue Lawyer (2016) is a 60-page prequel to John Grisham’s full novel Rogue Lawyer published a year before. It is also Grisham's first digital short story, written in his familiar style: concise prose and a brisk pace, which keeps the reader turning pages until the end.

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Since I hadn’t read Rogue Lawyer, it seemed sensible to begin with Partners: Rogue Lawyer and find out how Sebastian Rudd first meets Thomas Cardell, better known as Tee Ray. By the end of the story, Tee Ray has offered to become Rudd’s partner, bodyguard, law clerk and driver all rolled into one.

In effect, John Grisham introduced readers to Rudd and Cardell in Rogue Lawyer and then returned to tell the story of how the two first crossed paths.

Rudd, in his early thirties, is a street lawyer who works out of a converted bar in a crime-ridden neighbourhood. He represents clients other lawyers avoid—people he often suspects are guilty long before they enter a courtroom. Yet, his courtroom skills have earned him a formidable reputation. Despite having handled more jury trials than most lawyers his age, he remains one of the most unpopular attorneys in town.

Rudd’s unpopularity reaches new heights when he reluctantly agrees to defend Tee Ray, a Black drug courier charged with killing a White police officer in what he claims was self-defence. The slain officer—a decorated Marine and former honour student—quickly becomes a local hero, with the town, the media and the police force rallying behind him. Rudd, meanwhile, finds himself caught between his client’s powerful employers in the drug trade and threats to his own life.

Rudd knows that without hard evidence or credible witnesses, Tee Ray is likely to be sentenced to death for killing the police officer. Determined to uncover the truth, he begins digging and, with help from contacts in the drug organisation, discovers that Tee Ray’s account is accurate. He had been forced to shoot only after the officer opened fire on him repeatedly. Looking to boost his arrest record, the cop had targeted Tee Ray, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A swift trial follows.

Partners is a fast-paced and well-crafted story that examines not only a violent crime but also the racial tensions that continue to shape American society. Grisham handles these themes with his customary restraint and sensitivity. One of the book’s strengths is that its characters are neither saints nor villains. Regardless of which side of the law they occupy, they are portrayed as flawed individuals.

Another enduring quality of Grisham’s fiction is his sympathy for the underdog. Through characters such as Tee Ray, whose chief ambition is to provide a better life for his teenage son, he gives a voice to people who are often overlooked. It is this empathy, as much as the legal drama, that gives the story its emotional weight.

Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut and other books

I bought no more than a dozen secondhand books this year. I’m pretty sure of that. Let me see—a few westerns, thrillers and spy fiction, some Lee Child, P.G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Enid Blyton and Kurt Vonnegut. Yes, that’s about it. I haven’t read any of the books yet.

© Prashant C. Trikannad

I also ordered some nonfiction from Amazon. They're all there in the picture on the left. I haven't read those either. Although I have been dipping into the books on writing, I don't read them from cover to cover.

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Separately, I also picked up Khushwant Singh’s autobiography Truth, Love & A Little Malice (2002). Singh was a diplomat, journalist, columnist, parliamentarian and author. He was also one of India's most entertaining storytellers. I enjoyed his clear, straightforward style. The book itself had a troubled publication history and was delayed for several years because of a court case.

I also added a handful of comic-books to my collection as well. These included two graphic adaptations from the Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter, the shared pen name of several children's writers. I also downloaded a few titles offered during Amazon's Free Comic Book Day promotion. Most of my comics reading happens during the daily commute.

Of the fiction books, I plan to start with Kurt Vonnegut's Timequake. It's presented as a novel, though from what I've gathered it's part-fiction, part-autobiography and part-reflection on writing and life. Vonnegut himself described it as a "stew" and his last novel.

The central idea is an intriguing one. A glitch in time forces everyone to relive ten years of their lives exactly as before, unable to change a single decision or action. Vonnegut uses that premise as a starting point, but the book seems to wander freely into memories, observations and stories about family, aging and the business of being a writer.

We'll see how it goes. 

Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favourite writers. I like his writing so much that I'm often tempted to imitate his style. His sentences were short, simple and almost staccato. He had a knack for saying a lot with very little. Add to that a wry sense of humour, and it's easy to see why I keep returning to his books.

Book Review: Rain on the Dead by Jack Higgins

I will give you my verdict right away. Rain on the Dead (2014) is one of the most disappointing Jack Higgins novels I have read.

The British writer's 76th action thriller features a familiar cast of anti-terrorism veterans: the legendary former IRA gunman Sean Dillon (in his 21st appearance); his boss, General Charles Ferguson, who heads a secret intelligence unit reporting to 10 Downing Street; Captain Sara Gideon, a decorated Afghan war veteran; Major Giles Roper, a wheelchair-bound technology wizard; and Billy Salter, a gangster-turned-MI5 agent, along with his gun-handy uncle Harry, who runs a dockside pub.

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While those are good reasons to read the book, a weak story and an even weaker plot are compelling reasons to give it a miss. Unless, like me, you're a die-hard Jack Higgins fan who will read anything by the man who gave us such gripping novels as The Last Place God Made (1971), A Prayer for the Dying (1973) and The Eagle Has landed (1975).

Rain on the Dead begins with a failed assassination attempt on the charismatic former US President Jake Cazalet at his estate on Nantucket, an island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Unfortunately for the two Al Qaeda-backed Chechen gunmen, Ferguson and his team happen to be visiting Cazalet at the time and foil the plot masterminded by a faceless figure known only as the Master. Not very original and not very scary either.

From there, the action shifts to Drumgoole in Ireland, Paris and finally London, as Ferguson's team thwarts repeated attempts to kill Cazalet. Frustrated by these failures, the Master, who reports to some kind of grand council, hires more desperate men, including rogue special ops soldiers, to eliminate Dillon, Gideon and the others. They fail too.

Two more things kept me from enjoying the novel.

The writing, peppered with dialogue, often felt amateurish. Preposterous as it may sound, I even wondered whether the book had been ghostwritten. The narrative lacked depth, the conversations were at times school-grade, and there were even a few typos. This was not the Jack Higgins I grew up reading.

Then there is Sean Dillon himself. His role during the Troubles in Northern Ireland continues to haunt him, as it does many of Higgins' former IRA protagonists. Though still respected by his allies and feared by his enemies, Dillon is clearly past his prime. Maybe it was intentional. Here, he plays a largely supporting role, rarely doing more than turning up with his Colt .25. Instead, the brave Captain Sara Gideon and the young, reckless Billy Salter take centre stage as they hunt down the shadowy Master before he can get anywhere near Jake Cazalet, who first appeared in The President's Daughter (1997).  

So, will I stop reading Jack Higgins? Never. I still have many of his novels waiting on my shelves, and I'm certain most of them will remind me why he remains one of my favourite thriller writers.

The books I added to my shelves in 2017

I bought fewer than a dozen books and ebooks in 2017, and intentionally so. It was in keeping with my resolution to read as many books as I could from my collection of 100-odd paperbacks before buying new ones. The plan did not quite work.

Even so, there were a few acquisitions during the year that I was especially glad to have made.

Author Margot Kinberg, who blogs about crime fiction at Crime Writer Margot Kinberg, very kindly sent me a signed copy of Past Tense, the third novel in her mystery series featuring ex-cop Joel Williams. Now a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the fictional Tilton University, Williams is an affable and unassuming sleuth with a knack for sniffing out clues. Past Tense is an engaging campus mystery. You can click here to read the review.

Ben Boulden's debut novel Red Rock Rampage, #15 in the Blaze! Adult Western Series, introduces J.D. and Kate, a husband-and-wife team of gunfighters, in an action-packed tale told at a brisk pace. I reviewed the book and interviewed Ben here. I will also be reviewing his 25-page Western short story Merrick (since reviewed). You can learn more about Ben and his work at his blog Gravetapping.

During the year, I was lucky enough to track down three out-of-print Sudden paperbacks, my favourite Western series created by British author Oliver Strange. One of them was Sudden Strikes Back by Frederick H. Christian who wrote five Sudden novels after Strange's original ten. That brought my collection to Sudden novels, which I have been reading and rereading since the 1980s.

Finally, a friend and colleague gifted me a lovely hardback edition of Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein's delightful collection of children's poems and illustrations. Silverstein once said he never studied the poetry of others and instead developed his own "quirky style, laid back and conversational." It shows. Where the Sidewalk Ends is one of those rare books that makes you want to put pen to paper and try writing a few verses yourself.

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Book Review: Dead Line by Stella Rimington

The story of English author Stella Rimington is almost as interesting as the plot of Dead Line, the fourth novel in her espionage series featuring MI5 agent Liz Carlyle. Dame Rimington, who joined Britain's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency in 1969, was appointed Director-General in 1992, becoming not only the first woman to hold the post but also the first head of MI5 to go public.

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With nearly three decades of intelligence experience behind her, the series is written with first-hand knowledge. Dead Line, the only novel in the series I have read so far, is a convincing and realistic entry in the world of spy fiction.

The British government is weeks away from hosting a Middle East peace conference at Gleneagles in Scotland. While Syria and Israel are at the heart of the talks, heads of government from Britain, the United States, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran are expected to lend their weight to the proceedings. The conference may not produce an immediate breakthrough, but it is vital that it concludes without incident. The prestige of 10 Downing Street depends on it.

There are, however, rogue agents and even nations that will stop at nothing to wreck the conference. Acting on a tip-off from MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, MI5 chief Charles Wetherby entrusts the sensitive case to Liz Carlyle. Her task is to track down two terror suspects, including a Syrian journalist, believed to be planning an attack on the summit.

But there is one problem: Liz has almost nothing to work with. Starting from scratch, she uncovers a conspiracy far more dangerous than she, Wetherby or anyone else in British intelligence had imagined. Her investigation puts her on a collision course with allies in the CIA and Mossad, while the trail leads to a shadowy Syrian operative with a chilling past and a thirst for revenge.

Dead Line may not have the spectacle of a Tom Clancy thriller, the legacy of John le Carré or the technical detail of a Craig Thomas novel. What it does offer is a believable portrayal of how intelligence agencies might actually operate behind closed doors in the fight against terrorism and subversion. Rimington writes with clarity and her methodical plotting reflects one who has seen that world. Liz Carlyle is a credible intelligence officer, balancing the demands of her profession with career ambitions, family concerns and private emotions.

I plan to read more in the series by Britain's most famous spy.

Photo Essay: A tour of Mumbai's book haunts

Secondhand books have the tantalising aroma of a spicy Goan fish curry.

Browsing through books is half the pleasure. Buying them doesn't always have to be the happy ending. I have spent much of my reading life doing little more than scanning bookshelves, admiring covers, flipping through pages, reading blurbs, searching for forgotten bookmarks, and envying what other people find. Which means I get as much satisfaction from browsing as I do from buying. Of course, there have also been times when I've walked away empty-handed, only to regret leaving behind a coveted title or an out-of-print book. I've even returned the next day, only to find it gone. 

Old or new, in shops or on footpaths, books have been my companions ever since I started my reading journey with the Hardy Boys. Here are some of my favourite book haunts, mostly in South Mumbai, where I have browsed far more than I have bought. A few of these photographs have appeared on the blog before, but most were taken specifically for this post.

The footpath booksellers of Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk)

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Books by Weight in South Mumbai, as far as the eye can see.

Abraham Lincoln in not-so-strange company.

My pick from the box: Jack Higgins, my favourite author.

A pavement bookseller opens for the day.

The suburban bookshop where I browse—and board a bus home.

The English historical novelist on my TBR list.

Fiction rubs spines with self-help in South Mumbai.

Waiting for customers: This footpath bookseller knows his books.

British crime writer Martina Cole at Books by Weight.

A close-up of a footpath bookseller on Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Heavyweights jostle for space at a suburban bookshop.

Take your pick or toss a coin, at Books by Weight.

Spy novelist Craig Thomas is an old friend.

Books in a haystack near the old Central Telegraph Office.

This photo essay was first published in October 2017 and has been lightly updated in June 2026 with revised text and links to related posts. Some of these book haunts may have changed over the years, while others continue to welcome browsers and collectors. But the joy of browsing secondhand books remains the same.

© All photographs by Prashant C. Trikannad

Book Review: Booty for a Badman by Louis L'Amour

My belly was as empty as my prospect hole, and it didn't seem like I had much choice.

When young William Tell Sackett, the eldest of the three Sackett brothers, has no luck panning for gold, he agrees to carry 50 pounds of the yellow metal out of camp and deliver it safely to a bank in Hardyville—for the princely fee of $100. The gold belongs to four miners who trust him. There is just one problem: he must carry it through desert and mountain country over five days. And Tell knows he will not be alone on the treacherous journey. The Cooper gang, who make a living by robbing and killing successful prospectors, will be hot on his trail.  

Unmindful of the dangers ahead, the quiet, honest and tough cowboy packs a horse and rides out with the gold, each pound worth $1,000. He is not overly worried about the Coopers. He can take on the desperadoes, but he is less sure what to do when he encounters Christine Mallory, a pretty woman on the run from her soldier husband and stranded in the middle of nowhere. Disregarding his father Colburn Sackett’s advice to stay clear of women—“They’ll trouble you. Love ’em and leave ’em, that’s the way”—the chivalrous Tell agrees to escort her to Hardyville on the Colorado, even if it means slowing down and putting his life at greater risk.

Then, all of a sudden, the Cooper gang turns up. Here it comes.

Booty for a Badman is a fine Western, told in the engaging, concise, and easy style that is a Louis L'Amour trademark. The author evokes the wild country—the hostile terrain, the dust raised by pursuers in the distance, the campfire and smoke at night—without labouring over detail. Tell is a God-fearing and honourable man, as evident from his gentlemanly treatment of Christine, whom he addresses throughout as “Mrs Mallory.” Yet he cannot help dreaming of settling down with a woman like her and raising a family.

L’Amour also springs a couple of twists that I did not see coming. I was glad of that: the element of surprise is what holds my interest in a story, especially in a Western, a genre that can sometimes move towards a predictable finish. 

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Booty for a Badman was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in July 1960, and was subsequently reprinted in the magazine in 1975 and 1988. It is included in The Collected Short Stories of Louis L’Amour: The Frontier Stories, Volume 1. There are at least four other volumes in the series and, together with his other stories, they add up to more than 250. I read L’Amour—one of the most popular and prolific writers of the last century—after many years, and this story has prompted me to read, and reread, his Sackett series, among other novels. among other novels.

Note: For more Friday's Forgotten Book reviews, visit Todd Mason's blog Sweet Freedom. Todd is doing the FBB honours this Friday in place of Patti Abbott at her blog Pattinase.