The Ladykiller

The Ladykiller was first published in 1993 and is a brilliant thriller by Martina Cole.

Grantley is in a state of shock when Geraldine O’Leary’s dead body is discovered by a newspaper boy. Not only had she been raped and murdered but had been severely brutalised. Kate Burrows is heading up the case and knows whoever committed the crime is either lucky or knows what they are doing. Someone certainly has anger issues.

When Mandy Kelly becomes the second victim of the Grantly ripper, Patrick Kelly vows revenge and this would be no idle threat. While Kelly is a business man, he is also a very well-known ‘face’ and the murder brings Burrows to Kelly’s front door. As the investigation progresses the body count goes up further as do show more the feelings of Burrows professionally and privately. At the same time Burrows’ daughter crashes and burns at sixteen and it leaves Burrows bereft and she turns to Kelly for support.

The sadistic Grantly ripper seems to get worse with every new victim and anger issues seem to abound from the ripper. Grantly is in a state of fear and the press are out for blood and who will be left standing can only be guessed at.

A brilliant thriller from beginning to end. show less

Great book- slightly creepy in some places. The ending was a bit of an anti-climax though.

I love this authors books - although this is only the second one of hers that I have read. Have more in my TBR pile though.

Back Cover Blurb:
George Markham has a nasty little hobby. He pursues it in secret, behind closed doors. But now George's little hobby is becoming an obsession, one that erupts into an orgy of vicious sexual depravity.
Patrick Kelly is a hard man - the most feared in London. His one soft spot is his daughter, Mandy. And when she falls victim to the sadistic rapist nicknamed the Grantley Ripper, Kelly wants revenge - with or without police help.
The DI in charge of the case is Kate Burrows. Its a tough job and one that's already cost Kate her marriage. She feels for Kelly - she's a parent herself - but her growing show more involvement with a known villain is putting her career at risk.
As the forces of law and order and London's underworld converge in a mammoth manhunt, Kate fears she'll lose everything she's ever cared about to.....the ladykiller. show less

George Markham tiene una afición poco confesable. La cultiva en secreto, a puerta cerrada. Pero ahora la afición de George se está convirtiendo en una obsesión, una obsesión que estalla en una orgía de crueldad y depravación sexual. Patrick Kelly es un tipo duro, muy temido, de los bajos fondos de Londres. Sólo tiene una debilidad: su hija Mandy. Cuando la ve caer víctima de un sádico violador apodado El Destripador de Grantley, Kelly quiere venganza, con o sin ayuda de la policía. Se encarga del caso la inspectora Kate Burrows. Su trabajo es difícil, tanto que le ha costado su matrimonio. Siente simpatía por Kelly, ella también es madre, pero esa relación cada vez más estrecha con un conocido maleante empieza a poner en show more peligro su carrera en la policía. Se desata una colosal caza del asesino en la que convergen las fuerzas de la ley y el orden con las del hampa londinenses. Pero Kate tiene miedo de perder todo lo que siempre le ha importado... show less

Wanneer Mandy, dochter van de beruchte Londense crimineel Patrick Kelly, het slachtoffer wordt van een sadistische seriemoordenaar, wil Kelly maar één ding: wraak. Met of zonder hulp van de politie.
Inspecteur Kate Burrows heeft zelf een dochter en begrijpt Kelly helemaal, maar door haar steeds intensere realtie met de crimineel stelt zij haar eigen carrière in de waagschaal.

Terwijl de politie én de Londense onderwereld een gigantische klopjacht ondernemen, vreest Kate dat zij alles wat haar dierbaar is zal kwijtraken aan een man die vele vrouwen fataal is geworden...