There are some authors whose books you can always rely on to draw you into a story, and Martina Cole has always been one of those authors for me.

I’ve just finished The Stretch, and what a book to finish on! This one brings together crime, family, loyalty, betrayal and the complicated relationships that come with being part of a family where doing time almost seems to run in the blood.

If you’ve read Martina Cole before, you’ll know that her stories aren’t simply about criminals and the lives they lead. She takes you into their homes, their relationships and the lives of the people caught up in everything happening around them. It’s often the families who have just as much to deal with as the people behind bars.

And that’s exactly what makes The Stretch such an interesting story.

Welcome to the Raglan family

At the centre of this story is the Raglan family, a family where prison life is nothing particularly new.

Johnny Raglan has been sentenced to life imprisonment. For Johnny, being sent down is almost another adventure, but for the people he leaves behind, things are far more complicated.

His wife Janey is suddenly faced with a very different future. With two young sons to think about, she’s got to find a way to navigate a world that she may not be fully prepared for.

But Janey isn’t completely on her own.

Johnny’s mother, Dolly, has been through this before. She knows the score, understands how things work and has experienced the realities of having family members behind bars. She takes Janey under her wing and tries to teach her what it takes to survive.

Dolly is an interesting character because she brings experience and knowledge of a world that Janey is now having to learn about for herself. But knowing how things work doesn’t necessarily mean being able to control everything that happens.

And then there’s Jimmy.

Johnny’s brother has taken over the family business, which brings its own responsibilities and problems. When rumours begin circulating about whether Jimmy can really be trusted, things start to become increasingly complicated.

In a family where loyalty is everything, even the smallest question about someone’s intentions can have enormous consequences.

The Raglans aren’t a family who are likely to take disloyalty lightly, and that sets the scene for a story full of tension and uncertainty.

A family where nothing is ever straightforward

One of the things that makes this story so compelling is the way it explores the different sides of family life.

There’s Johnny, whose imprisonment changes the lives of the people around him. There’s Janey, who has to think about her children and what the future might look like. Dolly has her own experiences and understands the importance of knowing how to survive in this world.

Then there’s Jimmy, who finds himself in a position where family business and personal loyalty become increasingly difficult to separate.

Everyone has their own place within the family, their own responsibilities and their own expectations.

But what happens when those expectations start to clash?

Can you really trust the people closest to you? Does being family automatically mean someone has your back? And how far would you go to protect the people you love?

These are the sorts of questions that sit underneath the story, making you wonder what might happen next.

The world Martina Cole creates

What I particularly enjoy about Martina Cole’s writing is the way she builds her stories around people.

She doesn’t just give you a criminal world and expect you to understand it. She introduces you to the people living in it, the relationships they have, the choices they’ve made and the consequences that follow.

There’s a real human side to her stories, even when the subject matter is difficult.

In The Stretch, the impact of prison isn’t limited to Johnny. His sentence affects his wife, his children, his mother and the wider family. Everyone has to adjust in some way, and that gives the story another layer beyond the criminal side of things.

It’s also the contrast between family loyalty and the reality of the world the Raglans live in that makes the story interesting.

Family is important, but trust can be fragile. People have their own interests, secrets and ambitions, and sometimes the people you think you know best can surprise you.

I think that’s one of the reasons Martina Cole’s books are so easy to get drawn into. You want to understand the characters, you become interested in their lives and you want to see how everything unfolds.

My thoughts on The Stretch

I really enjoyed getting stuck into another Martina Cole story.

There’s something familiar and comforting about returning to an author whose writing you know you enjoy, but that doesn’t mean the stories become predictable.

The Stretch has all the ingredients I look for in a good crime novel. There’s family drama, complicated relationships, criminal connections, questions of loyalty and the feeling that there’s always something else going on beneath the surface.

I particularly like stories where the family itself is at the heart of everything. You get to see how different people react to the same circumstances and how one person’s decisions can affect everyone around them.

The Raglan family certainly gives you plenty to think about.

I also liked the idea of having seven books brought together into one overall story. There’s a lot to get involved in, and it makes for an interesting reading experience.

I don’t want to say too much about how things develop because I really think this is one of those stories where it’s better to discover things for yourself.

There are enough questions, complicated relationships and family tensions to keep you curious without me spoiling the surprises.

And honestly, isn’t that what you want from a good book? To keep wondering what’s going to happen next?

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely!

If you’re a fan of Martina Cole, then you’ll know exactly the sort of storytelling you’re getting.

If you’ve never read one of her books before, The Stretch gives you a taste of her world of gritty crime fiction, family loyalties and characters whose lives are rarely straightforward.

It’s about much more than someone being sent to prison. It’s about the people left behind, the families trying to keep things together, the responsibilities that get passed on and the importance of knowing who you can trust.

I would definitely recommend giving this one a place on your reading list.

One very special reading milestone

Now, this is where things get a little bittersweet for me.

Finishing The Stretch means I’ve officially worked my way through Martina Cole’s entire catalogue!

That’s right. I’ve now reached the end of her collection, and there isn’t another Martina Cole book waiting for me to pick up.

I’ve spent so much time working my way through her stories, discovering different characters and getting lost in the worlds she’s created. It’s quite a milestone to be able to say I’ve completed the whole catalogue.

It’s also a strange feeling knowing that when I finish a Martina Cole book now, there isn’t another one ready and waiting for me.

Of course, if Martina releases another book, I’ll be straight there!

But for now, I can proudly say I’ve completed the collection.

Another author catalogue ticked off, another audiobook finished and another reading milestone achieved.

And now comes the difficult question: which author am I going to work my way through next?

Have you read The Stretch, or are you a Martina Cole fan? I’d love to know what you thought!

Happy reading and listening!

❤️ Lilly

Chapters on Wheelz