The Runaway

Breaking Free from a Dangerous Past

In The Runaway, Martina Cole plunges readers into the raw heart of London’s criminal underworld, weaving a tale of grit, survival, and relentless ambition. Cathy Connor, born into a world where trust is a rare commodity and violence lurks behind every promise, dreams of escape from the life that has scarred her. Running from betrayal, abuse, and heartbreak, Cathy is forced onto the streets, where every day is a struggle to survive—and every night brings the risk of falling further from grace. Yet, within her is a fierce resilience, a desperate hope that the past will not dictate her future.

Unforgiving Streets and Unbreakable Ties

As Cathy forges her own path, she is never truly alone; her childhood friend Eamonn Docherty remains tethered to her heart, even as his choices pull him deeper into London’s criminal labyrinth. Their lives spiral in tandem—sometimes parallel, sometimes perilously intersecting—each marked by loyalty, longing, and the lure of danger. The city’s underbelly is painted in shades of betrayal and vengeance, where trust is earned in blood and love is a weapon as potent as any blade. Cole masterfully exposes the complexities of her characters, revealing the scars and secrets that shape them in the unforgiving world they inhabit.

The Price of Freedom, The Power of Survival

The Runaway is more than a crime saga—it is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Martina Cole’s unflinching prose and deep empathy for her flawed, unforgettable characters make for a novel that is as gripping as it is moving. Through heartbreak, triumph, and the relentless pursuit of a life on her own terms, Cathy’s journey will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for redemption or fought to carve out a place in a hostile world. This is a story of survival, of choices made in the shadows, and of the hope that, one day, the past can be left behind.

Martina Cole, acclaimed for her fearless storytelling and authentic portrayal of London’s darkest corners, brings her signature voice to The Runaway. With her sharp insight into the lives of society’s outsiders, she crafts a powerful, unforgettable novel about what it takes to break free—and what it means to truly come home.