Product Description

In the sixties, Briony Cavanagh ran a string of the most notorious brothels in London. Only Briony knew what went on behind those doors, and she never opened her mouth - unless she stood to benefit. Only Briony knew the painful road she’d travelled to get there. From an impoverished childhood that ended with shocking betrayal, she was determined to be mistress of her own fate. But along with success came risk and danger. And the Goodnight Lady had her own secret place that was always shadowed by loss.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15521 in Books
• Published on: 1994-06-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 704 pages

Synopsis
In the sixties, Briony Cavanagh ran a string of the most notorious brothels in London. Only Briony knew what went on behind those doors, and she never opened her mouth - unless she stood to benefit. Only Briony knew the painful road she'd travelled to get there. From an impoverished childhood that ended with shocking betrayal, she was determined to be mistress of her own fate. But along with success came risk and danger. And the Goodnight Lady had her own secret place that was always shadowed by loss.

About the Author
Martina Cole was born and brought up in Essex. She is the bestselling author of eleven novels set in London's gangland, and her most recent three novels have gone straight to No. 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller lists.

Customer Reviews

Call me madam....
My mum lent me this when I was staying at hers and having finished Sniper One (see other review) in two days I was stuck for something to read. Not my usual choice, but I found it enjoyable and it is now my guilty secret.

The Cavanaghs were a large family of Irish immigrants struggling in London's East End at the turn of the century. When the no-good drunkard father is offered two pounds a week for the "services" of his eldest daughter by the wealthy Henry Dumas he readily agrees. On reaching puberty, Eileen is callously discarded and her younger sister, the ambitious Briony, seizes her chance for a shot at the good life and takes her place with the reluctant consent of her mother. She unfortunately becomes pregnant and with nowhere to turn, she accepts Isabel Dumas' offer to take the son as her own in exchange for Briony's silence, the house and a large allowance. Meeting and falling for Artful dodger type Tommy Lane changes things and using her windfall, they go into business opening their own bordello (not bad for a pair of teenagers...)

The rest of the book deals with Briony and her family as they go from strength to strength though the path is rocky, violent and controversial. Eileen never recovers from her stolen childhood and dies in childbirth leaving "madam" Briony to bring up her boys Daniel and Boysie (aka Ronnie and Reggie) with devastating consequences. Throughout this, she carries the burden of giving up her only son, but he is never far from her mind.

Quite an epic novel, it reads like a female Jeffrey Archer, the story spanning almost a century though the Great War is strangely omitted and the second glossed over. More historical references may have given it extra credibility and a better timescale I think. Some of the cockney dialogue is very cheesey and would make an Eastenders scriptwriter wince and the plot stretches credibility at times, but overall it's quite a good book and next time I'm stuck for a read at my mum's I'll check out her other Martina Coles. Just don't tell anyone....

Goodnight Lady
This was another masterpiece by Martina. I have not always read her books in order, but I came across this one the other day, the only one left that I had not read........ All of her books are gripping from the first page to the last. Goodnight Lady was a wonderful story set in the 1900's. Martina has a fantastic imagination and obviously does a great deal of research.
I would recommend Martina Cole's books to everybody, young, old, male or female. Keep up the good work Martina!!

Martina Cole Does It Again
The first Martina Cole book I read I thought was brilliant and could not be equalled yet alone beaten. But how wrong I was, I could not put this book down. The characters just came to life and I seriously did not want this book to end. Lots of twists and beautifully written, long may Martine Cole reign!!!! This book is denifinetly one of my all time favourites. To find a book as good as this will be a difficult task.