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Joan

The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Diamond Thief

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Joan

By: Joan Hannington
Narrated by: Kim Taylforth
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Joan Hannington was the most notorious female figure in London's criminal underworld during the 80s, earning her the nickname 'The Godmother'. With her stunning looks and glamorous wardrobe, Joan was constantly underestimated, but she used this to her advantage and became an undetected mastermind in high-stakes jewellery theft. Often transforming herself into different characters, Joan seamlessly got away with millions of pounds in diamonds.

Coming from a violent, loveless childhood, Joan learnt to trust no one but herself. At seventeen, she becomes a mother, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a brutal thug. When he goes on the run, Joan seizes the moment to leave her old life. Motivated by her desire to care for her daughter, Joan gets swept up in the exhilarating world of a life of crime and makes some heartbreaking decisions as she sets her sights on a better life.

Joan is the true story of her meteoric rise from petty offender to one of Britain's most accomplished diamond thieves, making a success of life by not playing by the rules when the odds seemed stacked against her.

©2024 Joan Hannington (P)2024 Penguin Audio Murder True Crime Crime Scary Thought-Provoking Exciting
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What a story! Such an interesting life. Very coarse at times (unnecessarily in my view) but a really good listen nonetheless. And the story is quite different from the recent tv series, although I enjoyed that too.

Wow!

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Absolutely loved this book, couldn’t stop listening, gave a great insight to a different world.

Great insight to a different world.

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What a fantastic book! Hooked from start to finish. She tells her gritty story with such humour and dignity, I couldn’t help giggling at some of the anecdotes. She’s a right lovable rascal. Kim Taylforth’s narration was excellent, you really feel like Joan is talking to you. I loved the TV series too but a lot of artistic licence had been used in that and I feel that the book shows you the real Joan. I’d love to meet her and after reading this book you will too!

A right lovable rascal

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Listen to this is a day, totally addictive, and brutally honest from the author. I never wanted it to end. I’ve watched the TV show which is good, but this book is absolutely amazing. I also enjoyed the updated part at the end.

Best Book I’ve Listed to

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This autobiography is really excellent. What a life, so interesting, engaging, compelling even. The narration is also faultless. The TV drama is different and has clearly used lots of artistic licence. Both are very enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Brilliant!

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