You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Mardle Books to publish Marin's county lines memoir
EMBARGOED THURS 15th
Mardle Books will publish Top Girl by Danielle Marin, the "tell-all, gritty and emotional true story of a grammar school girl turned county lines drug dealer".
The synopsis reads: "Danielle has a safe, happy childhood in West London. But her bright future fades when, betrayed by the police after a brutal gang rape, she finds protection under the wing of local criminals and falls in love with the ‘top boy’. Her allegiances bring terror to her doorstep when gun-toting rivals target her flat – and the authorities answer by taking away her baby. Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ. The designer handbags and hedonistic lifestyle are the envy of her friends, but all that cash masks the grim reality of her new life. Then, when Danielle is arrested, a probation officer has her questioning whether she really is ‘top girl’ after all – and can she leave it all behind?"
Marin commented: "People who know me and my life story were always telling me I should write it down, and I’m thrilled that it’s going to find an audience with Mardle Books. The traditional narrative you see in the media about ‘county lines’ is only part of the story. I hope the book gives some insight into how and why kids get involved in drugs and drug dealing, and I also hope younger readers will see some of the mistakes I made – and steer clear of them. Above all, what I’ve been through shows that no matter how bad things get, you can still turn them around."
Jo Sollis, publisher, acquired world all language rights from Robin Eveleigh at Hook News. Top Girl will be published on 3rd March 2022 in paperback, audiobook and e-book.
Sollis said: "This incredible true story gripped me from the first page, I am so excited to be helping to share it. Danielle is a remarkable woman, and this is one of the most powerful stories I have ever read. It’s just the kind of striking true story that Mardle Books set out to publish."
